Publishing a fanzine, running a record label, playing in a band, even being a script writer. How do you manage, what's your secret?

You can add to that: being a father to a three year old boy. I don’t know how I manage, actually. Every day is go-go-go and I rarely have time to relax. Guess I’m what you would call a workaholic. I like it that way.

Would you describe yourself as a writer, a bassist, a singer? What's the identity you are more comfortable with?

I never really thought about how to identify myself, at least in those terms. It’s been years since I played bass, so definitely not a bassist. Probably a writer, a singer and a father.

The Loons are back together. What made you play again and are there any changes in the roster and musical scope of the Loons?

We’ve never been apart actually, but things slowed down for a couple of years, mostly due to several members becoming parents. Our musical scope remains pretty much the same, very much based in the ‘60s sound of our favourites like the Pretty Things, Yardbirds, Love, etc., but we’re always searching for new ideas and inspiration, trying to make our own sound, not a ‘60s re-enactment.

What are the Loons planning? A new records perhaps?

We have a new album about three-quarters finished and it’ll be issue on Bomp Records in May of this year. On two tracks we’re joined by Glenn Campbell of the Misunderstood on steel guitar.

Can you give us the details of your musical journeys, from The Crawdaddys to The Loons?

That’s quite a journey, stretching back almost thirty years now. I came to America from England to join the Crawdaddys in 1980 when I was just a teenager. I split from them in ’83 to form the Tell-Tale Hearts and play more of the kind of music I wanted to do, including more original songs. That lasted until around 1987-88 before imploding. In 1990 I formed the Hoods and we did a bunch of records before splitting in the mid-90s. I formed the first lineup of the Loons in 1997. We went through some lineup changes but for the last 10 years it’s been basically the same five musicians: myself (vocals, harmonica), Anja Diabolik (bass, backing vocals), Marc Schroeder (guitar), Chris Marsteller (guitar), Mike Kamoo (drums).

What made you jump in a plane to join The Crawdaddys? Do you remember the details?

I heard their version of “Oh Baby Doll” on John Peel’s radio show in 1979 and it blew my mind. After buying their album and EP I wrote them a fan letter in which I happened to mention that I played bass. I was surprised when they wrote back and invited me to move to San Diego and join the band. As soon as I could save up enough money for a plane ticket I was there. It was the start of a big adventure and not always an easy one. I went hungry a lot, but I learned a lot too.

Tell us about the Tell Tale Hearts. Are you planning another get together?

I was frustrated with the lack of leadership and originality in the Crawdaddys, so I split off to form a new band with some close friends who had the same musical philosophy as me. The first couple of years of that band were really wild and fun—we were all pushing in the same direction, not thinking about the future and just living for the moment. After a couple of years though, things changed. There were personality conflicts and it all fell apart. We’ve mended our friendships since then and did a couple of short reunions, the last one being in September 2006. It was fun to revisit those songs for a while, but there are no plans to get together again.

Do you have any interesting stories from the Garage punk scene of the 80s?

There are hundreds of stories. It was a crazy time, but some of it is a bit hazy in my memory. One of my fondest memories in playing with the Chesterfield Kings back around 1986. At the end of the show all the Tell-Tale Hearts joined the Kings onstage for a wild, extended version of “I’m A Man” – that was such a blast.

Let's talk about the Hoods.

After the Tell-Tale Hearts fell apart, I’d tried to start a new band with Bill Calhoun and Eric Bacher, called the Barons, but it was something of a disaster as Bill was going through some difficult times. We struggled along for a while, but eventually had to pull the plug. I felt it was time to go back to basics, and play straightahead R&B like the early Stones, Animals and Downliners Sect. So I got together with three guys who used to be in a band called the Trebels, and we formed the Hoods, along with Ron Swart on organ. Jay Wiseman was the lead singer and we formed a good songwriting partnership, so we did plenty of original material as well as covers of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, the Coasters, Jimmy Reed and so on. It lasted for a few years (1990-95) and was a lot of fun, but we never got too popular. At the time people were more interested in grunge and heavy rock and there we were playing “Love Potion Number 9” and “Mystery Train.”

It seems that everything you do, is influenced by the mid 60s. What makes that period of time so special?

The 1960s was really the modern Renaissance: music, art, film, literature was thriving and the world was going through massive upheavals, socially and culturally. The wave of excitement and creativity was enormous and that’s why the music from that period stands up so well and continues to connect with listeners even 40 years later.

Having been an important part of the 80s Garage Revival, did you think at the time that it was something that would live, or just a passing fad?

It was never a fad for me. I always believed that the ‘60s garage sound was rock ‘n’ roll’s creative peak and that it would last forever. I always felt like a missionary trying to spread the word about this music and make new believers. However, I also felt that the bands from the ‘80s, ‘90s and today could never equal the music of the ‘60s, only transmit some of the essence of what made it so great. To make something lasting, you also have to stamp your own personality on it, and create something new of your own—I’ve always strived to do that with all the bands I’ve been in.

What did you think of the 90s Garage explosion, with the release of the Nuggets and festivals like the Cavestomp? What about the recent interest in Garage, with bands like the Strokes and the White Stripes being labeled as Garage Rock?

It seems like in the ‘90s and today a lot of bands are labeled Garage even though musically they have very little to do with the ‘real thing’ – the authentic Garage Rock of the 1960s. However, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing as in the end it increases awareness about the real stuff and more people will seek it out and become converts.

Do you still follow the scene? Are there any new bands you particularly like?

I still follow the scene, and there are a lot of bands out there that I like: the Wildebeests, the Masonics, the Thanes, the Buff Medways—many more. The Chesterfield Kings are still making some great music. I also like some new bands that are not really garage rock but make some really cool and interesting music, such as the Soundtrack of Our Lives, the Sadies, and Clinic.

Let's talk about Ugly Things. When did you first decide to publish a fanzine? Did you ever imagine how big Ugly Things would become?

It was 1982 when I decided I wanted to publish my own fanzine, but I’d been experimenting with fanzine type projects since the late ‘70s. The first Ugly Things came out in March 1983 in an edition of 200 copies. I had no idea then that it would still be going more than 25 years later, but with every issue it grew and improved, and I got so passionate about doing it that I never considered stopping. Maybe Ugly Things will outlive me.

How do you manage to track down all those bands and find all those details?

In the early days, I had to go to the public library and search public records and phone directories for different parts of the country. These days, it’s much easier to locate people using the Internet. A lot of stories just fall into my lap when a band or someone who knows a band contacts me. Most of the research is done through interviewing band members and those connected with the band, and also examining their personal archives, scrapbooks and so on. It’s an exciting process digging through all that old history to get the real story behind the music.

Of all the bands you've met an interview, which ones do you consider to be special? Do you have any interesting stories?

The Misunderstood was special as I spent so many years researching and interviewing for that story. It ended up being an epic, serialized over four issues. I ended up becoming close friends with some of those guys and they revealed a lot of information and stories nobody had heard before.

Doing the Monks story was another memorable experience. Keith Patterson and I drove out to meet Eddie Shaw at his home in Carson City, Nevada back around 1990. At this point nobody had ever interviewed the Monks before so we were going into uncharted territory. We spent an amazing day or two with Eddie, exploring the mountains and towns around Carson City and Virginia City, as well as digging through a mountain of Monks memorabilia, and staying up long into the night listening to Eddie stories about his days in Germany. Unforgettable.

How do all those people, who played in a band 45 years ago, react when you contact them for an article?

Usually they’re excited that somebody is actually interested in the music they made back in their youth. They’re often amazed that there’s still an interest in their work so many years later. It sometimes takes a while for them to open up and reveal the story in all the depth I want. Many of them haven’t even thought about that stuff in years, let alone discussed it in detail.

It's been said that the Internet is the death of music journalism and that people prefer reading short Q&A interviews in blogs and getting their news from Twitter and so. Do you agree with that?

Absolutely not. People are much smarter than that, and can’t be fully satisfied by little snacks of information all the time. If a subject interests them, they’ll want to read about it at length, and only the printed page can fill that need. Real rock’n’roll fans are obsessive about the bands they love and need to know every scrap of information they can gather.

Old Ugly Things issues are fetching big money on ebay. Do you plan any reprints?

I’m planning an anthology of all the out of print issues; it’s just a matter of finding the time to do it. I’m usually working on the next issue and that will always be my priority.

Are you planning any big stories for the next issues?

The next issue will be a Kinks special. We’ll also be continuing the story of the Masters Apprentices, and there’ll be stories on the Hysterics, the Missing Lynx (from Ohio), Illes, the Nervebreakers and probably an interview with Billy Harrison of Them.

Tell us about the Misunderstood screenplay.

Rick Brown and I started work on the Misunderstood screenplay back in 2003. It’s been through countless drafts since then. The original version was over 500 pages long and would’ve made a five-hour movie, so we’ve been experimenting with how to cut it down to a more manageable length. There are a lot of stories to tell, so it’s difficult to know where to make the cuts. One version of the screenplay ended up being published as a book, Like, Misunderstood, a sort of autobiographical novel told from Rick’s perspective.

Let's talk about the record label. Do you consider the label as a companion to the magazine, or as a different entity? Are you planning any new releases?

UT Records goes hand in hand with UT magazine. Over the years I’ve discovered that many of the bands I interview have unreleased tapes or acetates, so the label was formed in order to make these available to the public. Our latest release is Sunstroke by the Fenmen, an English ‘60s group that included Wally Waller and Jon Povey before they joined the Pretty Things. Next up will be a vinyl LP featuring the very best of the early Masters Apprentices, and there are probably some more Pretty Things-related releases in the pipeline too.

Would you like to name your current and all time Top 5 bands, records, films and books?

Like anyone probably, my favourites change from day to day, but here’s what I feel today…

Top 5 bands of all-time

Top 5 films

Top 5 books

Anything else you'd like to add?

Just thanks to everyone that had continued to support my work over the years, whether it be Ugly Things, the Loons or whatever else.