Interview done with Rob Davidson with Wally via email and phone in September 2005.

Rob

Wally, we haven’t heard much from you over here (Cananda) in the last 18 months. What’s happening with Stomach Inc?

Wally

To be honest, nobody’s heard anything at all because nothing’s happened!!! An enforced sabbatical I suppose, I’m still living in Sweden and its still poxy hard to arrange getting back to Dublin. But saying that, I’m stupendously busy with other shit at the moment so Stomach has been put on the back burner.

Rob

But new Stomach Inc. stuff will happen?

Wally

I should hope so! I’ve a heap of songs written, and I’m sure Damo has as well so all that’s really needed is getting back to Dublin, getting into the studio and rocking the fuck out! To be honest it would be a travesty if we didn’t!

Rob

So what’s have the three of you been up to?

Wally

Damo and Dave are playing in a band called Roosky. Dave was also rocking out with Mr. Blueface while Damo was supposed to start up another band with someone… I can't remember who… and I’m not quite sure if it got off the ground…

As for me, work is ticking along and I've a few other bits and bobs going on. Plenty of time being spent on getting a small recording studio together here in Sweden. I’m also about 60% done on writing the greatest Death Metal album of all time, which so far has taken 2 and a half years to write. I’ve a fucking ton of other songs ready to go as well… which is why I’m trying to get this studio together!

Rob

Your own studio, very nice?

Wally

Well… when I say studio what I really mean is a cheap glorified computer in a small room with heaps of stolen gadgetry! But it suits me… and that’s all that matters! But its been a thing that I should’ve tried to do a few years back. It costs a lot and I do not have access to much money, so its coming along very slowly. My poor working class background and all that shit, not like you you bollox! Nice job and “Daddy” is always there for a loan!

Rob

We’ll skip that last comment! Are you still doing the record distribution? Any good Irish or Swedish acts we should know about?

Wally

I still do the distribution/promotion stuff but I’m pretty much sticking with the same people I’ve been doing stuff with for the last couple of years. Freelance kind of stuff, working as part of a team with other people, I also like to work on projects where the music and the artists are the most important thing. A trend that is dying to be honest! More and more bands, from small independent to large major label acts, are being forced to record albums that follow a marketing plan. Fuck that, I want to do shit where music is the most important thing.

Rob

Where music is the most important thing, I hear you. I’ve read a lot of articles lately that sees independent bands and labels not happy with the business end of things. Money issues are dominating and I'm a bit sick of hearing about the economics, what’s your take?

Wally

I've read those things as well, and it is true that financial problems are dominating but I'd rather read about the music!!! I'll freely admit I used to complain a lot about the financial side of things but that was because of the hammerings we took financially… But to be honest, running an independent music project is a very, very tough game. I mean most independent labels are run on a pittance and you're up against massive multi-national companies who have seemingly endless budgets.

File sharing seems to get a lot of the blame, I personally don't share that opinion. Traditionally alternative and indie style music has come from independent labels but the major labels have got their mitts in there… big time. I'm not sure what its like in Canada but the majors have really concentrated on "mid-price" CDs that are a lot cheaper than new releases and they have really cleaned up in that area…

Rob

… The mid-price campaign has really, really kicked in over here. It's like a never ending list of stuff you can get for half the price of a new album!!!

Wally

I picked up 4 Thin Lizzy CDs, there certainly some really good stuff to pick up…

Rob

You said you took some financial hammerings. How much did you lose? How tough was that?

Wally

I wouldn’t say I’ve lost much compared to some people, and to be honest I’m not going to say how much! But it is a lot! But I am by no means the only one! You know as well as I do that a lot of great labels, especially in North America, got creamed due to the post 9/11 thing and the supposed downloading excuse. The last 3 or 4 years have been very, very hard for small labels and distributors. But saying that we (Praxis) got through it! We had some big successes to offset the big losses, mostly by acting as a freelance on bigger projects. There are also some web projects that we worked on that really worked out well. Kept the fucking bank at bay in any case.

But saying allllllllll that, a lot of people who love music and realize the need for the business side of thing HAVE come together to make good labels and represent really good bands.

My biggest debts were caused by my own inexperience of dealing with fucking money grabbing scumbags.

Rob

Care to name anyone?

Wally

Not really, no, but they know how they are. They know why I stopped dealing with them and they know I don’t like them. In fact I can assure you the feelings mutual.

Rob

So would the potential of a loss shy you away from a project in the future?

Wally

It depends. Not really. The music always comes first. ALWAYS. I have to like something before I'll commit myself. I also need to think the band, label, distributor is on the level and if all that’s OK, the business end of things will look after itself… I know I will never be "well off" doing this shit, but to earn "just below the average industrial wage" and keep doing what I do suits me fine. Fuck the rat-race, I fucking hate living 9-5.

… To be honest, in most new projects I go into, I'd expect to make a financial loss… It's just the way things are. If a band from wherever sends me a demo and the demo is good, we’ll try and get involved, regardless of costs. But if the same band suddenly take on a manager who has no experience of how shit works, we run into dead ends and debts! It's common…

Some projects I don't touch. If a solicitor (lawyer to you) or accountant gets in touch regards something it's immediately binned. Solicitors and accountants buy Sting and Phil Collin's albums…

Rob

You don’t believe in building contacts then Wally!!!

Wally

Fuck all that contact shit. “You’ve got to build up your contacts!”. I can completely understand why it happens but its not me. If often comes down to having to be pleasant to someone you don’t like.

Rob

Any thing else?

Wally

Stomach wise, website will be updated soooooooooooooooon www.stomachinc.com and if you feel the urge www.praxisireland.com might have something for certain people! Look after yourself Rob…

Rob

Thanks Wally

Wally

Thanks Rob, talk to you soon and all the best….