Four Long Years, But Worth the Wait
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>> Spider One and Powerman 5000 rocked the Palladium. >>

>> May 16, 2003 >> Los Angeles, CA >> When Powerman 5000 hits the stage this night at LA’s cavernous Paladium, there’s a mix of emotions in the room – excitement, because the band hasn’t been on stage for some time, and trepidation, for much the same reason.   With their latest release, Transform (Dreamworks Records), just hitting shelves, the questions abound.

About a year ago, Powerman fans were left wondering.  A mere two weeks before the release date, Anyone for Doomsday? was pulled amid loads of rumors; had the label sent them back to the drawing board?  Was there turmoil within the fold?  Was the record that bad?

The answers, it turns out, are much more mundane that that.  Spider One, the charismatic lead singer for Powerman 5000, had made a gut-level decision that this was not to be the next representation of his beloved band.  It was time to get back in the studio and make it happen.

The worries, this night, are quickly dispelled.  Powerman 5000’s efforts were all worth at, as Spider quickly takes the crowd under his aura and goes off.  The look is different – the guys have swapped spacesuits for basic punk attire, and the sound is stripped down and rebuilt, courtesy of a new rhythm section.  Working hits such as “When Worlds Collide” in with the new material, Powerman 5000 seems reborn.   Spider is a dynamo, leading the crowd back and forth at his coaxing, never relenting, even for the slightest moment.

And they were supposed to be the warm-up act for Stone Sour.

>> Spider takes the fans to new heights. >>

While a fair number of the fans were “maggots,” Slipknot fans there to see Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor, all were sufficiently blown away by the sharp and highly energetic performance of Spider One, guitarists M.33 and Adam 12, and new members Siggy Siursen on bass and Adrian Ost behind the drums.  Any concerns about Powerman 5000’s abilities or possible rustiness were quelled.

A few days later, Spider gave us a call from a stop in Philadelphia to discuss Transform, the record that never was and more.

VOX: We just caught your show here in LA with Stone Sour – what a great night.
Spider One: Really?  Even with the lighting problems? 
VOX: We didn’t even notice the lighting problems…
Spider: You know, when I was younger I might’ve pulled an Axel Rose and stormed off the stage or something because of that.  I realize that I’ve matured and that the music is more important than that.  I’ve grown up some.

VOX: About a year ago, you basically had a record ready to go, then pulled it and decided to get back in the studio and start over.  What precipitated that?
Spider: Well, it was…one of those things where you put all off this effort and time into something and you’re really happy with it, or you think you’re really happy with it, and it seems fine…then reality sort of set in.  I realized it was wrong record at the time, and by stepping back and looking at it differently, I realized that we didn’t take any chances, we didn’t push the envelope, and that’s not the kind of band we can be or the kind of band I want to be in.  I want to push things, push ourselves, throw our fans a curveball here and there…

The original thought was to go in and rework the record, but with the lineup changes it became apparent that we needed to go back and totally start over.  So, basically, we’ve done two complete records.   It’s cool – I know our hardcore fans have Doomsday [the unreleased record], which is fine.  I know it’s out there on-line if people want it.

>> Spider and M33 let the fans have it. >>

VOX: Tell me about the changes that were made in the line-up.
Spider: Well, we’ve got two new guys, a whole new rhythm section in Adrian and Siggy.   The original members, they decided they didn’t want to do this any more, which is fine.  We’ve got two guys who are pumped up and have brought a whole new life, new perspective and energy to what we’re doing.

That’s part of the reason too for going back in and doing Transform as a whole new record – I didn’t want a record that was half the old guys, half the new guys and all that.  I felt it was better for us as a band to start over and make a new record from the ground up.

VOX: Why did you call the record Transform?
Spider: It comes from the song on the record, “Transform,” which represents a lot of what this record is about.  There’s the obvious, the changes in the band and so on, but if you listen to the record and get into the lyrics, it about questioning your surroundings and making decisions for yourself.

I feel like youth culture has been sucked in and sold back to the kids in a way that tells them what to wear, what to think, who to listen to.  Don’t get me wrong – I think there needs to be music for 12-year-old girls, but at some point, kids need be able to transform their ways of looking at things with creativity and without confusion.

>> Spider bathed in the green light of VOX. >>

VOX: “Free” has such a strong classic punk feel – what inspired the song?
Spider: Musically, that’s exactly what inspired it.  I grew up as a kid in Boston listening to Minor Threat, Black Flag, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, going to all-ages shows, learning what music was all about.

Musically I had never brought that to into the band before.  “Free,” in a weird, bizarre way, is Powerman’s version of a punk song.  Sort of a return to my roots.

VOX: “Stereotype” seems to have it’s own message about individuality and self-reliance – how would you describe the song?
Spider: I think you’re right – kids and adults are bombarded with images of what they should be or how they should look whether it’s the cool snowboarder or the ultra-sexed-up 12-year-old.  It’s out of control.  Kids, for the most part, have lost the ability to see through the bullshit and figure out what they really want or think.

The media tells them “Avril Lavigne is a punk rocker,” or whatever, and they’re supposed to believe that and think that’s the truth, when it’s not.  It drives me out of my mind.

VOX: You really are a dynamic front man, and you know how to take control of a crowd – is it a natural thing for you or is each night a new thing for you?
Spider: I really enjoy it.  I really feel comfortable when I’m out there.   We’ve played everything from small clubs to being in front of 70,000 people when we’ve opened for other bands, and I don’t get the slightest bit uncomfortable in either setting.

It’s sort of funny, because in real life I’m not a very out-going person at all.

VOX: This is the third album for Powerman 5000.  Do you feel the band is at a critical juncture or that this is a 'make or break' time for you?
Spider: Well, make or break, I wouldn’t call it that.  I do think this is a critical time for music.  A lot of the bands that were enjoying success one year ago aren’t doing so well now.  The loyalty is lost in music, from radio, TV, MTV, the whole thing.  Half the battle is just being in there, taking your swings, fighting to make your music.

For us, I do see this as a chance to get back to our roots, playing for the love of it.  It’s a weird time – we’ve been off-tour for two years and haven’t had an album for four years, so we’re, in a sense, out there trying to see if we can still connect with the fans and make sure those bonds are still there, see if the music connects with our fans and hopefully brings in some new ones as well.

It’s the reality of the world, too, I guess.  Radio sort of looks at us like, “Eh, that’s old news,” so we’ve got to get out there and show them.  In that way, this is really an important record, like every record is important, because you have to show you can still do it.

Really, one thing you do in this situation is you play for the same reasons that made you feel like being in a band when you were young.  That you're doing this for the love of it.  I was afraid that by being off for so long we might have lost that…might have lost our identity as a band.  Luckily, that’s not the case.

>> Just like old times... >>

VOX: How do you feel you’ve changed from the last album to this one?
Spider: Having gone through the whole process and not putting it out – we went through making of a record with the wrong intentions and looking to make what we thought was the “right” record to make, or what would make other people happy.  I learned that I need to follow my instincts, not worry about what we’re “supposed” to do, and just do what’s really right, naturally, for Powerman 5000.

VOX: What’s the summer look like for Powerman 5000?
Spider: I’m not sure yet.  We’re going to finish this tour, then I’m not sure what’s going to happen from there.  There’s some stuff I’ve heard being thrown about, but since none of it’s in stone, I don’t want to put it out there.  Either way, we’ll be on the road.