Hello Rockstars!
Today’s Artist of the Week is Las Vegas Legends, Heavy Thrash Band PAPSMEAR!
I’m so honored I got to talk to them about how the Vegas Scene used to be, and What the future holds for them. Enjoy!**
**All the questions were answered by Tony Trent (Bass) and Paul French (Vocals).
VMS:
“When did you start writing and performing your music.
What’s your backstory and current lineup.”
PAPSMEAR:
Paul: “The band was originally formed in 1985 with current and founding members Eric Thompson (guitar) and Ed Morgan (drums). I took over (Paul French-vocals) as the frontman in 1989. My first show with them was Halloween 1989. Tony Trent (bass) joined in 1990 and Quinton Stephenson (guitar) was recruited shortly afterwards. This has been the lineup since 1990 and still today.”
VMS:
“What artist or bands inspire you and your sound.”
PAPSMEAR:
Paul: “We all come from different backgrounds of influences ranging from early metal and punk rock/hard core bands. Bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Black Flag, Slayer, Misfits, all have qualities we embrace with what we do. Myself as a vocalist, my influences came from guys like Henry Rollins, Roger Merit from Agnostic Front, Blaine Cook from The Accused, and even Phil Anselmo. After seeing his live performance back in 1991 when we opened for Pantera, he was totally intense and all over the place. It made me up my game for sure when it comes to performing live.”
VMS:
“Tell me about your Album: “Music to Kill By“. I know it’s a hybrid of your first two demos (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Lunch with the PMRC) What was the inspiration and process of writing it those demos, And Also, Do you have any other songs or any other material from back in the day that you are going to re-release. Or obviously, any new music as well.”
PAPSMEAR:
Paul: “”Music to Kill By” was put together by our friend Marco who started his own label and was a huge fan of the original Papsmear lineup had always wanted to release the early material and did just that. I was and still am a fan of the original lineup and love all them songs. The new lineup has written new material since then. We still perform some material from them days but mostly focus on the stuff we have written with the current lineup. We are currently in the process of making a EP that we hope to have finished by the end of the year. We will be putting out a single in March that will have a video to join it that is going to be sick!”
Listen to PAPSMEAR on Bandcamp!
VMS:
“Which local artist would you like to work with and why.”
PAPSMEAR:
Paul: “Cody Leavitt from Asteroid M Records has been supporting the Vegas scene for a while now. Would really like to work with him more and the things he is involved in. Skeleton Crew are OG brothers from back in the day and we like playing with them. Other local bands off the top of my head we want to do shows with are Life’s Torment, The Brown Sound, Terror Attack, Suburban Resistance, The GOB Patrol, Iron Vermin….”
Tony: “Life’s Torment or anything Larry Brough is associated with. He has kept the underground music scene alive through the years single handedly. I haven’t kept up with the local scene as well as I should but I seen Terror Attack on Instagram and they sound aggressive. Bass player is sick as fuck! They would be a band I would like to work with.”
VMS:
“What’s your overall theme or message of your music.”
PAPSMEAR:
Tony: “Pointing out the obvious. Human nature is a mother fucker.”
VMS:
“Do you have a favorite song that you like to perform.”
PAPSMEAR:
Tony: “Schizophrenia is my favorite to play but Poison the Well is a close 2nd. Any song that will get a pit started will be my new favorite.”
Paul: “I love all the songs we do. It is hard to make the set list when we do a short set because I hate to leave songs out.”
VMS:
“Do you have any crazy or interesting stories from working in the music scene.”
PAPSMEAR:
Tony: “GBH played here back in the early 80’s at playland skate ring on Rancho and they sent a list of demands to Guy Smiley which was interesting. A specific ammount of freshly squeezed orange juice…was fucking hilarious!”
VMS:
“You guys are absolute legends in the Vegas Music Scene and have definitely seen the ebbs and flows of Vegas. What are the biggest differences you see now versus back in the day, good or bad.”
PAPSMEAR:
Paul: “Back in the day there was nowhere to play. We hooked up to a generator and played out in the desert. We rented every hall and lodge around. When there was a show EVERYONE showed up because you had no idea when the next one would be. These days there are WAY TO MANY places having shows. And because of that it is harder to bring in a big draw of people. When you are up against 5 or more other shows happening at the same time people are going to go to the one that fits their budget or is closests to them or the one that their friends band is playing, where the most girls are, best drink specials, etc… that makes the shows not as special as they used to be. Shows used to be hard to come by but these days there are too many going on and it is kind of overwhelming.”
VMS:
“What have been your personal pros and cons of being a band here in Las Vegas. What do you think the scene could improve on and what are your hopes for the future of the Vegas Music Scene.”
PAPSMEAR:
Paul: “There are so many local bands compared to back when we started and there was only a handful. These days it is all about who you know if you want to get put on a bill with a national act. We won’t pay to play. Never have and never will. I see that starting to be a thing with the venues. I understand the reason but it ain’t the local bands fault that these venues have to compete with so many others in order to stay open. If there was just 1 or 2 places that booked heavy music they would pack every show. But being 10-15 places especially when it comes to all local shows… it is what it is. Vegas needs a good all ages venue that can serve alcohol. I see them in California and they are awesome. Not sure why we can’t pull it off in Vegas. Whoever makes that happen is gonna make some money. Way too many touring acts that have to play for 21 and over audiences here that the kids don’t get to experience and that sucks.”
VMS:
“What do you want your audience to feel and experience at one of your live shows.”
PAPSMEAR:
Paul: “We love playing live for anybody. I would hope the audience enjoys what they are hearing and seeing. As long as everybody has fun and they go home saying “that band was fucking bad ass” then we are good.”
VMS:
“What does the future hold for PAPSMEAR.”
PAPSMEAR:
Paul: “Shows, new music, you never know what the future has in store but I’m hoping good things. We are going out to Phoenix on April 5th for an all ages show and another all ages show in Anaheim on June 7th. We are playing at the Triple B on July 11th hopefully with the ACCUSED A.D. as the headliner.”
Tony: “A new LP with all new songs is my hope for the future. I’m gonna try to write a new song which will be only the second one I’ve written for this band.”
VMS Thoughts:
Since 1985, PAPSMEAR has been doing balls to the walls amazing metal music that makes you feel all the emotions, makes you question authority and keeps you coming back for more. Heavy Metal / Thrash Music has always been the core of who we are as a society, or how we should be at least, and I feel we desperately need PAPSMEAR (especially in this political climate) now more than ever. With songs like “Reign of Terror“, “Vivisection“, and “Incorrigibly Wicked” their gritty, raw, real, intense sound is truly an amazing experience, taking me on an absolutely intense musical ride, you can hear them really shine and put everything they do into their music, Their passion and skills as musicians is unmatched.
I strongly encourage you go see these amazing musicians live and in person to get the full experience, they put on one hell of a show, and if you really love punk / metal / rock music and you love this scene, they are about as authentic as they come. I respect that no matter what, they have stayed true to who they are, their perspective on life and are still pushing boundaries musically and always putting on one of the best shows in Vegas. I am happy to say metal / thrash music is definitely alive and well in this city, and it’s awesome that PAPSMEAR was one of the originals of that scene, and has continued to lead the way all this time. I’m so excited to see what the future has for this band, I know they have a lot of new music and things coming up incredibly soon, so I encourage you guys to stay tuned for the next chapter of these Las Vegas Titans.
For more information about PAPSMEAR please visit their Instagram and check out their Album on Bandcamp!
Also, check out our AOTW Article we did on Paul French’s other awesome OG Las Vegas band Substance-D!
—–VMS xoxoxox