First & Last #12 - Warpaint

I've held off writing about Warpaint for the past few months as I've been waiting for the answers to this Q+A I did. Luckily it was recording and not tardiness that held things up as Warpaint have been hard at it in the studio, laying down the tracks for their debut album due later this year. I chatted with drummer Stella about her band, Peter Gabriel and the 'F-bomb'.

Q: First band you ever saw live?

Stella: My folks took me to see Peter Gabriel when I was 6. Only thing I remember was the Lynchian dancing chicken in the Sledgehammer video.

What was the first instrument you played as a child?

S:Piano. The usual story of being forced into an instrument young, I couldn't stand it. I used to fake nausea spells to stay at home and play Donkey Kong.

Where was the last show you played? How did it go?

S:We played a festival called "Walk the Line" in Den Haag, Netherlands last night. Superb people with a fervent desire to clap at every opportunity. It went well, thank you.



First album you ever bought?

S: Michael Jackson's "Dangerous". It's still listenable. I was completely infatuated with him, even up until "Blood on the Dancefloor".

Last time you were drunk was...

S: After our first show in London the other night. I don't know if you want me to follow that up with some wild tale of decadence and suffering so I'll leave it at that.

First crush on a famous person...

S: Michael Jackson, circa 1991.

The last band you saw live recently?

S: Thom Yorke and Atoms for Peace at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Good timin' British tasting Africana



Tell me about the first ever Warpaint show

S: It was a little farcical, because we all swapped instruments and there was about 10 minutes of dead air between songs. That was January 2005.

Last time you swore...

S: Probably a few minutes ago. I'm horrible. F-bombing all over the shop

Last film you saw...

S: Gimme Shelter, about 30 minutes ago. It must have been absolutely manic to be amongst that Altamont scene, let alone having the responsibility of controlling it.

First & Last #12 - Warpaint