It’s hard to believe that it was only three years ago that The Bang Gang made their earth-shattering entrance on the Sydney scene. Since then they’ve chopped things up, cut them out, shaken them upside-down, killed them and then resuscitated them before gluing all of the best parts together in a mind-bending, genre twisting masterpiece, all done with a cheeky little ‘I knew what I was doing…really’ smile upon their lips. Somehow the bewilderment in their eyes, tell us otherwise and it’s this hap-hazardness that’s had us all instantly drawn to The Bang Gang.
They’re a little naughty, they’re a little crazy, a whole lotta genius, with a hint of buffoonery, but all 100% lovable, as they’ve shaken and stirred the music and fashion scenes since their first shows. Bang Gang has become somewhat of a lifestyle choice for most, it’s the way you dance, the way you dress, how you walk, it’s the explanation to those mysteriously sexy lipstick traces you wake up with on a Saturday afternoon, the cigarette burns in your jeans, the rips in your stockings, your broken heels.
The only memories you have are of the crazy but brilliant mash ups you were exposed to the night before, the rest is just a blurred haze of disco lights, friendly faces, seedy bathrooms and the unmistakable grinning faces of Ajax, Gus Da Hoodrat (aka DJ Buttfuck), Jaime Doom, Dangerous Dan, Damage and on the odd occasion Double Nolan, as they spin heaven behind the decks. Now finally, the boys have been given free reign over their own official Mashed cd by the extremely smart or completely nuts kids at Ministry of Sound. I caught up with Sir Jaime Doom to see how much sense I could make of his following answers to my questions -another bold move!
ITM: How is this double Mashed cd going to differ fro the famous Bang Gang mash ups that have been less accessibly available at Bang Gang shows in the past? Will it be taking the best parts of those mixes or will it be a whole new fresh mix on it’s own?
The CDs are just fun party music that we like and play …the CDs are titled “jiggyjiggybootyrock” and “aciidravelectropop”, which kinda spells out the style of each CD. We just wanted to make two cds that showcase our sound right now….It isn’t all that directional or arty or any of that shit…it’s a collection of tracks that give us stiffies and hope that other people get aroused when hearing them as well…it jumps between genres and has lotsa vocals and quick mixing and a few stupid tricks that we added to show off. The CDs are definitely similar to our previous cds in track selection and mixing but we did this mix just for Ministry. Although we usually endorse laziness, splicing together old shit would have been cheating…
ITM: Did you or MoS have a rather large headache when sorting all of the licensing for this one?
I think MoS had a migraine accompanied by some diarrhea, nausea and bed-wetting. I’m not sure if they are speaking to us anymore…
ITM: Was there anything you really wanted on there, but had to scrap it from the mix because you couldn’t sort through the licensing red tape in time?
There were a few little numbers that would have been good to include but there is lots of music industry crap that goes on in making a CD that stops you from getting everything you want. In the end though we were all happy with the tracks that were included – there is some new and exclusive shit on the CD, which we didn’t think we would be able to get but somehow managed to…
ITM: How long did it take you all to complete this mash-up from beginning to end?
About three weeks too long and three bags of ketamine too many…
ITM: Were there many in-house arguments over what would make it into the final mix, or how the mix was going to flow? Dish us the goss..
There were lots of hissy fits, tantrums, bitch slaps and walk outs by everyone involved. Gus converted the studio into a crack den, rented out our couches to his friends and slept through most of the mixing, Damage and Doom held each others hands and raved, Double Nolan gave young German boy models “tours” of the back room, Dan brought Karl Lagerfield over for some drinks and cheese. Ajax got blood poisoning and gave up smoking and yelled at the computer a lot…and somewhere outta that came our CD.
ITM: Over the past two years Bang Gang has become somewhat of a religion for most people. What’s the general aesthetic you guys subscribe to, to create this fabulous hap-hazard, anything-goes party-vibe?
Drugs + booze + laziness + drugs + booze + drag queens + tits + ass + dicks + drugs + tunes + girls + boys + sex + clits + laziness + blowjobs + drugs + booze = fun….....there is no plan we just party and have fun and hope others do too…
ITM: I noticed that the MoS mash up doesn’t feature either of Bang Gang’s two 2005 anthems Justice Vs Simian’s ‘Never Be Alone Again’ or Felix’s ‘Rocket Ride’. Was this just because you guys have done them to death and gotten over them already, or because there was way too much other material to choose from?
Yer both those tracks had kinda been played to death by us and everyone else. Putting those tracks on would have been kinda lame and predictable and we are already enough of both…
ITM: What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned through Bang Gang over the last two years?
How to rave while sleeping, how to dance while eating, how to fuck while crying….
ITM: You guys have collectively managed to take over the music and fashion worlds, what’s next? Short Bang Gang films? Filmscores to crazy arthouse projects? Your own show on V or community tv?
We are going to turn Gus’s life into a tele-movie, release a gay reality TV show featuring Double Nolan searching for love in all the wrong places, Doom is going to take over for that short guy with bad hair spot on Channel V, Ajax is launching his hair care range in Milan next week, Dan is starting a fashion empire …oh no he’s not he already has one, Damage is branching into Bang Gang inspired spoken word and poetry pieces and then we are all going to get married, live in a commune, have babies and make them run our club and DJ for us…
ITM: Do you guys plan on publishing and releasing the famous ‘Fagazine’ on a wider scale in the future? If not, why not?
No plans to expand our Fagazine distribution, just trying to cram more gay shit into it. You know that it is a good edition when Kinkos refuse to print it…If we did it on a wider scale it would mean having to get advertisers to pay for it, which would mean having to censor our content, put it out on time and do all that other crap that would take the fun out of it doing it…and what’s the point in writing an article on “How to Suck Your Own Cock” or looking at swollen assholes on the internet if it isn’t fun?
ITM: What can audiences across Australia that haven’t yet been exposed to the Bang Gang extravaganza expect from your fourthcoming run of shows in the wake of the Mashed release?
Some sexed up fist fucking and pussy whipping …oh no that was the show we saw last nite…. Us putting on our mix CD just before we pass out under the decks?
ITM: And finally, what’s hot to you right now? What is it that currently gets you hot under the collar?
Kate Moss’s crack habit….that shit is hot, she can come smoke her rocks at our studio anyday!
Well, nuff said really, remember not to mix your drugs kids! Bang Gang’s Mashed 2 cd compilation is out now through Ministry of Sound/EMI, and you can catch them on the road to support the mix of the year in a venue near you, as they touch down in:
Fri Oct 7 – Wollongong, Bustin’
Fri Oct 14 – Canberra, Academy
Sat Oct 15 – Launceston, Reality Nightclub
Fri Oct 21 – Brisbane, Empire Hotel
Sat Oct 22 – Sydney, Home
Fri Oct 28 – Cairns, Met Bar
Sat Oct 29 – Townsville, The Embassy
Fri Nov 4 – Gold Coast, Platinum
Fri Nov 11 – Newcastle, King Street Hotel
