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Klaus Eichstadt Interview
(Ugly Kid Joe)

Their name is a take-off on the hard rock glem group — Pretty Boy Floyd. Their CD "As Ugly As They Wanna Be," mocks 2 Live Crews re­cent release "As Nasty As They Wanna Be."

So what’s the deal with Ugly Kid Joe you ask? They're getting rave reviews. They're being called "one of the hottest new bands in '92."

Recording for Stardog/Mercury Records, guitarist Klaus Eichstadt does the talking.

Q. Your record company has put out the press release, "Remember when rock'n'roll was fun? Ugly Kid Joe does." Klaus, what's happened to rock'n'roll? Where has all the fun gone?
A. I still find it a lot of fun. I think what was implied was, we're a band that just came out, and we've got probably more of a sense of humor than most bands, in terms of our music. We're pretty much being our­selves. We all like good heavy music, and we all like to laugh.

Q. This band formed in 1989. Now how long did it take you to get a re­cord deal?
A. About maybe nine months. It was pretty fast.

Q. You, (Ugly Kid Joe), have been called "The next big thing." Does that help or hurt the band?
A. Well, it depends if someone thinks that. It doesn't bother me at all. They probably think pretty highly of us to say something like that. I think it's great. If they think we're gonna be the next big thing, that's fine with me.

Q. Klaus, the name of your group is a take-off on another group. Your album is a take-off on another group. Gene Simmons of Kiss once said, "When you start making fun of your­self, when you do sarcastic kind of stuff, you wind up cutting your own throat." Isn't Gene describing what Ugly Kid Joe is doing?
A. We're having fun with it. We're not doing it because we think we're like a big gimmick. We write good songs, and we like making good music, that’s always been our main concern. In terms of attitude and lyr­ical content, I think we're a little bit different, 'cause we do stuff like that. We are sarcastic. We take ourselves very seriously as a band, and as far as the music goes.

Q. You've got Carol Burnet’s daughter, Carrie Hamilton playing piano on your CD. How’d you get her to come aboard?
A. It was actually real simple. Our A and R Rep. Bobby Carlton who works for Mercury, is her boyfriend.

Q. The band's favorite pastime is "partying." What exactly do you mean by that?
A. Basically, we're not a sober band. Let's put it that way. But, I'm not like condoning it. We just like to do what most people like to do. We like to go out and have a good time every now and then. You gotta be careful in this business, 'cause it can really bring you down, especially on the road. Sometimes sitting in a chair on a bus, gets a little boring. I'm sure that's why a lot of people get hooked on drugs. We're pretty wary about the whole 'groupie' trip because we've heard some stories, and especially in this day and age, you can't be stupid about that kind of thing. It's a little scary. With the drugs, we keep away from them. We're starting to learn, you can't be doing this every single night be­cause you're gonna burn out faster than you know it. A lot of our heroes have either died or ended up in re­hab because of it. We're pretty much planning on not doing the same thing. I have the best time when I'm sober anyway.

Official Website: www.uglykidjoe.net