Angry amputees

Thrasher Magazine, April, 2005 by Lewee Regal

IN TODAY'S AGE of overpaid emo bands with bad haircuts and silly pants and the even worse presence of retro-hipster groups wearing silly suits while sporting pussy-footer attitudes, its nice to find white knuckle rock anywhere you can. The Amputees are just that. Technical enough to keep you guessing and as straightforward as your drunken hesher buddy hitting on your special lady friend. The live shows are always out of hand and they consistently play with great bands like the Hollow Points, Sore Thumbs, River Boat Gamblers, and a handful of others that you should be listening to. After four years together they've survived European tours, heart surgeries, knives to the cranium, label problems and a slew of other questionable situations that would have killed any normal member of the human race. I sat down with the four of them over a spaghetti dinner and some over-priced Budweiser in this old, spray-painted warehouse in the middle of SF. This is what they had to say.

"YOU'VE JUST FALLEN IN LINE WITH A LONG LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN STUMPED."

Let's get basics out of the way.

Erik: Guitar.

Dalty: Bass.

Stacey: Vocals/guitar.

Jen: Drums.

What's "camputee?"

Erik: It's where we all live and practice.

Dalty: A live/work space in the lovely South of Market district.

Stacey: I'm pretty sure it's haunted.

That's hogwash. Your hood's pretty hyfie, dog.

Dalty: What?

Never mind. What was this building before you guys fucked it up?

Dalty: Sweatshop.

Erik: It was actually a zipper factory. The fucked up thing about it is when 1 was a little kid the first time I got my dick stuck in a zipper I looked down and it said Talon zippers. Then 25 years later I move in here and it says Talon.

Full circle, huh? Sucks for you. How was the European tour? Any zipper malfunctions?

Erik: We spent a couple weeks touring around the UK with our buddies in this English hardcore band, Fire Apple Red. Then we rented an apartment in Amsterdam during the Queen's birthday.

Dalty: The Dutch wear all orange and everyone gets trashed. It's like our version of Mardi Gras.

Anyone wake up with some hired help?

Stacey: I don't think so.

Erik: I got trashed with all our tour money in my pocket and passed out in some filthy ditch. When I came to I was sure I was going to have empty pockets, but luckily some taxicab guy helped me out and I got back to the pad with the cash.

Your first album, Slutbomb, was on the Dead Teenager label, and you guys have decided to re-release that and your new EP "Four Anatomy's of Broken English" by yourselves under Stump Records. Does this mean you're starting your own label?

Dalty: We're not looking to start a label. We're just releasing what we got with the resources in hand, per say.

Erik: It's great to do it yourself, but we are definitely going to shop this one around. You know, see what happens, try to find a home.

At that Mexican party bus show I went to say bye to Dalty and, all wasted, I tripped and cold caught a stump to the face. What's up with that, holmes?

Dalty: Gots to watch the stumps of death.

Erik: You've just fallen in line with a long list of people who have been stumped.

Like who?

Stacey: Johnny Ramone.

Erik: Tom Araya from Slayer got stumped.

Dalty: I stumped the guy from Depeche Mode.

Erik: Texas Terry got stumped good. We have photographic evidence of that one.

Dalty: Stickers on her tittles and all ... yikes.

Such a violent group. Didn't Erik catch a skull shank in Tahoe?

Stacey: Erik likes crazy women and we should probably leave it at that.

Erik: Avoid North Shore Tahoe at all costs. Accept the detour and go around.

I see some skate photos up on the wall. Who's the photog?

Erik: That would be me. I actually got some pictures in this book by Keith Hamm called Scarred for Life. It's about the history of skating. It's pretty rad; you should definitely check it out.

You know I can't read. Does anyone else in the band skate?

Stacey: Me and Jen skate to the store for smokes, but that's about it.

Erik: Dalty likes to ride vert ramps in his wheel chair.

Can Dalty throw down the elusive whirly bird?

Erik: You know this, holmes.

Any last words?

Erik: People can check out upcoming shows and info on our website at www.theamputees.com, and keep an eye out for the new album "Four Anatomy's of Broken English."