This past spring, Throw the Goat toured the United States and even made it overseas to play in the United Kingdom. The Idyllwild punk outfit seems to have a promising future; catch the band at the Red Barn on Saturday, Sept. 30. For more information, visit www.throwthegoat.net. Recently, guitarist Brian “Puke” Parnell answered the Lucky 13; here are his answers.
What was the first concert you attended?
My dad is a bassist, so my first shows as a kid were usually bands that he was in. But when I was in my teens, we won tickets off the radio and saw The Black Crowes at Glen Helen Amphitheater. That was huge. I think possibly my second concert was at the same place the next year for the second annual Ozzfest.
What was the first album you owned?
Because of my folks, we had pretty much all the necessary classic rock, new wave of British heavy metal and hair-metal albums covered in the household record collection. I started to get into hip hop and new jack swing in the early ’90s at the same time I was getting into grunge. The first time I spent money at a record store, I came home with Kris Kross’ Totally Krossed Out on cassette, plus Pearl Jam’s Ten and Boyz II Men’s Cooleyhighharmony on CD.
What bands are you listening to right now?
I’m loving the new Dead Cross album. I’m a big Mike Patton fan, and everything he does with Dave Lombardo is awesome. The new Bloodclot is really cool. Same with Mutoid Man. And the new Prong. I just heard the new Dale Crover album and loved it. And I’m really looking forward to the next record from The Bronx.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
I have no idea what the fuck happened to alternative music. What is this supposed to be an “alternative” to, other than “good”? Same thing happened to hip hop. I can’t stand that robot voice on everything.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
I’m a hardcore Nine Inch Nails fan. Like, forever. Haven’t seen them live in seven years, and the last one was at a festival. I’d like to see them indoors, maybe a theater show. Other than that, I’m always waiting for the next Snot reunion.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I’m a sucker for The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths and all my old school goth-boy jams. Tori Amos is my homegirl. None of it makes me feel guilty—only when I listen to whiny emo albums from the 2000s, but that’s rare.
What’s your favorite music venue?
This is a seriously difficult question. After so many tours, you end up with favorites all over the place. I’m gonna keep it California and say the Troubadour in West Hollywood. I’ve had so many great times there, and the sound is always perfect. TTG has yet to play there, actually. That would be incredible!
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
Not to plug the band or anything, but the lyric that plays in my head most is usually the chorus to our song “Bullshit.” It really resonates when you’re surrounded by people who seem to gain pleasure from making your life difficult. The line is simply: “I love it, give me more of your bullshit.” Sarcasm is my go-to coping mechanism.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
My music tastes got progressively heavier when I was in middle school. I was listening to a lot of stuff that was supposedly really scary and brutal. I ended up renting The Downward Spiral from the Ontario City Library, already being a fan of the earlier Nine Inch Nails stuff, and it blew my mind. It creeped me out like nothing else had at the time. And it was heavier and grittier than anything I’d ever heard. It was so diverse and musical. I became a mega-fan. From there, I discovered the world of industrial music and IDM (intelligent dance music) by researching bands that influenced NIN, and also bands on his label. It changed everything.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I think I’d ask Dave Grohl to do our next record for us! That would be the raddest thing ever!
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Not sure yet what I want done with my remains. If there’s a casket, I’d want them to play Pantera’s version of “Planet Caravan” by Black Sabbath as it’s being lowered.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
If there was a gun to my head, I wouldn’t have had nearly the same amount of time to come to a conclusion. I’d probably just blurt out something stupid. But after much non-gunpoint consideration, I’ve decided it’s a tie between Nine Inch Nails’ The Fragile and Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs for the Deaf. A close (third) would either be Rage Against The Machine’s Evil Empire or Depeche Mode’s Songs of Faith and Devotion.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
“Halo of Flies” is Track 1 on Sieg Howdy! an album by Jello Biafra with The Melvins. It’s a cover of an Alice Cooper song. I’ve heard a lot of people cover Cooper before. That’s hallowed ground as far as I’m concerned, so I wouldn’t suggest it unless it was really good. Check it out.