FEBRUARY 2010: INTERVIEW with KEVIN PROSTITUTE of THE PROSTITUTES by LUCY HELL
for MYSTERY ISLAND MAGAZINE


Lucy: Prostitutes! So many of the mind control units out there believe punk was a fad of the late 70s/early 80s and only reinvented by the Flipper-inspired “grunge” scene. What do you think of that nonsense and how did The Prostitutes fit in to the mess of the 1990s?

Kevin: It is complete nonsense, Flipper was okay but all you really need are 2 songs by them. I’m not a big Neil Young fan either, yawn. It was more like alternative rock. Punk rock will never be a fad. It’s music for fuck ups by fuck ups in the truest sense. We started a band because we didn’t like what we were hearing and the whole fashion/glam 77 trip and closet case bar hero “punk bands” made us sick. Oh well ... a bunch of cheap speed, cheap beer, and antisocial behavior and we were on our way.

Lucy: I like your comment about punk being music for fuck ups, but the early Flipper tunes were totally rad.

Anyway, let's MEET THE PROSTITUTES: (names/instruments played, favorite beer or piece of women’s clothing, etc.)

Kevin Prostitute: vocals, guitar, skin tight 70’s rock shirts.
Mike Damus: bass guitar, scarves.
Bryan Rivas: trap set, day glo wigs.

Lucy: Where’s the best place to score a prostitute in Pennsylvania and how much does it set you back?

Kevin: I would say 2nd street in Harrisburg, haven’t been there in a decade. If you’re into the whole Jon and Kate, cracked out, toothless trip.

Lucy: Are you guys in L.A. now?

Kevin: I’m the only consistent member in the band and yeah we’re based in L.A. now. It’s great having rehearsal near the Galleria from Valley Girl. The band has existed with many line ups in PA, OH, RI, and now CA. I’m a transient punk rock hobo.

Lucy: Tell me about your big 7” inch ... record.

Kevin: It’s 4 brand new songs on 5 different colors of vinyl. Our best yet! Everything is turned up to 10 and raw as fuck. We recorded it in L.A. at Anvil Studios with Jeff Harris, located at the sound stage they used for Re-Animator. Joey Lawrence was there but blew us off. Whoa! What a creep ... It’s available in the States through Angry Young and Poor, Underground Medicine, and Stickfigure Distribution. Everyone should buy it; your girlfriend will love you in the morning. I swear.

Lucy: Is it true you guys played a homosexual game of Mouse Trap with Metal Mike of The Angry Samoans?

Kevin: Yes we have, Mike is my mentor. I’m asexual now, but we agreed to not talk about it in the public media.

Lucy: What is “the new cure” exactly?

Kevin: The new cure is the prescription written by me to cure co-dependency and narcissism. Unfortunately it only works out for one of the two people involved. Hijack the future and sleep comfortably with your regrets.

Lucy: Tell me about Hell’s Tone Records? I didn’t know I had my own record company! Do you guys really wanna “go to Hell”?

Kevin: Hells Tone Records are run by the super cool Vesku out of Finland. They’ve been doing whatever the fuck they want to for the past decade. One of my favorite bands, Barse, did a number of releases with them as well as a ton of other hardcore and punk outfits. Visit Vesku and his wife at www.myspace.com/hellstonerecords. They’re 100 percent independent and keep the label running by their complete dedication to underground music. L.A. county is always what I pictured hell to be, not bad, not bad at all. So yeah ... with multiple dimensions and beach included.

Lucy: Have you guys ever been to Finland?

Kevin: No, but we love all of their citizens.

Lucy: What’s the greatest Prostitutes song of all time and why?

Kevin: My personal favorite is "I Wanna Go To Hell." It pretty much sums up my life to this point while being a great satanic bubble gum anthem. People seem to really dig it and I hope everyone destroys their lives in the same fashion while having a good soundtrack to do it to. It’s off of latest full length -- Kill Them Before They Eat -- which I think is the quintessential Prostitutes collection.

Lucy: Did you know there’s a band in France called Les Prostitutes? It’s true. There’s also a rip-off band in Prague called The Prostitutes. Whatcha gonna do?

Kevin: Yes I do! They’ve received hate mail from me already and I encourage others to do the same. It would’ve taken 3 minutes of research to figure out the name was already taken. The French, I’ll leave alone. They're just young kids punking out, that’s cool. But the Czech ones are just lame, lame, lame, Strokes, joy division, King of Leon, Springsteen puke garbage. Post punk is a joke if you ask me. Like duh, the fucking Cure sold 10 million albums, how fucking underground!? Our releases sometimes get confused with theirs. SO THERE.

Lucy: The Cure is fucken rad too.

You guys have an album coming out soon from Sonic Jett Records?

Kevin: The 12” vinyl has been permanently delayed. Who knows when it will come out. The Compact Disc version is available on May Cause Dizziness Records. If there’s any takers out there drop a line. Joel Jett is a cool guy who ran the label but seems to have gone AWOL. It's punk rock music, I’m used to it.

Lucy: Tell me about your “Lolita” video. What’s that all about? What’s the perfect age for a Prostitute fan girl?

Kevin: The video and song are basically about the teenage girl runaway who becomes co-dependent on an older, mentally twisted guy who represents this repulsive father figure. Not about me if you’re wondering; it’s more of a dark character study. These things appeal to me. There is no age requirement, just the maturity of a dysfunctional adult. The days of teens running away really need to make a comeback. The public service announcements were classic. I don’t think they could make do without the IPhone though. Running away from your problems does REALLY solve them. I’m an advocate of the mentality.

Lucy: If you guys could time travel way back to 1996 and change one thing, what would it be?

Kevin: I would go back and make sure I blacked out through the entire year. The mediocrity of it traumatizes me to this day. Check us out at www.myspace.com/thefuckinprostitutes. Mystery Island is our favorite read! Stay keen ...

Lucy: Thanks again for all the great entertainment throughout the years.

Kevin: Thanks for keeping real rock n roll writing alive! Long live the underground!

Lucy: Live long and prosper. :)



"The Prostitutes Interview" by Lucy Hell.
Edited/formatted by Bradley Mason Hamlin. © 2010 by Mystery Island Publications. Published: 02.04.10.
All rights reserved.

Photos of Lucy Hell property of Mystery Island. All rights reserved.



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