THE DEATH SET ARE THE LIFE OF THE PARTY: JOHNNY SIERA INTERVIEW.
BY MATT DIXON, NOVEMBER 2011. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MILES TSANG | MILESTSANG.COM

The Death Set are one of those bands you'd just love to follow around with a video camera documenting every living moment of their lives. Thankfully they have set up a ~vimeo channel~ to give us a glimpse into their partying ways. I put on a show for these fellows in my hometown of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island back in '08. To this day it stands up as one of the wildest things I've ever witnessed. Imagine one hundred kids packed into a tiny basement going ape-shit, hanging from the ceiling and losing their minds. This is not at all uncommon for The Death Set. How they're still doing it blows my mind. When these guys die I hope they donate their bodies to science. Until then, we'll all enjoy losing our minds to The Death Set!

The following interview was originally conducted in 2008 just before The Death Set destroyed my hometown.

MATT: What are some of the things you try to communicate through your music?

JOHNNY SIERA: First and foremost, I want people to get psyched and have fun. For me that is what it's all about. Some of the songs are that solely whilst others are more personal and honest. I'm not scared to write both. But overall it definitely has an underlying sense of positivity.

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MATT: It would be an understatement to say that you've toured quite a bit in the past; what is your favourite show situation?

JOHNNY SIERA : Yeah I've tried to get out as much as possible. The best show for me is playing at a house or DIY space where the promoter knows whats up. A lot of people have good intentions but don't know how to run a show. For example passing a hat for donations after a show is bullshit. A show needs to have a door price for it to be valued in a punters head. But... pheeeeww... Now thats off my chest. I love playing house or warehouse shows where the kids at the show know or have looked up your band and sing along and smile and it is just so much fun. Certain cities like Kalamazoo Michigan where people would laugh at you when you tell them that their scene rules so much harder than DC because they all really care and are the best. I love playing with my friends bands first and foremost of course. Particularly my friends bands from Bmore and Brooklyn.

MATT: Any interesting road/tour stories you'd like to share?

JOHNNY SIERA : Tour is very much more a kind of work horse more than a Red Hot Chilli Peppers style girls and drugs type thing. We rely on ourselves only out on the road so we have to keep it on a sustainable level. I do luuuurve to party though and love hanging out and meeting new awesome people. I love sleeping in the Detroit Scrummage blow up castle they inflate for us every time we visit.

Ohh I guess here is one... it kind of happened just before tour though.

I almost died in a bicycle accident last year. My friends found me face down, Jesus Christ pose with blood oozing out of head. It was pretty bad. I was so concussed and my friends were freaking out but instead of keeping me awake they gave me a bunch of sleeping pills. When they realized I should be kept awake they stayed with me all night (bless em) and they said I would only stay awake if they played The Clash and if they even turned it down a little I would freak out.

My face was so busted up and I had to go on a month long tour in a week or so, so I wore a bandanna and all our crew at the send off show with Spankrock wore one too in support. It was pretty awesome. I got a gold tooth out of it...

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MATT: Favourite dance party song?

JOHNNY SIERA: I know it's cheesy but I can't stop listening to that Swedish Pop song "Young Folks" by Peter, Bjorn and John.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PHOTOGRAPHER MILES TSANG
| MILESTSANG.COM |

PARTY ON WITH THE DEATH SET
GO TO THEDEATHSET.COM

Feeling down in the dumps in his second year of university Matt Dixon took things into his own hands and started to interview bands, put on little shows throughout his native Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and started this little webzine that could. He likes to listen to rad records and watch films at Charlottetown's only art-house theatre, the beloved City Cinema. Current Listening: Buried Inside, Q & Not U, Tallest Man On Earth, Lucero, The Transit.

E- MATT (AT) JUNNNKTANK.COM
H- JUNNNKTANK.COM/MD

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