CATCHING UP WITH DOPE FRONTMAN EDSEL DOPE

This is our second interview with DOPE frontman Edsel Dope. The first time, we were lucky enough to have caught him in a very talkative (or type-ative...whatever you prefer). Anyway, We threw another stack of horribly stupid questions at him, and this is what it looked like:

Steve C: Your latest disc, American Apathy is set to be released in February 2005. However, you're about to hit the road with MOTOGRATER and TWISTED METHOD, and that will last through December. If you're going to tour in support of the new disc, won't this be a little bit of an over-saturation?

Edsel Dope: If you say so...... If you havent noticed. we kind of tour year round. I think its one of the main reasons dope is still around while most of the bands we tourd with in 99 and 2000 are history...(Actually, I hadn't noticed. Thanks for clarifying that though. I guess I should go get that Jackass tattoo on my forehead)

Steve C: Edsel, you've been doing the rock band thing for a long time, so you've probably got touring down to a science. How much do you pack when you're going out on the road for say...three or four months...what's the laundry situation like when you're on tour, and how often do you find yourself wearing the same ass-awful-smelling outfit for several days on end?

Edsel Dope: I wear the same smelly stage crap on purpose. i wont wash my stage clothes. im not supersticious. I just want to drive everyone around me crazy with the horrible smell.

Steve C: I've seen some photos of DOPE fans with Dope-related tattoos all over their flesh. While I'm sure it's flattering as hell that someone would adorn his or her flesh with your band name, your face, or even a slogan like 'felons for life'... has there ever been an encounter with a fan whose zeal might have been a tad...extreme? If so, explain.

Edsel Dope: of course, but thats what makes them great fans. thank god for the people that are crazier than we are...... (wow. Thanks for elaborating. He must have something in the oven.)

Steve C: I'm sitting in a hotel room writing these questions, and I'm reeling from a hangover.... I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you have some experience in the hangover department...any advice for a treatment or miracle cure?

Edsel Dope: sleep and water. or just start drinking as soon as you wake up.... (Sleep, you say? Shit. No can do. Anyone else have a suggestion?)

Steve C: I've read that you're contemplating putting out a live DVD. Now, considering live albums and DVDs are rather commonplace these days, what are you guys going to do to make yours extra-special. What is Edsel Dope going to do to give his live DVD that little push over the cliff?

Edsel Dope: We havent decided yet. we have so much behind the scene footage from all of the various line-ups. when we do make one. its gotta be like panteras.... so much backstage crazy stuff that you have to watch it over and over to catch it all. (If you haven't seen the PANTERA home video collection, you are truly missing out. One of the BEST band videos EVER.)

Steve C: Hypothetical Situation: You're approached by a marketing firm that wants to invest some serious time and cash into your band. They have a vision to present a 'new and improved' version of DOPE to the world. There would obviously be a lot of cash in it for you, but you would have to make a few concessions. The first concession is that all band members will now have the last name of 'Dope'... another concessions is that you would inherit a new band member; a mentally retarded Korean tambourine player named 'Imma'.... Imma's not much to look at, but he can play a mean tambourine. Can you deal or is this a little much?

Edsel Dope: Where do you come up with this crap? No idiot named Imma in Dope. I've turned enough dorks into rock stars in my days in this band. I'm done with that phase of my life. (Oh come ON...that may very well have been crap, but it sure has hell was ORIGINAL crap. I'm wondering if the whole 'Imma Dope' reference was over Edsel's dreads though)

Steve C: DOPE songs are pretty aggressive and angry in nature, and you probably need to get a good hate buzz going to craft them. Tell me a few things that really got your hatred juices going today... (and if you haven't gotten mad today, then what about yesterday?)

Edsel Dope: I dont look at it that way. its just a groove or a riff, and then the lyric is reflective of whatever happens to be in my head at the time.

Steve C: If I rifled through your porn collection, what kind of demented titles would I find? What kind of smut is Edsel smacking it to these days?

Edsel Dope: same ole shit. anything without a long boreing story. i want my porn quick and simple, scene after scene...(Might I suggest one for you?)

Steve C: You said in your last interview with us that you like to incorporate sex in some way with Dope's imagery...which you did very effectively with Group Therapy...Can we expect to see a lot of boobs and naked ass with American Apathy (preferably not yours) ?

Edsel Dope: We'll see about videos and artwork, but there is definatly sexual lyrical content in this record.

Steve C: We asked your former guitarist Acey Slade the following question: "You're vacationing on a cruise ship in the North Atlantic, when all of a sudden you realize that Edsel Dope and Tripp Eisen are on the same boat with you. Just as you're about to approach them both (seperately) to work out whatever has gone awry in your relationships, the boat slams right into an iceberg, and begins to quickly dip into the icy waters. You see TWO life preservers on a rack nearby. Obviously one is for yourself. In this life-or-death situation, who gets the vest and who is going into the drink?"

Now, we're asking YOU the same question, but now you have to decide if Acey or Tripp is going to slip into an icy wet coma....

Edsel Dope: Its been 4 or 5 years and 3 full length albums ........Give us all a break already!!!! (Heh... Evidently the limit on breaking balls regarding former bandmates is around the four or five year mark)

Steve C: Finally, please describe the perfect sandwich (any kind of sandwich... this question has produced some odd answers). Gracias.

Edsel Dope: me in between Angelina Jolee and that hot chick from the Doritos commercial.............. (Now THAT is a sandwich)

We'd like to thank Edsel for answering our questions and providing us with a suitable alternative to Ambien. We're not going to totally smash his nuts though, because he really came through for us the first time we bugged him.

Check out DOPE on tour with MOTOGRATER and TWISTED METHOD on their American Apathy Tour' (and if you're lucky enough to catch them in Anaheim, CA or Las Vegas, you'll catch POWERMAN 5000 out on the road with them)

Feeling...Sleepy...

*Photo courtesty of EdselDope.com