ZZIV: ALL THINGS ZIM ZUM: Interviews: The Kiddie Grinder

The Kiddie Grinder - Zim Zum Interview
This interview with Zim Zum is probably one of the highlights of my life, talking with one of my "rock star heros".
Here Zim Zum talks about Marilyn Manson, leaving Marilyn Manson, life after, and his new band "Ultra Fag"

This interview is used with permission from The Kiddie Grinder(deadsouls.com/mm) - please get the prior expressed consent of The Kiddie Grinder if you want to use it! Thank you!

1. Was the new 'glam rock' image of Marilyn Manson ever discussed, did you guys sit down and say: "this is the new direction of the band"?

ZZ: I think as a band we gravitated toward it,bringing in the glam rock influences that really had always been there. The music was quite different than what people had come to expect and we knew we could pretty much do anything we wanted in the position we were in. I felt the focus should have been more on the music (less on image) but the final decision on how far it would go was MM's call.
2.What were the terms of leaving Marilyn Manson?

ZZ:It was friendly when I left . There was no reason why it should'nt have been. I think the press around it (with a new album only weeks away)pushed for something more dramatic than what it really was.I went to chicago for two weeks without telling anyone (except Pogo) I needed to think about how I felt about what I was doing and where it was going.I decided that my work on Mechanical Animals was enough for me and I wanted to spend some time playing with other musicians and expanding on the writing I was already doing. It seemed to me the desire was just not there. I felt like I was always looking over my shoulder trying to protect myself from people that I thought were my friends, everyone really seemed to be melting into the Hollywood scene and I needed to get back to what really mattered.....me.So I went back to LA and sat down with MM (the man, not the band) and he knew before I even said anything.I wanted to leave the band and remain friends rather than stay and have it be twisted into a drug-fueled version of the relationship we had.
3. Since you parted ways with M.M., you have worked with alot of people, who were some of them, and who would you like to work with in the future?

ZZ:Well within a week of leaving, I had alot of offers to do a wide variety of things.A remix for the song "Got the life" by KoRn. A friend of mine (Josh Abraham) was producing it and asked if I wanted to come down and work on it...so I did.There was alot of behind the scenes drama with that..the masters were stolen and released to kroq and within a matter of a week and a half the song was #1 most requested in LA... which was weird because "dope show" was #2 and the original song by korn was #3...so.....from there worked on a song with Elijah Blue and Cher..that one also came from being friends with Elijah and him asking me to play guitar on a cover of "Crimson and Clover" for the soundtrack to "A walk on the Moon".From there I did one of the most regretable things I've ever done...wrote a song for Leif Garrett, who in turn stole most of the equipment I had in the studio...enough said.Visit Entertainment Tonights page for more "Teen Idol smokes crack".
4. If you could go back, would you still have joined M.M.?

ZZ: Absolutlely.
5. So you're now in a new band, can you elaborate on the details of the band. (i.e. members,direction,etc...)

ZZ: The core of the band is myself doing all of the instruments and recording and Xavior T. Bisanze ( X ) doing the vocals. The band is called ULTRA FAG and this band is EXACTLY what I had in mind when leaving MM. Creativity from every angle, anything goes, no set style of music, just plug in and see what happens.Well 58 songs happened in less than 2 months. Describing the overall style of music is difficult. It has an electronica side to it but it clashes with acoustic guitars and very different melodies,there are riddiculously heavy songs with speaker blowing volume and trance like vocals and even some piano based songs. It's something you really have to hear.

6. With your new band "Ultra Fag", who is the main song writer/lyric writer?

ZZ: I am the one who comes up with the music then gives it and usually a basic vocal to X and he adds one of his multiple personalities to it.
7. What are tour plans looking like?

ZZ: Right now, while dealing with labels,we have only considered doing one or two shows in Chicago with the posibility of them being broadcast via an official website.
8. As for label consideration, did Nothing Records ever cross your mind?

ZZ: Yes.

9. What is some of the music that influenced you to do what you do?

ZZ: I think since I can remember music has always been a large part of my life.When I was a kid, my mom was into really good music (although at the time I didnt realise how good) like Pink floyd, david bowie,the beatles and the rolling stones.I got a very usefull piece of advice from a friend when I first started playing guitar (age 13)...he said dont bother learning songs by Quiet Riot, learn songs by THE BEATLES and LED ZEP and the ROLLING STONES...though it was difficult as a kid who just wanted to play "Rock you like a Hurricane" it turned out to be one of the best pieces of advice EVER. I love bands like QUEEN and T-REX as well as BRIAN ENO and ROXY MUSIC.The melodies that Elvis Costello comes up with never cease to amaze me and of course MICK RONSON (bowies guitarist that left bowie at the height of fame......)
10. What was your childhood like? Where you ever picked on for whatever reason, and if you were do you think your stonger because of it?

ZZ: Yes my childhood was interesting, dad left when I was too young to have an image of him in my head, my mom had a string of interesting boy-friends and it was left to my grandmother "Grace" to be the responsible one.I went to private schools and an almost all black high school until my senior year when i switched to a public school blocks from my house.I remember playing a talent show in high school where we were the only "white" act and we played "Sweet Leaf" by OZZY, needless to say we didnt win.i was always a trouble maker looking for a different way to approach things and the result was usually being in trouble or getting my ass kicked. Everything I did I would do the same way again because it was in search of finding a way to leave reality behind and approach life like it were an Andy Warhol painting....I am definetly stronger and more willing to take creative risk's because of my colorful and sometimes dark childhood.
11. Are you happy with the way your life is now?

ZZ: Without a doubt YES.
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