Woody and Pepper of Corrosion of Conformity Download XXIII Donington Park - PipemanRadio Interview

0:04 Hey, you have done to censure. Fore Wow for you young. This is the pipe Man here on the Avengers pipe Man W four C Y Radio and I'm here with Woodrove from Kuroze. You're looking for Meny Nice here at download? Yeah, Oh my god, beautiful download right here in Derby, England. I know, I know and like, and I've been watching your band live since the early eighties, so it's so cool to meet up here in the UK at download. I mean, I don't believe you. You don't look old enough to have been seeing us in the early eighties. You must have been a young buck.

0:48 I was like, I think I was like thirteen. I'm fifty nine now. So in fact, here's my battlefest from back then. Wow, take care, suicidal GBH. You got Slayer on there, of course, Metallica, beautiful English Dogs. What are you talking about? You got it old? Uh? I know, I got you guys on there somewhere. Got SD You got a little corrosion exploited beautiful BattleJacket right nice. It's like the I look at those venom patches. And they're completely worn out. All right. I think this one has some blood from that Sun Valley Sportsman's lunch show. I see it on the back.

1:31 Man. So have you guys ever played Download before? Oh? We we have several times. The first time it was still called Donnington. Yeah, yes, Stas of Rock or whatever, and it was the big Metallica day and there was a bunch of bands on it. But I think that might have been ninety four to ninety five kind of. So, so that was our first time here, but we've been back a few times since. Nice And you know, it's funny you mentioned Metallica here because they played Download a couple of years ago headline. Yeah. Man, it's like special sound system that wherever you are in the festival, it's like you're upfront. People were complaining fifteen miles away what that they could hear metallic loud and clear.

2:16 Well they should have been happy about it. They saved their entrance fee. I would like I could just hung out on my patio, you know, absolutely, But it is better to be here. It is better, And I mean it's it's a show. It's kind of like a big giant circus. Yeah, you know, you ride in and there's just cabins and tents and people stayed the entire you know, four days or ever. How long it is, it's a trip. Did you ever imagine way back in the beginning that you would be still doing this at a huge festival at town in twenty twenty six. It was never on our minds, but we just see, you know, you just keep going and keep going and having fun and doing it and doing it, and yeah, you wind up, you know, forty some years later, and you're still having fun and rocking out and hanging out with some of your buds that you've known for about that long.

3:04 You know, it's killer, and it's and you're still relevant, which is That's where I think you guys were smart, because you evolved, you know, a lot, a lot back then, everybody was gatekeepers, Like you know, I was a huge Metallica fan, but when the Black album came out, I was typical of the gatekeepers of like fuck them posers, blah blah blah. That shit goes on, and but there's still one of my favorite bands. You guys are still one of my favorite bands. So I think that's what's kept metal and punk alive all these years is evolving. Yeah, and people have evolved, and I know it's hard to imagine now, but there was that time where punk rock folks would not venture across the line and listen to heavy metal and vice versa.

3:48 Really, that's what happened at first show, That's what happened. Yeah, And so we were kind of part of the very few number of bands that really enjoyed the raw intensity of like hardcore punk rock and you know all you know, thrash, and but we also dug the early Metallica stuff, you know, the Exodus and all those bands that came out of that early period of metal, thrash metal and all that. But of course we were huge Sabbath fans and priests and all that, and somehow or another, it all came together shortly thereafter, and people didn't give a damn if you had like your BattleJacket. You know, you got Venom on the air, but on the back you got Metallica and you got you know, we had exploited.

4:30 That's what it's kind of turned into. It was a thing, you. Know, yeah exactly, And you know, I always saw it was stupid anyway, Like I was a long hair, I couldn't go to punk shows initially, and punks couldn't go in metal shows, and it was just stupid. I think we were both small groups getting a ship beat of us and bullied by the jucks in school. Why not band together? Right? You know, like one enemy is enough, you don't need multiple. I know, like, and we're all against a system, why not band together. I remember there was this place on Melrose called Posers. I remember that well, yeah, and you know it was run by punks. So I took my punk friends. I'm like, hey, bring me a Posers. That's where I want to get my spikes. That's where you wanted to get your spikes, where you got your stuff.

5:17 And you know, so they were punks because I can go in there as long hair. They knew the owners. So we walk in, We're there not thirty seconds and my bro comes over me. He goes, we have to leave. Are you kidding me? And I'm like, we mean why, I'll tell you when we get outside. We need to leave now. Wow. And we walk outside and he's like, yeah, the owners. You know, because we knew the owners, they gave us a little courtesy and pulled us aside and said get the fucking long hair out whoa And if you don't, now we're going to kick the shit out of what a polycron. I see what would Lemmy have to say about that? Exactly? You know what I mean exactly let Me, I think is one of the big reasons we crossed over because let Me didn't give a shit about anything. Now we're all together, you know. So, how does it feel nowadays?

6:12 Like does it blow? You're like, how does it feel to make music play music nowadays? After doing it for so long? Well, like the new record for instance, COC just put out a new album a couple of months ago. Good God, bad man. It's got elements really and we didn't really intentionally do it this way, but it's it's sort of like a COC compilation, but of all new material, Like a lot of it reaches way back to the early early part of COC and a lot of it is here comes Keenan, Now there is Yeah, and so much of it it reaches to where COC is at now, you know, Hello, Hello, Hello.

6:53 Pepper, Keenan here from Corrosion a con formity. How can we help you? Oh? Man, you're just here. That's all you have to do. We're a download and we're having a blast. Yeah man, we're stoked to be here. Yeah, we were just talking about I was asking him about how it fields nowadays to make still make new music after all this time. I think that on this last record that we did, we really hit something that we're really comfortable with doing. And the way the record sounds, the way we wrote it, the way we attacked it, you know, I think we finally got our mixture, our cocktail correct. I love it. So it's really something that we did in a very unorthodox way, and especially the way that people record things nowadays.

7:37 It felt good to throw it out the window and do everything gorilla style. And I love hearing that when a band's been doing it as long as you guys have, because to still have that juice. Yeah, oh yeah, I think we got it more than we have in a long long time, you know, and we needed it. You know, sometimes when your world's on fire and everything is going wrong and all that shit, that's when you that's when you put your nose to the grind and just lean into it. And we did. And I think there's a lot to write about nowadays, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, no shortage of lyrical content, no doubt or say. We don't sing about titties and beer anymore. Got bigger issues, you know, and it's I think it's kind of weird way a lot of music that you could take some of the eighties music and the lyrics and just change a couple names and you could write the same songs in twenty twenty six. It's that fucked up.

8:33 It's bizarre, you know. But we uh, yeah, we really enjoyed his last outing, so yeah, and so now we're just out ripping it. I love your shirt, Lizard of Oz. I've never seen that one. Yeah, this was a weird one that. That is wild, Like I did see on New Year's Eve Ozzie wit Randy Roads, like a couple of months before he passed. Wow. Man, Oh it was wild too, cause it was one of those things where I told my dad I was sleeping over my bro's house. He said he was sleeping over my house. And we went to the Ozzie show and then we're hiding out afterwards and my next door neighbor she comes out and she's like, oh, did you boys go to the Aussie show? And we're like, oh fuck, we're busted. Yeah wait, I'm gonna go get my husband WHOA And we're like, oh shit. He calls us up the house. Turns out he was Ozzie's promoter living next door to me. I had no fucking clue. And then he uh he pulls a cassette tape out of the wall, like it was all wall to wall cassettes. He goes listen to Suspend's not in the US yet. They'll be here in six months and they're gonna be huge, And that was accept restless and wild. Wow a nice right exactly.

9:46 So like here we are, all these years later. You guys are here a download? That's badass. How do you like playing download? It's it's a trip. I mean, I'm like we talked about earlier. Yes, chance to possibly play in form some people that may not be that familiar with the band. But it's also sometimes kind of a pain in the butt, you know, playing these giant festivals. I know, right, you know you only get up there and you got like thirty five minutes away. Exactly. Let's make the most of it and rock out. And we were talking to it's still Donnington. You know what I mean, You're not if you're in a rock band and you're here, this is the holy say you're playing here? If you like, oh no shit, Yeah, it's holy man. Yeah, people know what the hell Donnington is exactly one hundred percent.

10:31 And we were talking before you got here, Bepper, about you know how I love how you guys, guys have evolved over the years, and that's why I think makes a band stick around, especially in these genres. Yeah, and you've definitely done that. Like, how do you feel about the fact that you're still around and that you were smart enough to evolve over the years. That was that was a conscious decision we made a long time ago. You know. We made that effort when a lot of bands, you know, were accusing us of selling out or whatever. You know, you sound like the Eagles or you know, just all that kind of crap, like, yeah, well whatever. You know, Uh, when I joined the bands, these guys could play. They could really fucking play. It wasn't no you know weekend shit. He's got the players, and so we we had every all the things there to go for it, you know, and our producer John Custer pushed us to go for it, and we did, and we created our own kind of little world.

11:30 Really, you know, not a lot of bands that sound like coc that's right. And I bet the old school fans. I'm one of them. I've seen cooc since the early eighties. You know that you come back to you like you're young and stupid, so you're like poosers sell out. Yeah, but then you got and you get it, like I get why a musician wouldn't want to stay a garage band, and why would you? Right, I mean it makes no sense, especially when you're our age now and you're skanking around fucking circle with a pair of fucking Chuck Taylor's on and shorts. Right, I'm fucking sixty years old, dude. Right, I'm fifty nine. In fact, you're this here fifty nine.

12:12 I was a kidding look at this. Look at this. I showed him. Oh yeah, he's got a battle. This is my eighties battle vest. Oh yeah, look at that. You guys are on there. Look at that. Yeah, the Slayer didn't even have a patch yet, So I did it myself. Fucking that's the solo and in La. That's why you should say that, because La thought I was a gangbagger that was better. Yeah. Absolutely, I'll get your day right awesome. So I am one of those people that was like back then, oh but not. But you know what, you guys are so much better and you're so much better.

12:52 And then the whole the name corrosia looker formity. It gives us a world of freedom to do anything we want. It's so true. It's called roddy corks. I know, right, you got it. We can kind of squeeze our way and it's fun. We enjoy challenging ourselves. That's part of the deal. That's what it's about. Like if you're a musician, that's why I always say, why do you want to play the same ship when you didn't even know what you're doing when you first started. I mean, I get it. For some pe a c DC can't punch a hole in their fucking story, that's I can get it. I fucking get it. Trust me. You know, if they started playing piano and ship, I'd be a little fucking flipped out right. Like the freaking Ramones. You don't that's there, the Ramones. That's what you want to.

13:32 Hear, exactly exactly. There's some other. Bands like We Want to Ever, Paint Floored or Radiohead or all you know that just go out there. I don't know, but you know, playing music is just it's a it's an it's a degree of freedom involved to where we're at now. It's nice and I can see with you guys, you still have the passion for playing. And I think that's so important because I've seen bands that they're up there and you could tell they're just dialing in. Yeah, yeah, and why would you do that? The most fun part. Is get a fucking paycheck and then yeah. I wouldn't do that. In music, it's you gotta have fun, that's the most fun part. I think most people in this business have are here for the right reason exactly. I think i'd like to think that you would think so, at least in the world that Woody and I are in.

14:13 You know, I agree. I'm more in you know, people like Marcus King, things like that. Younger dudes that are really tearing shit up. There you go. I think we're having a resurgence too of musicians. Yeah, guitar players real right, not trying to no offense, not trying to do Green Day shit, but dudes that are really getting into. It, totally totally fun. I'm excited about it. Well, I'm glad you're here. A download you guys, kick ass and thanks for being on the Adventures of Pipe Man. Absolutely, thank you. Yeah, pleasure to be back. Have us back again, Doug always anytime. Right on. Hey, my name is Pepper Keenan. Not playing a band called Corrosion to Conformity. You're listening to the pipe man on W four see you why cooking?

14:58 Hey guys, this is a woodrow and you listen to the pipe man on W four c Y crack it. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipemen on W four c Y Radio.