When did you come up with the idea of a traveling caravan of musicians?
As a child and throughout my life, I have been a traveler, a hitchhiker, and an explorer.  I also have an overactive imagination and a gypsie's soul.

Are you and Hope the only original members still in Apox?
We are the heart and soul of  Apox, but other members have been with us for quite a spell, and they have helped shape our future.

 How do you go about recruiting new members into the fold?  Do people  come to you or vice versa?
We don't actually recruit, usually we are approached, although we have asked certain past/future members if they would like to perform locally with us, or when we pass through where-ever they live.  It gives both sides a chance to feel out the energy. Sometimes it takes a year before a new member joins, but some have actually packed up and left it all behind in days before.Usually, that is not the rule, for mutal concerns. But magic happens.

From the time that you conceived the idea to when you first went on the  road with it, how much time passed?
The idea was always in my head but it didn't start to materialize until 1995.

Were you in other bands before Apocalypse Theatre?
In the late 80's I was in a band that played a strange kind of metal. I enjoyed it. I was the only darksider in the band, and my lyrics freaked them out sometimes, but they were my friends. Tragedy and death spelled its demise. A sad time for me.

How much planning goes into the live shows?
The shows evolve with the cast and crew. Sometimes we have a soundman, sometimes we have one, two, or even three performers off-stage, and sometimes we do the smoke and lights routine. Once in a while we pull out all the props and tricks, and just burn.

Do you enjoy the whole recording process of the band?  Do you have any  live tapes or videos?  Have you chronicled a tour?
Yes, to all three questions. I have not really edited the video, and don't know when I will.

How important is fan interaction to Apocalypse Theatre? Is it important?
It's a thrill, its magic when it happens, we don't try to force it but we leave bait. We have done live industrial percussion circles as part of the floor show, we have passed out fireworks, and served cake and icecream, we have made these funerals a happy place, and witnessed SMILES, even fucking LAUGHTER! And if that offends some goths..well, to quote Nirvana "nevermind".

How did you hook up with Hope in the beginning?
Our budget allows it. Death brought us together. The 2nd casualty of a motrcycle accident and a mutual friend lay in a coma. Our visits to the hospital eventually led to a friendship and this band. In the begining Apox was more of a theatre troupe doing musicals, something I want to eventually revive.

Has her role in the band evolved over time or has she always done everything she does now?
She started out writing lyrics and playing then started singing and evenually became the bands manager/booking agent and group psychiatrist. Everyone usually turns to Hope if they need an opinion about love or family and they usually turn to me when its about aliens, or ghost, or prophecy type stuff. Just like we turn to mike if something is broken, or Aarti if we feel sick, everyhas a special interest, even if its just someone to talk to when everyone is asleep and your driving. Vertigo was always good at talking for hours and it was a good thing.

How do songs typically get written?  Is it between roadswings or do you manage to write on the road.  Who writes all of the music?
Usually I write on the road with my accoustic and off the road with electronics and a 2nd guitarist. Sometimes ideas emerge at rehearsals that eventually lead me to program a song. I am the main writer, but not all of the ideas come from me, and Hope writes half the lyrics.

 I hear you stay with fans city by city...how do you hook up with people  in order to have a place to stay?
We also camp out  and if we really have no other choice stay in a hotel, but for the most part we have a network of friends,(some are X-members/part timers) who are always happy to support us and we do our best to do the same. Once a member another band joined us. I didn't want to say no, and I didn't want to say yes. I didn't want anyone to hurt. Plus, there was a relationship going on.  Sometimes the drama can be overwhelming in Apox. I mean with up to 22 friends and band members out on the road the ingredients for soap operas are fucking insane! Anyway, we try to do the right thing, but sometimes it's out of our control. We inspire freedom and usually I am quite proud of that.

How did the whole deal come about with Hollows Hill?
There was dispute, I wanted to stay independant and Hope wanted to seek help. We both had our supporters. The debate raged on for over a year, and eventually hard times helped me understand her point. Hollows Hill was the perfect choice, and I am starting to learn to communicate with them as friends. They are just following a dream as well.

What is the traveling shop of horrors?
Thats another term for our gypsy style vending booth that travels with us. Its actually called The Medicine Show, and it carries zines, and crafts, and fashion, and a large assortment of bones and scary items plus our musical product. With its own lights and candles it can sometimes look like a shop of horrors. We don't alays set it up, depends on time and the venue.

What does the band travel in?  Do you travel with all eight members of the caravan?
We have had up to 2 vans, a car, a jeep, and a bus before but we could not afford that for long. So now until better times we are in two vans. But we have two other vehicles waiting to join us when the budget permits.

About how many people have come and gone since the beginning of Apox?  Do you keep in touch with those people?  Do people come and go during the whole touring process?
About 40-45 people have been a part of this and about half of them are still in contact. Some still work with us in different ways and others have a open door policy. Sometimes people burn out on the road and quit, it sucks but I do understand. Its not for everyone, and it can be stressful with all the police encounters, the mechanical failures, and the financial hardships. Its hard to support such a large operation.

Is Apocalypse Theatre your family?  It sounds like a really tight group in which no one is any more important than anyone else?  How long does it take someone to get fully assimilated into the collective?
Well, I wish it were true musically, but as friends everyone is equal. If a divisive issue rises up too many times and a vote will not solve the situation, Me or Hope become dictators. Sometimes the dreaded band meetings are called for the no other reason than to bitch and moan. Anyone can call one, and everyone who wants to be an equal must attend. There is nothing to be assimilated by, but after a while this lifestyle seperates you from most of society, even the fringe groups like Gothic & Punk are sometimes secondary to our pirate/gypsy mindset.

What gets published on Apocalypse Press?
Nothing as of recentlly. We can't seem to maintain a base of operations. So the presses have stopped! In the past we released The Pain Scriptures, Zine X, a poetry book, Ascension Soliliquy, and our first CD Angry Angels. We pressed a 1000 zine X's and  at least 2000 tapes which we sold and distributed.  We have plans to do at least two new publications but our travel plans come first. We need a partner dedicated to this to assist us in that facet of our dream.

How difficult is it keeping everything financially afloat?
At some points we spread ourselves too thin, and now we are suffering for it. I hope we can repair the damage soon, so we can try to incorporate others more often and do all the other stuff we have been planning.

Any chance that some of the old stuff may eventually get pressed on to CD?
I am actually working with another individual on that right now. I am also trying to record our splinter project The Messengers which is me and a new member doing dark accoustic/electronic material. Splinter groups are also part of what we do. The title track of our CD Cain or an Open Vein was born during our tour as Masonic Monsters where we did a four piece punk band in the Misfits fashion. That was refreshing and fun! My name was Venus and Hope was Starlene. We modified the song and kept it after that tour was over.

What inspired you to record The Xperiments?
Yikes, I think that was the result of everymember and every friend in our circle having some desire to create, plus I wanted to just compile a bizzarre tape. I still have that master..Some of it sucks so bad, but some of it was so wierd its rather cool. I might press it to CD one day. It has spoken word by Clint Catalyst and a hypnosis regression therapy session with an X-member who may have been abducted. The music was left of center, very strange.

How many of your songs revolve around the Apocalypse?  It seems that over time, this theme is handled more directly in your lyrics?
Oh, it really depends on the song. Some songs are just stabs at different aspects of different scenes, others are are deep and meaningfull love experiences put to music, and then there are the paranoid visions and realities I usually put to music. Oh, and Hope has this theme going on with sex and profanity.

Do you think that's where the world is headed?  If anything is going to be at the core of the world heading in this direction, what do you think it is?
I have a lot of opinions about the state of the nation, the world, and our human souls. Anyone who wants to share words with me over coffee, will probably be entertained at first and then bored to tears. In other words, I can babble about the apocalypse forever. We live in troubled times, its seems to be out of control, sometimes too big to think about. It might be a big bang, or a whimper, or just a slow evolution towards genetic and computerized manipulated humanity. The stage is set for all kinds of novels to come true and tommorow's child will see our fears the way we view the fears of others towards the internet or the way elvis shocked the world with his pelvis, and now we have vampire rock. "whatever"

Why did you name the band Apocalypse Theatre?
It fit the mindset, I was into politics, and horror movies, dark music, and was living in Wash.DC the murder capital .

What was your educational background growing up?
I went to highschool in Madrid Spain, and to college for a little while in Maryland. Hope went college in Wash.DC

Future CDs?  When does the caravan hit the road again?
We are planning to write and record some of our next CD in the desert at The Burning Man Festival. Part of the band is on the road now. The whole troupe joins us in May.

Now that you know when they will be hitting the highways again, you can keep an eye out for them...maybe even give them a place to sleep if you see them.  This is a great band and a great bunch of people.  Go buy Cain or an Open Vein at your indie record store right now.  You will not be disappointed.