With the sorry state of affairs Rock music
has been in within the past ten years or so, it’s a welcome change to see
a band like BROKEN emerge onto the scene with the classic Rock sound that
screams “this is the real thing.” The thing that immediately strikes
you about BROKEN is the evident lack of posturing and pretentious bullshit.
That very same lack of pretense adds to the bands star quality and honest
Rock n’Roll credentials. Broken aren’t out to try to re-invent Rock,
they just want to keep it Rolling, and to have a good time doing it.
The band formed a year and a half ago after
Mick and Shelley went into Duff McKagan’s home studio and recorded some
songs the two had written together. The songwriting and recording process went so well for the duo that they immediately realized
they needed to get a Rock n’ Roll band together and play those songs live.
BROKEN went through a few rhythm sections and finally arrived at their
current line-up with the addition of Kelly Hagerman on drums, and Scott
Shriner on bass, who have been BROKEN’s rhythm section for the past year.
Mick and Shelley do all the writing in
BROKEN, with Mick coming up with most of the riffs, and Shelley with the
words. Sometimes the pair switches jobs when the other spontaneously
comes up with something the other would normally do, like a riff from Shelley
or words from Mick. The band has been playing live in and around
the Los Angeles area building a reputation for their kick-ass live show,
and gaining more and more of the loyal fans who were starved for a band
like this to come along for far too long.
BROKEN have gotten the attention of the
record companies on the strength of the bands great songwriting and powerful
live shows. The band has got some record contracts on the table but
is being careful to choose whoever best suits the band. Mick says
that being through the experience of getting signed before has made him
skeptical about those who come calling on his band, so he’s taking the
time to do it on BROKEN’s
time and not be pressured into any type of deal that has the potential
to turn bad on the band. If all works out well for the band, they
hope to have a full-length out some time next year, and to be touring in
support of the album as well since their music is driven by live shows.
I recently had a chance to ask Mick a few
questions about BROKEN to share with antiMUSIC readers. This is what
transpired on the morning of Saturday, October 28th 2000.
GOTH BROOKS: What’s the one
question you’d rather antiMUSIC not ask about BROKEN?
MICK: (Deadpan) When you get
there I’ll let you know.
GOTH BROOKS: (Laughs) Alright,
who’s who? And who plays what?
MICK: Shelly-vocals, Mick-guitar,
Scotto-bass, Kelly-drums.
GOTH BROOKS: How would you
describe BROKEN, and the band’s music to someone who’s never heard of BROKEN?
MICK: WE ARE A BIG, LOUD,
KICKASS PUNK ROCK AND ROLL BAND! With a hot chick singer who has
pipes like Bon Scott, who makes you feel like fucking, fighting, driving
fast, or getting loaded.
GOTH BROOKS: Who were the
bands major musical influences growing up?
MICK: Our influences vary
from Zep, to AC/DC, Floyd, Stones, Motorhead, Hellacopters, Zen
Guerilla.
We’re pretty eclectic, but we try to keep it simple.
GOTH BROOKS: Was traditional
hard rock the musical standard in forming your musical identities into
what they are today?
MICK: Yes.
GOTH BROOKS: Did you ever
go through abnormally weird, or really obscure musical tastes that the
fans would be surprised to hear of coming from such a kick ass Rock band
like BROKEN?
MICK: Yeah, Six Finger Satellite,
Eno, Mazzy Starr, Plexi, The Lips, Sid Barrett, The Mission, and all kinds
of shit. I played a lot of keyboards in the past. Steiners,
Parkers, and Moogs.
GOTH BROOKS: What’s ’56 all about?
MICK: Listen to the PLEXI
record (One of Mick’s former bands). I sing a song called ’56 on
there that sums it up.
GOTH BROOKS: Mick, I respect
that you want BROKEN to stand on it’s own as a band, but I also know you’ve
collaborated with some of the best
in the business. Without dropping names, can you share with us any
piece of advice you’ve gotten from any well-known music figures that you
took to heart and has stayed with you to this day?
MICK: Yeah, play from the
heart, it doesn’t matter how technical it is, it matters how much of your
own fucked up feelings or experiences you can get to come across with your
instrument.
GOTH BROOKS: What do you think
about the comparisons people are already making between Shelley and Mick,
and some of the great singer/guitarist songwriting teams like Jagger/Richards,
Page/Plant, and Tyler/Perry? The kind that only comes around every
decade or so to remind us what real Rock n’Roll is? The question
was, “What do you think of the comparisons?”
MICK: Me and Shelley are totally
flattered! We don’t think we’re all that, but it makes us feel good.
Maybe one day we’ll earn the right to carry that torch. We certainly
are gonna work at it. We’re an inseparable team who are doing the
majority of the songwriting in the band, and working on the band development
within BROKEN.
GOTH BROOKS: What can we expect
to hear and see from BROKEN in the near future, or in the next year as
far as on record, live shows, and so on?
MICK: We hope to have a record
out by the middle of next year and to be touring constantly across the
U.S. and beyond. We want to deliver the kick ass Rock n’Roll record
this country has been missing for a while.
GOTH BROOKS: This has been
a lot of fun for me man; I’ve totally dug doing this. Is there any
funny story related to BROKEN you could leave us with?
MICK: Yeah, a funny story
is the first BROKEN demo was done at Duff’s house. He had a kick
ass ’69 Chevelle with a 396 in it. Opening track on the demo we recorded
the motor revving, and then the song comes on the car stereo, somewhere
around the first chorus the car takes off, and then the song really starts.
Kind of like “Detroit Rock City.” I knew then we had the makings
of a great band. I was trying to get BROKEN on a Toilet Boys show
at the Roxy, so
I called the promoter and he hadn’t heard a thing about my new band.
He said, “bring me a tape,” so I jumped in Duff’s Chevelle which had a
kick ass stereo, and drove to the Roxy. When I got there he was standing
outside smoking. I said, “Get in” and popped in the CD. It
was cranked, the car starts revving, the song comes on the radio, the car
splits, the song starts, I’m kind of embarrassed at this point cause people
are walking by the car looking in cause it’s so loud. The promoter
turns to me and shouts over the stereo “you got the gig, this is exactly
what this town needs!” First show, opening for the Toilet Boys.
I knew this time I was gonna have fun!
Who
is Broken?
Shelley – Vocals
Mick Barragan – Guitars
Kelly Hagerman – Drums
Scott Shriner – Bass
Listen
to Broken in Real Audio!
Action
Blue
Goin' Down
Purchase
the Broken 4 song demo
Send check or money order in the amount
of $10 dollars($7 CD + $3 shipping)to:
SMACKWORKS
1950 S. Santa Fe #108
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Make payable to SMACKWORKS, and don't forget
to include a return address.
Photo and artwork courtesy
Broken, Live Photos by Francis E Howard - Point
of View Pictures All Rights reserved.
Fan
Speak!
Fan
Speak:
GREG R
GOTH WERE THE F ARE YOU AND WHAT THE F HAVE YOOU BEEN DOING AND WHAT ABOUT WHAT
queen v
i hope she never sings with lanegan again. ruined 6 out of 9 shows i saw her at.
Shane
I saw shelly in ireland on other voices with mark lanagen is she not the most beautiful woman you have ever seen
liv punched sabra
linked from Mark Lanegan 00000000000-my cat likes you he just wrote the 0's the streaming audio sucks can't hear the power in the bass and drums.. you guys are proably awesome live all the best
thin acid angel
hell yeah .........
Bunnyshines
They sounded great...looked cool...and impressed me with their sobriety.
J.Trippy
I'm w/ Brian, this guy looks familiar but "Mick"??? Brian you still in Texas?
x711x
shriner kicks ass...no matter who he plays for
Freakoid
Your ass is ours Shriner!!!! MWA HA HA HA HA =w=
IusedToMourn.....
Hey....Barragoan.... You still owe me 50 bucks! LOL....just kiddin..... good luck
a weezer fan
SCOTT SHRINER NOW BELONGS TO THE WEEZER FANS! HE IS OUR BADASS HARDCORE BASS GOD
jonas
. . .scott shriner is the best
Rivers
=w= SCOTT IS OURS HAHAHAH!!!
ayearlater
First I would like to express what I like about broken. Shelly is a great singer. It is a sad testament that there is not room for her or any of the other good women singers, in the music industry. I like their songs. Homocide Joyride and Get it on are great. Rock and roll should be simple. If I want to analyze chord structure I will go to mozart. Scott is foxy. What I don't like are the confederate flag tattoos. If I had any nerve I would have told her the night she showed them to Karen in front of me. But I don't and under the advice of a friend I didn't say anything to her. The confederate flag stands for the south's pre-civil war glory. The only difference before the civil war was slavery. That is what the flag stands for, it is not rock and roll rebellion it is ignorance and intimidating. The black community generally sees it as a reminder of 400 years of oppression under slavery. Rock music is a hybrid of blues, which is a black form of music. Maybe the old Skynrd band didn't think of that but it is incredibly insulting, and insulting your audience is, well you figure it out. It would be better if the guitar player's middle name was Horatio. Anyway I like the music. ciao
Jackie
OH my God!! Scott Shriner is awesome but he should be in WEEZER!
nnn
this band sucks ass
Garth Brooks
scott is going on tour with weezer this month because their bassist went nutzoid
GOTH BROOKS
Mike didn't sound rock n'roll enough, so I christened him Mick dumbass. And how many rock stars aren't pompous or egotistical anyways dipstick?
red
Broken is compiled of 2 egotistical f*cks...Shelley & Mike (not Mick) dumbass. If there is Karma they will go nowhere. I know 'cause I know the 2 jerk-offs.
Trixxxie
Coitus is a musical instrument!!!
hymie dirty
broken is fun, like a enchilada on christmas, you know?
that kinda fun
hymie dirty
broken is fun, like a enchilada on christmas, you know?
that kinda fun
ClicheHater
Broken is dumb. Mere queens of a clique. And oh yeah they wouldn't know punk if it bit their ass.
The Space Lord
Broken pisses on Slipknot, Mudvayne, Papa Roach and all of those other overhyped tracksuit pop bands. And Amanda is nice on the eyes, too. Do some Canadian gigs, please!
King Buzzo
Generic is what all the truckers blowing thru your little town call your momma!
ShroomDevil
Sounds pretty generic to me. Where all these exclamation marks coming from.
Ross
Thanks Goth! They need to come play in New England so I can see them!
Dan DeVille
Broken rocks and that's that! I saw them a couple times with Motorsoule. Definately one to see live.
GOTH BROOKS
www.antimusic.net/broken
GOTH BROOKS
Hi Ross, Thanks for your interest in BROKEN. At this time there is an unofficial BROKEN fan site that is under construction, but up and running nonetheless. The address is, www.antimusic.net/broken At the moment there are photos, show dates, links and buying info posted, with more to come as the new stuff comes in.
Ross
Dude where is their website?
playa 24-7 da pimp
f.t.w.
brian
really nice michael, really nice. cant wait to see this stuff live.
but, who the hell is "mick"?
GOTH BROOKS
Jesse if you're in the L.A. area you should go to the Pretty Ugly Club at the Dragonfly on December 5th to check this band out. These realaudio samples don't do the band justice when compared to their live show. You'd change your tune after seeing BROKEN live, guaranteed.
Jesse
They don't sound too special to me. I don't know where all this hype is coming from this is your typical bar band.
Joe
For what it's worth, they're better than Berdoo.
Greg Remsen
I havent heard much about this band and will try and be at there show in december with motorsoul thanks goth for the imput
GEORGE B.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST NEW BANDS I'VE HEARD IN A LONG, LONG TIME! GLAMOURCAMP MAGAZINE! GLAMOURCAMP.COM
mitch
this band sounds very cool and wouldn't be ironic is broken was what fixed whats wrong with rock
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