From Aug./Sept. '97 AMEREICAN BEAR mag. #13 copyright Amabear publishing inc. p.o. box 7083, Louisville, KY 40257 "Musical Bearings" by J. S. Adams, Wayne Ingle & Kevin John Up close and personal with Gary Floyd, gay bear Rock n' Roll legend Any serious student of the history of gay music in general and American punk rock in particular is familiar with the name "Gary Floyd." His not insubstantial influence has forever changed the face of "Do It Yourself" underground music. For almost 2 decades Gary has flown in the face of convention, releasing an amazing body of uncompromising work. He has been revered by obscure punk anthologists and courted by major record labels. The thread that runs through all his work, however is one of bru- tal honesty and absolute musical integrity It doesn't hurt at all that he's a proud, out gay man, as well as a bear. I'm honored that he agreed to do a telephone interview (from a San Francisco adult bookstore, no less!) in the wake of the release of flicks: 1980-1986 (Alternative Tentacles), a seminal retrospective of his groundbreaking first band, The Dicks. WAYNE: Can you tell me a little bit about your connection to the bear movement? GARY: I felt very akin to it because I never really liked gay bars, per se. I met this one guy who told me there was a bar in San Francisco called The Lone Star where big guys; more blue-col- lar, worker-type guys hung out. So I went there, and I befriend- ed many people. and I got very involved with it, and I liked it a whole lot. My connection with it is, um, I look like one, I guess! WAYNE: There are a slew of artists and bands who regard you as an important influence Mudhoney, Butthole Surfers, Bob Mould (of Husker Du and Sugar), Mike Watt. Who have been your influences, Gary? What artists and bands have you found to be essential? GARY: I like people like Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, Jan is Joplin, Kitty Wells WAYNE: Kitty! GARY: Yeah. I really love her. And Yoko Ono... I love her a lot... one reason is because she's irritated so many people, which is a wonderful. wonderful quality to have... to be able to make money while you are irritating! But as far as peers that I would call an influence? Maybe the music of Black Flag, but I don't think I ever tried to emulate them or sound like them. WAYNE: What is the first album you ever bought with your own money? GARY: introducing The Beatles. WAYNE: The 'new' previously-unreleased cut on Dicks: 1980- 1986 is a "live" version of "Saturday Night At The Bookstore:' I'm particularly fond of this one. Though I may be a fortysomething, married man of 16 years, I remember adult bookstores in the late 70s. They were amazing! And you're telephoning me from one? GARY: Yes, yes! Nothing's changed! Nothing like an old glory hole to say "welcome home"! WAYNE: That was the Dicks' first concert, right? GARY: That was the very first show the Dicks ever did. I remem- ber it was summer in Texas, and every punk in town had come. I had a purple mohawk and a purple shirt with polka dots on it. We were pretty weird looking. WAYNE: Most bears will remember the early 90s heyday of your last band, Sister Double Happiness. Can you comment on that phase of your career? GARY: Yeah, I can say it was the best band, as a unit, that I was in. And then The Gary Floyd Band, who've changed so much... there've been so many different people... the core was me, Danny Roman, and Jonathon Burnside. But the one unit that was really cohesive and I felt ties with was Sister Double Happiness, partly because of [drummer] Lynn Perko, who is, of course, in [Roddy Bottums' group] Imperial Teen now. She and I are like brother and sister, and we have been for so many years. I remember one time when we were doing really good in San Francisco. We were playing an acoustic show at the Great American Music Hall. This was during the days when I was really hanging out at the Lone Star a lot. Somebody came backstage. They looked sort of nervous and said, "I don't wanna get you upset, or anything, but there's about 30-40 bikers out there!" So I ran and looked out front, and it was everybody from the Lone Star! It was one of the best shows we ever did. It was really, real- ly wonderful! So, whenever we'd play around, all the local bears would come, and usually somebody would come up and say. "We've heard of you." Then we'd either go fuck or become friends! Or sometimes both! WAYNE: You have five albums under your belt with The Gary Floyd Band, and you're quite the rage in Germany. What is next? GARY: Well, the whole Gary Floyd Band thing was great, but it actually started off just to be one album and only going to be released in Europe - just an acoustic record. But, with Jonathon, Danny, and I, we started writing a lot of songs togeth- er, and so it turned out to be more than that And the album did really good, so we ended up making a second one, and a third. and a fourth... but what I want to do now is - because The Gary Floyd Band is broken up - I'm starting more of a "hard" band. more like the early Sister Double Happiness stuff. What I want is a "meaner" band. I'm feeling pretty mean these days! And I've got a couple ot nice big guys who are gonna be in it. WAYNE: Has it ever been important whether or not you have gay people in your bands? GARY: (laughing) You know, there are so few queers who come to our shows, I don't need the competition! I'd like to get several really pretty girls so all the guys would hang out with them, then I could pick up - sort of "mop up" - the queers if they wanted. (seriously) You know, the only thing I've ever cared about is the musicianship. WAYNE: That's what I like about your songs. You don't deliberately force the gay issue. It either comes up, or it doesn't. GARY: I've really tried to handle being gay in that very same way. Of course, everybody acts up a lot when they first come out, but there's a certain point that, to me, I don't see being gay as something unnatural or something bizzare. This is a real part of life. There've always been queers, and there always will be. WAYNE: I'm going to end with a scatter- shot group of questions, Gary. Ouick answers. First impressions. What is your idea of happiness? GARY: To be satisfied in a monastery. WAYNE: What is your biggest fear? GARY: To be unsatisfied in a monastery! (laughs) No, my greatest fear is to be lonely. WAYNE: Do you ever lie? GARY: Which part of the day are we talk- ing about? WAYNE: Which living person do you most admire? GARY: Sal Baba. WAYNE: What do you regret most? GARY: Not being able to run a long dis- tance. I've often thought that in my next life I'd like to be able to run and jump and not have a fucking heart attack! WAYNE: What is your most treasured physical possession? GARY: An old, half-empty pack of ciga- rettes that my mother had in her hospital drawer when she died. That's a pretty important one. Winston Lights. WAYNE: What do you like most in a man? GARY: A big fucking fat dick with a long- shootin' load! (laughs) I think I most admire a man who can accept me without trying to change me. And also the dick with the big load! WAYNE: A woman? GARY: Sistership. Ninety-five percent of my best friends are women. I become their sister, and I'm very satisfied with that. I love that! WAYNE: Thank you so much for the inter- view, my friend! That wasn't too painful, now, was it? GARY: No, my ass doesn't even hurt! THE ESSENTIAL GARY FLOYD DISCOGRAPHY with The Dicks: Hate The Police (7in. single) Kill From The Heart (LP) Big Boys/Dicks Live At Raulis (split LP) These People (LP) with Sister Double Happiness Sister Double Happiness (LP) Heart And Mind (LP) Uncut (LP) Horsey Water (LP) with The Gary Floyd Band World Of Trouble (LP) Broken Angels (LP) Naked Angel (acoustic EP) Roughage (LP) In A Dark Room (LP)