Mondo Generator | Interview | Nick Oliveri | StonerKras Fest 2023
Nick Oliveri’s Mondo Generator is currently on European tour, the trio which originally started as Oliveri’s solo project is still full of raw hardcore punk influences.
Their performances are wild and unpredictable. Oliveri confirmed a new album coming out soon via Heavy Psych Sounds. It’s called ‘We Stand Against You’.
Nick Oliveri is best known as a former bassist of Kyuss and later Queens of the Stone Age. He is also a solo artist and frequent contributor to his friends’ albums and tours, including Winnebago Deal, Masters of Reality, Turbonegro, Moistboyz, Svetlanas and Big Scenic Nowhere among many others. He is currently the frontman of his project, Mondo Generator, a punk and metal hybrid that he formed in 1997, and the co-founder of the stoner rock power trio, Stöner. He has also worked periodically with the Dwarves since 1993.
“I was on ecstasy and naked, it was a blast!”
I still remember when I first heard ‘Cocaine Rodeo,’ man what a blast. Looking back from today’s perspective, how do you remember your debut album?
Nick Oliveri: Well the first album was done in 1997 and we didn’t have a lot of time to do it. We did it in two days, recorded and mixed. That is all I had money for so I took the money I made from ‘The Dwarves Are Young and Good Looking’ and used that money to make the ‘Cocaine Rodeo’ record.
What was it like for you to work on ‘Fuck It’ and ‘Shooters Bible,’ your latest two album? Do you feel that the music making process is any different these days as it was when you began Mondo Generator or even when you were with Kyuss.
The music writing process is always different, especially with Mondo Generator. All the different members over the years and now with Mike Pygmie and Mike Amster and our last two records it’s much easier and it’s a better band all together, so we write songs together and words and music come together and it is great in my opinion!
If we go back in time and visit your teenage room, what kind of records, fanzines and posters would we find there?
Well if you would have seen my record collection when I was a teenager and my record collection now you’ll see the same things now! Black Sabbath, Black Flag, Cro-Mags, GBH, The Exploited, Subhumans, Bad Brains, to name a few.
How do you enjoy working on Stöner releases, a project you formed when pandemic started with Brant Bjork and Ryan Güt?
Stöner was a lot of fun. We did a lot in a short period and we all kind of burnt out on it and we’re taking a break.
‘Totally…’ have been on heavy rotation lately. What was it like working on it?
Totally, was a fun record to make. We all brought in cool songs, and we wrote stuff together and we rocked it out! It was a great time, very creative, very good, lots of fun, anything goes!
Are you ever planning to record a new solo album?
Yes, I plan on doing a new solo record in the future. I plan on doing it with different singers and different musicians instead of just an acoustic record.
As I recently interviewed Blag Dahlia of The Dwarves, would you like to tell us how you first met them and how much fun was playing with them?
Well I’m actually out on tour with The Dwarves right now and we are playing in Tucson tonight. My flight to Europe is tomorrow. We are going to start the Mondo Generator tour. We just did a new record together. I never stop playing in The Dwarves. I just take breaks and the other stuff.
Thinking about your incredible career so far, what are some of the gigs that are the most memorable and why?
Well it’s been so many gigs, but one that stands out would be Reading Festival 2000. I was on ecstasy and naked, it was a blast! Crazy shit!
And what would be the craziest gig ever?
One of the craziest ones was in Switzerland at a place called Bad Bonn. Me and Josh Homme both took LSD and halfway through our set we started trippin and we tripped hard all night. Songs sounded crazy, haha.
Are you excited to play at the StonerKras festival soon?
YES!!! I am very much looking forward to the festival. I’m told it will be a blast.
As a multi-instrumentalist, do you feel that gives you more options of what you want to do when working on new material?
Well when I write a song, I write it on a guitar, so it has really helped me in a lot of ways. For instance I’m playing guitar on The Dwarves shows right now, not bass.
Would you like to comment on your playing technique? Give us some insights on developing your technique.
I am self taught so the only advice I can give you is don’t give up, if you think you can’t do something, keep on trying cause you can do it.
What gear are you currently using on shows?
The gear I’m using on bass is Ampeg and Orange and Fender Precision Bass.
Okay, first I gotta ask about some less known punk bands that you enjoy?
BGK (Balthasar Gerards Kommando) from Holland, G.I.S.M. From Japan, Raw Power from Italy to name a few.
Let’s end this interview with some of your favourite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?
I really enjoy Dorthia Cottrel’s solo album! Check it out! She can sing so nicely.
Thank you. Last word is yours.
Also the new Mondo Generator is out soon on Heavy Psych Sounds and it’s called ‘We Stand Against You’. Check it out!
Klemen Breznikar
Mondo Generator Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Heavy Psych Sounds Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bandcamp / YouTube
StonerKras Fest 2023
