Mermaid have been proving for some years that they are the best Hard Rock band of Spain, second to no one in the world. But some idiots pointed that those long instrumental passages of psych tendences were too dense. To close those mouths, this lisergic freaks have recorded this fantastic album: “Red Led Or Death”, a set of perfect songs (yeah, with choruses and melodies and all that!!) that follow the tradition of the big bands of the 70’s from Black Sabbath to Grand Funk. Although this does not mean that this power trio has completely forgotten that willing for Space Rock, a style they are masters at due to the fact that they live in the fucking moon.

Undisputedly, this is going to be the year of the Mermaid. First, this new album is joined by the release of “Charlton Heston” (Alone/Munster), a 10” EP with songs from the recording sessions of “High Dimension Is The Direction” who didn’t make it to the album. And second, the admiration and respect gained through Europe to their good rockin’ is unanimous. And on top of all that, they are planning a killing tour to take this mammoth “Red Led Or Death” to your hometown!
Firehead (bass) and Leroy (drums) answered willingly to our questionaire...

What is your new sound orientation due to? Maybe you finally realized that people fell asleep at your shows?

Leroy: That sound orientation thing is something natural. A record takes us about eight months to be made, and in that time we do not just listen to what supposedly influences us musically. During "From here to nowhere" and "High dimension", when we got drunk we did not listen to Pink Floyd all day. The influences in this record, at least on my side, have been the same as always. When I hit the drum, even if I am playing “Hypnotizer”, I have in mind Cozy Powell or Tommy Lee. About the people who falls asleep in shows... If you are talking about your girl, I can tell you she did not fall asleep till 7 in the morning.

Firehead: Ok, I will tell you the truth: we are sick and tired of having journalists saying that we are fucking good, unanimous reviews and so on, and then not getting shit, both sexually and economically speaking. We want dough, and this is the most honest way we think we can make it. Ok?

-What’s the point of making music that was out of fashion 25 years ago?
F: Do you really believe in what you are asking? What’s “in” now? I don’t think it’s music from 25 years ago, rather it has been done for milleniums. We have just recorded the album that many of you were dreaming of.

Is there any actual band that makes you get a hard-on?
F: Personally no one, to the point of doing something wild and crazy to see them, maybe the Pogues. There’s bands I like, but I can assure you that my economic situation does not allow me to spend 18 Euros in a damm CD when I got marvels to find in vynil, from ’87 and way back.

L: I do like some contemporary bands like I did 15 years ago. There you have Mötley Crüe with a superb new album ("New tattoo") that is fucking great. I also like Y&T, Kiss, Rolling Stones, Jousilouli and the rythm section of Sex Museum.

-Some say you are that way because when kids you fell into a pot of LSD, is that true?
L: No, no... That’s false, man.
F: They make us this question every time we release an album. I really don’t know whay we bother with sending you copies...

-Now you have a second guitar, what initiation rite has he gone through?
F: He’s a good friend, way hippier than us, and the initiation rite is made every day, because it is not easy living with us, specially this last year, when we have had a really hard time. For me, he’s a hero, and I would not hold anything against him if he ever quits.
L: But we do have required from him a career in riffology and a degree in the Gillan University for choirs and joints.

-That damm van you travel in is about to die, what will you do for the money to buy a new one?
F: We have already done it. We have spent a lot to repair it. It’s our van and it will remain so as long as those damned Germans send the pieces. Now it roars as fuck!

-What will be your “all star” band of live musicians? And of dead ones?
F: Alive, Shane McGowan singing, ’91 John Frusciante on the guitar, Scott Reeder on the bass, and Don Brewer on drums. As for dead musicians, Layne Staley on the voice, Gene Clark voices and guitar, John Entwistle on bass, Jorma Kaukonen (I don’t know wether he’s alive or dead) on the second guitar, and on drums, I don’t know, I guess everyone will say Keith Moon.
L: I got it: Steven Adler on drums, Duff McKagan on bass, Izzy Stradlin on rythm guitar, Slash on the guitar and Axl singing.

-Groupies complain that with you never get a hard-on because of your drinking and drug making...
F: You are right, but that is going to change. From now on we are going to have so many groupies that they are not going to give us time enough to see a fix. Straight-edge Mermaid for sex!!! Or as Kiss: Gene and Paul think that the best drugs are sex and money, but not in that order.
L: But no one has publicly complained, I got my dick insured on a million bucks so they can say whatever they want.

-They say that when you get to town dealers make petty cash and you run them out of stocks, which drugs and for which moments are your best?
F: We usually bring them from home (this is just fiction, Road Control Officers). I have to tell you that the drug most commonly associated with Rock and Roll, cocaine, is not one of our favourites, maybe for its high prize and low purity, though no one refuses a fix if you are invited, but our stuff is alcohol first, then speed, pills, joints for long trips in the van, and alcohol again.
L: Drugs? I don’t know what are you talking about. Drugs are bad for the youth, it numbs their mind and they enter a “purple haze” state in which they don’t realize that the ones who are really fucking with them are the Spanish politicians, at least in our town.