Interview : Black Diamond Heavies (Van Campbell)

As an introduction you could read my article "Satanica Pandemonium était un homme : Les Black Diamond Heavies à la Boule Noire" (in french). Van Campbell is the BDH's drummer. He answered our questions.

1. Your first musical memories?
My first musical memories were the records coming out of my older Brother's bedroom, and all of the LP covers an posters he used to decorate his walls. I was terrified by the imagery and the loudness of the music! Just the color scheme of "Never Mind The Bollocks" was really scary to me. My mom had a folk band and they started to practice at our house. Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary, CSNY, Kingston Trio, stuff like that. So through that I really saw how people could have a good time and play music together for fun.

2. The best record you received as a present? / The worse one?
Best record I got as a present was pretty recent. My brother gave it to me. "Hard Rain" by Bob Dylan. Just stuff from the Rolling Thunder Revue days and Mick Ronson plays guitar on a couple tracks. I'm not the biggest Dylan fan but it just showed how raw and angry he could be with a less seasoned but more "rock n roll" kind of band. I remember when my mom brought home the LP for Sting's "Dream of the blue turtles" in 1985 and we listened to it as a family. I think that probably had a negative impact on my life.....

3. The first record you lost?
The first record I lost was probably Michael Jackson's Thriller. I have bought that on tape and LP several times! Never gets old.

4. The name of your imaginary band?
Bushmeat.

5. In which environment do you like to record music?
The best environment is when you can be totally comfortable and surrounded by friends and happiness and not be rushed at all. Kind of like birthing a baby. Unfortunately that never happens. I find recording very stressful. Sometimes you can harness that nervous energy and it'll pour back out of you in the form of total rock n roll.

6. What will music sound like in 50 years / 5000 years?
in 50 years I think music will sound like it did 30 years from now. Everything seems to happen in cycles. 5000 years from now? UNDERWATER MUSIC!

7. Which underrated album will start a new musical genre?
I dunno.

8. Which album should never have been made?
Nirvana Nevermind because I hated to see what it did to Axl Rose.

9. Your favourite album to have a drink?
A quiet drink: Bill Evans "Half Moon Bay". A not-quiet drink? Frank Black "Teenager of the Year".

10. Your dream collaboration?
I'd like to go to the zoo, unlock all the cages, and go from there.......

11. The record that freaks you out?
Ray Lynch "Deep Breakfast" especially while driving through the desert on the middle of the night on amphetamines.

12. The record you would like to listen to right now?
Funkadelic "Maggot Brain"

13. The film that tickles your creativity?
"In the Mouth of Madness" makes me feel pretty crazy

14. The little-known track that everyone should have heard of?
"B.o.b." by Outkast

15. An album or an artist you wouldn’t want to be?
I dunno. Maybe Billy Corgan. I would never want to be that guy.

16. The cover version you would love to do?
John and I have been talking about doing "Highway Star" by Deep Purple for years now. I don't think it'll ever happen but man that'd be fuckin awesome.

17. The mashup you would love to do?
Maybe Ted Nugent's "stranglehold" and Funkadelic's "you and your folks me and my folks"

18. The text you would like to produce a soundtrack for?
Maybe "Rocky". I'd like to re-score some of those gritty 70's movies with some of the really sensitive jams that were going on during that time. Like maybe rocky with an all-Bread soundtrack.

19. Have you ever had auditory hallucinations?
Hell no, thanks.

20. How would you like to die?
I don't like surprises, so I would prefer a slow death...



Go to the Black Diamond Heavies website, hear them on spotify and myspace.