Eight Questions for Danny Cruz of Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth for the first issue of CHORTLER
1. How did FDOME originally form as a group?
We formed five years ago at the Brick House in Turners Falls, Massachusetts. I met Coco at an open mic with the band Moscow Mule. They joined the band and then everyone else did over the next two years. We are the rock innovators of the Turners Falls land.
2. As the bandleader of a large, and at times chaotic, group you seem to offer direction with a natural ease and confidence that leaves the other players free to explore, yet under an umbrella of distinct vision. Is it ever difficult to control such a riotous ensemble?
I feel like we have some buddhist enlightenment. I feel like we have some inverted GG Allin backwards riffs. I'm doing buddhist meditation, that'll do it. I asked to be called the musical impresario of the infinite space universe. J.R.R. Tolkien bleeds. We are the musical orgasmic inner child.
3. If you could say one thing to Kurt Cobain what would it be?
Kurt Cobain, never encourage anyone to do heroin! Another thing: tell him, enjoy FDOME, enjoy happiness and get a little stoned. Have a little alcohol and marijuana but no hard drugs. Don't get drunk, smacked out of your ass! We're tired of always getting smashed.
4. If you could say one thing to G.G. Allin what would it be?
EAT YOUR ATTITUDE, don't be a jerk. I have to say I enjoyed your studio stuff, but I never like your live stuff particularly.
5. On your LP, "The Seed Of Contempt", you comment on capital punishment, and recently the state of Georgia executed Anthony Scott Davis, a black man, for supposedly murdering a white police officer - however all of the evidence implies that he was innocent. What are your thoughts on this?
I believe the black guy was innocent. I believe the black man will bring fire and Armageddon on December 21st. I believe this. I feel like execution is not the answer. You should not do it. It's stupid. It's kind of a racist act, killing somebody. It's racist to blacks.
6. A lot of your lyrics are very politically charged ("Philadelphia Riot", and the mind-crushing rendition of "Power To The People" as obvious examples). What do you think about the "Occupy Wall Street" movements that have swept the nation recently, and the fact that in the United States such a miniscule percentage of the population holds the majority of it's wealth?
"Philadelphia Riot" is an anti-riot song. It's kind of about an apocalyptic 2012 riot. End of days. It's about December 21st. The Occupy Wall Street's a good thing. And fans, you should unite with it. That's stupid that the rich have all the money. The rich should help out the poor.
7. For those that don't already know, how does "Mudlightning Metal" differ from other forms of metal such as black metal, doom metal, heavy metal, etc.?
It's better, it's more free jazz, more muddy (but still good) more classical, more avant-garde, meets evil, meets God, meets scumfuck with coffee in the hand. {At this point, Danny's personal care assistant says that he can't swear in the Teen Center. "I made a mistake, I'm sorry for swearing...can I change it to 'scumfreak'?" Danny asks. I tell him it's okay, he can say "fuck" in print. The interview resumes}. Mudlightning Metal is metal mixed with all kinds of music. It's space rock and all kinds of improvisational genius meets the Picasso of avant-garde. FDOME has a plan for a new album called "Fulfilled Prophecy" that's gonna be parental advisory. Warning fans: it's gonna be edgy.
8. It's now the year 2012 and you've commented frequently about how it's not the end of the world, so what are FDOME's plans for this era of "new consciousness"?
FDOME's plan is to become famous and outsell bad music and, like, take bad emo away. Emo-apocalypse! That means all the emo turns into Mudlightning and they don't even know it exists anymore. FDOME fans: don't become scumbags, be always nice people. Don't believe in the end. Don't believe it. The part about the black man raining down Armageddon was for shock value. I don't really believe this. In my opinion, FDOME fans, it may happen, it may not. It's hard to know until we get there.
The questions were written by Justin Clifford Rhody and the interview was conducted over the phone by Nick Williams on Tuesday, January 10th 2012. Danny was reached at the Brick House Teen Center at 24 3rd St. Turners Falls, MA. The band has an open practice there every Thursday from 4 to 6pm.
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An interview with Danny Cruz of Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth for the Dutch print edition of VICE Magazine
‘The Seed of Contempt’ van Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth is één van onze favoriete albums van 2010. Als je er nog nooit naar geluisterd hebt, dan moet je dat toch maar eens doen. Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth is de band van Danny Cruz, een 18-jarige verstandelijk en fysiek gehandicapte jongen uit Turners Falls, Masschusetts die bezeten is van Sun Ra, Lord of the Rings, Hawkind en zwarte magie. Een Vlaamse collega van ons belde Danny op in The Brick House, het gemeenschapscentrum van het dorp waar hij op dat moment aan het repeteren was.
Vice: Het stoort toch niet dat ik bel tijdens je repetitie?
Danny Cruz: Nee, man. Ik krijg niet elke dag telefoon vanuit België. Ik vind het zo cool dat er sowieso mensen in België zijn die mij kennen en naar mijn muziek luisteren. Ik heb ook de indruk dat mijn muziek makkelijker aanslaat in Europa dan hier in Amerika.
Hoe komt dat, denk je? Staan Europeanen meer open voor rare muziek?
Dat weet ik niet. Ik denk het niet, eigenlijk. Maar ik zou het wel fantastisch vinden om ooit eens naar Europa te kunnen komen en mijn muziek daar live te brengen.
Tour je dan in Amerika?
Nee, ook niet echt. Ik studeer nog, weet je. En ik zit in een rolstoel, wat het ook niet zo makkelijk maakt om te touren. Er zijn zelfs concertzalen waar ik met mijn rolstoel niet eens op het podium geraak, kan je nagaan. Zeg, hoe heb jij mij hier eigenlijk gevonden?
Je moeder vertelde me aan de telefoon dat ik je na school in het gemeenschapscentrum kom vinden.Ja, hier breng ik veel van mijn vrije tijd door. We repeteren hier elke donderdagnamiddag om vijf uur.
Wie zijn ‘we’?Wie maar wil: de leden van het gemeenschapshuis, kunstenaars uit Turners Falls, muzikanten, non-muzikanten, toevallige passanten, …als je ooit eens in de buurt bent, moet je ook zeker eens langskomen. Dan mag je meespelen.
Deal. Maar ik denk dat het niet voor direct zal zijn.[lacht] Geeft niet.
Kan je me voor nu dan eens uitleggen hoe een repetitie van Flaming Dragons er aan toe gaat?Eigenlijk zijn het niet echt repetities. Het zijn eerder radicale, crazy, wilde, spacy improvisaties.
En wat is dan jouw aandeel?Ik ben de improv genius, de psychedelic maniac, de free form mastermind. Zoals Sun Ra indertijd.
Ben je ook niet into Black Metal?Ik schrijf graag van dat soort donkere spul over goed en kwaad, ja. Daar komt de groepsnaam ook vandaan: de flaming dragons of middle earth uit de Lord of the Ring-films, weet je wel. En ik hou ook van Black Magic.
Doe je aan Black Magic?Nee, nee, ik praat er gewoon graag over.
Interview conducted with Danny at the Brickhouse Community Center long distance over the phone by Joeri Bruyninckx, who also translated.
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By DANNY MONSTER CRUZ
This article, written by Danny Cruz, appeared in the Montague Reporter on 11/21/13 to mark the occasion of FDOME's seventh anniversary
Hey Domian Players, Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth fans, this is your main drag queen singer and celebrity gangsta glam rocker electric pioneer Danny Monster Cruz, giving the 411 about the medieval ‘DOME!
As I’m sure some of you know, Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth (FDOME) is a glam rock metal jam band from the Turners Falls area. Female fans of FDOME and me call it mud-lightning-metal-with-pop-appeal-electric-danny-cruz-music.
Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth’s momentous anniversary is today. Seven years of neon. On November 21, 2006, the band was formed.
To our long-term fans, what do you think about the albums we have released so far? Give us some of your own feedback to our music so far as a band. Have you heard “The Seed of Contempt”, “Electric Scary Land”, or most importantly “Horny Gaga Dog”?
We are always looking for talented female musicians to join the band; synth players, back up dancers, and fans of rock and roll, metal, and Lady Gaga. We play and love all styles of music. We practice weekly on Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. at Aiyana, Jeremy, Andrea, and Zack’s homestead called the BioDome. Contact any of us for directions.
We play shows every few weeks that are off the chain! We hope that other bands would ask to play at this venue as well as others in the area such as the Rendezvous or anywhere on the east coast that pays to play shows! We will play any house show, basement show, night club or strip club. Hey fans, there’s a person that I have met at the Brick House during open mics in the past named Jenny. At the Rendezvous the other night I asked her if we could be friends and talked about hanging out in the future! Maybe one day we could hook up! She is into fashion and Lady Gaga and that really rules! I dig it! I hope you, Jenny, will hang out with the band!
I, Danny Monster Cruz, could care less about Ke$ha’s music, I don’t think she’s very talented. That’s my honest opinion! I think that Lady Gaga is very talented, and I think her art direction and lyrical thinking makes her a genius. I think she is the next Audrey Hepburn, a true goddess of artistic talent. My other influence is the controversial scum punk GG Allin from the bands the Jabbers and GG Allin and the Murder Junkies. Also, the early nineties god of shock, Marilyn Manson. Our band is inspired to wear drag because of Marilyn Manson, and Gaga inspires our glam element of fashion.
The one and only Frank Hurricane and his solo project Hurricanes of Love is an influence! He was born in North Carolina and he is a musical god of the South! We are also in a sick rap side project with our friend Loren Burke called Stoned Jackals!
I think Lady Gaga is a very positive, unique, and artistic person and I dream that our band can meet Lady Gaga. I want to become friends with her and open for her on tour someday. I have similar political beliefs and spiritual agenda to hers: I accept the junkies as people, and I accept people with disabilities!
I like people to be non-conformists and I like women with emotional disabilities who are flirtatious and outgoing! I am interested in knowing more about the human condition.
Frank is dating a wonderful woman named Kristin and everyone enjoys being around Frank and Kristin, and all people think that Bob is an amazing guy and a messiah to all of us. His dog Sookie is a standard French poodle.
I really miss those people Coco and Mary and I know they are on their long spiritual journey in Ontario, I really respect those guys and think they are great people. I think Loren Burke is the awesome savior; he is my everything.
I love Andrea as a friend because she is warm and welcoming and likes playing synth music with me! I like Jeremy Latch, who is a hard workin' man and a cool guy who plays in some awesome bands such as Bangtail Cat and Haute Larvae as well. I love that he is into Tom Petty. We love the one and only Nick Williams. We think he is off the chain!
We love Cory, but we think that he has an addiction to a fascist board game called Settlers of Catan, but that doesn’t mean that he is a fascist! He is a cool guy and he doesn’t like fascism and dictatorships. We all think that they are evil and not good to the world. Settlers of Catan is about the slave trade of the Westernized world and imperialism, and supports greed. I don’t support imperialism.
Hey fans, do you know Turners Falls is named after a mass murderer named William Turner? He caused pain and suffering to the native people of this area. I don’t support the racial genocide of the Native Americans.
We really Love Jeremy Tatro who loves pizza, soda and Scooby Doo. He is a great friend to us and a scholar! We think Lucy Watson is a really cool person and an artistic genius, and think she is a great friend. We also like Julie. We think she is a cool musician and a nice person to know! We think Mike Jackson is a cool gangsta and we think our African American friend Rodney is a cool friend of ours at Madison on the Ave!
We love Luke from his solo act Lucius Bachman. He works at Salvation Army and is an awesome friend to us! We really love Robin’s dad, David Detmold, and his awesome son, Robin! We think he is a pound puffin former WOW Gangsta!
This concludes the article. I hope you enjoyed this spiritual narrative, thank you MUCH LOVE to all our readers, we worked hard on this, please give an open response letter back to the editor if you think this is cool! We approve this message!
The Danny "Monster" Cruz review of Lady Gaga's new CD Artpop
I think that artpop is the best album of all time, after her last best album of all time, born this way. Here is a song by song review of the album
1.Aura- Aura is about a woman that would like to make love to an martian creature from outer space to make out with and be in love with a martian, i love this song, i love the synth part cause i love the latin guitar in it! i love the dance beats, i love this song, i think this song is brilliant, i love this hit!
2.Venus-Its about Lady Gaga wanting to take a trip to venus in a seashell bikini to make love to an extreaterrestrial to make love on venus, about being in love with aphrodite about making love to a beach beneath the stars
3.GUY- I love the song guy because its about Lady Gaga wanting to make love to a guy shes a girl and they want to make her the guy she has a true love as a friend, i love this song beacuse its about a guy and a girl
4.Sexxx Dreams-I love the song sex dreams because its about a girl thats a girl that wants to lave a guy and is dreaming of making love with another guy for the weekend, about enjoying the smell of making someone cum
5.Jewels and Drugs- its about her life before in NYC before she was famous hanging out with the wrong people smoking cocaine and shooting up heroin with bad people, this song is about how she gave up drugs onher own and about how she doesnt want jewels and drugs and doesnt want to deal, she says dont do jewels and drugs! I love this song becasue it says dont shoot up and smoke crack!
6.Manicure- Its about a woman that wants a guy to treat her right, not make her feel like a manian, a guy hitting on her and not being a true gangsta, how she wants a true gangsta in her life and not a flaky guy who shaves his pubes
7.Do What u WAnt- its about Lady Gaga saying i dont care what you wanna do to me, do it if i like, im alright with making love and putting yellow rain on a guy if he wants me to pee on him! I like it a lot!
8.ARTPOP- I love this song artpop because its about wanting to be a pop star whos famous, but not wanting to exploit people and be stereotypical and not be elitist fascist stereotypical and be about the poor people, to be a famous pop star, to be a great expression like andy warhol, she does not wanna deal with the stupid cracka mentality of america
9.Swine- Swine is about her not wanting to be with a swiny person who lies to her, an abusive sexist pig, its about you dont wanna be annaly raped, but are accepting of consensual sodomy! THis is Frank and I's favorite tune on the album and Andrea!
10.Donatella- its about Versace and like having dogs wearing versace and is about donatello from the teenage mutant ninja turtles wearing versace, about how she loves TMNT and versace!
11.Fashion- its about how a woman wants to wear fashion but doesnt want to be part of the fascist agenda and will not be a slave to people'ws crap!!
12.MAry Jane Holland- i love this song, its about a gay fashion designer who stands up 4 womens rights in the 1970s! a feminist from the 70's who wanted the fashion industry to stop the sexist stereotypes of the fashion industry, tres chic, A famous female designer of the 80s pop stars and the pop stars of today, cutting edge feminism like someone's divine fashion thinkin!
13. Dope-i t is about overcomin using hard drugs and wanting to play music and performing more than dope and saying i need music more than shit, i wanna clean up my life and stop hurting from the useless addiction that is wrecking my life, i love myself more than addiction, i love this song, talk about the truth and the pubes
14.Gypsy- I love the song gypsy because its about Gaga wanting to go back in time and hang out with Anton LaVey and his satanic circus freakshow! And about wanting to love the occult and joking about being a satanist in the church of satan and talkin about rosemarys baby, humor about worshippin the devil! I love it because it sings about the occult and Flaming Dragons love to sing about the occult!
15.Applause- i love the song applause because its about gaga wanting to applaud her fans and show the world that shes talented and worth respecting, that shes an innovator of the world politically and spiritually, its touching like MLK's speech, no racism of sexism!
Overall, i say artpop is 5 stars for artistical genious, for talikng about giving up the struggles of drug addiction, heartbreak, sex, the occult, about sexuality, about accepting, outer space, demonic hellish occult inagery, sexual pleasure, about wanting to have an orgasm, reality and emotions many subjects, about wanting to be wild, about i need the sexual desire, intimacy, i need the desire of oral sex, about, " idont wanna be about the stereotypical BS of the war machine" I love the album, little monsters aho are also FDOME fans, i recommend purchasing ARTPOP, its an album a must do, u have to buy it or sumthins wrong with you!! I love Gaga so much she is bad in a good way, makes me want to slap myself!!
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1.Aura- Aura is about a woman that would like to make love to an martian creature from outer space to make out with and be in love with a martian, i love this song, i love the synth part cause i love the latin guitar in it! i love the dance beats, i love this song, i think this song is brilliant, i love this hit!
2.Venus-Its about Lady Gaga wanting to take a trip to venus in a seashell bikini to make love to an extreaterrestrial to make love on venus, about being in love with aphrodite about making love to a beach beneath the stars
3.GUY- I love the song guy because its about Lady Gaga wanting to make love to a guy shes a girl and they want to make her the guy she has a true love as a friend, i love this song beacuse its about a guy and a girl
4.Sexxx Dreams-I love the song sex dreams because its about a girl thats a girl that wants to lave a guy and is dreaming of making love with another guy for the weekend, about enjoying the smell of making someone cum
5.Jewels and Drugs- its about her life before in NYC before she was famous hanging out with the wrong people smoking cocaine and shooting up heroin with bad people, this song is about how she gave up drugs onher own and about how she doesnt want jewels and drugs and doesnt want to deal, she says dont do jewels and drugs! I love this song becasue it says dont shoot up and smoke crack!
6.Manicure- Its about a woman that wants a guy to treat her right, not make her feel like a manian, a guy hitting on her and not being a true gangsta, how she wants a true gangsta in her life and not a flaky guy who shaves his pubes
7.Do What u WAnt- its about Lady Gaga saying i dont care what you wanna do to me, do it if i like, im alright with making love and putting yellow rain on a guy if he wants me to pee on him! I like it a lot!
8.ARTPOP- I love this song artpop because its about wanting to be a pop star whos famous, but not wanting to exploit people and be stereotypical and not be elitist fascist stereotypical and be about the poor people, to be a famous pop star, to be a great expression like andy warhol, she does not wanna deal with the stupid cracka mentality of america
9.Swine- Swine is about her not wanting to be with a swiny person who lies to her, an abusive sexist pig, its about you dont wanna be annaly raped, but are accepting of consensual sodomy! THis is Frank and I's favorite tune on the album and Andrea!
10.Donatella- its about Versace and like having dogs wearing versace and is about donatello from the teenage mutant ninja turtles wearing versace, about how she loves TMNT and versace!
11.Fashion- its about how a woman wants to wear fashion but doesnt want to be part of the fascist agenda and will not be a slave to people'ws crap!!
12.MAry Jane Holland- i love this song, its about a gay fashion designer who stands up 4 womens rights in the 1970s! a feminist from the 70's who wanted the fashion industry to stop the sexist stereotypes of the fashion industry, tres chic, A famous female designer of the 80s pop stars and the pop stars of today, cutting edge feminism like someone's divine fashion thinkin!
13. Dope-i t is about overcomin using hard drugs and wanting to play music and performing more than dope and saying i need music more than shit, i wanna clean up my life and stop hurting from the useless addiction that is wrecking my life, i love myself more than addiction, i love this song, talk about the truth and the pubes
14.Gypsy- I love the song gypsy because its about Gaga wanting to go back in time and hang out with Anton LaVey and his satanic circus freakshow! And about wanting to love the occult and joking about being a satanist in the church of satan and talkin about rosemarys baby, humor about worshippin the devil! I love it because it sings about the occult and Flaming Dragons love to sing about the occult!
15.Applause- i love the song applause because its about gaga wanting to applaud her fans and show the world that shes talented and worth respecting, that shes an innovator of the world politically and spiritually, its touching like MLK's speech, no racism of sexism!
Overall, i say artpop is 5 stars for artistical genious, for talikng about giving up the struggles of drug addiction, heartbreak, sex, the occult, about sexuality, about accepting, outer space, demonic hellish occult inagery, sexual pleasure, about wanting to have an orgasm, reality and emotions many subjects, about wanting to be wild, about i need the sexual desire, intimacy, i need the desire of oral sex, about, " idont wanna be about the stereotypical BS of the war machine" I love the album, little monsters aho are also FDOME fans, i recommend purchasing ARTPOP, its an album a must do, u have to buy it or sumthins wrong with you!! I love Gaga so much she is bad in a good way, makes me want to slap myself!!
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