the No-Fi "Interview" with

(conducted by Quin, February 16th, 2003, Los Angeles, CA)

Why is this band not bigger? Amps On Ten are certainly the best band to ever come out of Bell, California and they have quickly become one of my favorite local bands. So now I get to interview them. They played our little no-fi "radio" benefit show at The Smell back in February, and unfortunately everyone showed up after they got off stage. But they were on fire while they played. Their performance rocked my glasses askew. And not only is their music great, but these gentlemen are very very nice. So let's read on now shall we and see what these guys had to say.

Q: And now, ladies and gentlemen, the long awaited interview with Amps On Ten for No-Fi "Magazine"...how long have you guys been a band?
S: About a year? Yeah, about a year.
Q: I've heard that you guys have had trouble getting shows...
R: Yeah.
Q: Tell me about that, why do you think that is?
L: I don't know, sometimes it seems like people don't even listen to the CD, I don't know what it is.
S: I just think that there's not really like a scene that's put together...a lot of bands are scattered about. And we just play, ya know, we go out and play little clubs and stuff like that.
L: I think it's something different...there's just so many bands that not everybody is going to get heard...I really don't know what it is.

We talk more about experiences with venues and which one try to rip you off (which we won't print here) and Chris (No-Fi "Editor") tries to think of the name of some purple venue on Sunset...someone, then mentions The Viper Room.

Q: River Phoenix died there.
S: I met Brian Wilson there.
Q: (very excited) You met Brian Wilson?
S: He was cool, he was with Rodney on the Roq (KROQ's oldest and most influential DJ Rodney Bingenheimer).
Q: Really?
G: That guy's everywhere.
S: Yeah and I shook his hand. I told him I was a big fan, and he seemed like he did on T.V. He was nice.
Q: Okay this question has been bugging me forever...where the hell is Bell, California.
S: It's not even that far from here.
R: Down the 710 freeway.
S: Like 5 minutes from here.
R: In the South East area of L.A. like by Downey, Southgate.
S: I wanna give a shoutout to Whittier and Santa Fe Springs.
R: I think the Oscars were stolen from Bell.
Q: Oh yeah. What's your favorite rock n' roll band of all time?
R: Mine would be, probably Led Zeppelin.
G: Black Sabbath.
S: The Beatles.
L: Don't hold me to it, but I'm having a Pavement fix right now so I'll say Pavement.

This makes me all excited and we talk about the Pavement DVD and how crazy Gary Young was. Then Mike Watt comes up in the conversation.

S: He's cool. We saw him at a Dinosaur Jr show. I asked him where J Mascis was and he said, "Over there."
Q: What is the strangest place that you have ever made out with somebody?
S: I would say on a Greyhound Bus is probably the weirdest place because you got the lights off and you got everybody around you.
L: Oh I remember...at a church.
Q: In the confessional?
L: No outside. they were having mass and I was sitting outside.
Q: Aww. You're going to Hell.
L: It's not a church that I attend though, so is that better? I wasn't a member of that congregation.
S: That kinda makes it worse I think.
Q: (to George) How about you?
G: No answer.
R: I think the wierdest would be in a car I guess. But, we did a little more than make out.
Q: Was it while you were driving?
R: Well uh, there have been episodes where that has happened.
Q: Here is where I say the name of a band and you tell me the feeling you get when I say their name.

The Rolling Stones-
Everyone: Old.
G: Cool.
R: They're alright. I like them.
S: Those guys are like the mafia, I should retract my statement that they're old.
R: I was going to say overrated, but if they read this...
Q: Yeah, Mick Jagger is reading this right now

The Pixies-
L: I think they rock.
S: They're one of my favorite bands.
G: Awesome.
R: Fantastic.

The Ramones-
S: That kind of bums me out because of the death of Joey Ramone, I think they are influential. I think they have their hand in almost every single band that comes out. Even bands like My Bloody Valentine...he was even influenced by The Ramones.
R: Who wasn't influenced by The Ramones? Classic.

Q: What do you think of George W and all of his crazy ideas?
S: I don't know that's the president, you know.
Q: Mick Jagger will read this before he does.
S: I don't know he needs to get over it. That's all I have to say.
L: I don't know enough to say. I don't know...I don't wanna shake his but, I think there is something going on. I don't think there is that much of a hidden agenda but I don't want to get nuked myself.
G: I guess we gotta back him up.
L: (Changing the subject) We like singing about puppy dogs and candy.
S: And girls.
R: I gotta say he has big balls to try to stand up to the UN.
S: That was Robert from the band that said he had big balls.
R: C'mon, hey he's our president, bro.
S: We don't run with donkeys and elephants.
Q: Okay, you just mentioned puppy dogs and donkeys and elephants and that leads me to my next question, are you a dog person or a cat person.
S: Well, I have a cat so I'm going to say cat person.
G: I have a cat.
L: I'm a cat person.
R: Both actually, I like cats and dogs.
S: I want a bull dog.
Q: Howard Stern just got a bull dog.
R: What's her name?
Q: Bianca.
S: Bianca Jade.
(Laughter and talk of Howard Stern)
Q: Any closing words or anything you would like to say?
S: Just come out and see us play. Give us a chance, I'm pretty sure you'll get hooked. And thanks to No-Fi.
L: I agree.
R: Thanks for letting us play...
S: Oh yeah...
R: (To Sergio) Just steal my thunder, go ahead, go ahead...
S: And hopefully the guy from The Fold came out so we can play The Fold.
L: Check out our Yahoo group too. ampsonten at yahoo.com.
Q: Do you have a web page too?
R: No, we're working on it. But we don't even own computers. Well, he has one but it doesn't work.
S: Technology scares us, man. Guitars and amps.
L: Money scares us.
Q: Alright, you guys. Thanks for doing this and you guys are great. THE END!