Mindless Self Indulgence
Interview with Little Jimmy Urine
Words: Ashley Marie Sansotta

Appearing:
August 10, 2007
Sound Advice Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach

August 11, 2007
Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa

If you are familiar with Mindless Self Indulgence (often referred to as MSI), then you already know of their infamous, over-the-top performances and impertinent, explicit music.  If you are not familiar with MSI, then you are in for a very rude awakening.  You either love them or you absolutely hate them.  It is pitch black or stark white, and there is no such thing as gray. 

They describe their music as “Industrial Jungle Pussy Punk,” and they are most popular for their elaborate live shows.  When performing, frontman Little Jimmy Urine steals the stage with his feminine 1980’s style costumes and his wild demeanor.  Even the fans come to MSI shows dressed for the part.  It’s like Halloween set to offensive music...and quite a sight to see.

They seem to live in this make-believe world that they’ve created, governed by the Atari from their childhoods, where anything goes – the more uncouth the better.  Nothing is ever taken seriously.  Not even the music they create.  And certainly not the interviews they are asked to do.

REAX:  I know that you guys are in the process of recording right now.  How much time do you usually put in the studio?
Little Jimmy Urine:  We hustle a lot… and when you hustle, you put in time whenever you can.  I just sang a song in New York City, edited the vocals on a plane, and then we tracked guitars in Canada on the next day.  We do the most we can with the time we have.

REAX:  Unlike most musicians who are usually influenced by other music, I've read that most of your inspiration comes from movies and video games.  Which movies inspired you while you were working on the material for the new album?
LJU:  Most movies don’t give me the deep emotional influence that I need to be a sellout… so sometimes I just film my cock.  Then I’ll edit it to look bigger and that inspires the hell out of me… well that and Zardoz.

REAX:  What does your songwriting process look like?
LJU:  It looks like shit to me, but I’m overly critical.  It’s basically lots of Oreos and soda, some swimming, shooting cans with BB-gunz, driving around at four in the morning, knife throwing, and a huge chalk board the size of a wall filled with technical shit just like Good Will Hunting.

REAX:  You released your last album on iTunes under the "Christian" category, which I thought was brilliant.  Because, in a way, your fan base is religiously loyal to your music and you have such a cult-like following.  I noticed that iTunes has you categorized as "Alternative" now.  What happened?
LJU:  MAAAANNNN...YOU CANT FIGHT CITY HALL… DON'T YOU KNOW THE BAD GUY ALWAYS WINZ??

REAX:  And what category will your new album be classified as?
LJU: File under Uneasy Listening.

REAX:  From your fans, to your own passionate, outrageous performances, a Mindless Self Indulgence show is quite the experience.  How would you describe your shows to someone who has never been?
LJU:  I wouldn’t describe shit.  I’d say go out and pick up the DVD and make up your own mind.  I’m too freakin’ lazy to explain shit to people.

REAX:  What is your favorite part about performing?
LJU:  Stealing lunch money from your kids.

REAX:  I'm excited for the release of your very first live DVD, "Our Pain, Your Gain" (set to come out on September 11th of this year).  I believe the performances were filmed at Webster Hall in New York City, and it was right after guitarist Steve, Righ? was hospitalized for partial hip replacement.  How did his injury affect the live shows?
LJU:  It encouraged us to be far more reckless.  If Steve can perform better than most guitarists fresh from hip surgery, then the rest of the band feels an obligation to keep up with him.

(Steve was re-hospitalized this year and this time received a full hip replacement. Six weeks later he and MSI were performing to 10,000 people a night in the UK. The upcoming DVD title, "Our Pain Your Gain" is a real expression of how this band performs every night).