Q&A Feat. Mutant Monster – Firefighters Came For Our Bacon!

Journalists: Let’s start with a big one. Abnormal is pretty much the perfect punk song. What was your inspiration?

Mutant Monster: First of all, I tried to get some Japanese traditional sounds. The speciality of them is kind of aggressive sounds, so that’s why we tried to make it abnormal.

Journalists: You take a lot of influence from UK punk bands like Sex Pistols, The Clash, and things. I was wondering, how does their music inspire your music?

Mutant Monster: When we were little, we always listened to UK punk music such as Sex Pistols and Clash. So that’s why that is our root. [It’s about] expressing something, like you get punk music on the fashion or the sound, something like that. That’s it.

Journalists: Since your last UK tour, there’s a number of British fans who have now seen you in Japan. What was that like looking into the crowd and seeing part of the UK right in front of you, but in Japan?

Mutant Monster: So crazy. Wow. Crazy, crazy about Mutant Monster. And so glad.

Mutant Monster: We feel our music [can] spread to the world. We call our fans family, we [want to] connect to the family. It is kind of like going to be a community, which is created by fans who live in foreign countries.

Journalists: So you recently played with a band called Guitar Wolf that you opened up for. I know that they’re iconic to you, but what was it like opening up for them?

Mutant Monster: Basically, we are fan[s] of the Guitar Wolf, then one day, Guitar Wolf says to us that you gotta go to the world. So that’s why we tried to go outside of Japan. We want to be kind of like the female version of Guitar Wolf.

Journalists: Okay, yeah. That’s cool. You clearly love performing live. Got shows in your performances. What’s your favorite part of being Mutant Monster?

Mutant Monster: [The] style. So we like the sounds, [It’s] like, you know, kicking them ass. Kicking somebody ass, you know.

Journalists: I really like your stage outfits. They’re really cool, and I want to know who came up with them? How did you think of the design, and …

Mutant Monster: There is a designer who lives in Japan. I am influenced by anarchy things or punk things. We discuss what is kind of more like anarchy things or aggressive. Then they create these things. It’s all handmade.

Journalists: You said you’re influenced by many western rock acts. I’m just kind of curious about which Japanese rock acts you feel also influenced by.

Mutant Monster: The Michelle Gun Elephant, Guitar Wolf … I think …
We like the Japanese rock, but we’re not influenced by any of them. We love the UK punk, so we’re influenced by UK things.

Journalists: So more western than Japanese?

Mutant Monster: Yes, that’s right.

Journalists: Okay. So as we’re approaching Christmas, and if you’re feeling brave enough, what was the worst present you’ve ever received for Christmas?

Mutant Monster: So, what is the thing with the fur, and then the … you know …

Journalists: Scarf?

Translators: I think so, but it’s like this fur. The pink one. “Oh my gosh, what is this?” You know. That was the worst one. White and pink. That was Christmas.

Journalists: Okay. Cool.

Journalists: Hypothetically speaking, if you could go back in time and support any of your favorite punk bands, which band would it be that you would love to support?

Mutant Monster: The Clash. How many can [we pick]?

Journalists: As many as you’d like.

Mutant Monster: The Pistols, The Clash, Ramones, Oasis, Damned. So many names.

Journalists: I can imagine, yeah.

Mutant Monster: We missed the era they were born.

Journalists: I did, too.

Journalists: So what’s next? What’s happening with Mutant Monster next?

Mutant Monster: Now, we cannot mention specifically, but … I guess we’re gonna go do a long trip in a foreign country.

Journalists: Intriguing, intriguing, intriguing.

Journalists: So obviously, you talked briefly about Abnormal, but I wanted to know about your other music, what inspired you to make music?

Mutant Monster: Everything?

Journalists: Yeah.

Mutant Monster: Basically, when we created the songs, I write the melody or something, then lyrics, then we discuss, “What are we gonna do? So what should we do?” But first of all, we come up with some melodies. “Oh, this is … “

Journalists: The lyrics come from anything.

Mutant Monster: That’s right.

Journalists: When you’re on tour, obviously it can be a fun experience, but can you tell me about the funniest experience you’ve had on tour?

Mutant Monster: Funniest. Oh, okay. When we tour[ed] in Canada, we had a bacon, which, you know, recommended by every[one], great bacon-

Journalists: Bacon sandwich?

Mutant Monster: No, just bacon.

Mutant Monster: Yeah, that’s right. So then we grill the bacon in the morning, but too much smoke, and then the fire alarm, ringing.

Journalists: I do that all the time. Happens all the time.

Mutant Monster: The firefighters come in. All the people who live in the town go outside. [the] firefighter, “Why did you do that? You gotta sign here,”. This is Tanya’s story.

Journalists: Okay. Which one item can you not go on tour without?

Mutant Monster: Without? Two friends.

Journalists: Aw.

Mutant Monster: Energy. Fighting spirit. Yeah, fighting spirit.

Mutant Monster: So we try to grab the heart of the people who come to [into] our lives.

Journalists: How are you finding the London buses? Because I know you got lost at one point yesterday.

Mutant Monster: First of all, [we’ve made] lots of mistakes to get a bus, so …

Journalists: So it’s not going well.

Mutant Monster: Then also, there’s a second floor on the bus, right? So we can see all the view in London.

Journalists: That’s cool.