Sheetthief Dinah Cancer, lead singer of 45 Grave, talks about the old days of deathrock, about her new projects and her career in the movie industry. And she is being real funny, too :)

Interview

Dinah Cancer, 45 Grave

 

What was the best 45 Grave gig in 2007 in your opinion?
Leipzig and Rome was some of my favorite shows. Each city we were in had it's own magic. So it is hard to chose the best one.

When will you come to Europe for the next time?
After the new album comes out. :)

Do you have plans on a new 45 Grave album?
Yes, we are currently working on an album. We are taking our time on the songs. Just had a song called Curse release on an Italian Limited edition compulation and working on another track for an American compulation that will be coming out shortly.

Are you curently involved in other (musical/art) projects?
I'm starting to work on a project with Elvorian (PFT). We started to talk about us working together again so that is a summer project that I'll be working on new songs for. I think Lisafer will be joining us too. Daughters of Darkness is the current working title.
I have a long list of print work that I'll be doing over the next few months, a calendar is being talk about and start to
work on a book that I've been putting off for the past year. My memories and photos...

What are the chances of a Castration Squad reunion? What about Vox Pop?
Castration Squad had a reunion show at the Key Club, Sept. 2005 The line - up was: Mary Bat thing aka Dinah Cancer: vocals, Alice Bag: Keyboard, Tracy Lea: guitar, Tiffany Kennedy: Bass and Lisafer: Drums. It was so fun and great seeing the girls too! Since we haven't been together on stage since 1981. MMM for Vox Pop? I don't know on that one.

You count as one of the founders of deathrock. Does this make you proud?
 At the time when I was performing 45 Grave, we were just playing music and we didn’t consider ourselves a pioneering movement. We were playing with Christian Death, Black Flag and TSOL to name a few. And it wasn’t until later that we were the pioneers of the Deathrock culture. It wasn’t until I came out of retirement and started performing with Penis Flytrap that I realized my influence and 45 Grave’s and influenced a wide range of Deathrockers. I'm still pretty down to earth. I have my daily life is in a band. I don't have a limo. Don't really want one. Now in a hearst, that's traveling in style.
The first prowlings of deathrock came in the early 80s before we were labeled as our other counterparts – the gothic movement. There were no Goths. The Deathrockers were splintered off from the punk/hardcore scene that was going on at the time. We played punk rock but we loved Halloween and we looked like vampires. So the phrase, Deathrock was born. Basically, we enjoyed listening to black flag, the misfits, the cramps, Alice Cooper and other bands of
that nature. We had a deeper appreciation of the darker side of slice o’ life. It was our way of giving back to something we enjoyed. 27 years later and I haven't changed yet! And yes, I'm proud to be part of the founding ghouls.

 
What bands did you listen too when you were a teenager?
 Alice Cooper, KISS, Joan Jett, the Runaways, the Ramones, and the Damned. They had such an impact on me. I have a very eclectic musical tastes.

How did you get into the music scene at the period and eventually end up as a singer?
For people who have been entombed in a crypt for years, a Dinah Cancer History timeline:
I graduated Fairfax High School, June,1978. I went to my first punk show "Ramones and Runaways" at the Whiskey, 1978. Met Don Bolles ( playing in the GERMS) late 1978. Later met Paul Cutler ( playing in the consumers ) and Rob Ritter ( playing in the Bags ). Recorded Riboflavin 1979 for the LAFMS, under the name 45 grave, It meant nothing. 45 Grave played first show Sept. 1, 1979. At the same time, I was singing back up for the girl group, Castration Sqaud too. My stage name at that time was Mary Bat Thing.
In 1980, 45 G played alot of punk shows and recorded single, Black cross/ Wax on Goldar records.
1982- Dinah marries Paul Cutler. Vox Pop was in full swing. 45 grave was playing on bills with the misfits, the Damned, Specimen, Black Flag and bad religon.
1983- The song, partytime, made it into The movie, Return of the living dead. Album Sleep in Safety, was recorded.
1984- 45 G went on US tour and broke up soon after the seperation of Paul and Dinah. A year later, Did some shows with 45 G for a number of years.
At this time 1985-86, Dinah was in the Metal scene and hanging out with Guns and Roses.
Also Dinah was working in the movie industry, working as a double in some horror movies and backround extra in others. She work for the next next 5 years being the only girl that like the ooze and blood. she just like to get messy.
45 grave released the 12' School's out, and the Album, Autopsy. 45 Grave continued to tour until Rob "Graves" death, from a drug overdose in 1990.
Last performance was at the Whiskey saying goodbye to Rob and 45 Grave. And the release of the live album, Only the good die young for Rob Graves.
1991- Dinah re-married and had two girls. The mom next door. Continues to work on movies and retired from performing.
1996 -joined Penis Flytrap
2003 - Pft is still performing.
2004 - Dinah and Hal Satan leave PFT. Dinah and Hal Satan are start working on Dinah Cancer and the Grave Robbers: a living tribute to 45 Grave.
2007 - Currently, Dinah is performing in 45 GRAVE with Lisafer on Bass, L. Ron Jeremy on guitar, Kenton on guitar,
and Stevyn on drums.

And from then on, I decided singing was my calling. My stage name at that time was Mary Bat Thing. This was 79'.
I was an art student for years and when I drew, everyone had blue lips and purple hair. When i heard punk rock, That was for me and I haven't look back. Finding people and music that I could relate to was great. I knew that i wasn't alone. This is who I am.

Please tell us about your very first gig. Were you confident?
45 Grave played at the Hong Kong Cafe, in Downtown Chinatown, Los Angeles, 1979. That was my first performance ever on a stage. Between being nervous and wanting to vomit, I'm sure I got some of the lyrics wrong. But i was dress as a dead catholic school girl. The guys had fun with the make up. I remember that a review said I couldn't sing and I wore my mini skirt way too high to cover that fact. HA HA HA. I thought I wasn't trying to sing. At least, I can wear a mini skirt. We were there to irritate and we did. I never claimed to be a singer. I did what came to me and if people like it, Fucking cool. I did it because it made me feel happy. I changed some of the song lyrics to fit with my style.

I heard rumors that you can be seen at Return of the Bats sometimes. Do you enjoy clubs and dancing?
Oh yes, I don't go out as much as I did. But I love to dance and have drinks with my friends. I go to RTB, sometimes Bar Sinister, Bats Over Broadway, Eternal. Most of the time, I'm playing the venues so I'm out when we play.

Do your daughters like your music or do they listen to completely different stuff?
Yes, they have gone to a few shows. They like it and help me pick out my outfits for show nights. They have my tastes in music and listen to everything. ILSE and Eirika, love to play with hair dyes and messing stuff up. They considered themselves mostly punk.

What are your favourite modern-day and classic horror movies?
Do we have a couple of days? I'm horror movie junkie. I've enjoyed movies since I was a child of 7, watching B Frankenstein on TV. That scared the crap out of me. Also watching the Addams family and the Munsters had a definate inpact on my psyche. My favorite movies.... loaded question. All time fav horror movie is “Susperia”!!!! I also like the old Universal classics. I love monsters and things that go bump in the night. Giggle. I like some of the
newer horror that out there, like Ginger Snaps, May, Planet Terror, Hatchet. Hammer movies are also in my top ten. There is just some about Christopher Lee sinking his teeth into your neck. Make me scream! Heh Heh Heh. As long as it's disturbing and gory, it makes my collection. I also like the Disney Villians. Nasty girls. My fav directors are Bava, Burton, Carpenter, Argento and Coppola.

You have worked for the movie industry. What exactly did you do?
Worked as a double in horror movies ansd a backround extra for years. Some are Polergeist 2, Fright night 2, Necromonicon etc.... over 50 movies and some are blurs.
1st movie I was in: The Decline of Western Civilization: The interviews were being filmed on the top of the Slash Records building, off of Melrose. So there were about 15 of us that came out for it. I came with my GF Jennifer. I did her make up for the shoot. She was ask to be in it so I tagged along. Darby was there along with Eugene, Alice Bag, Pat Smear and the rest of the Germs. I was 18, a wee baby punk. I was surprised that I made it into the film and on the movie poster. It was a fun afternoon.
First movie soundtrack: Return of the Living Dead: We were part of the post production team. So we didn't get to go on the set. :( We were given the rough cut print to write around the movie. Most of the shooting was done and being edited. There was no sound, just the images and barely audible talking. Extreme rouge cuts. Enigma call us and said they found this project that was looking for punk bands for their horror movie, ROTLD. That we would be perfect with our looks and sound. SPOOKY!. They liked the energy of Partytime. They all ready picked the Cramps, the Damned and Most of Enigma's rouster ended up on the soundtrack. We told them sure. It's was cool to do music for a horror movie! Enigma also pressed the soundtrack of the movie as well. We are all horror buffs.
But I did rewrite the lyrics for the movie, Return of the living Dead. Well, they loved the music. The movie Company did not like my lyrics to Partytime. The record label asked if I could change the content of "Partytime" for the soundtrack. So we came up with the Zombie version. The child abuse story didn't sit well with them. But then record labels never read anything. It's based on a story that I read in a true Crime mag. The insanity and cruelty went on. So that Partytime is about child abuse but it is a written as a tribute to the little girl, Sabine. The song is about what her family did to her and how she didn't deserve it.
The best was when the movie opened and we went to the the screening. That when i met some of the people involved. It was a fun time and I wouldn't trade it. I heard it alot when I started to perform live again, with PFT, you don't know how much something like a movie has
impacted people. I had fans that said that was their first song that they heard was from the film. They would sing Partytime to me. They looked for other albums. It was and still is a proud moment to be assocated with the cast and crew of ROTLD. Over the years, i run into the cast members at conventions. We exchange autographs. I went to the Anniverary party, at the old Egyptian theatre on Hollywood Blvd, in 2005. It was for the release of ROTLD on Dvd. It was the best panel i had seen. I joined them as the audio dept. I finally met Dan o'Bannon, Beverly Randolf, and the other members. I was asked to answer questions on Partytime. My answer: You don't know what a impact that you'll have on people when you start working on a project. You hope that it will be the blockbuster or a cult icon. I was lucky. I had a chance to be assocated with a cult movie. And i'm still proud to be a part of cinema history.

PARTYTIME ZOMBIE MIX
Cutler/Cancer/Bolles
Very young, getting kicks
crusin' around, 56
drinking beer, driving fast
This party is their last
They'll dance on the graves
The lost souls, Satan's slaves
They don't know the acid rain
Is coming down to make them insane
Do you wanna party, it's partytime
We got to party, It's Partytime
Shifting gears, wasting gas
This party is their last
Paid their wage of sin today
That's life but the dead say
Do you want to party........

Is it true that 45 Grave members appear in Blade Runner? If yes, in which scene?
no...

What's the secret of Dinah Cancer? Is it the riboflavin flavoured blood?
It's a mystery...... Blood is good...

Would you rather be a bat or a goat?
Bat

What is your favourite way to get rid of your enemies? Has anyone stepped out of your dungeon alive?
Poison, Nicotine.. I can enjoy the death and not get caught. In some circumstances, death is not a pretty thing to look at. If you would actually look at a dead body after a traffic accident. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight made of white faces and beautiful clothes. It would be red and torn up thus influencing my tastes of Deathrock which reflects how I am on stage.
Death is a violent act. The lucky ones get to die in their sleep. It’s not always a pretty sight. And we all die at some point.

Everyone have a ghoulish night. Keep the spirit alive.

 
Yours in blood, Dinah Cancer
DC