By Sean Corbett

Jimmy Urine, the lead singer and songwriter for Mindless Self Indulgence, knows how to piss people off. During his live shows, he’s been known to vomit on people, urinate on people, throw large objects at people and in turn get boo-ed at, hissed at, and injured by the audience on a regular basis. The irony in all this is that the band is in the middle of a 30-show national tour (including Canada) and people love them. Just before the first show of their summer tour, I was able to chat with Jimmy about all things Mindless.

SC: So you’re in New York and your tour starts in less than an hour, right?
JU: Yes, I just did sound check and now I’m back in the bunk. Talking to you! In my grave. Which will hopefully be nailed shut before I go out.

SC: What do you guys normally do before the show?
JU: What do I do before the show? I call up people, random people from magazines and I just ask them like, you know, what do you think? Do you think I’m good enough for this? Do you think I’m OK? Do you think I’m special? Come on, you think I’m special, right? Tell me I’m special.

SC: Your shows are unique. You consistently annoy and piss people off and you love it, don’t you?
JU: I do. Have I pissed you off yet?

SC: Not yet, but it’s only been a few seconds. But back to pissing them off, can you give me a why?
JU: Y!! Are we spelling something out? Do you want MCA with that, as well? Is there a band you’re getting back together that I don’t know about?

SC: Would you be a part of the Village People if they got back together?
JU: Hell yeah! Well, that motorcycle guy went to jail. Just recently, I don’t know if it was the old motorcycle guy or the new motorcycle guy but he got busted for something, like slappin’ somebody or killin’ someone. Something, I don’t know.

SC: Who would you be if you were in the Village People?
JU: I would want to be the cop. But I would end up being the Indian. They would just go, “He’s got a tan, let’s make him the Indian.” I think I’m too skinny to be in the Village People.

SC: You’ve said in the past that you don’t like music very much.
JU: I don’t. I rarely buy it, unless I’m going to rip it off. I actually never buy it; it’s just about downloading it online and ripping it off. On the other hand I love movies and video games. But with music, I’ll easily dismiss it here and there.

SC: You’ve got a bunch of “all ages” shows coming up on this tour. Do you ever consider your audience when you’re playing?
JU: Yeah, well I consider taking my pants off at the all ages show. Because I want to go directly to jail, do not pass Go. In that sense I’ll consider my audience. But they make themselves heard, let me put it that way.

SC: You don’t like it when people praise classic rock.
JU: I f-in’ can’t stand it! Because they praise the sh*t out of it and they f-in’ just keep it alive. It’s like a museum! Because that’s great that they were there and that they did that, but at the time they did it they were blowing people’s minds. They’re not anymore!

SC: How do you think your private catholic school upbringing has led you into this life?
JU: Private catholic school is fun. It’s such a great irony. I don’t know anybody who has gone to catholic school and has come out super-religious. You know it doesn’t exist, you know it’s not real. It’s like it turns into a cartoon. And at the same time, with the same rhyme, those muthas bust out the girls in the nicest, [hottest] uniforms ever, that are so sexual. And they’ve never changed it to this day!

SC: If your music were to reach a mainstream status, do you think you would then try to get away from it?
JU: I would just try to continue what I’m doing. I mean we’re doing what we’re doing and succeeding at it without the help of MTV and without major radio and proving a lot of people wrong and just doing whatever the f we want. And I would like to take that and bring it to a larger audience.

SC: So touring with Korn, that must have been great. And would you consider them your idols?
JU: Honestly, I wouldn’t consider them idols, because like I said, I’m not very into music. But I have to give it up to Mr. Johnson, because he’s been such a big supporter of the band. Even just to say, “That’s my favorite band” or “Tthat’s my favorite song,” we appreciate it. And touring with them was great. To go from pissing off 300 people to pissing of 10,000! This way, we can come back now and piss of 2,000 or 3,000 people.

SC: We’re doing this interview because you’re playing the Palladium in Worcester on July 20th. You’ve been to Worcester before, right?

JU: Wow, you know my schedule better than me. But you know, I hardly remember anything about anything. I know we’ve played Worcester before, but I don’t think it was at the Palladium. That place sounds too mature and I don’t think we were very mature back when we came to Worcester. Not that we are now, but, they think we are for some reason.

SC: I’m still caught on the fact that you hate music. See, because, you’re in a band.
JU: It’s not that I hate or dislike music, really. If I was testing video games, about a year into it I’d probably be like, I don’t want to play a f-in’ video game again! That’s the same thing. If you’re in music, you’re not going to be like, “Oh I’m gunna run right out and buy that f-in’ record.” I think this is why it ruins it for me. I can never enjoy it. All I can do is criticize it and look at it and work with it. It becomes f-in’ Financial News Network for me.

SC: But you do like creating music?
JU: Oh, I love creating music, are you kidding me? Because what I don’t see out there, I get to create. That’s what I’m going for.

SC: So you’re doing something you love.
JU: Well, I’m doing something that pays the rent. And I love paying the rent.

MSI comes to the Palladium on July 20th. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the show starts at 7:30pm. Head to www.thepalladium.net/events.html
for more details.