Weird War Interview
http://www.odysseyzine.com/articles/interview_scenecreamers.html

They used to be called Scene Creamers. Now they are called Weird War. Either way, you are in for a good time. The band is bringing its Pol Pop Dance Party across the USA. That's right, it's a dance party with live music and DJs. And the Weird War can Go-Go with the best of them. Their cool, psychotic funk with searing psych guitar is the perfect accompaniment for mass body movement in some dark, smoky cavern. They are bringing the party to Ralph's on October 7th.

Weird War have a long, interesting heritage in the form of Ian Svenonius (formerly of Nation Of Ulysses and Cupid Car Club) and Michelle Mae (formerly of Frumpies, Witchypoo), who have teamed up creatively since the Make Up brought a new gospel/soul sound to the independent music scene in the mid 90s. After the break up of the Make Up, Svenonius appeared solo as a crazed soul-singer named "David Candy" and Mae teamed up with Svenonius for the first incarnation of Weird War, who released their debut in 2002.

Then came the Scene Creamers, which featured Svenonius and Mae with guitarist Alex Minoff (former Six Finger Satellite) and their debut album "I Suck On That Emotion." The lineup remains for Weird War, and they will complete the transition to their new/original name with the release of "If You Can't Beat 'Em, Bite 'Em" later this year on Drag City.

Regardless of what you call them, you should check them out. Last time the Weird War came to town Svenonius had an arsenal of dance moves that would blow you away. He talks about The Scene Creamers and Weird War below. I've used the name Scene Creamers for much of this interview, but rest assured, they are called Weird War:

Scene Creamers have a significant amount of 60s psychedelic influence, Do you feel that it is accurate, or are you going for something entirely different than that?
Terminology as re: music is a difficult obstacle. But the sixties as an era is not anything we're trying to conjure up. We are thoroughly modern people with a 21st century sensibility.

I know that the Scene Creamers don't seem interested in copying old styles, but I think you do pay tribute to some of what came before. Is there something about the psychedelic era or its aesthetic that you are trying to apply to your music or your message?
No. the psychedelic influence is just the arcane metaphysical component of all music; from Babylonian Xanfan to the Wagnerian leitmotifs and including anything good between or since.

Is there a limited timeline for the Scene Creamers? I'm thinking of NOU, Cupid Car Club, Make Up, etc. who were all fairly short-lived groups. Do you think that Scene Creamers will outlive the other bands?
Scene Creamers are dead now. We recently lost our name in a legal dispute with some French graffiti artists. We are therefore undergoing a dramatic transformation whereby we are called Weird War, Our original name. Long live Weird War.

One of the really interesting things I read about in another Scene Creamers interview was the comments about conservative attitudes in rock and roll - where bands are staying within specific genres and clich?s. Is that the most disparaging thing that's going on in music today?
Rock N Roll is the primary means of subjecting the world to the "global" liberal market system through it's proliferation of capitalist ideology. So in a sense, the music is subversive and abhorrent.

Do you seek to counter that for yourselves only or for the rock and roll scene in general? Do you think that you can inspire others to break out of their conservatism?
Rock and Roll per se isn't worth saving... Nor is that the point. We DJ our shows as well and try to have a nice time.

You are going to have a new single at the show, is that right? Is there a new album in the works as well?
Yes it's being released on January 30th on drag City. The single is called AK 47 and is a preview of the new work.

I understand that with this Scene Creamers tour, you are bringing a dance party to every city -- The Pol Pop Dance Party. Can you tell me a little bit about how that idea came to fruition?
It's just an attempt to break the concert out of its typical formalist character. Shows shouldn't be oppressive events with bands paraded out in endless succession and random heavy metal blasted between groups. It's an attempt to control the atmosphere and have a party. Maybe next time we'll bring chairs.

What can you tell me about the DJs -- DJ DIGNIFICANT WORM, DJ NAME NAMES, DJ AUTHENTICITY -- are these additional people that you are bringing along, or are they your own DJ personas?
Some say it's us in our alter egos.

Have the audiences been eager to participate in the dance party? I ask because North Dakota and Minnesota can be a reserved place at times. Not always, but more often than not. What do you do to get people dancing?
Compulsion through good music.

Do you have any dance moves that you will be showing the crowd how to perform?
The roach assassin, the 12 ounce curl, the loquation and more.