Redd Kross

You make your first record as seven-year-olds, retire at 10, and go on to become pop rock legends and international movie stars. This is the story of REDD KROSS and, as Ray Zell discovers, it only gets really strange when the drummer heads off to Mexico to find a worm...

WE ALL know that pop is cool again. But tell it to Redd Kross, mate. Founder members of the LA band, guitarist/vocalist Jeffrey McDonald and his younger sibling, guitarist/vocalist Steven, have been dabbling with variations of the fizzy formula since the mid-'70s, their tiny minds having been blown away by the psychodrama of Kiss, The Runaways and The Ramones. A heady cocktail for a nine and six-year-old.

Still, despite being hailed as the perfect pop rock tunesmiths, and having everyone from The Wildhearts to 3 Colours Red to Stone Temple Pilots acknowledge their genius, Redd Kross have never been within sneezing distance of a hit single. So what can the brothers McDonald do but laugh at the irony, release yet another record that will reap them further critical aclaim and hope that this is just the one to finally turn them into overnight sensations?

That record is 'Show World', the band's sixth album. With it's obliagatory Beatlesesque tones, it's comparitively lighter than it's predecessor, '93's 'Phaseshifter', capturing the more stripped down sound that Jeff and Steve perhaps wished they'd opted for on their 'classic '91 album, 'Third Eye'. It also saw the departure of the band's legendary keyboard player, Gere Fennelly, for a career in movie soundtracks. Which leafves Jeff, Steve and 'Phaseshifter' -era recruits Ed Kurdziel (guitar) and Brian Reitzell (drums) to join Kerrang! in a London cafe to journey through their band's brilliantly bizarre career...

ORIGINALLY CALLED The Tourists, the Red Cross and finally Redd Kross, just what were the McDonalds getting off on in their pimply pre-teens?

"We enjoyed punk rock," begins Jeff. "Rock 'n' roll. The Beatles. And we were able to play punk rock. So we conned our parents into getting us electric instruments, and we started writing songs.

"Our first EP was recorded in '79. We were 10 and seven. it was very Ramones-influenced punk rock. It was put out by one of the first LA indie labels, Posh Boy, and it was a local hit."

"And then we retired," grins Steven. At 12 and 15 we became disillusioned with the rock 'n' roll world. Then we reformed."

Jeffrey: "In '81 we recorded our first album, "Born Innocent." We were kind of coerced into doing it by this stoner guy from the Valley. He would always give us bags of pot to record. We actually made a record not realising we were making a record while we were making it!"

"Curiously, I have more vivid memories attached to that record than any other, cos there was so much turmoil going on. Our other guitar player at the time, Tracy, was so insecure about her playing that she used to cry all the time. But we needed her because she had this trashy klunkity-klunk sound that no one else in the world has. Even to this day... But Ed's neve cried."

Redd Kross split up again after 'Born Innocent'. Then reformed once more.

"It wasn't till '84 that we made another record - 'Teen Babes From Monsanto'," continues Jeff. "At the time, the line-up was just Steven, myself and a drummer. And it was all cover songs, like Stooges and Shangri Las. Our parents loaned us a couple of thousand dollars to make it."

AFTER 'TEEN Babes From Monsanto', another split/ reformation interface. The third 'Kross reformation came in 1987 and herladed the 'Neurotica' album.

"That record was our getting-it-all-together phase," insists Jeff. "We started to become more serious as a band."

For their next masterpiece, the band signed to US indie label Enigma. Their lebelmates were and LA glam band called Poison, who were a matter of months away from becoming million-selling superstars.

"Oh god," gasps Steve, "I remember we went into the office of the president of Enigma and said, 'Poison are never gonna do anything - they suck'. Six months later, gee, were we red-faced!'

The deadly duo's move was more unpredictable. They became film stars, in a long-lost movie called "Spirit of '76'.

"It was a time travel piece." explains Steve. "Imagine Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure' but with us in it..."

Which brings us to 1990 and the making of 'Third Eye', Redd Kross' first major label record. At the band's recent London Borderline gig, people were demanding they play tracks from 'Third Eye'.

"Well," erupts Jeff, "that record must have only sold 50 copies in the UK, so how does anybody even know those songs?"

Did Ed or Brian buy 'Third Eye'?

"Yes, I did," claims Brian, finger raised.

"But only as research for your rehersal," snaps Jeffrey.

Brian: "Pearl Jam's Jack Irons was playing with them at the time, but I knew they needed a new drummer as Jack was only a hired hand. Originally Steve didn't want me, because I wasn't funky enough."

"I had no idea Brian had been harbouring this resentment all these years," gasps Steve, with mock horror.

GERE FENNELLY joined the 'Kross at the same time as Brian. Kurdziel quickly followed, tipped off to a vacancy in the ranks by his girlfriend.

"I didn't realise you and Gere started the same day," Jeff says to Brian.

"Every time we do this kind of interview you say the same thing," Brian says to Jeff.

"And then," says Steven, "we did 'Phaseshifter', and that's when some of your readers might have become familiar with us."

It was a pretty heavy record, wasn't it?

"It was a heavy duty record, yeah," nods Jeff. "We should give Eddie some credit... But then, he was so tired of playing disco from his session gig with Irene Cara from 'Fame'."

And 'Show World'?

"Originally, (Stone Temple Pilots bassist) Robert DeLeo came in and did some tracks with us," says Jeff, "but we decided we wanted to do it ourselves. It was a long process, but it sounds really good. Gere was on a third of it. It still feels weird, being on a trip without her."

'Show World' was supposed to be released last August, to coincide with Redd Kross' appearance on the K! Stage at Donnington '96 . Both were subsequently cancelled.

"I had glandular fever,' explains Jeff, "and Brian had a broken ankle."

"Luckily, it was at the same time," says Steven, with an interesting slant on what's passing for 'luck' these days.

"I went to Mexico in seacrh of a worm," adds Brian cryptically. "But my ankle's okay now, except it hurts when it's cold. So it hurts all the time when I'm here..."

WHICH BRINGS us up to date. Save for Jeff, Steve and Brian's performance in the Matt Dillon's new film, 'Grace Of My Heart', playing members of his band.

"It's about a chick who write pop songs in the '60's," says Jeff. "It didn't have a wide release in the US, but it got critical acclaim."

"Still, it will be playing on aeroplanes. Can you imagine, I can go walk around the plane and hang around by the screen."

"Can you imagine the superstardom?!" screeches Steven.

"It's amazing," grins Jeff. "I even have with me the same shirt I wore in the movie..."

"More amazingly," interjects Ed, "I have the same shoes with me that I wore to the theatre to watch you three in the movie..."

Redd Kross: crazy name, crazy guys.

By: Ray Zell