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JACKIEONASSID
Interview
by Gordon Taylor of Infectious Unease Radio
Chris
Constantino is the X Bass Player of Adam and The Ants.
Since Adam and the ants he has been involved in several
bands. He has his own band JackiOnAcid. JackieOnAcid has
released some very cool albums and singles that are thought
provoking. Videos that make you really think. Lyrics that
deal with sorts of subject matter. Chris a prolific artist.
I discuss JackieOnAcid in this in interview with Chris
Band: JackieOnAssid
Date: 05_12_2000
Band Members:
Bands Discography:
4PLAY - enhanced CD featuring vids for Company Car, Meditation
Man and also tracks Mr Sunday and Killing Time On The
AngelZIP ME UP - album : Company Car, Hollywood Bedsit,
Meditation Man, Mr Sunday, Kings X Guru, Andy Warhol,
Cool Subterraneans, Real Fake, Posing As An Angel
WEB
PAGE
http://www.jackieonassid.com
Bands
Snail Mail Address: PO BOX LB 751, LONDON, W1A 9LB, UK
Interviewer: Gordon Taylor
of Infectious Unease Radio.
Interviewee:
Chris Constantino
Date:
21.11.2000
At
what Age did you take up music, what inspired you to start
JackieOnAssid?
Chris
Constantino:
13 years old. I got fed up of working with mad singers,
and thought I would like to be the mad one for a change.
Where
did you get the idea for the name of the band?
Chris
Constantino:
Jackie is an old girlfriend of mine. She was really fucked
up, into all sorts of weird stuff, including continual
acid trips, and she was also obsessed with Jackie "o"
and jfk’s assassination, she had the assassination
on video and used to watch it over and over. We used to
live in a cave in Islington in London UK, sort of anyway,
.it was love.video.super 8.mercy song. Don Covay. Jackie
is it my birthday or am I dying? Jackie take off those
false eye lashes, why is it my birthday?, well you know
what i mean don't you. Next question please...
One
of the first bands you were involved with was called "
drill". Your producer and manger was Chas chandler
(bass player from the animals and Jimi Hendrix's manager)
could you tell me more about drill, where had you toured
what albums did you release. How did you meet Chas chandler?
What became of members of drill?
Chris
Constantino:
We met Chas at a Slade gig. We were supporting Slade on
tour. Drill members. Mick Bienvenu. The keyboard player
sold all his stuff and moved to India. Tom Toomey, guitarist,
sessions and teaches guitar, Will Wilson, The singer is
a P.E. instructor. Ray Weston, drummer. Still plays and
is pretty busy.
After
"drill you became the bass player for Adam And Ants.
How did you meet
Adam?
Chris
Constantino:
I auditioned after seeing an ad looking for a bass player
who can stand and deliver.
What
experience did you have when you where in Adam And Ants?
Where did
you tour?
Chris
Constantino:
The never-ending global blow job for free. The "bobbing
head " as mike calls it, no need for toilet paper
when doing well. As you have plenty of ass lickers, free
drinks, free memberships, free drugs, free guitars, ceaseless
upgrades posh totty, roadies. We toured mostly the USA.
However we did play in the Uk and some dates in Europe.
What
music shows did you appear on?
Chris
Constantino:
Top of the pops, live aid, solid gold, American bandstand,
Saturday night live etc.
What
was one of the funniest experiences you had while you
where in Adam and the ants?
Chris
Constantino:
I fell asleep on a wall in Nassau / Bahamas /compass point
studios and My cock and balls were hanging out the side
of my shorts...some of the Guys took a Polaroid, I didn't
know, I was in a gym in Florida Working out and the girl
who was on reception said that she had a Message for me
and presented me with a poster of me and my meat and Veg
hanging out, with a slogan saying "has anyone seen
this pervert?”The guy who had given it to her said
that the posters were up all over The hotel...
Coming
off stage the wrong side after a concert. House lights
going Up falling out of a stage door into some deep snow,
got locked out And had to walk around to the front of
the venue through all the fans in My ridiculous gear and
make up...and try and convince the bouncers that I was
in the band and not a fan, and to let me in.
Are
you still in contact with them?
Chris
Constantino:
No.
After
Adam and the ants and before you started JackieOnAssid
what other projects had you been involved in?
Chris
Constantino:
sfgo, with bob from Adam ant and Danny Kustowe from the
Tom Robinson band, Annebella Lwin (ex Bow Wow) and loads
of session stuff.
What
instruments and equipment do you use when producing and
performing?
Chris
Constantino:
Fender precision bass gt / fender Telecaster guitars /
voice / Tascam 4 track / Ampeg svt / Fender twin amp /
heart and cock....
What creative process do you go
through when composing your music?
Chris
Constantino:
Well I just write down what ever is going on, mostly rants,
drunken rants. Sober rants, you know loads of scraps of
paper,(psion now), and then just get on with it.
In
your compositions you talk about many themes what is it
about these subjects that inspires you to writer about
them?
Chris
Constantino:
My sickness
What
was the inspiration behind such songs as “Hollywood
Bedsit”, “Company Car”, “Zip Me
Up, Mr Sunday, “Meditation Man”, “Andy
Warhol”.
Chris
Constantino:
All totally different inspirations.
Do
books or movies or plays influence you?
Chris
Constantino:
I am influenced by everything, as we all are, unless you
are dead or on smack.
When
you get the time what music do you enjoy listening to?
Chris
Constantino:
Charlie Mingus, Hank William's, Ska, Reggae...
Your
music has many styles of sound. To people who may not
of heard of "JackieOnAssid" how would of you
describe your sound to them?
Chris
Constantino:
Eclectic and disturbing haha! It has been described as
dark pop-happy decadent songs with savagely intelligent
lyrics. Put it this way JackieOnAssid will appeal to anyone
who has a healthy dislike of boy bands and pop fodder.
We have a very sexy sound, JackieOnAssid is an alternative
band for consenting adults.
What
has the response been like for your music?
In 18 months we have only had one iffy review. Everyone
else has loved the music. I think people are really bored
of being fed a diet of bland, manufactured garbage.
Here
is a little of what has been said about JackieOnAcid:
"An
irresistible blend of intelligent lyrics, sultry, erotic
vocals and raunchy slick grooves. Hard driving rhythm
guitar & warm reckless harmonies abound. If you like
your hard-edged rock boisterous and playful, soaked in
kinky rhythms, you'll love the powerful sonic force that
is JackieOnAssid! "
This is an awesome awesome song! You won't want to miss
it!" On company car
"U.K.
act is like a brooding pissed-off neighbor, slightly mysterious,
rather moody and impossible to ignore "
"Brit.
darlings looking very fashionable"
"Alternative
pop at its best ... this band is tight!"
I
was impressed with the album's artwork and also the artwork
for the JackieOnAssid web pages. Who designed the artwork
for both and what mediums and methods were used to produce
the work?
Chris
Constantino:
The design is a collaborative effort between myself, my
P.A Deborah and Tulio Campregher, tulio@solidstateoftheart.com
mailto:tulio@solidstateoftheart.com he is a genius, and
a great bloke. Deb and I usually come up with a few ideas
and then Tulio develops them and turns them into a reality.
How
did you meet Paul Hills what is he like to work with?
Chris
Constantino:
I was acting in a film called "play dead" which
Paul was producing and we stayed friends. He is insane
to work with, passionate, committed, creative and warped.
You never know what is going to happen next, he gets in
everyone's face and we usually get into some kind of trouble.
Your
music videos have an art house style about them. Some
have scenes of bondage, erotica, urban surroundings, arson,
psychopaths what was the inspiration behind these images?
Chris
Constantino:
Strangely everyone who becomes associated with the band
seems to have a liking for kinky sex and a murky and mysterious
past, but most of the images come from the disturbed mind
of Mr Hills. Most pop promos depict an idyllic and stylishly
hip milieu, but in our videos we have tried to lift the
lid on the stranger side of life, a fascinating, darker,
less controllable, more dangerous world where anything
could happen.
What
filming techniques did you use to produce your music videos?
Chris
Constantino:
Most of them were shot on super-8. In some we went out
on to the streets, set up situations and filmed people's
reactions, as we did with the arson scenes in zip me up.
We don't use actors or models, all the people in the videos,
other than "the guilty” i.e. passers-by, are
either friends or associated with the band and are pretty
much playing themselves. As I said, JackieOnAcid seems
to attract the strange and interesting.
How
long do the videos take to produce?
Chris
Constantino:
Usually they take around 3 weeks but on occasion the post-production
has been a little tortuous.
What
sort reaction have you had from your videos?
Chris
Constantino:
People either love them or freak out. We have even been
attacked a couple of times while filming. Burning the
books in zip me up upset this bloke to the point that
he offered to beat Paul up. There is a scene in meditation
man where you get a brief glimpse of a part of Buddha's
anatomy, which is not usually seen, and that had to be
snipped for one of the u.s. releases. There is one more
video, for kings x guru, which we haven't released yet,
and which is so pornographic that it will probably be
banned (grin!).
Do
you think in the future that you could be producing films?
Chris
Constantino:
I produced the videos but I don’t think I will produce
films, but you never know...
How
did mp3.com come across your work?
Chris
Constantino:
I can't remember.
Where
have you toured, are you planning any up and coming tours?
Chris
Constantino:
JackieOnAssid must be the only band in the world to have
had the amount of success we have had without ever playing
live. We are planning a tour of the states for early next
year and I am really looking forward to gigging.
When you have a performance what
goes through your mind when you are on
that stage. What is it that you feel? What sort of emotions
do you go through when the eyes of the audience are on
you?
Chris
Constantino:
Madness, .all sorts of stuff that I would probably be
locked up for if I told I love it.
What
memorable experiences have you had when touring?
Chris
Constantino:
Someone getting shot dead at a gig...a girl in the audience
masturbating at the front
In
which countries do you receive the most response from?
Chris
Constantino:
Initially the biggest response came from the states, but
now it is pretty global. Jackie is getting airplay all
over the place.
What
are your future plans?
Chris
Constantino:
Plans are gods idea of a joke... today...the plan is to
get my ass safely of this plane and back in good old blighty.
I hope he does not have any other ideas...
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