USELESS

The reason I started doing this, the reason I continue to do this and the reason I'll always do this, is because there's nothing like strapping on a guitar, plugging it into a wall of amplifiers and screaming your head off! It's everyone's dream to be a rockstar. And I'm no exception," declares Randy, lead vocalist & guitarist of the Minneapolis based rock band, USELESS.Randy, aka, Freaky Useless, former bassist of National Recording Artists, FLIPP, formed USELESS in the summer of 2004 for one reason and one reason only, "...to get out and rock! As long as there's an outlet, a few friends and some beer, we'll be there. I still get the same kick in the ass from Rock & Roll that I did when I first heard and played it," states the front man. "This shit doesn't just go away.""People say Rock & Roll is dead. Rock & Roll isn't dead, man. It never died. It's living and breathing in the form of many great bands all over the world. It just ain't shoved down your throat like the rest of the garbage out there in mainstream America today. Remember the last time hard rock music was in the mainstream? There was a little too much hair spray and fruity colored guitars. Then after that there was the flood of mopey, shoe-gazers in flannel shirts. Rock & Roll is supposed to be reclusive. It's outlaw, ugly, mean, dirty and hopefully you can shake your ass to it! Rock & Roll belongs in a stinky, smoky bar, not the mall."Randy's long time friend and former Snagglepuss bandmate Alice, along with Planet Melvin drummer Melvin Jr. started rehearsing songs in the spring of 2004. After playing a few shows, the band realized Melvin's commitment to Planet Melvin wouldn't allow him to continue with USELESS. Nearly a year of trying out other drummers left Randy and Alice discouraged. Randy explains, "I've always played with great drummers and I wasn't about to settle on someone who couldn't keep up, in regards to drumming or their personality. I mean I wanna do this with friends, not associates. It's all about finding someone who sees things like you do. Which is usually double!" laughs Randy.The answer finally came in the form of an email via the USELESS web site. Randy explains, "This dude emails me and asks if we're still looking for a drummer. He knows me from my old bands, he's played shows with Alice and nearly all of my other friends. Everyone in town knew this kid but me. I was going crazy wondering 'can't there be a fucking drummer in this town who digs the same shit we do?' I sent him a CD of 6 songs and a week later we got together and he played them all note for note. Me and Alice looked at each other and nearly fell over. All I could say is 'where the fuck have you been?'"Sean came to USELESS from other local bands such as Mars to Mercury and ModiFY. "He comes from the same school we do. Big drums, big guitars, big fun and big glasses to drink from!" Randy exclaims. "The excitement was there from the beginning and it's hard to deny that. We're at the point now where all we wanna do is play. I mean, I've been waiting so long for a great hard rock band to come along and kick my ass. I got so sick of waiting, I just put one together myself. The three of us are gonna get off no matter what. If anyone else does, that's just a bonus."USELESS is currently booking shows, working on demos and talking to labels and management and gearing up to get in the studio. Randy explains, "I've been down this road before, man. With FLIPP we were very lucky to be surrounded by people who loved Rock & Roll. Hopefully that tradition will carry over. When everybody digs what they're doing, it's hard to not succeed. And just being able to record your music and then plug in and kick it out every night is all the success I ever wanted. Finding other people who feel the same way is the tricky part. And now that I have, the future's so bright I have to wear leather pants!