H13: Ray Davies – Black Tamanous
Written by Gaz E
Friday, 26 October 2012 03:33
South Wales bruisers Black Tamanous play the Uber Rock/Zombie Crew Halloween Hellraiser tomorrow so what better time to catch up with the serial killer-obsessed band’s guitarist, the kinky Ray Davies, to quiz him on all things horrific? Day 8 of Uber Rock’s 13 Days Of Halloween is as horrible as every other…if not more so. Here are the monster’s little toys. Once they were little girls and boys……
1.) What are your most vivid childhood memories of Halloween?
When I was about 2 or 3 years old they were showing the first Alien movie on TV. My dad was looking after me so I crept down to watch it while he was making tea or having a bath or something. I walked in just as the alien popped out of John Hurt’s chest. I fucking shit it and ran and hid in one of my kitchen cupboards.
2.) Why do you think that the worlds of horror and metal/punk have always been so closely linked?
I guess people who don’t like metal have always said it’s “the devil’s music” and that it’s evil and shit. I can sort of understand to some extent as the first Black Sabbath album was pretty fucking dark and it was probably a new and evil sound. Nowadays most people who are into metal love horror too as both medias represent the darker side of us. It’s kind of a fantasy thing; the whole gore/deathmetal scene. I’m assuming most people wouldn’t really want to “Cum Blood” or get “Fucked By A Knife” ha ha.
3.) Has there been a horror remake yet that has bettered the original movie?
Yes. I’d say John Carpenter’s The Thing (with Kurt Russell) is far better than the original Thing From Outer Space. I’d also say that I preferred Rob Zombie’s Halloween over the original because it showed Michael Myers growing up and due to his size and brutality, he actually seemed like a guy you really wouldn’t want to fuck about with.
4.) What’s the greatest ever horror movie kill?
Possibly the last kill in Hellraiser, when the guy has a load of hooks gouged into him and then gets pulled apart. Either that or the Omen decapitation scene with the big sheet of glass.
5.) Who is the baddest ever horror movie villain…and why?
Personally I have to say Mick Taylor from Wolf Creek. He’s a sadistic badass but he’s funny as fuck too. Plus because it’s set in Australia it’s like watching Alf Stewart going postal. Out of the classic slashers though I have to say Michael Myers from the newer Halloween movies. I mean, come on, in the second one he saws a guy’s head off with a piece of broken glass. Awesome.
6.) Who is the greatest ever Scream Queen?
It has to be Heather Langenkamp from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, her acting is fucking abysmal which kinda makes the movies even better and trashier.
7.) Name your Top 5 favourite horror movies of all time…and tell us why!!
The Shining; primarily because it’s Jack Nicholson going nuts with an axe. He’s another guy who can be scary and funny as fuck at the same time. It scared the shit out of me when I was a kid, especially some of the cut scenes showing the girls chopped up in the corridor and the old woman in the bathroom.
John Carpenter’s The Thing: I love the old school animatronic special effects when the alien changes shape, especially when its chest opens and bites Copper’s arms off. I always found it had a certain desolate and isolated feel because it was set in Antarctica and the ending is really ambiguous. The recent remake/prequel on the other hand was bollocks.
Hellraiser: Let’s face it the plot is fucking shit, but again I love the ’80s feel – it’s got with the whole animatronic special effects. It’s also got one of the coolest villains, Pinhead.
Manhunter: Again I fucking love the feel of ’80s horrors, especially the over-synthesized soundtracks. Controversially, I’m going to have to say that I preferred Brian Cox’s Hannibal Lector over Anthony Hopkins, plus the Toothfairy was a much better serial killer than Buffalo Bill.
The Omen: I remember watching this film when I was about 10 and everything about it made me shit my pants. The fucking big dogs, the spooky choir soundtrack, the evil little bastard; Damien and the whole Biblical thing. It’s got some scary locations like the abandoned cemetery and some amazing kills, including a priest being stapled to the ground with an 8 foot lightning rod.
8.) What underrated horror movie would you recommend to our readers just in case they have never seen it?
I’d have to say The Manson Family. It’s proper low budget and brutal as fuck in parts. As an added bonus most of the music was done by Phil Anselmo who also provides the voice of Satan in it.
9.) What is your guilty pleasure, the trashy horror flick that you hold dear but everyone else runs away from?
This is going to sound cheesy as fuck but I love the original Fright Night – Classic ’80s teen horror at its best.
10.) What is the greatest ever horror movie poster?
The original Evil Dead poster with the hand coming out of the ground, gripping the woman by the throat. It’s just such a badass fucking image.
11.) Have you ever had a ghostly supernatural experience?
I’m sceptical as fuck when it comes to ghosts and shit but there was one experience that I can’t explain. When I was a about 10, my brother was 8 years older than me (I know, he still is) which meant he went out most nights on the piss. In my folks’ house, my bedroom kinda faced his across the landing. One night around 2:00am I heard a noise on the landing. I got up, looked across to my brother’s room and saw him peering around his door. Assuming he was wasted I asked if he was okay. He offered no response and just glared at me. After asking him twice more, the downstairs living room door opens and out steps my brother to ask me who the fuck I was talking to. I told him I was talking to him and pointed at his door. He looked at the “figure” (shape, entity, dressing gown) peering out of his bedroom and turned white as fuck. Within seconds the “figure” retreated into my brother’s room. We both went in to check but there was nothing. We never told my folks and I assume there must be an explanation for it.
12.) What ‘star’ of the music world would you like to see slaughtered in gory horror movie style?
Lady GaGa. Graphically and painfully. Preferably turned inside out or something like that. Or maybe involving some kinda rusty, jagged machinery. Or maybe even cheese grated to death from the feet up.
13.) What are your plans for Halloween this year?
This year I will mostly be playing at The Uber Rock/Zombie Crew Halloween Hellraiser with my band Black Tamanous. It’s the place to be on Saturday October 27th. On actual proper Halloween though (31st) I haven’t got anything planned so I’ll probably just keep a nice big bucket of cold water upstairs ready for any trick or treaters that knock my door. Trick or treat…Splash!!!
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