An Interview With STEVE LIEBERMAN
OEZ: You have a very unique hybrid sound. What are your influences?
Steve: I started out in the 1970'S playing bass in a band that at the time I lasted 3 years in 1973-1976--we did a lot of Who covers--I got the sheet music for the Quadrophenia album and learned all the late John Entwistle's bass-lines note for note. He was the best bass player that ever lived in my opinion. Punk broke (for the first time) when I was in college--i thought to myself that i must do this. my first performance as a 'solo' artist was in 1981 in some synagogue--i wrote like 3 songs and did some Ramones cover on my bass played through a fuzz-box. As a youngster I was a Jethro Tull fanatic from 1972-1973--I wanted to get a flute to be like Mr Anderson but in those days , boys didn't play the flute. My zest for Tull re-emerged in a big way in the mid-90's. Opening their 1978 live album 'Bursting Out' he was playing his flute while the band provided an almost punk background. that's somethinhg I needed to do. after my house burnt down in 2001 I bought a flute and sat in a corner of the trailer I lived in and learned it and wrote flute parts for the songs that became the Bad'lania Rising CD."
OEZ: You are referred to as the Gangsta Rabbi. Where does that name come from?
Steve: IT WAS THE TITLE SONG OF MY 20TH TAPE released in 1996--it was a very obscure piece of work until i started a website in 2003 i named it gangstarabbi.com basically the 'rabbi' part is representative of my long and devoted study to all things biblical--giving me the knowledge to schism from the other sects which sometimes disagree with the Laws G-d gave us
OEZ: On your myspace page it says you preach from the >book of Dueteronomy. What does that mean? Why that book?
Steve: THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY IS VERY important--in his first 2 discourses, Moses pretty much recapitulates the Laws in the 4 Books of the Torah that preceeded it, including the Ten Commandments and in his last discourses he( Moses) lays out the rewards for obedience as well as the punishments for disobedience--and too me--it was very very convincing--the curses for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28 all came true my different oppressers over the years. the line "From the streets of the ghetto, i preach the Deuteronomy" refers to my recitation and paraphrasement of parts of Deuteronomy 28 to my peers when i caught them in violation of the Law
OEZ: Instead of guitar you use bass as your rhythm instrument. Could you tell us anything about your approach or technique on the bass.
Steve: I GOT A 6-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR FOR MY BAR-MITZVAH--and til this day i still can't play that instrument. someones father had a bass guitar--i tried it and said' i can do this' i got my own one on 9/18/1971. although i'm a total righty-i played the bass lefty, upside down and backwards without reversing the strings.Some bully in band told me that if you play 2 strings on the bass at the same time you will get a shock--so i plugged in the amp and to prove him wrong -i played the open G and D strings(the 2 closest to me) together--no shock--but it sounded kinda cool. by my 14 birthday==i had written down my entire 'chord' system for the bass ( i wish i still had that) with a note on the top saying "This will not work properly unless bass guitar is highly distorted. so --my major chords are plyed by playing the root note om the D-string- and the 5-th on the G-string 2 frets higher-and the minor roots are played on the G-string with the 5-th lower-on the same fret of the D-string. and the leads are well-leads--i think i know 1 riff which i twist all over and it all must be done by strumming the chords with only my left-index finger!!!
OEZ: You have had 12 CD releases. Could you give us a brief overview of your musical history?
Steve: I JOINED MY FIRST REAL rock band in 1973 in March in 9th grade--we played pretty much Chicago covers and then by 1974 and Quadrophenia came out we did lots of Who covers and my 1975-6 it was this jazz-rock stuff like Billy cobham and the Mahavishnu Orchestra--it was a bit annoying cause you must play your part exactly--after they threw me out (amicably) in 1976 cause they became a disco outfit and i was a rock player-i played in a few bands while developing the bass-only punk style. in 1984 i cut a 45--it was my singing debut and there were nothing but basses and drums. my first punk project--which is the beginning of the 'modern age"-1991 was Bop Bop Bigger Bab-'eL. i put out 38 tapes some named BANG THE BASS BOPMANIA , DIASPORA BLASTER, TAILS FROM THE BOPSIDE, ZIONIST , YOM ha-SHOAH Bab-'el--i really ran the gamut.--then in 2002 after recovering from a total house fire--i released my 1st CD BAD'LANIA RISING and since put out 11 (including 2 live albums and a charity covers album)
OEZ: Tell us about the charity albums you have been involved with. Are these projects you produced?
Steve: I STARTED WITH THE IDEA LAST FALL. when my depression first hit i got writer's block and i was having trouble playing live--so i thought why not a covers album--but the licensing fee of $52.50/song times 26 songs--like 1300.00--so i thought if i give the GROSS proceeds to charity will these money hungry people go after me for their share? or will they go after the charity i chose and take it out of their mouths> i hope not. so between 12/4/2005 and 12/29/2005 i completed the 26 cover song album JEWISH PIRATE--i did 3 Green Day Songs, 2 Tull songs and 2 Who songs-with other selections originally by Dire Straits, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Midnight Oil, butthole Surfers etc. it actually sold 44 copies so i donated $220.00 to the North Shore Animal Leauge where i adopted my precious puppy dogs Buttons (1989-2004) and Midnite Buttons(2004- ) i just finished work on my 2nd covers album to be called LAST OF THE JEWISH PIRATES where i was in a state of mania for the production and recording--sO i took on FAT -BOTTOMED GIRLS, WHITE RABBIT, PINK FLOYD'S 'MOTHER' stuff i would have been apprehensive to do last year
OEZ: What are your thoughts on the current state of the music business, and/or the state of popular music in general?
Steve: I'M NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT THE MUSIC BUSINESS ITSELF--i know this-that if the Beatles, unarguably the historys most popular group--or most any other group that was popular in rock history presented any album in their catalog to any A & R rep at any label TODAY--they will surely be rejected. popular music of today which my exposure is limited to the V-Spot weekly top 20--you gotta be like EMO, or a certain kind of HIP hop, or pretty boy band etc--if not--with few exceptions you will never be on there--and thats kinda sad. but what is so cool is that the mighty AMG has a page on me and reviewed my ARBEITER AT THE GATE album and gave it 3 1/2 stars
OEZ: What do you think people tend to misunderstand (if anything) about you and your music?
Steve: WELL--PEOPLE CAN'T GENERALLY UNDERSTAND MY WORDS EITHER ON RECORD OR LIVE --but there's other things--all people who are not Jewish and many who are except racists and nazi's and stuff respect me because of my pride in my heritage-in who i am--since a heck of a lot of jews are assimiliationists--they kinda tell me--don't do that--get that Star of David off your bass--you'll get beaten up --and i say--yeah--i probably will get beaten up--but it stays there--yeah--forever--i wonder if anyone ever told Flogging Molly to remove their shamrocks
OEZ: What is your recording process like? Do you record in a home studio?
Steve: Pathetically, YES--I GOT A KORG D-1600 2002 model--a bit obselete by today's standards--but perfect for me. i first arm tracks 3-4 and 7-8 for the rhythm bass and beat machine--i can only do this in daylight because i'm reading the lyrics in my head as i'm playing the chords. then i use 9-10 for lead vocals before the tracks get too cluttered and then 15-16 for backing vocals if any--then 5 for the regular bass- and 6 for additional bass--11 for flutes, happy flutes, recorders and whistles, 12 for the melodica , 13 for the trombone and shahnais , shofars, bombards, chanters and the like--and 14 for manual beats and accents and stuff--hit record button from 'input' to 'bounce' mix it down and burn it to a cd==all in 30 minutes--yeah!!YES--I GOT A KORG D-1600 2002 model--a bit obselete by today's standards--but perfect for me. i first arm tracks 3-4 and 7-8 for the rhythm bass and beat machine--i can only do this in daylight because i'm reading the lyrics in my head as i'm playing the chords. then i use 9-10 for lead vocals before the tracks get too cluttered and then 15-16 for backing vocals if any--then 5 for the regular bass- and 6 for additional bass--11 for flutes, happy flutes, recorders and whistles, 12 for the melodica , 13 for the trombone and shahnais , shofars, bombards, chanters and the like--and 14 for manual beats and accents and stuff--hit record button from 'input' to 'bounce' mix it down and burn it to a cd==all in 30 minutes--yeah!!
OEZ: What are your thoughts on the Middle East situation and the Arab/Israeli conflict? Any ideas for a solution?
Steve: Pathetically, BASICALLY IT'S ALL SPELLED OUT IN THE EARLY PARTS Of the Bible--the Arabs and Jews are clearly brothers--we have the same father, Abraham but different mothers-Sarah for the Jews and Hagar for the Arabs--the feuding began with the conception of Ishmael and never ended. and the next part is that in Numbers 33 and a bit more abstractly in Ezekiel 48--the boundaries of the Hebrew land is given--and it is quite spacious--but there comes a caveat--this will be yours if you remain obedient to the L-RD. the solution in theory is easy--the Hebrews must review their ways--one by one and replace where they're disobedient with obedience--than you will be keeping that side of the Covenant and all the rewards for blessing will come to fruition
OEZ: You seem to be very open about your struggles with depression. How do feel sharing such personal things with your audiences effects your fans?
Steve: Basicalliy I GET STRICKEN BADLY EVERY 15 YEARS. in 1975 i had a real para-suicide and in 1990 i just felt it--last year--if i was younger and stupider i wouldn't be here--it was so intense and so long-lasting. and when i came-to i needed to tell the world about it--and that was the MELANCHOLIA FALLING album. since my character dies at the end--i included a warning on the album saying that you need not suffer through depression--seek help and you will still be here--as i am. depression is the price you pay for sensitivity and creativity--it's a better than even exchange
OEZ: Do you perform live? If so, where can people see you and what might they expect from your live performances?
Steve: whenever i get real work--it's a one-time shot--i get therer , play a great show, everybody loves me--but i didn't bring enough people down-so i'm out. so i play the open mic's epecially the one at the Vintage Lounge in Levittown NY. i've been doing that since oct 2004. although the booking agent for the club once derided me on myspace--i still managed to book 2 shows there--they really seem to like me--but it's all good--i got some video's on myspace capturing my performances.
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