Gene The Werewolf Is Transforming Rock and Roll

I recently spent some time speaking with Gene of Pittsburgh’s up and coming band Gene The Werewolf.  This band is making a large groundswell in their hometown, so if you’re in the Pittsburgh area on October 24th, be sure to check out their CD release show at Diesel Club Lounge, presented by 105.9 The “X” and Joker Productions.

Type 3 Media: I’ve listened to the Light Me Up EP a couple times and I like what I hear.

Gene: I’m glad it made it through the first rotation.

T3M: Describe to me what Gene The Werewolf is doing musically.

Gene: We’ve all previously been in bands before. When your younger you tend to do what’s cool, or try to conform to one particular style. With this band we can honestly say that we fall back onto our roots a little bit. Rock shows aren’t always supposed to be about going out onstage and talking about how your girlfriend broke up with you, or how sad your relationship is. I miss the days of Def Leppard, Motley Crue, or KISS, when you went to a rock show and went ‘hell yeah, this is amazing.’ We’re all about bringing the party back to rock and roll; having a good time, and when people are watching, making sure that they have a smile on their face. They leave wanting to come back again because they had such a good time. In our live show, we decided to do what comes naturally and put those old rock roots to use.

T3M: How is playing with Gene The Werewolf different than what you’ve done before?

Gene: In the past the bands I played with really didn’t have that much of a stage show. We’d get up there, play our music, and hope people buy a CD. I think we’ve really gone out on a limb here. I have this ‘Gene’ persona on stage, and dress up in a white suit for God’s sake. I get up there and people wonder if they should take us seriously or not. Yes, you absolutely should because I’m telling you you should. We’re a little more direct with the crowd. There’s actually been a few time when we’d actually yell at the crowd, but they like it because they know it’s coming from Gene. The band is really getting the recognition in this area. People say ‘when I look at you guys, you look comedic, but when I listen to your songs, they’re really good.’ That’s a first for us, that people are complimenting us on our live stage show as well as on the music.

T3M: You wear the white suit on stage?

Gene: It’s definitely one of the looks for Gene. Whether it’s ninety degree weather or thirty degree weather, that thing never comes off.

T3M: How do you keep it clean?

Gene: It gets really dirty. After about three or four shows it’s ready for a wash. I take it and get it dry cleaned. I’m afraid to put water on it because I don’t want it to shrink. It’s not everyday you can go out to a store and buy a white suit.

T3M: In your bio you describe the band as part KISS, part The Darkness, and part Foo Fighters.

Gene: Those three bands are very big influences on us. You go see those bands play and it’s like ‘look, we’re here to party, and afterward, we’re here to party with you, but while we’re here let’s just have a good time.’

T3M: What was it like playing in front of twelve-thousand people at the Hoo Ha festival in Pittsburgh last year?

Gene: It was overwhelming. It’s more comfortable for me paying in front of more people as opposed to playing in front of less people. When there’s less people at a show, it’s more intimate and you’re almost aiming to please. You can see everyone’s facial expressions in the crowd. When there’s a hundred people you can almost see if they like it or if they hate it. When you’re playing in front of twelve-thousand people you can ‘t look just one person directly in the eye. You know that everyone is there to have a really good time. It’s actually very comfortable. You don’t even think about all the people watching with their eyes on you. You think ‘hey, I can get away with doing anything now because all these people are here to watch it.’ I can get away with making a mistake, or being a jerk onstage. Now, if the whole crowd hates us, that’s a different story.

T3M: Has anyone ever told you that you took the persona too far?

Gene: My number one critics are my parents. They are huge fans of the band, and come to see us play all the time. I’ve never had anyone besides them say anything like that. When Gene is onstage, the character of Gene gets a little bit daring. That’s part of the image of Gene… to do or say something that not everyone else does. I interact a lot with the crowd in between songs, and someone may yell out something like ‘Gene we love you,’ and I’ll immediately look at them and tell them to shut up. One time my father said ‘I don’t know if you want to be saying that to people in the crowd.’ We do try to do something more daring so people talk about it. Like Howard Stern. He says things that are very controversial, but in the end he has a huge fan base because of it. That’s how Gene is. We never want to go too far and say anything that’s going to offend somebody, but we do want to say something daring so people talk about it.

T3M: Your new EP, Light Me Up was released on October 20th; where can people pick up a copy?

Gene: It’s available on iTunes. You can come to our show on the 24th and pick up a copy. It’s also going to be in the Pittsburgh area Hot Topic stores, or you can get it at Smartpunk.com.

T3M: Where is the show on October 24th?

Gene: We’re playing a show on October 24th at club Diesel, and for the price of admission to the show, everyone gets a free CD. We will also be debuting the video for “SuperHero,” the first single off the EP.

T3M: Any closing thoughts?

Gene: Check us out on MySpace.