Event Links: Event images | Artist Bios | Interview with The Divine

March 6th 2003
The Divine with DJs Letro and Prospero
Only $3 cover, 19+ only, doors 9pm, $2.50 drink specials. Savage Garden, 550 Queen St. W.

interview with obsession from the divine

steven : first, i am personally sick of the generic questions, of having to ask them, to read them and to be asked them, it just gets boring, you know?

obsession (obs) : i agree... there is nothing worse then having to answer the... so who do you sound like... and who were your influence.. that is why bands have bios... and honestly... if we sounded like anyone in specific... why would we be the divine... and not.. a band that sounds like so and so... (although if you ask certain people.. they would just say that the divine sound like nine inch nails anyway...lol)

steven : i wasn't going to bring up the nin thing :)

obs : the nin thing i'm so used to... people could compare my/our music to a band that sux... so i'm over the reznor thing...

steven : personally, i did hear the nin resemblance from the cd, and was quite happy that it was lost in the live preformance (the influence / sound, not the cd)

obs : thanx regarding the nails thing... that cd was written and recorded mostly by myself... so yeah.. my direct influences are going to come out alot... i have a three other guys that play live...(and are working on the new cd with me)... that interpret the songs as they play them.. it gives them new life... and thats cool...

steven : well, i kind of noticed with alot of bands that use sequences that on their recordings the guitars kind of take a backseat, which i feel is such a huge mistake, but I happen to like loud guitars...

obs : on sinthetic it was on purpose...
my goal was to experiment with stuff i had never done.. i have played guitar for half of my life... it was a trip to play with piano's and strings and wierd noizes... the new cd... very guitar heavy so far

steven : are your future releases going to be like that as well or more reflective of your live sound?
kind of answered my question before i got the fucker out :)

obs : ummm good question... i try not to go into the recording stuff with any preconcieved notions... i like to suck what ever is in my head out when im tracking... "all things god like" was written over many years and is very guitar heavy... the new stuff as i said so far is as well... although there is a piece that drones and i have been working on that is all based off a piano melody... so it's just what ever comes up... it's music.. there are no rules...

steven : and this touching yourself thing that got the tg forum so worked up this past fall..

obs : ahhh yeah the fourm...(sorry i'll warn you now... i can be wordy sometimes... it's a habbit that has to do with the world revolving around me...lol...) um so yeah... apparently... some people at the "spread the madness show"... took offence to the fact that i put on latex gloves and stuck my hands down my pants... the fourm was a buzz with people asking about the glove and what i really did... etc..etc.. it's so funny really... but it served it's purpose it left people leaving asking.."what the fuck was that"

steven : not sure if taking offence would be as accurate as peaking their curiousity
is that all you want to say about the whole 'touching' yourself thing?

obs : good point... again... my theory has always been...(since the birth of the divine)... was to leave people wondering what they just saw... to give them a show... i got so sick of bland shows..guys wearing flanel and ripped jeans... i wanted to build a show that was over the top.. that touched peoples emotions...when i was wirtting 'sinthetic inside' as an album.. it came from a lot of experience of loneliness... the concept of the album is based on feeling seperated from the outside world... i was in a situation where my relationship was going rough... i was experiencing more contact through my computer then anything else... the song sinthetic inside... and even space city sex addict... were written loosely based on cyber sex experiences... and what not.. those songs.. the lyrics trigger those emotions... honeslty it's not like i go into a show and go.. ok touch yourself here.. or whatever... it just happens as the emotions come and go...

steven : there are certain members of press, i really don't want to meantion names.. but they seem to have a real issue with your band, too myself it seems rather pointless and silly...

obs : yeah i think i know who those people are... really they can suck my dick... i don't create music for the press... i create for my self becuz it's what i love to do... the fact that people come up to me and say.. hey i like you band... or that come to shows and by cd's.. that makes it worth it... even the fact of being asked by toronto-goth to play the new scream show.. to me is a compliment... i'll be the first person to say.. the divine isn't a goth band... we have elements of goth in our music... elements of industrial... but... we are just a band... we play music that we love... i was talking through live journal with crispy from bozo porno circus.. and we were joking about how the press down there say some of the same things about them.. as the press here says about us... i think it's just a case of people likeing to rip on "what they know" if it's in their backyard.. it makes them think they can rip it apart... but thats what press is for... when i was a kid i remeber an interview with nikki sixx (motley crue).. he said.. as long as people talk about you.. and print you pic.. and spell your name right.. its always good press...

obs: if people talk.. then you are doing somthing right :)

steven : yep :) i was also wondering if it was also due to a personal conflict or something silly like that

obs : i'd rather someone have the balls to tell me my band sux.. .then to say.. yeah the divine is ok... love me or hate me... its better then indifference... lol

steven : well, thats also the thing, people will rarely say that to ones face..
other than Bozo you have also had some other good slots in the past

obs : we lucked out with pig face... to be honest... we did xymox with rhea's back in 99... noel called us for the show.. becuz the envelop with the press kit he got on it.. had "makeshift sanity productions" in the return mail addy's... he remebered makeshift from playing the generator in 96.. so he called... we drew no one for xymox.. and really were a bad fit on the bill... we played 2 other shows at the reverb later on.. with poor draws... we called him up.. and asked him for a show.. he said that he would give us one chance to prove that we would make an effort to play.. so we did a tuesday indie nite at the katherdral... we hit queen street with a stack of demo cd's and about 400 posters and hand fliers.. we hit everyone.. and everything... so noel said.. ok.. ill give you another show... he called us and asked us to open for corpussee... and we promoted the hell out of it... so.. pigface comes around.. and he needs an opener... (he wanted rhea's but as i herd the story their keyboardist was on tour with vnv nation)... so they said no... he called us and said..."do you guys wanna do pig face..." i almost dropped the phone when dez told me... we played the show for 8 tickets... thats all we wanted.. to get outselves in.. and a couple of freinds... we put up 300 posters on top of what he had already done... so from that point on... he has been cool to us.. actully he has been cool for a while... it comes down to the fact that he knows that we will work our ass off for the show...

steven : do you have any thoughts on your opening band for new scream (NS)?

obs : i haven't herd of the band that is going to open the new scream show for us... but... i'm always intrested in playing with new bands... and interested in meeting new people...

steven : ok, so other than playing NS, what else do you have coming up?

obs : well we have quite a bit really...
this sat nite (feb.22).. we are doing a little kick off/dress rehearsal knock the rust off thing in emlvale ontario... (it is drones hometown... and he knows the pwner of the bar.. so we are just doing it to scare some locals... and have some fun and get our selves in shape)... we have the new scream on the 6th...(which im hyped for.. i played savage with my old band back in 96 it was a blast)... and then we have the b-side lounge on the 15th with perdition, asphasia from london and organical from the toronto area... and then we are still working and sorting details on the bozo porno circus thing... which at this point in time is a case of... we want to play with them.. they want to play with us... it's just accomidating it with promotors and the clubs..
so thats my today until early may...
of course there will be more cd work in there as well...

steven : you better be hyped about NS, nothing can compare to that :)
what was the old band that played at savage?

obs : hehe... my old band makeshift sanity... we played there in june 1996... closed the show with a couple of sex pistols covers... it was nuts.. we just tried to go against the grain of where we were... lol...

steven : before you brought up cybersex, is this something you do often?

obs : cybersex... no really anymore... things are better in my life personally... i was fasinated by the fact that someone 2 or 3 thousand miles away could get inside your head and push your sexual buttons... when there person who knew you.. and could touch your flesh.. didn't know how to get the job done... but i guess that depression and misunderstandings and taking a "relationship" for granted can do that...
it's a pretty deep subject and concept really... i explored it alot throu 'sinthetic inside'...

steven : and when you do have sex with someone, in real life, or i guess otherwise, do you listen to your cd?

obs : i never have... lol.. i should try it... i remember getting an e-mail from a girl who said it was a good cd to have sex too... maybe i should take her adivice and give it a try... lol... but.. at the same time... i'm not sure if i could be that self centered... lol... oh who am i kidding.. i'm my own biggest fan... lol

steven : what do you tend to listen to then?

obs : lol.. last nite i think the tv was on... hahaha...(i wonder if miss j is gonna read this and kill me... or love me... hahaha... hell who am i kidding... im sure she will love it...)... i do have this cd... by a band called.. "lovage"... the cd is called...songs to make love to your old lady by.... it works well... lol...

steven : yeah? want to burn me a copy? :)

obs : i can do that
haha... you know... i think it would be fitting for me to point something out here...

steven : sure?

obs : with sinthetic inside... being based conceptually on "feeling life throu technology"... the idea of doing this interview online... i think is a good expeirment... i think soceity takes computers and technology way to important... it's easier to e-mail ot instant message then to make a phone call... i noticed through the last couple of years.. we become more and more out of touch with people.. and more and more in touch with out mouse and keyboards... so.. its kind of funny... that we are doing this online... considering the subject matter of the cd...

steven : well, it's actually really because i don't have a phone and you aren't local, so we can't sit down and talk..
ok, i'm just too lazy to transcribe this thing
i was going to ask you about your relationship and what role she plays in your band, as well as music

obs : my relationship... miss j will love this.. we are talking about her... :)... she plays a serious role right now... maybe not musically... but she did come into my life at a time where i was seriously depressed... the break up of a long term relationship was wearing on me... and.. honestly... she gave me hope that things weren't all bad... she has been doing a little go-go dancing thing for us... (a concept i tried to do in 98 with makeshift... and we treid to do a few times with the divine... but could not find willing bodies)... it's cool.. i love the fact that she likes the music and is willing to get involved...

steven : does she influence your writing?

obs : not right now.. the relationship is still good... lol... i think the "goth" element to my writting is the release of my depression, angst and pent up negativity...

steven : well, thats hope that she never does influence your writing then :)

obs : there is a song called on the cd called "i see it in your eyes"... i wrote that after just meeting her... we had been chatting online.. and i was intrigued by the parralells in our lives... and she was in my mind as i worte the words... people find that funny becuz that was about 2 years before we started dating... sometimes you can't under estimate fate i guess...

steven : we should wrap this up, anything else you want to add?

obs : hey you know i should take a minute to plug and buff the ego's of 3 of the greatest guys in rock n roll beside myself...
considering... all that has taken place... these shows will be our first with our new lineup... and dezyr and maelstrom have been working hard to get things up to speed with the new addition drone... and i'd hate to not mention them..since they have no clue this interview has taken place... but... i have a lot of respect for those guys... it's not easy working in a band... i know it's not easy working in this band... and they give 100% every nite whether its a show or rehearsal... dez, mael, and myself are looking at playing our first show with out void... who was with us for almost 4 years... it's going to be wierd... to say the least... but drone is more then capable... and we will be ready to turn the savage garden on it's ear... im bringing a whole box of latex gloves... so we will see what happens... :)

steven : thanks for talking with me, looking forward to seeing you at NS on march 6th

obs : thanx... i'd really jazzed about the show.. its cool to be workign with toronto goth on this project... :)


http://www.virtualdivinity.net/

Sound provided by Set to Stun Music
Prizes for the night are provided by:
Yonge St. Tattoos and Nocturnalia House of Dreams
presented by toronto-goth.com