Posted: September 23, 2009
MONOTONIX
Interview & Photos: Schmitty

When was the last time you saw a drummer being held up in the air by the crowd, playing his drums that were also being held up in the air by the crowd? Simple and plain, Monotonix was one of the best—if not the best—live performances I’ve ever seen. Straight up! These dudes are nuts. Every song was played from a different location: On top of the bar, under a carpet, on top of the crowd, and outside on the street. They take the word hi-jinx to a whole other level. I caught up with their singer, Ami Shalev, for a post-mind-blowing-performance interview. —Schmitty

How did you get the name Monotonix?
A good friend of mine that played bass in a band had a song called “Mono Addictive Acid Man.” Then we had a band called Mono Addictive Acid Man. We thought we should get a short cut for this long name. He said, “Monotonix?” and I was good with that.

When did you start the band?
Almost three and a half years ago in 
Tel Aviv. We all played before in bands and knew each other. The scene in Tel Aviv was real small.

When you first began, was the 
intensity as strong, or did it grow as 
the band grew?
Basically it started with the same vibe as we have now. The first show was in a small club in Tel Aviv, and we said, “Let’s play on the floor and include the crowd.” It was pretty exciting and everyone got wild. I mean, 
we improve in every show we do, and get 
new ideas, but the basic idea was there from the beginning.

Is it true you’ve been banned from lots of venues in Tel Aviv?
That’s right. People in Israel aren’t used to getting wild at shows. A few owners were like, “Whoa, what have they done here? We don’t want them back.” In Austin, we got banned two years ago from a show at Flamingo Cantina; we played a showcase there for SXSW. They said we smashed the monitors and trashed the place. They pulled the plug 
on us in Seattle, and they pulled the plug 
on two of the three shows we played at the last SXSW.

Will you change your performance if you keep getting banned?
I feel that if we sometimes get banned, 
it means we’re doing the right thing. There are a lot of places that really want us to play. 
It isn’t a problem. Usually if places don’t want us, then it isn’t the right vibe for us anyway. We aren’t forcing anyone to want us back—there are many places that do. We aren’t going to change the intensity of our shows.

Broken bones?
Yeah, we have a lot of bruises after every show. Sometimes we’re bleeding from a lot of parts of the body. I broke both shoulders in New York City. I don’t know why. One year after I broke the first one I broke the second one. But we continue the shows.

I saw you here in SF. Is it normal for you to light fires and pull down your pants? Does every show you play get a full moon view?
Every show is special. The performance is usually improvised, but yeah, SF was special because it was SF. The day before we played in Bakersfield. It was a different show, but it was fun and wild like SF, only in a different way. Our shows are always about fun and being free. In SF, the cops came to stop us from playing outside.



Do you think being from Israel makes it easier to play in chaotic scenarios?
I never think of it in that way. For me, it was kind of natural. In the beginning when we played, people were kind of scared of us. 
We didn’t have to worry, ’cause people sat back away from us. Then people started to realize that they needed to be involved and hold the drums and be a part of the show.

How did being in the Army influence your music?
Everything I’ve done in my life, and the fact that I’m from Israel, influences our music. 
I can’t say the exact points that influence 
our live shows, but I believe everything is influenced by what you’re doing. We never write songs like an American band would, 
only for the fact that we aren’t American. 
I don’t know if it’s good or bad. The only thing important is that you’re honest with yourself. That’s the point.

How did you end up recording here 
in San Francisco?
We made our first EP with Tim Green from The Fucking Champs. We recorded with him, and after that, we thought, “Wow;” that was the first time we heard the band like we wanted to sound. We don’t want to fix something that’s not broke, so right now we’re working on the second album with Tim again.

Do you know anything about skateboarding?
I know that a lot of people get hurt from skateboarding, but it looks like fun. Actually, we put out a 7-inch on Volcom. I’ve got a good friend in LA that really likes skateboarding, that’s all I know. Oh, and I made one show in LA where I did crowd surfing with a skateboard. I wish I would know how to skateboard, but I’m a little bit over the age. When I was young we didn’t have it in Israel; it looks like fun. When I see kids in the street, it makes me feel a little bit jealous ’cause it looks really fun.

What do you like better, schwarma 
or falafel?
Schwarma.

What was one of the gnarliest shows you’ve played?
Wow, that’s hard. But I do remember the first time we played in Richmond, VA. It was the first time that people really got into the show. It was really wild; it reminds me of the shows we’re doing right now. It made you realize that there are things like that in the world. Before we played there, I didn’t realize that kind of show could happen.

Do you have to do special preparation for tours or space shows out with all 
that energy?
We only take care of our haircuts, that’s all. We don’t do any preparing or taking the day off. We don’t need it.

Last words or advice?
Be honest with yourself, have a good time, get free, respect each other, don’t get 
violent anywhere anytime. Free your mind. That’s it.

Download Monotonix songs and albums from the iTunes store here or check their myspace for upcoming shows.