Do you feel the change has embraced you as well? ZR: And you guys have embraced that change. So, parts of the game are the same, but parts of the game have changed. We're using today's tools and the apparatus' that are in place to be known, and we're playing as much as possible and working on new material. It's all about marketing, getting out there, and having people like yourself get us interviewed and noticed. That kind of stuff just doesn't happen anymore as far as guys like us. Nobody has any stars in their eyes about getting a big deal from a major label. Wood:Well, it's definitely a different game. ZR: How do you guys feel about the music industry and such today as opposed to 10, 15, 20 years ago? We have new material that takes that vibe and brings it to the forefront both with today's sound and the band and my playing has evolved over the past few decades, but it's basically the same thing that I have been doing all along. So, when you listen to the old recordings, you hear the sound that you want to hear when you come and see us live. We're putting together in a very authentic way. I think we have that with Tony, Miles, and Frank. I have done a lot of other things besides Malfunkshun, but for that it has to be the right chemistry. He's flamboyant and has a lot of charisma so it is really perfect. He loved Andy's vocals, and he modeled his singing after Andy. Wood:Well, it is really important for Malfunkshun to have the sound correct. ZR: How is it now? A lot of time has passed and for obvious reasons you guys have had to overcome some obstacles, with Andrew's passing and such, and how has that affected your sound now and the continuing of the band? You don't really think too much about it. When you're young and you say, "This is what I want to do." you just go and do it. We wanted to be known, and we wanted to continue and make it big. It was just part of the reason why we did it. ZR: Was it kind of nerve racking starting out? What made you guys say "We are going to form this band"? When you started being more well known was it scary at all for you guys? We just joined in with the underground movement of the Seattle scene, which was mostly punk bands. It was a scene that was already in place when we started playing. They welcomed us with open arms in the scene. It was very well received, and there was no style element involved. Everybody was trying to do the same thing go out there and have fun and make some good rock n roll. Wood:Initially it was a little bit scary to go to the clubs and put on our show where we were not looking very much like punks, but it was embraced, and there was an openness about the scene at that time. So, how did the KISS influence mix with the punk influence? From what I've read in the past, you had alter egos as an homage to KISS. ZR: You say you started as a punk band, but I know when you guys started playing out and playing gigs, you were known for your stage presence. I do enjoy thinking about and remembering those days and being a part of the Seattle sound. By that time, we'd been playing for quite some time, evolving as we moved along. As time went on, it turned into more rock, and we never really fully embraced the grunge name because that was a term that came out for bands like Nirvana in the late 80's. It was more of a punk band when we first started than anything else. It was a situation where we started our band and then we learned to play. All of these years later, do you guys look at that fondly? So, you are one of the founding fathers of the "grunge" era. Malfunkshun's Kevin Wood with ZRock'R's Stephy Hayward Despite the nerves, I was very happy with the outcome. I couldn't help my nerves in the moments leading up to actually getting to shake a man's hand who has been such an inspiration to me since a very young age. Now, let me preface this with the fact that I rarely ever get star stuck. I got the pleasure of sitting down with co-founder Kevin Wood just a few hours before the show and chatting with him about the band's history and current events. Well, needless to say they continued on, and their current lineup consisting of guitarist Kevin Wood, drummer Miles Freeborn, bassist Frank Scimeca, and vocalist Tony West, is more powerful than anyone would expect. After Andrew's departure from this planet in 1990, just months before I even made my grand entrance to the world, many wondered what would become not only of his band Mother Love Bone, but to the guys in Malfunkshun. It breaks my heart that I was not able to see them in their early days. From these legends, many other bands were born such as Mother Love Bone, Pigeonhed, etc. Forming in 1980 by brothers Andrew and Kevin Wood, this band became known for their stage antics and amazing music. November was an overall kick ass month for gigs in Las Vegas with many to choose from, but for me, the one I looked most forward to was Malfunkshun.
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