INTERVIEW: SIN QUIRIN (MINISTRY, REVOLTING COCKS)

 

(Greek writer John Sleepwalker of Avopolis.gr brings us this interview of Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin in advance of Ministry’s first appearance on stage in Greece on June 1.)

 

First of all, I’m glad I get the chance to speak with someone who was a part of the latest Ministry line-up, before the band split up in the late ’00s. I was fortunate enough to see you at Hellfest during the tour you did for The Last Sucker and what I’d want is to compare your live setting at that time with Ministry’s present stage show.

When I saw you, you were playing behind bars, as if you were inside of a cage. Do you present the same visual on your current tour?

No, no more fences! Thank god for our faces! Even though this fancy scenery looked cool, it often ended up falling on our faces. So, no fences this time around.

 

It was something interesting, to be honest. Hadn’t seen something like it before.

Yeah, it was a cool visual indeed. The reason why the fences were brought on the 2008 tour was that the band used them during The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste tour back in the late ’80s/early ’90s. People kept asking to see something like that again, hence why they were brought back in 2008. But we had a lot of problems, sometimes they were falling on us, especially when people were jumping on them. I cut my lips several times to the point I had scars on them.

 

 

Did you carry the same scenery during the whole tour?

Yes, we did.

 

Could the reason for a more simplistic live setting have to do with production cost as well? I imagine moving all these materials from one place to the other would make booking harder both for the band and the promoters.

Yeah, definitely. It has to do with scaling down on certain things, which does involve production cost. It gets very expensive to book and tour with our van, traveling from city to city. In 2008 we had two tour buses and an 18-wheel vehicle with all our gear. But every year it gets tougher and tougher for bands to tour, because of the costs involved. So, things get sort of scaled down in result.

But now, we’re doing a lot of flying dates and the equipment is usually there waiting for us along with any backline from the promoter. But, you know, we do all our visuals, that hasn’t changed. And the approach from the band is still the same.

 

So, since you tried that in favor of that album, how come you haven’t been playing Psalm 69 in its entirety on the current tour? It’s been 25 years since it came out, so it would make sense to celebrate an anniversary.

We did consider it. It is a question only Al could answer. We’re doing material from the record anyway, so we did kick around the idea of doing an anniversary thing. Playing the whole album live. It’s not what we’re gonna be doing after all, but we are planning to play songs from that record.

 

 

What about touring in the States? What’s the situation and your plans on that matter?

After our European tour in June, we are heading on to Australia and New Zealand by the end of September / beginning of October. And then we hope to have the new record out by fall…

 

…that was the next thing I was about to ask.

Yeah. And there has been talk of doing a US tour around October, or November. But it’s not confirmed, it hasn’t been booked yet. That’s what the band is talking about right now.

 

How come the record hasn’t come out sooner, since it’s been four years already since you released From Beer To Eternity?

After this album we took a year off. We did a world tour in 2015, and last year we did Europe and a handful of festivals around the States and in Mexico. The last one was Knotfest in Mexico last October and then we ran into the studio. And we’ve been there for the past four, or five months. So, it’s mostly a time scheduling thing.

 

And Al did the Surgical Meth Machine album in the meanwhile. How did this come up?

It was something he wanted to do for a while, he talked about it two years ago, back in 2015. That’s when he started working on it.

 

 

Maybe he gets bored focusing on just one thing for too long?

Yes, he does. His mind is never really at rest. He’s always thinking about the next thing to do, something different… that’s how Revolting Cocks came up. We’ve already been talking about doing another record with that band… I have a few ideas ready.

 

How did the band fall apart?

Well, this line-up just fell apart… as often happens with bands and members. But Revolting Cocks has always been kind of a side-thing for Al. And at this point we’ve been talking about doing another record under that name. I have a couple of ideas I’ve played for him and I just hope we’ll have the time for it, ‘cos Ministry is gonna be pretty busy for the next year or so. I hope sometime in between we’re gonna be able to record something for that project too.

 

Should we expect a “rocking” direction?

These ideas that I’ve been working on are like… well, Revolting Cocks has always been a bit tongue n’ cheek, a little bit more rock than Ministry. But I’m definitely trying to bring more ’70s influence to it. That’s kind of what I’m working on these days.

 

Something more trippy in a sense.

Exactly. That’s the kind of stuff I’ve been trying to bring to the table for this new Revolting Cocks album.

 

You think playing the same things would get boring not only for the listener, but for the musicians as well?

Definitely, because you gotta figure by the time we release a record and go on tour we’ve already been playing those songs for about a year before. Working on them, writing them… developing them, recording them. So, by the time it’s new to somebody, it’s already old to us (laughs).

 

Do you think that being in a band like Revolting Cocks is closer to your roots with Society 1 and how you got into the industrial scene?

Sure, there definitely is a connection there. My early roots, as far as playing out in the public, was in a kind of thrash metal band…

 

Yeah, I think there was some reissue of that material not long ago.

Yeah, it was a band called Tactics. Thrash metal from Los Angeles. But even prior to Tactics, I was in another band nobody knows of at all. We were just a local band at the age of 18 or 19 years old… it was a heavy one, but not fully thrash yet, I guess it sounded more like power metal. And from there, I went into Tactics, which was more of a straightforward thrash metal band. But even during that time, I was already influenced by Ministry, as I started listening to them during the late ’80s. And when I was into these early thrash bands… that’s kind of the reason why we split up. I wanted to go more into that direction and Tactics wasn’t the band to do that.

 

 

But Ministry do have the thrash element, so it’s a combination of both.

Exactly. But in regards to RevCo, when I was a kid I grew up with a lot of ’70s music, so that should be my biggest early influence. So, I’m aiming at bringing more rock stuff to RevCo and more metal stuff to Ministry likewise.

 

What about Ministry’s upcoming album? Do you see any variety in the style?

Yes. I think people are going to be surprised by it. The last few records were very fast, while this record is definitely more atmospheric. It has way more layers and much better production, I think. The few people who have listened to it already told us they hear a combination of Dark Side of the Spoon, Filth Pig, and Psalm 69. Like all those mixed together.

 

Ministry’s recent trilogy kind of revived the band’s name. Those albums sounded like something really fresh. Do you see something similar happening with the new record?

I do. I honestly think that, despite how proud I am with From Beer to Eternity, this record will be regarded in a separate way from the previous albums, as it has a different kind of atmosphere to it. To me, a song can be equally as heavy, be it slow or fast. Something doesn’t have to go 1000 miles per hour to sound heavy. We got some tracks on it that are dark and heavy, but slow at the same time. It creates a mood I haven’t heard in the past few years.

 

What do you consider more difficult? Being influential or writing complete songs? Because Ministry have both qualities, actually.

That’s a tricky question.

 

Not my intention (laughs).

I understand. It is all relative on that matter, every person you ask would share a different opinion. It depends more on who you ask than the band you refer to. To me, it is more important to write good songs. I would appreciate more hearing about my songwriting than being influential to someone.

 

 

That’s something kind of missing from the current scene. I don’t get to hear many “songs” that make you want to sing lyrics and choruses.

That’s something we had in mind in a way. We made it according to the old-school listening of wanting to hear an entire album. It’s not like we crafted a few songs and put them together. Every track on the album flows into the next one. And it was a conscious effort to do that, ‘cos we wanted to go back to the times when people listened to an entire album, like we did when we were young. We focused on the album, not just singles. So it’s another aspect that sets it apart from everything else, it definitely has a flow to it ‘cos every song is connected to the next one.

 

Speaking of singles, how do you feel when… ok, lemme describe this. There’s a Ministry concert and you see people just checking their i-phones, or feeling bored. And then they see the band playing “N.W.O.” and everyone goes crazy. Isn’t that a bit frustrating? Personally, it’s something I don’t like, but I wanna hear what it’s like from a musician’s perspective.

It’s a yes and no for me, to be honest. I think everybody nowadays goes to concerts and enjoys them differently than how we did when we were growing up. They check their phones, or only know the popular stuff, when we were taking the time to listen to an entire album. We knew every little thing about the band, as well as every song. Now, I think people’s attention spans, they just want the quick fix. Is it frustrating? Yeah, it can be frustrating, you want people to experience that they’re actually there and seeing the band live. It’s the one thing that can be frustrating at times.

 

That’s the biggest problem with downloading in my opinion, which mostly has to do with younger people. They get to have a vast selection of choices, and at the very end, they don’t take the time to absorb something.

Yeah it’s true, I completely agree with you. Even when we schedule some meet & greet, people will show up and we might ask them some questions, only to find out they have no idea about the band. That’s something that has always happened, but we see it more often nowadays than ever before.

 

Back to the new album, do you have in mind making something more special, like offering a limited edition?

Possibly. We have a couple of different ideas. The band is currently talking to our management as far as getting people a bit more interested in a different way. So, yeah, there might be something different for this record.

 

I really liked the 3D cover you made for The Last Sucker.

Yeah, that was awesome. I loved it with the whole artwork coming out.

 

How come you put the band at rest during that period?

It was clearly a health thing. Al wasn’t feeling well and needed to take some time off. Once he ended up at a hospital after that tour, bleeding and passing out… it was the main reason for him, wanting to put the band at rest. It was a really tough thing for him. We did the tour that we booked to do, of course, but we also had offers to visit more places. And his doctors told him he wasn’t able to go on physically.

 

During the same period, Paul Raven was a part of the line-up. What was your experience working with him? Do you have any memories from those sessions?

Absolutely. I worked with Paul Raven with my previous band Society 1. He actually played the bass on our first album.

 

Really? I wasn’t aware of that.

Yeah, that’s how we first met. And he was instrumental in getting me in Revolting Cocks and Ministry as well. He was an amazing individual and a very good friend of mine. I remember working together in the studio during The Last Sucker era. It was great and real fun. He was a great guy.

 

Back to your earlier works, Ministry have had some metal touch here and then since their early days. Have you ever considered re-recording some of your ’80s material in the present form of the band? I’m not talking about remixes here, but all new re-recorded versions.

You know, it’s been talked about from time to time. Al has mentioned it a few times. But nothing in regards to something like this has been planned yet.

 

Speaking about Al and his health problems, some people are surprised to see him on stage, while many Ministry members are no longer around. Do you think music is what keeps him energized and alive? He obviously can’t sit at home.

I believe so. He always has in his mind the next thing to plan. But it’s also because he is part-cockroach too.

 

People used to say something similar about Lemmy too, and too bad that wasn’t true. It is a shock that he’s not with us anymore.

Yeah, he was a friend close to Al, it was very sad and unfortunate. We were all devastated by Lemmy’s passing. He was one of us and no one wants to see a fellow musician passing.

 

Since you’ve been a part of Ministry, what member would you call basic to the structure of the band, as well as who has been the most enjoyable to work with?

Definitely Mike Scaccia and Paul Raven. I really miss those guys immensely and wish they were still here. And Al, of course. But the band we have now is very solid together and I think this line-up is going to last for quite a while.

 

Last question. Ministry are visiting Athens on June 1st for the very first time. Some people have been waiting for you to come since the late ’80s. What are your expectations from the show, as well as what should they expect in general? Plus, do you have any hints about the setlist?

Can’t give away the setlist right now. But we’re looking very much forward to visiting Greece for the first time. People should just expect an assault on their senses. We can’t wait to be there.

 

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