Mike Riffone: We at Guitar Player Magazine are here at Guitar Center in Hollywood, Ca. with The Verge's lead guitarist Christopher CoShea A.K.A. blackguitaristz. How are you today?
BGZ: Fine, and yourself?
MR: I'm doing good.
BGZ: I gotta try on those Paul Stanley boots they got up there in that display.
MR: Oh, that's right, you're a bigg KISS fan.
BGZ: Yeah. Meloh9 wants us to cover "Love Gun". That might be cool.
MR: KISS's song or Rick James's song?
BGZ: KISS's.
MR: Speaking of Rick James, tell us about The Verge's tribute album to Rick. How do you guys have the time now that you all are going on tour? And tell me, how is everyone?
BGZ: Fine.
MR: How is okaypimpin? Is he doing well?
BGZ: Very well. Psykosoul, Paligap, The Audience, Meloh9 and myself, were all doing good. I'm not sure about Moca. She's doing a solo album right now. We are gearing up for our tour to support our new album "The Pimp In Us".
MR: Which is doing very well.
BGZ: Thank you.
MR: Are you guys playing any songs from the band's first album "Outerspace Jhericurls"?
BGZ: Oh, we're going to have to. The people won't let us off stage if we don't. But, we don't mind. We love that album too. But while we're rehearsing for the tour, we're cuting some of our favorite Rick James songs. Some of Rick's harder stuff like "Bustin Out", "Fire It Up", "Hard To Get" "Mary Jane". But we'll put our spin on it, you know. Really put some rock on it. Something like Funkadelic, which is more our sound anyway. We might even cover Rick's whole "Streetsongs" album. All of us in the band are fans of Rick's, you know. That's the least we can do. All the album's proceeds will go to causes that Rick supported.

Part 2 of this interview in next month's issue.

Oh come on, we don't want to hear interviews about the music!
We want the juicy tabloid stuff! Bring on all the backstage tales of debauchery and hedonism that we know runs rampant in The Verge camp.

*Taken from MTV News*

SWAY: We're here in Compton, California taking a stroll through the hood with my good friend Okaypimpn of The Verge. What's up man? How you been?

OKAYPIMPN: Blessed, brotha.

S: Well it's been about a month since your release from rehab...

O: Yes.

S: How are things going for you now?

O: Oh, I'm well. You know, you gotta take this thing one day at a time and stay prayed up. Ya' know? Gotta keep God first. God first, man.

S: I feel you. So we hear that you're planning on coming back to The Verge for a reunion tribute album to Rick James?

O: Yeah, but technically, I never left. We were all just doing our own thing, but it's all love. Never been nothin' but that between me and my comrades...we're a family.

S: So what can we expect from the new effort?

O: It's gonna be our own spin on it, you know..only like The Verge can do it. Expect some jazz, funk, soul, rock, gospel, metal. Hell, you can even expect some country and disco.

S: Disco?!

O: Yeah, brotha. Disco was the shit. Paligap and myself are actually developing a modulator that I can attach to the valves of my trumpet that actually trigger a sound that is out of this world. It's like a cross between Roger Troutman's talkbox, a wah-wah guitar, clavinet and a Hammond B-3 organ on tremolo. You gotta hear it. It's awesome!

S: That sounds really interesting.

O: Believe me, brother, it is! We're just waiting on getting it patented. Billy Preston "claims" that he discovered it, but we all know that's a lie. That man smokes so much crack, he can't even remember his mama's name let alone his own. He was in the same joint I was a month ago. Dude was spazzin' out, too. Every 20 minutes or so he would be hollarin' about someone stealing his "pink shit." I dunno, cat is seriously talented, but he definitely isn't wrapped too tight.

S: I see. So, like you said, everyone has returned for this album?

O: Yeah, me, black, gap, loh, audience and psyko are back for the '04-05!!!!

S: So whatever happened with you and your side project, Trick Turner? Is mochalox still a member of The Verge?

O: The album is still coming out...September 7th, on my indie label, Pimpstroll Records. Mocha is still in the group, but she's doing the "mommy" thing now that school has started back up. I saw her little girl at the Prince concert the other day and the kid is sho'nuff following in her mama's footsteps! The group has been talking about using her for some of our interludes on our next album, Outerspace Jhericurls.

S: Cool. So one other question before we let you go.

O: Why the hell did you only agree to do this interview in Compton?

S: It's the hood man. This is the home of the people who support our music. You gotta give love back to the community that shows you love, you feel me? Plus the fact I got family right around the corner, so it's convenient 'cause Ant Pearl and Uncle Junebug are having a cookout later on this evening. You're more than welcome to come.

O: Say word?!

S: Hell yeah, n!@@a! Fall through!!!

O: Now that's what's up! From MTV News, this is Sway.

BUMP.

Excerpt from an interview with Verge member Paligap, from Nonesuch magazine:

NS: Ok, back to this drumming technique..

PG: Hmmm?

NS: your drumming technique... earlier, you described it as 'Someone throwing a drum set down a flight of stairs'...

PG: Oh Yeah, well, the idea was based on a series of descending scales...but, like I said, they didn't dig it too much..I think that it was a little too progressive for 'em....So I tried lead vocals...

NS: And that worked out better?

PG: Yeah, well...not at first. See, I had this Idea...

NS: Oh, Lord...

PG: ...I got it from Bruce Lee's concept of "Fighting Without Fighting"...I started thinking about the idea of Singing without Singing, y'know?

NS:Singing....without Singing ?

PG: Yeah, I took that concept ...that and Miles' whole thing about the use of space, and tried to develop that...Here, I'll give you an example, Check this out....



NS: uhh, I...didn't hear anything.

PG: You didn't? Damn, and that was some o' my best shit, too! anyway, that went over about as well as the drumming...but..

NS: So these experiments are how you usually approach things?

PG: Well, not all the time, but yeah I'm always tryin somethin' a little different...Like, the other day, me an' Okaypimpin were workin' on a modulator to attach to the valves of his trumpet; it's like a talkbox, a wah-wah guitar, clavinet and a Hammond B-3 organ all in one!

NS: That sounds impressive!

PG: Yeah, but ya gotta watch that sometimes...shoot, we hooked an oscillator up to it, plugged the amp in, and almost went back through Time!...which, come to think of it, isn't such a bad.....Hmmmm.....Hold on a sec....

NS: Mr. Paligap...where are you g...

PG: I'll be right back!

(a few minutes go by)

NS:.....Mr. Paligap?.....Hello?.....Mr. Paligap?.....

[End of Interview]
[This message was edited Wed Aug 18 11:53:50 2004 by paligap]

they're ba-ack!

BUMP

60 Minutes - SPECIAL EDITION


(Tick tick tick tick, tick tick tick tick...)

I'm Morley Safer
I'm Steve Kroft
I'm Ed Bradley
I'm Mike Wallace
I'm Lesley Stahl

Tonight we feature Andy Rooney's exclusive interview with The Verge guitarist...theAudience

AR: So what should I call you? Mr. Audience? theAudience? Is that anything like that U2 guy The Edge? Do you really think his birth certificate says The Edge on it?

tA: No. tA is fine. Where's Ed?

AR: You know how some celebrities are. They get their panties in a bunch if they not referred to properly.

tA: Well I don't really consider myself a celebrity. Ed Bradley is supposed to do this interview. Where's Ed Brad...

AR: Speaking of celebrities. "I've been slow to get to know Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. I just found out J-Lo and Jennifer Lopez are the same person. It's partly an old fogy thing, I know that. But it isn't all age; it's part attitude, too. They're all good-looking but they don't seem interesting."

tA: Somebody get the segment producer in here.


AR: "The most well known person I don't know right now has been around for 40 years - Michael Jackson. I first heard of him when he was a cute little boy with The Jackson Five on the Ed Sullivan Show."

"You know, I'm interested in almost everything in the world, but Michael Jackson is not one of them."


tA: Aah yeah. SECURITY!


AR: And his sister, Janet with that Superbowl thing.

"I got to go to Houston to see the game. You can see it better on television, but it's fun to be there.

All this week, I've been telling people I was at it. It makes me think I'm special. I wore my Super Bowl cap so they'd know I was there."


tA: Look, dude.


AR: "The only part I didn't see was the halftime show. I went out back and bought a small bag of popcorn for $3.50 because I hate the halftime show more than I hate paying $3.50 for a bag of popcorn.

I don't know who they think they're appealing to with all that caterwauling. I was sorry I missed seeing Janet Jackson with her shirt off."

I did see reruns on television later in my hotel room, and I thought the guy grabbing his crotch with his clothes on was more offensive than Janet Jackson's breast with her shirt off.

With all the filth on television and in the movies, I don't know what the uproar was all about anyway. We all know what a breast looks like."


tA: Yo, we're about to have a situation up in here if you don't shut the fu...

AR: Hey, you're a musician. Did you ever notice how Stevie Nicks, Belinda Carlisle, Grace Slick, Madonna and that Stevie B. all have that really fast annoying vibrato when they sing? They sound like lambs being led to slaughter. Why is that?


Voice: We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please standby.

(Picture goes to color bars. However the audio feed remains live and the sound of a scuffle is heard.)

Sorry I had to do that man but this cat was off the chain.
Ed Bradley was supposed to be doing this interview.
At least he's sympathetic to a brother's plight.
Hell, he didn't even pimp-slap MJ after he said that wack shit.

Voice: We now return you to 60 Minutes.

EB: Audience, what's happening?

tA: Whaddup Ed. Maybe we can get something accomplished now.

EB: Sorry about that. So it looks like The Verge is back in business.

tA: Yeah. You know we can't discuss anyone's personal issues, just the music.

EB: Everything's cool. What are the band's immediate plans?

tA: As you've probably heard from BGZ about the Rick James tribute and gearing up for "The Pimp In Us Tour", from Okay about the new hillbilly/disco elements and his new device, from about his new vocal concept and Meloh's doin' his thing.

EB: Sounds like a busy and productive time.

tA: Indeed. Bet you thought it was all about drug-downin' and ho-hoppin'? Yeah.

EB: (Laughs) Hey, what do I know? Anyway, any special projects you've been working on?

tA: Well are you familar with Major Ed Dames (aka Dr. Doom) and the government's Remote Viewing Program? I've developed a Remote Playing System (RPS). It started with the ESP guitar device. Without having to touch the instrument, I just think of the guitar line or chord progression and the guitar picks up my brain waves and transmits the proper notes and chords to the amplifier. This has been further expanded so that I can essentially do gigs and sessions without even getting out of bed. All that's necessary is that one of my RPS rigs is set up at the appropriate location and I can do my thing via phone lines. Pretty slick huh?

EB: (Astonished) Yes it is. Hmmm. I can understand doing recording sessions this way but wouldn't you need to be onstage to do a gig.

tA: Not at all. theAudienceHologramSystem - tAHS (patent pending) is in the final testing stages.

EB: My goodness who would have thought these kinds of things could be done?

tA: You know Ed, with the power of soul anything is possible.

EB: The wonders of today's technology. So what's up with Mocha?

tA: That's a touchy subject. I just got some very disturbing news. It seems that she's never even listened to a.....Jimi Hendrix album.

EB: WHAT!!!

Ta: Can we kill the cameras. I need a moment.

(After a few minutes the interview continues)

tA: Sorry about that Ed. I just made a phone call and had her committed to the Jimi Hendrix Full Immersion Clinic. They should be picking her up any minute now. I'm sure she'll be fine in a few weeks.

EB: Glad to hear that.

tA: Excuse me Ed I feel a disturbance in the force.

EB: What is it?

tA: Oh it's Paligap. He's slipped into another level of the space/time continuum again.
I'm afraid i'll have to deal with this now.

EB: Thanks audience

tA: Pali, can you hear me? Can you hear me calling?
Cross over, Paligap. All are welcome. All welcome, go into the light...There is peace and serenity in the light.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

Hey Mocha,

Be sure and call me when you're all better.
It's for your own good.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

okaypimpn said:

What's that?

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

theAudience said:

i think that's his version of 'up.'
It keep the thread close to the top of the GD page.

correct me if I'm wrong Pimpn' baby.

theAudience said:

*twitching_in_a_corner*

mochalox said:

You got it!

okaypimpn said:

I know you're the only one that really loves me and understands me over here. LOL

mochalox said:

ALWAYS!

mochalox said:

The treatment you get when you try and help someone.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

theAudience said:

That's beautiful, man. Truly wonderful.

theAudience said:

paligap said:

Hey pali, that shit was killing huh?

theAudience said: