Primus are simple odd. Primus are a trio from the bay area made up of bassist/ vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry Lalonde and drummer Tim Alexander (who as recent left the band to seek other adventures in life). We didn't have much time to talk to them as you could probably tell, but we tried to make the best of it.

RAD

Have you played on more than one Lollapalooza tour?

Les

Well, theoretically you are only supoosed to do one. But I see Soundgarden's coming back. But Lollapalooza's a little bit different this year, Perry Farrell's not involved with it--it's just big. It's turned into a big thing.

RAD

Most of your songs are a bit comical & scary both, and in most of your songs do you like to poke fun at people?

Les

Oh, I tend to poke fun at just about anything that comes along. A lot of my life is based in satire and humor. We liketo have a good time. We like to tease each other and tease others, and take things with a grain of salt or sugar. My philosophy is, "Laugh as often as you can." It's good therapy.

RAD

What was the first song ever to stick in your mind Les?

Les

There were so many...I mean, my favorite album as a kid was 'The Jungle Book' soundtrack. I had all that stuff, like the 'Mother Goose' record.

RAD

When as a band did you actually meet and form?

Les

A couple of months ago.

RAD

My, you have done well for being around for a couple of months. Did you meet in the San Francisco Bay area?

Les

Yeah. We were all on the same softball team, actually it all kicked of about ten years ago with me and this other guitarist Todd Huth, we went through millions of drummers. After four years Todd got married and had a couple of kids and I ended up playing with a heavy metal band called Blind Illusion, with Larry. We got together and hooked up with Herb the drummer, 'cus we kinda like him.

RAD

Have you toured a lot in Europe?

Les

Probably more than we would like to.

RAD

Why, don't you like it over there?

Les

It's okay. Just pretty grueling. It's not like we're going on vacation to Europe together or anything. It's more work than play.

RAD

Are you pretty big in Europe?

Les

Parts of it, yeah.

RAD

What or who has inspired you for your music?

Les

That would have to be elvis. God bless Elvis!

RAD

And if wasn't around, who would it be?

Les

An Elvis impersonator.

RAD

Out of all the songs you've ever written, which one is your favorite?

Les

They're all my children, I love them equally.

RAD

Every single one?

Les

Oh I'm sure there's a few that stick out now and then, but it's a very relative thing. Some songs have become popular and you play them and play them because people want to hear them and you get a little tired of them. so you let them sit for a while and then some time goes by and - well, like we just worked up some songs that we used to play a lot and we hadn't played in ages and now it's fun to play them again.

RAD

So you are going to be playing a lot of older stuff when you're on tour?

Les

Uh yeah, we tend to mix it up quite a bit anyway, but we have dug into some stuff we haven't played for years.

RAD

Which album do you think has made you "big"?

Les

We've yet to make that album.

RAD

You think so?

Les

I don't know. What's big?

RAD

Well, I guess when people started noticing you outside of your hometown.

Les

You mean, when did we start making money?

RAD

Yeah.

Les

Well, it's really hard to say.

RAD

Okay, how about when did you buy your tour bus?

Les

We don't own this bus. We rent it. It's less of a headache because if you own it, you have to deal with the maintainence. And then when you're not touring, what do you do with it? We had a motor home on our first couple of tours. It was a nice motor home when we started. It wasn't afterwards. It was like it wasn't even the same motor home when we were done with it.

RAD

Out of all the bands you have ever toured with, who is your favorite?

Les

Fishbone. They're our friends.

RAD

I saw you at Lollapalooza and you played a Led Zeppelin cover.

Les

We did? I don't remember that.

RAD

I could have sworn you played "Kashmere".

Les

Oh, that was of a bastardization of a small portion of "Kashmere". One day I was playing my upright bass and I kind of figured it out.

RAD

I thought it was really good! But you guys don't normally do a lot of covers, do you?

Les

We tend to, and it's the story of my life, do little portions because we're too damn lazy to learn the whole thing.