First things first, a couple of weeks ago I got a phone call from Green Day & Co. It went a little something like this:
GD: Hey Chinatown (that’s the nickname Tre gave me…long story), we wanna bring Prima Donna on the Euro leg of this tour. What do you think?
KP: Bitchin! No way! Killer! Rad! For real?
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Next thing I should have done was call the band, but no. I called up Lip Service and said, “Gimme some Stretch Fuck’n Jeans!!!” Now that I handled that business, we were on a plane to Lisbon, Portugal. It was one of those flights with the personal T.V.s and since I don’t sleep on planes, I think I watched about 9 movies.
When we got to the arena in Lisbon, it was really a trip to see how giant it was. We even have a 40 foot banner to play in front of. I think the banner itself is bigger than any stage we’ve played on previous to this tour. The show was sold out and the capacity was 12,500. By the time we hit the stage, it was about 90% full! During our set, Tre set off some pyrotechnics. It was a real killer! Thousands of kids bopping along to Soul Stripper? I can get used to this!
Watching Green Day after we played was fucking amazing! I have seen them close to 30 times now and they still blow me away every time! They are the best live band on the planet. I woke up the next day with one of the biggest hangovers I’ve ever had, but I was relieved that it wasn’t all a dream. Kisses to Portugal!
We have an awesome treat for you in this month’s On the Road. For the next four weeks, you’ll join the guys from Prima Donna as they take their Lip Service Stretch Fuck’n Jeans on the road with Green Day through their European tour.
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Prima Donna’s sound is like nothing you’ve experienced. Imagine what would happen if juke-joint rock-n-roll, old school glam, and first wave punk had a three-way love child and you’d be on the right track. Depending on your own favorites, you’ll pick up flavorings of Stooges, Mott the Hoople, Bowie, Dolls, Heartbreakers, X-Ray Specs, Damned, just to name a few, but the whole sounds is purely Prima Donna’s unique recipe for kick-ass glam punk rock-n-roll. Here’s what a few reviewers had to say:
“Energetic and genuinely anthemic choruses, rousing hooks that amplify their Johnny Thunders influences while adding their own sense of seedy majesty” LA Weekly
“In a better world, songs like “Soul Stripper” & “Everything’s Wrong” would be blasting from radios all across the nation. Pick this up & inject yourself with a healthy dose of rock & roll” AMP
If you’re getting the feeling there’s nobody who does it quite like Prima Donna, you’re absolutely right. Here’s a little taste …
Since forming in 2003, the guys in Prima Donna have been awfully damn busy. In 2005, they hit the road on an eight country European concert tour with Texas Terri, played part of the American tour wit ex-Pistol Glen Matlock’s Philistines and released their first album, Kiss Kiss on Brunette Records. In 2007, they featured “Soul Stripper”, a new track from their latest release, and put out the killer heart-shaped vinyl single Eat Your Heart Out on Puke N Vomit Records. 2008 was no less busy. They released their most recent disc, After Hours on Acetate Records, and singer/guitarist Kevin Preston played guitar in the Green Day side project Foxboro Hot Tubs.
This year, Prima Donna toured the U.S. with Eddie and the Hot Rods and later with Duane Peters Gunfight before joining Green Day on their current European tour. Those of you across the pond can check out upcoming dates on their MySpace page.
Prima Donna are:
• Kevin Preston – vocals, guitar
• Aaron Minton – saxophone, keyboards
• David S. Field – drums, percussion
• Dan Nyby – bass guitar
• Erik Arcane – guitar
I had a chance to ask Kevin a few questions to get us all better acquainted before we spend the next month together.
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Webmistress: Rumor has it, you owe the start of Prima Donna to a ladies’ bathroom. What can you tell us about that?
Kevin Preston: Well, there are many stories about how we met. Most of them stem from too much Whiskey. Truth is, we met at a Josie Cotton concert.
WM: Your sound is such a rich fusion of styles, from classic juke-joint rock to early punk like Iggy & the Stooges, and a healthy bit of glam. Did it develop when you started playing with each other or was it something you imagined before Prima Donna?
KP: I had a bunch of songs written before we started that were definitely influenced by all of the above. When we began jamming together, the energy was hot! It definitely enhanced the songs.
WM: You’ve just started touring with Green Day. What is the biggest difference from shows you’ve done in the past?
KP: The biggest difference would have to be the amount of people. Before these shows, a big show to us was 700-1000 attendees. Now, We are playing to crowds of over 10,000! It’s rad. Don’t get me wrong, we still love the club experience, but playing arenas is bitchin!
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WM: Who would be the other half of your ultimate dream double-bill? KP: Green Day! It has also been a dream of mine to play a show with Adam Ant. It would have been awesome to share a bill with Josephine Baker, if we were around back in those days.
WM: It must be said … you are some seriously fashionable dudes. What inspires your look?
KP: First off, thank you! Over time I noticed that I had quite a collection of wild clothes that I permanently borrowed from ex-girlfriends. It started there, now it’s a monster! We all just try to dress in a way that is both regal and trashy. Everybody in the group is a real killer in the style department!
WM: On the same thread, what’s your one absolute must-have fashion item?
KP: Oooooohhh. I could go on and on, but if I had to pick one thing, faux fur coats. I don’t like real fur, only faux fur. The wilder the better.
WM: What’s next for Prima Donna?
KP: When we get back to Los Angeles, we are going to start recording a new record. Then, it’s back to Europe for a headlining tour! After that, we have been chosen by NASA to be the first band to play on the moon. That will make history.
