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w e e z e r
Author: Eliane Katz (Revolver)
Published: June 1996
- We’re just 4 normal guys
What you all are about to read is an interview with Brian Bell, guitarist of Weezer, where he explains why they call them nerds, why he’s a good role model, and other equally interesting things.
Why do you believe that your music is called nerd rock?
Brian Bell: The people that call our music that obviously haven't met me, im so cool!! The press always needs to add labels, I assume they said “Oh, they acted like idiots (geeks) in the video for Buddy Holly”, and they called us nerd rock. It must also be because we’re in a rock band and we don't have wild parties nor do cocaine, instead we prefer to eat well and study french.
You guys played around a bit with that…
Brian Bell: That could be the case, yes. I guess that the cover of our record also helped; four normal guys standing very originally against a blue background, very exciting.
But nerds aren't supposed to be normal.
Brian Bell: That’s true, maybe they’ll have to call us normal rock; I have to suggest it to someone, it's much better than nerd rock, and it's what the press needs, basically, it's an angle to talk about our music, so maybe we’ll achieve something…
Your videos helped with your nerd image a ton.
Brian Bell: Making videos is an escape for our acting side. We act, we act like idiots but we act, and we have a lot of fun. If you have a good song, making a good video isn't very hard, if you have a bad song, you’re gonna have to work more, more effects and stuff… Either way, when our new record comes out everyone is gonna forget about them.
Why?
Brian Bell: Our sound grows with us, it's more mature now, we sound stranger than before. The sound is darker, heavier, different. They’re gonna have to find another thing to label us as.
What label would you like?
Brian Bell: I don't know. We’re not a band like Guns’n’Roses, we don't pick up prostitutes in Sunset and have parties with cocaine. If that's rock, that's not what we are. I prefer that they consider my band nerds and not whisky drinkers that drunkenly beat women. I only want to play music, that's all that matters to me.
What would you do if you didn't make a living off music?
Brian Bell: I've had a ton of horrible jobs, if I quit or they fired me I'd always manage to get another one. I guess I'd be an actor, I'd do commercials, and I'd work on my script for a big movie a la Hollywood; and later I'd retire. It's a movie about a bunch of weird people that I've met during these years, a bit surrealist. Hollywood, Weezer style
And the others?
Brian Bell: Pat would probably be a republican politician, Matt an executive at a music related company, and Rivers a buddhist monk. A good definition of Weezer. You’ll see us soon when we play in Argentina, this summer, I think.
What do you all know about Argentina?
Brian Bell: Interesting question. I think it's like Cuba, right? Food with rice, fried stuff, weird fruits, palm trees…
No, it's quite different.
Brian Bell: Oh, my father would kill me if he knew this. He’s a geographer and believes that everyone needs to know these things. Either way, I'm gonna know a bit more when I go there, I always investigate before I go to new places. I'm gonna know the tallest mountains, the national flower and other useful stuff like that.
It could be these kinds of details that contribute to your nerd image…
Could be. Either way I consider myself a good role model. I'm doing what I want in life, and I make music that people like, and there are a lot of musicians that would like to be in that situation. I try to have a positive attitude, think that problems have solutions, and not that everything is a tragedy and that the world is about to end. I think that one has to take advantage of life as much as one can, the good moments. Of course I've suffered, a part of me suffered a lot; and a bad relationship with someone is sometimes more inspiring when it comes to composing than a good one, but I genuinely prefer the good one. Tragedy will always be there but I try to face it, and I think that's the right attitude.
● E.K.
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