Kennerty and Newski live
Mike Kennerty (All American Rejects) and Brett Newski discuss their employment in fast food, fear culture, the decline of machoism, worst tour injuries, and old Nintendo games.
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EXCERPT:
Mike: One time, we were on tour with this band Avail, who I loved and looked up to. And it’s early on in the tour, and we felt maybe we were “lame” in their eyes. So we’re playing in Dallas in this club that had their PA speakers hanging over the front of the stage. And for whatever reason, I felt like jumping during a song, and I banged my head right into the bottom of the PA speakers. Just this metal shelf.
I fell down between the monitors and the stage, all the way to the ground.
Brett: Oh my!
Mike: I got up, finished the song, and I didn’t know it at the time, but I guess I was just gushing blood. I went backstage, and I had blood running down my face. And Avail was just like, “What the fuck!?”
I just said, “Eh, I’m okay, I’ll just go and get some stitches.” And the fact that I finished the show and didn’t complain and just went and got stitches, I think they were like, “We know you’re good guys” after that. *laughs*
Brett: Did you leave the blood on the guitar?
Mike: I’m sure I eventually cleaned it off. But it was intense. I had to get staples in my head. It was the week before we were going to shoot the video for “Swing, Swing” and the doctors said that I either had to shave my head and do stitches, or just get staples. And I said, “Let’s do staples.” And for the video we just used a sharpie to color them in.
Brett: I haven’t seen you live, but are you kind of the buck wild, going mental on stage member of the band?
Mike: Yeah, kind of. I’m the big dumb...thing jumping around.
Brett: What does that feel like? I know that Flea from Chili Peppers talks about when he’s playing bass it’s almost like he’s possessed. Does it feel like that for you?
Mike: Pretty much! I just get into it and start moving. It definitely is not manufactured, I just get up there full of energy and have fun.
Brett: What a rush, man. What a great therapy! I wish I could do that. I feel like I’m the guy who’s always analyzing everything in the room, thinking, oh does this lady hate me, what does that guy think, is he gonna leave, this song isn’t going to work next, or whatever. I want to be you is what I’m trying to say.
Mike: *laughs* It is a good way to distract yourself from those things.
