Fresh from announcing a number of Australian east coast tour dates, called Spook and Destroy after the band’s latest EP (expected to drop around the same time of their October shows); the North Carolina horror punk, Wednesday 13, is doing much to excite his Australian fans.
After semi-convincingly claiming that this would be a ‘futuristic’ interview, due to Australia’s time zone being so far ahead of Los Angeles (where Wednesday 13 aka Joseph Poole is currently situated), Poole divulged upon plans of not one, but two upcoming releases. “I think it’s just what I do. It’s kind of addictive. You know the fans always want to get a new piece so as long as I feel like putting out quality stuff I’ll do it.”
Poole writes unique material in an ironic way. “I’m a huge Ramones fan and when I was coming up with song titles I was listening to the Ramones and I heard ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’ and then I wrote down ‘I wanna be cremated’ and was like yeah that’s funny” laughs the man behind Wednesday 13 with a macabre cackle. “It’s kind of a stand for what I do, but it’s not something that you’re not supposed to overthink.”
After a series of highly successful side projects with Slipknot’s Joey Jordison, it seems that the most notable of said collaborations with Jodrison, the horror-punk outfit Murderdolls, is a highlight of Poole’s career. “I play some Murderdolls stuff live like (the song) ‘197666’, but I try to steer away from the Murderdolls material.”
“It’s a very special band, something Joey and I did,” details Poole, “I don’t want to kind of incorporate too much of that in my solo run. I have so many songs in my back catalogue so it’s hard enough as it is to make a setlist.”
The horror punks in Murderdolls have had a great run over the past few years but the project appears to be put on hold for the time being. “I’m honestly shocked that the second album even happened so I can’t say the third album won’t happen,” he adds with a laugh, “because as soon as I do, it’ll happen. But we’ll see…”
“If it doesn’t happen,” hypothesises Poole, “I’ll know we went out on a high note because the last Murderdolls album we put out was one of my favourite things I’ve recorded.” Women and Children Last was the most recent album – a satirical twist on Van Halen’s Women and Children First.
Wednesday reminiscently discusses tours with some of his rock n roll heroes over the years including Alice Cooper and Guns N Roses. Recalling how stoked he was to do a number of sideshows with Marilyn Manson for Soundwave 2012. “When I heard Manson was doing a few shows, I had my fingers crossed that hopefully we could play together. We were friends before that tour and it was definitely a highlight for me at Soundwave this year,” says Poole.
The man of darkness is still yearning to play with a few more artists, notably, KISS. “I’ve seen KISS a million times; I’m a huge fan, still a fan-boy like I was as a kid. So yeah I think KISS or Twisted Sister would be a couple bands I’m yet to play with.”
Whilst acknowledging the bands he is yet to play with, Wednesday values the Alice Cooper/Rob Zombie tour the most. “As far as playing with different bands, that was one stage with three generations of that sort of horror genre. So it was a cool thing you know? So doing that with Manson as well would be like the ultimate lineup ,” punctuating his response with another horror movie chuckle.
So what does one of the most shocking men in punk-rock fear the most? “I really don’t like ketchup. I’ve said that for years, I hate it; I don’t like it at all. I don’t like it near me, I don’t like to see it but I’m getting better with it being near me. I still don’t like it.”
This has to be one of the most astonishing phobias when comparing the properties of ketchup and blood; a huge part of Wednesday’s onstage persona: “I don’t like snakes and I don’t like spiders even though I do have them tattooed on me.”
With the recently announced shows through Soundwave Touring, Wednesday 13 wants to perfect his performances. “We’re about to start our summer tour in the States which we have a pretty long setlist for, so when that tour’s done I’ll kind of look at the setlist and go ‘what kind of song don’t I hate playing?’ and figure out the setlist .”
“Hopefully by the end of the tour I’ll have some things I want to change up for you crazy Australians,” we wait with anticipation.
Wednesday 13’s 18+ date Australian tour through Soundwave starts on October 25 in Brisbane. Tickets are on sale now through OzTix.
