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Interview Tommy Victor
Tommy Victor (Ministry/Prong) is a very good guitarist. Radio Metal interviewed Tommy in Paris. Just before Ministry show at the Elysée Montmartre. Tommy was cool but a little tied. Interview.
Tommy Victor (Ministry/Prong)
Interview conducted by Doc
Date : 2008-06-16
City : Paris
Radio Metal : MINISTRY is on tour since a few months. Do you feel a particular waiting of the audience because this is the last MINISTRY tour?
Tommy Victor:I don’t think people really understand it’s the last tour; they don’t notice it that much. It’s kind of weird, it’s not as much as we thought it would be. They pretty much just come and have a good time.
You don’t feel a special atmosphere?
I don’t, to be honest, which is strange. In the set, it’s different too. We play the most recent stuff a lot, so it’s not a nostalgic MINISTRY experience. If all the records were covered, it would be more like that. But people know it’s going to focus more on the last couple of records.
The set-list focused a lot on recent records yesterday. Will it be the same tonight?
Yeah, it’s the same set. Al just wanted to do it that way. He believes in playing the most recent material, and a lot of the guys want to do that, so he’s not alone.
You play everywhere; it must be difficult for your body to follow the rhythm of the tour. I understand that Al was a little ill…
He’s a little worn down. I notice it myself, I lose my shape when I’m on tour, I’m more healthy back home. Al is not in tip top form, but it’s got to be like that. Lots of alcohol, being up at weird hours…
How did you react when Al asked you to become a real member of MINISTRY? Were you surprised, happy, proud?
He never actually did it the way you said. MINISTRY is Al Jourgensen, and you get to participate in it. However, I was happy. I could have done something else, it was a little less like what MINISTRY is, but I went with MINISTRY in the end. He didn’t really ask, he simply said: “could you help me work on the record?” I agreed to do that, and he asked me to come out on tour with them. He didn’t go and say: “I want you!” But I was happy, because I’d been a fan for years. Between “Filth Pig” and “Houses of the Molé”, I wasn’t into them at all. “Animositisomina” and “Dark Side of the Spoon”, I wasn’t into those records. But when “Houses of the Molé” came out, I was like: “this is cool, this is what I expect from MINISTRY”. After that record, I went to see them on tour and hung out with them. Then Al asked me to come and work on the next record. I’ve known him for years, since 1990.
You didn’t follow MINISTRY’s career before that? The band had a very electronic sound…
I’m not supposed to talk about that, but you’re right. I knew MINISTRY but I was totally not interested in them at first. I didn’t like “Twitch” and “With Sypathy”. But when “The Land of Rape and Honey” came out, it was the first time I was interested in them. It appealed to people who wanted to get into harder stuff. Hardcore kids and metalheads started to get into them a bit more. When “Psalm 69” came out, everyone was crazy about them.
“Cover Up” is the last MINISTRY record. Was it fun for you to record old covers?
I wasn’t involved in the all project, just on a couple of songs. The idea came when we were working on “The Last Sucker”, and we got really excited about it. It was fun.
Why did you choose to record “Roadhouse Blues” and “Lay Lady Lay”? These songs already appear on records…
I know, but it was a kidding ploy. What everybody else does, we are gonna do as well.
This record is dedicated to the memory of Paul Raven. His death must have touched you, because he played with you in PRONG…
It’s weird, because we were talking a lot, we had sort of reunited. We were talking about coming out and maybe do some PRONG shows. On this agenda, I was very disappointed. I was also disappointed in him not taking care of himself. I told to loose weight and stop doing drugs, so I was disappointed about that.
But we can’t change people.
Yeah, whatever. But we talk about that all the time, we feel like his ghost is around.
We’re talking about MINISTRY, but PRONG is a great band, too.
Thank you!
You were on the road to promote “Power of the Damager”, and several shows were cancelled. In Paris, there were only two hundred people in the audience. How can you explain that?
I don’t know, it’s the way the market is. The label, what they do… It’s hard to explain.
PRONG was considered by the critics and the audience as a cult band. Is it a victory for you? PRONG didn’t have such a huge success after all…
I could never explain my career and figure it out. The whole thing confuses me. I’m still doing it, I make some money out of it… Of course I wish I were more successful, but it was definitely a cult thing.
When we see you on stage with MINISTRY, we have the feeling that you were since the beginning. You’re very integrated in the band.
It’s part of my job. I feel like it is my own band. I did the same thing with DANZIG: I played the songs and thought they were mine. I’m not really concerned about it.
This is the last tour for MINISTRY. What are you going to do in the future?
I’m gonna do PRONG, and I’m gonna look for an alternative career.
Tommy Victor:I don’t think people really understand it’s the last tour; they don’t notice it that much. It’s kind of weird, it’s not as much as we thought it would be. They pretty much just come and have a good time.
You don’t feel a special atmosphere?
I don’t, to be honest, which is strange. In the set, it’s different too. We play the most recent stuff a lot, so it’s not a nostalgic MINISTRY experience. If all the records were covered, it would be more like that. But people know it’s going to focus more on the last couple of records.
The set-list focused a lot on recent records yesterday. Will it be the same tonight?
Yeah, it’s the same set. Al just wanted to do it that way. He believes in playing the most recent material, and a lot of the guys want to do that, so he’s not alone.
You play everywhere; it must be difficult for your body to follow the rhythm of the tour. I understand that Al was a little ill…
He’s a little worn down. I notice it myself, I lose my shape when I’m on tour, I’m more healthy back home. Al is not in tip top form, but it’s got to be like that. Lots of alcohol, being up at weird hours…
How did you react when Al asked you to become a real member of MINISTRY? Were you surprised, happy, proud?
He never actually did it the way you said. MINISTRY is Al Jourgensen, and you get to participate in it. However, I was happy. I could have done something else, it was a little less like what MINISTRY is, but I went with MINISTRY in the end. He didn’t really ask, he simply said: “could you help me work on the record?” I agreed to do that, and he asked me to come out on tour with them. He didn’t go and say: “I want you!” But I was happy, because I’d been a fan for years. Between “Filth Pig” and “Houses of the Molé”, I wasn’t into them at all. “Animositisomina” and “Dark Side of the Spoon”, I wasn’t into those records. But when “Houses of the Molé” came out, I was like: “this is cool, this is what I expect from MINISTRY”. After that record, I went to see them on tour and hung out with them. Then Al asked me to come and work on the next record. I’ve known him for years, since 1990.
You didn’t follow MINISTRY’s career before that? The band had a very electronic sound…
I’m not supposed to talk about that, but you’re right. I knew MINISTRY but I was totally not interested in them at first. I didn’t like “Twitch” and “With Sypathy”. But when “The Land of Rape and Honey” came out, it was the first time I was interested in them. It appealed to people who wanted to get into harder stuff. Hardcore kids and metalheads started to get into them a bit more. When “Psalm 69” came out, everyone was crazy about them.
“Cover Up” is the last MINISTRY record. Was it fun for you to record old covers?
I wasn’t involved in the all project, just on a couple of songs. The idea came when we were working on “The Last Sucker”, and we got really excited about it. It was fun.
Why did you choose to record “Roadhouse Blues” and “Lay Lady Lay”? These songs already appear on records…
I know, but it was a kidding ploy. What everybody else does, we are gonna do as well.
This record is dedicated to the memory of Paul Raven. His death must have touched you, because he played with you in PRONG…
It’s weird, because we were talking a lot, we had sort of reunited. We were talking about coming out and maybe do some PRONG shows. On this agenda, I was very disappointed. I was also disappointed in him not taking care of himself. I told to loose weight and stop doing drugs, so I was disappointed about that.
But we can’t change people.
Yeah, whatever. But we talk about that all the time, we feel like his ghost is around.
We’re talking about MINISTRY, but PRONG is a great band, too.
Thank you!
You were on the road to promote “Power of the Damager”, and several shows were cancelled. In Paris, there were only two hundred people in the audience. How can you explain that?
I don’t know, it’s the way the market is. The label, what they do… It’s hard to explain.
PRONG was considered by the critics and the audience as a cult band. Is it a victory for you? PRONG didn’t have such a huge success after all…
I could never explain my career and figure it out. The whole thing confuses me. I’m still doing it, I make some money out of it… Of course I wish I were more successful, but it was definitely a cult thing.
When we see you on stage with MINISTRY, we have the feeling that you were since the beginning. You’re very integrated in the band.
It’s part of my job. I feel like it is my own band. I did the same thing with DANZIG: I played the songs and thought they were mine. I’m not really concerned about it.
This is the last tour for MINISTRY. What are you going to do in the future?
I’m gonna do PRONG, and I’m gonna look for an alternative career.
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