Kristin Von Till, our label maitresse (since it seems we've been signed to Neurosis' Neurot Records, in case you fancypantysnancy fellas didn't know) and the whole Neurot family put on this 4 day festival called Beyond the Pale. ZENI GEVA was there, SHELLAC was there, NEUROSIS was there, MICHAEL GIRA was there, JOE PRESTON from THE MELVINS was there with his THRONES project and so on.


Eugene, Michael Gira and Steve Vontile

Anyways, OXBOW are so used to dealing with label shucks that just ABSOLUTELY AND TOTALLY fuck you over with their niggardly (eaaassssyyyyy.) attention to detail (ex: the Czech fucks who cut our FILM for Serenade in Red because the english speakers who shot the film obviously could NEVER have actually wanted the songs on the european release of Serenade in Red to go in SEQUENTIAL order) that we were pleasantly surprised that from beginning to end this event was "High Society"!

Not Kristin: Jesus. You can tell I'm like a real ignorant kind of Rainman-type of guy because I have only a vague idea of what you're asking. Do you mean plot as in "murder plot"? Or where we set up our instruments?

If it's the former I'm not telling.

If it's the latter I'd say
Bass-Stage Right
Guitar-stage left
drums-in the center rear, preferably NOT on a riser
vocals- front center with a straight, not boom, mic stand.

If this isn't what you want call an Oxbow member who actually knows something useful. Like Niko...

Kristin: Been playing music long?

So there I was. Liquored up. I mean I'm not one big on public drunkeness HOWEVER in celebration of our soon to be a reality record, AN EVIL HEAT, I've made a few changes. For example while I jettisoned the idea of singing all of the songs using a Mexican accent, I did RETAIN the idea of singing the entire record wrecked. You know, slammered. Biscuited. Hammered. Drunk and fucked up. In tribute to my ex-boyfriend HENRY ROLLINS.

Did I already talk about our studio hijinx? No? Well for legal reasons perhaps it's best not. Suffice it to say that EVERYTHING went into this record. HEART, SOUL, a FISTFUL OF PHARMACEUTICALS and a NICE FRENCH VODKA.

So faced with the prospect of playing a show in the midst of our mixing and overdubbing I thought: Well, I've never played a single show in 21 years ON anything other than life. That's it. I was high on LIFE. In fact we all were. So the OXBOW you know and love? Yup that's right, purely a product of us having deep-seated insoluble emotional difficulties AND being high on a fucking life that's done nothing but fuck our throats the firstchance it's gotten. I mean. Well, you know.

Anyway.

On our contract rider I stipulated RED WINE because of the health benefits. And prior to the show I began sipping and sipping. Drinking and drinking. And then we played. As usual I have only the briefest memory of the show. A memory that goes something like this -

1) Don't choke on the apple
2) Don't cut your penis off. You'll need it to fuck. Everyone. Over.
3) Oh shit. Is that me in the mirror?
4) I'll kill the first man that comes near me.
5) Thank you very much!

But afterward I spotted Michael Gira. He, of THE SWANS. He was sporting a white hat, an oatmeal colored suit. I introduced myself and tried to get my mouth to cooperate and communicate to him that I felt like my journey TO him had been a highly significant one for me. It had lasted years and several aborted phone conversations and well here he was. The celebrated drunk and misanthrope smiling benignly, if not a little guardedly. Well with my winning ways, a belly full of Merlot and a MISSION I eventually managed to convince him that though I was drinking I was NOT drunk and moreover he should work with OXBOW because, and now get this, WE WERE NOT FUCKING MORONS. I don't have any idea how successful the conversation was. I DO have an idea that he gave me his super-secret home phone numbers which printed here for your edification is 650-714-4891 - now don't give that to anyone!!!

So Scott Kelly, singer and guitar player from Neurosis said it best when he said to me

"You guys annihilated the whole room, Thank you. I'm sorry we didn't get to talk more on Friday but let me say that having you guys be a part of thiswith us makes me feel good, I think the connection is strong and I hope we can give you guys a home where you can feel supported because we are 110%into this. like to squeeze it, like to fuck it, take a shit in a bucket.

Scott"

I don't print this as an homage to OXBOW. I print this because it's brought tears to my eyes every time I've read it and if you think I'm being snarky about this, you are wrong.

Those Neurosis people have done something that needed to be done for Northern Californian music for a long time. Take all of the musicians who were hellbent on making interesting musical art and recognizing that there was some geographical genius at play here - and NO ONE HAS DONE IT BEFORE. I salute them and with my dog-like quality of devotion for someone, anyone who has ever been nice to me, it should be known that I'll KILL YOU if you cross them.

Greg Barrett from TONEDEAFBOOKING is booking some shows back east for a short Oxbow November tour and asked about the Beyond the Pale Festival.

Greg: How was the show?

Not Greg: So I think we did well, played well...all the other bands were rocking and it was just a blast to be/do something that had absolutely NO stink of jive about it at all.

Greg: i heard about null getting denied entrance that kinda blows -

Not Greg: it did. however it ALSO gave me an opportunity to be Zeni Geva's singer for the night (I sang like 2 or 3 songs). Quite a pleasant experience singing in Japanese (though it should be noted that KK doesn't sing in Japanese much).

The Neurosis roadie Pete tried to stop me but drunk on the liquor I would not be denied my one chance to "go Japanese." It was great.

DAVID SYLVIAN!!!!!!!! SECRETS OF THE BEEHIVE!!!!!!


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