Whilst Sebastien was asleep in the tour bus, Hat Wray managed to spend a few pre-gig minutes having a chat with Death From Above 1979's bassist Jesse Keeler about the most important things in life. Elephants, Bryan Adam and Bacon.


Room 13: So how has this tour been so far?
Jesse: This is like the third date. It's been really, really great, like being at home... but not.

Room 13: How did Death From Above 1979 get together? There are rumors that the two of you met in prison?
Jesse:No, that's just a lie. We met through a girl who claimed to be Sebastien's girlfriend. She wasn't, she was just some girl who was stalking him. She introduced him to me because I was trying to find a drummer. Then later on I was talking about relationships or something and I was like "...you know, just like you and your girlfriend." and Sebastien said "What girlfriend?". So I said "You know, that girl". "She's a fucking nutcase that's been chasing me for the last two years!" and that's how we met.

Room 13: How would you describe your music?
Jesse: Fast.

Room 13: So the question you must be sick of by now, why only bass and drums?
Jesse: Why does everyone have two guitars? Why is everyone so fucking boring and so afraid of doing things differently? That's the real question.

Room 13: If you chose to include another musician in the band what instrument would you want?
Jesse: Piano player

Room 13: You can collaborate with one dead person, who would it be?
Jesse: [Long pause] Tough question. Peter Tosh - from The Wailers. He got shot by the police. The Rolling Stones were putting out his records for a while.

Room 13: What's the Canadian music scene like?
Jesse: There's a good music scene. There's not the music press, there should be. Here there's a lot of music press but in Canada there really isn't any music press at all, it's very odd, like not a single music magazine in the whole fucking country. I never understood that.
Room 13: What about imports from America?
Jesse: Yeah and from England as well - but Canada doesn't make magazines. I think there's about five that cover everything you can think of.
Room 13: What about the scene itself?
Jesse: Huge, tons of bands, all kinds of shit happening. We just don't have the press to support it.

Room 13: You're going to die if you don't cover one of the following Canadian artists - Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne and Bryan Adams. Which would you choose and why?
Jesse: Bryan Adams' '18 Till I Die' because it's the least offensive of those three 'things' you just listed.

Room 13: What's the deal with the elephant obsession?
Jesse: I grew up in a house filled with ceramic elephants. I don't know. I just like elephants. Elephants are awesome. I do the artwork so they get elephants. I like that they're the biggest land animal and they're intelligent but trainable. They can work like a bulldozer!

Room 13: So plans for any festivals in the UK this year?
Jesse: All of them. Glastonbury, Oxygen, T in the park, Reading and Leeds. That's all I can remember.
Room 13: You're confirmed at them all?
Jesse: I don't know, they were on a piece of paper that was given to me that says 'schedule' so I guess we're playing.

Room 13: What about for the rest of 2005? What are your plans?
Jesse: Make another record, record other peoples' records, make a lot of house music. Buy everything I ever wanted. Help Sebastien buy a house.
Room 13: New material?
Jesse: Wait till our album comes out properly in England on the 28th of this month and the single's out on the 14th. Fucking better be. It's been out in America since September. It's frustrating because people here are buying it here for a lot more money because it's an import, I'd rather people not have to spend more money than they have to. The price of our album in Australia is $30 (£18) when it's about $12 (£7) back home.

Room 13:Most importantly, what's the difference between Canadian and English bacon?
Jesse: Canadian bacon is actually called peameal, it's like a little stick. It's saltier and it's got cornmeal pushed into the edges of it. Bacon here is more like bacon in america - meat fat meat fat, but it's a little rectangle and it's crispy [That's actually only streaky bacon. -The Bacon Ed].

Death From Above 1979's album 'You're A Woman, I'm A Machine’ is available now on import. The current video 'Blood On Our Hands' is receiving airplay on Kerrang! and Scuzz TV channels. You can check it out now here at Room Thirteen. The guys are on tour until Friday 11th February. You can check out the review of their Nottingham gig here.

For more information visit www.deathfromabove1979.com.