The Quadrajets

The Quadrajets are one of the hottest garage bands around, featuring ex-members of Teenage Caveman, Insect Syren, and Man Or Astroman?. This interview was conducted via e-mail with all four members of the band during the month of September, 1996.

Sean: How long have The Quadrajets been around?

Eric Truitt: Too long.

CDW: I think the current line-up has been together for about a year and a half. The 'Jets have been around for at least 2.5 years.

Sean: Where and when was your first show?

CDW: Can't remember clearly. Either in the kitchen of Stuart E's Memorial coliseum, where I climbed on top of the rig and did a Pete Townsend into the adoring audience, or Montgomery, AL with Man Or Astroman?. One of my best friends and his wife met there. That's what The 'Jets are all about - spreading joy.

ET: Sadly enough, Montgomery, Alabama, in June or July of 1994.

JJJ: Yeah, it was Montgomery, AL. It was quite a performance. I fell down during the first verse of "Queen of the Twist" and knocked my guitar completely out of tune. For some reason I kept playing the song. It was pretty crazy.

J.T. "Bam Bam" Sharp: The lunchroom of Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama. May or June of 1971. It was the Allman Brothers. The original lineup. I was actually in my mother's womb at the time- but i feel that i was deeply affected by the 15 minute version of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed." that is what made me wanna rock. Oh, the first show of The Quadrajets? My first appearance with these guys was at the National Guard Armory in Auburn a coupla years ago. I wore a wrestling mask.

Sean: What was the first song you came up with?

CDW: "Queen of the Twist" or "Let's Go To Outer Space".

ET: Collectively? "She's Got Tattoos".

Sean: How many releases do you have out so far?

CDW: Two full lengths, "When I Lay My Burden Down" and "Alabama Hip Shake". We also have five singles and are on two comps, "Happy Birthday Baby Jesus" and "Dickheads, A Tribute To Dick Dale".

Sean: Do you have any plans to produce a video for all of the MTV kids out there?

ET: We already have! They're just not worthy to see it yet.

CDW: It features footage shot in the original Bat Cave. The video is for "Let's Go To Outer Space" and will be a part of an upcoming Sympathy For The Record Industry video comp.

JJJ: We all got to stand around and through dirt at Chet while he mimed the lyrics in slow motion and had mirrors reflecting sunlight into his face. The Quadrajets are always workin' overtime for Rock-n-Roll.

JTS: Doing a video is not an illustrious task. It sucks having to play or act like you are playing a song for 8 or 9 hours and then see it compressed into 2 and a half minutes of footage. It's pretty cool to see the finished product. As far as MTV goes, I would be proud to see our video on Beavis and Butthead.

Sean: What is your favorite cocktail?

CDW: Without a doubt, Jack and Coke.

JJJ: Agreed. Although Gin and Tonic is pretty good.

ET: Never touch the stuff.

JTS: Anything with milk in it. I'm a growing boy you know, and milk does a body good. Pass it on.

Sean: Do you have plans of world domination?

ET: Who do you think made you ask that question?

CDW: Yes, I will allow complete individual freedom. However, tomatoes will be banned.

JJJ: The Quadrajet shock troop training is in progress as we speak. Can't say anymore right now, but soon you will know. Soon you all will know.

JTS: Upon world domination, I will set up a system of world wide radio station which will be played in all public places. Only Grand Funk Railroad, Thin Lizzy, Mountain, AC/DC, and the complete SST catalog of 1988 will be played.

Sean: Name a meal you can cook in 5 minutes.

CDW: Scrambled eggs and cheese.

JJJ: The best garlic bread in the world. (Sad to say it's not my recipe)

ET: 5 cans of Spaghetti-Os.

JTS: Hog's head cheese sandwich, instant grits, pickled watermelon rind, fried bologna or Spam, hog knuckles, and cornbread. sweet tea too. Can't forget that. Quick and greasy. Damn, now i'm hungry.

Sean: Tell me about any unusual occurances you have had at your shows.

ET: An unusual occurance at one of our shows would be when there are no unusual occurances.

CDW: I almost set Bam Bam's beard on fire one night. I was drinking PGA and spittin' fire. Try it at home.

JJJ: The audiences throw so much alcohol at us nowadays that that's not really that unusual. The drive shaft falling out of the van while driving through Memphis TN was fairly unusual.

JTS: Yeah, that Chet is a funny guy. Aside from the three ring circus that some people know as The Quadrajets, we've seen some crazy shit. People throwing kegs onstage, which resulted in Robert doing a solo on top of it, balancing and doing his best circus bear imitation, walking it all over. Drunken old construction workers singing onstage with us or swinging pool cues around. Jamming with Eric Clapton in Corpus Christi, Texas. The never ending parade of psychos, bums, and freaks that seem to have both increased in number and lost their spiritual guidance since Jerry Garcia died - following us around the country in packs and scaring us to death. We had a feed the homeless tour where we got so tired of our cold canned Spaghetti-O's that we started giving to people that were spare changing. That resulted in a near altercation with a crazy who swore that he played with the Rolling Stones and wanted to play with us. When we told him no he gave us a song to show his vocal ability and kept pulling on his throat, snapping it outta place. Luckily, the head of his "family" took him away and they asked us if we needed a place to stay and that we were welcome in their "bivouac" in the woods. We ended up hanging out with them for several more hours, waiting for the club to open - hearing their stories and watching one of them chase around a giant grasshopper that he intended to eat. Not to mention the usual amount of people rolling around in their own vomit. Onstage, in the bathroom, and in our van. Oh yeah - and our roadie, Colonel Tim Hokett, shitting in his pants several times and "forgetting about it."

 Sean: What are your favorite songs to perform live?

 ET: The hits.

 CDW: "She Likes It" and "Bad Muthafuckin' Bitch"

JJJ: "Automatic Knife" is fun too. "She Likes It" is always good when we've got Big Bwana Jim Stacy blowin' harp. We're supposed to re-record that soon with him playing harp. A friend of ours who runs a label in Florida is going to put it out.

JTS: "Freebird" by Lynrd Skynrd.

Sean: What is your favorite Frank Sinatra song?

CDW: The one for Sammy's people.

ET: "The Candy Man" can.

JJJ: "I've Got You Under My Skin".

JTS: His version of "Anything Goes" tears me up everytime.

Sean: What are your plans for the rest of 1996?

JTS: Learn to play the guitar or enroll in truck driving school.

CDW: I wanna live.

JJJ: Plans? I plan on making the rest of '96 easy like Sunday morning.

ET: Party like it's 1996.

Sean: Do you have any final words for the readers of The Continental?

CDW: Rock-n-Roll will never die.

JJJ: Rock-n-Roll ain't noise pollution

JTS: Remember to check and change your oil. It's the life of your car. Check out our web page and send us nekkid pictures.

ET: Quit reading and go out and do something with your so-called-life.

For more info on this rock n' roll combo, surf on over to their website at: http://www.negia.net/~zeno/

Click here to return to main page.