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Questioning Shelley
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On March 6, 2004, I entered a Boston area bar to check out one of
my favorite bands, Darkbuster. After a few beers, I saw various members of
Darkbuster walk in and start getting ready to play. Wanting to talk with
Darkbuster’s frontman Lenny Lashley to see what was up with the band, I
waited my turn as people upon people flocked to Lenny. One would have
thought Lenny was giving away $100 bills! I looked around and spied
basically the same thing happening with all the other members of
Darkbuster. Do the members of Darkbuster hand out free $100 bills? Hell
no, they’re just a bunch of likable, friendly guys who don’t mind
talking with their fans.
As
I waited (I did eventually talk with Lenny and bassist Mike Gurley), I
began to think about what I know about Darkbuster and what I’ve read
about them. I’ve read many articles and interviews about these popular
Boston fellows and recalled reading the same information and questions
over and over; “Gurley, did your girlfriend really mess around with the
singer of the Royal Crowns,” “Why did Darkbuster break up,”
“When’s a new cd coming out?” “Did you guys really win the Rumble
because Lenny’s brother knock his own ass out?” With all due respect
to a great band whose music I love, but what could I possibly ask them
that they haven’t already been asked? What entertaining info can I pass
along to Askew’s readers that hasn’t already been discussed by other
zines, papers, etc?
As
I continued my beer drinking, I saw Lenny walk up to his girlfriend and
talk with her (Jesus, I kind of sound like a stalker). I recognized the
girl from the Dropkick Murphys video “Walk Away” so I knew who she was
because I knew that girl was Lenny’s girlfriend. That’s when it hit
me; I wondered what it’s like being with perhaps Boston’s most
recognized punk rocker. What’s her perspective on Darkbuster? What does
she have to say?
After a
few emails and phone calls, Lenny’s fiancé
Shelley Chesson agreed to have a conversation with me. What you read below
is what transpired on the night of May 1, 2004 at the Cambridge Port on
Mass Ave in Cambridge, MA. -denis sheehan
Under what circumstances did you and Lenny meet?
About 5-6 years ago, I was out with some friends and I was the
designated driver. I was driving down the street with a carload of people
at about 2 in the morning and out of nowhere this guy slammed his car into
the front half of my car. Totaled my car. If I was two feet further than I
was, or if I had accelerated, I would have been killed. Luckily, I was
unscratched and so was everybody else. After waiting for two hours, the
cops finally showed up and I was a mess because I had to be at work in a
few hours, but I knew I was going to be tired. I’m a hairdresser and I
didn’t want to cancel on my clients because they would’ve had to make
and wait for new appointments. Later that night a friend of mine knew I
was kind of upset about the accident and work, so we went out to the
Cambridge Port for a few drinks. That’s where Lenny and I met. He told
me that he was in a band called Darkbuster, and since I thought I was the
wicked scenester and never heard of Darkbuster, I was thinking to myself
that they must suck.
Have you ever gotten
into a fistfight with another woman?
Yes
Was it by chance on a beach while wearing a bikini?
Nope
Lenny- Darn it!
No women ever answer
yes to that question!
Lenny- I guess that only happens in beer commercials.
(Lenny departs our table)
What happened with the
fistfight, did you win?
Oh God yes, she pressed charges. I broke her nose and gave her two
black eyes. This had to do with a guy I was dating a long time ago, and
his ex-girlfriend was so jealous of him and I. She would tell him lies
about me and that I was making out with other guys and cheating on him. He
didn’t believe her, but she just wouldn’t stop. After some time, I was
fed up and had my boyfriend drive me to her house. I knocked on her door
and she answered. I called her out and told her that I wanted to talk with
her. So she came outside and we started talking, then she actually hit me
first. I just freaked out, I went crazy. It was raining and we were
rolling around on the ground, and my boyfriend just stood there. Worst
part is that the girl and I used to be friends, but she got so mad that I
started dating that guy. She was just trying to break us up. She was
pretty tough, though. She got me pretty good too now that I think of it.
In Lilith Fair, Lenny sings, “even if those women were all in their
underwear, I wouldn’t go to see the Lilith Fair.” From what you know
of Lenny, is this a true statement?
Absolutely. He would not go.
This year, both Lisa Loeb and Liz Phair are on
some of the Lilith Fair tour stops, and they’re pretty good looking. Do
you think that would change his mind?
Good God no. Lenny can be such a stubborn old mule. When he makes up
his mind about something, it’s done. He does it for the rest of his
life. It wouldn’t matter if Pamela Anderson was there handing out free
blow jobs. She’s gorgeous, sexy, and every man’s fantasy, but he still
wouldn’t go there.
Aside for loving Lenny for the man he is, what’s it like being with
perhaps Boston’s most recognizable punk rocker?
I don’t think of him that way. Everything’s good. Since we’ve
been together, we’ve worked so hard and done lots of stuff. I own a
house with the man. I think I don’t think of him like that because when
we first met I had never heard of his band. I was there when everything
started happening for Darkbuster. (laughing)I like to play with him
and tell him that I’m his lucky charm. He was playing in little dive
bars and then he started dating me and they asked them to play the Rumble
(WBCN Rumble, which Darkbuster won in 2000). I’m only teasing.
Everything he’s achieved is because of his hard work; it’s just a
coincidence that everything started happening right when we started dating
(smiles at Lenny who momentarily returned to the table).
Are there any downsides, like schmucks like me asking you crap?
No, not at all. The only downside is that he drinks a lot and that’s
been the bane of our relationship for a long time. But it’s a lot better
now since we own a home in the suburbs. When we use to live down the
street, he used to just walk down here and since he’s Lenny, people
would always buy him beer. He rolls with the Darkbuster shtick and
everyone wants to see him drunk, so they buy him drinks and he drinks.
That was the only downside, but it’s cool now.
When you were in jr high and high school, did you have any posters of
men hanging in your bedroom?
Yup! Paul Stanley from Kiss. Steve Perry from Journey, and then by the
time I was a junior, I was into metal and it was Don Dokken. I was so in
love with Don Dokken. The first concert I went to was Twisted Sister, when
I was 13. I was so into metal when I was in high school, and not ashamed
to admit that.
Which cd do you love
to play that drives Lenny up the wall?
Amazing Royal Crowns. He hates them. They’re one of my favorites and
I was so bummed out when they broke up. I’m lucky I lived in, and now
near, Boston because so many of my favorite bands are from here.
Does Lenny have any
cds that drive you up the wall?
No. He really doesn’t own any. He doesn’t really own any music at
all, other than some vinyl.
On the inside cover of Darkbuster’s first CD,
22 Songs You’ll Never Want to Hear Again, Lenny is sitting on one sporty
looking bicycle. Before you two were together, did Lenny ever drive that
bike in front of your house to get your attention?
(laughs) Ah… no. When we first met, he lived in the ‘burbs and I
lived in Cambridge. He’d have to drive that bike a long way. When I
first met Lenny, I thought he was squares ville center. God this guy is so
square. After I got to know him and when he first gave me the cd, I saw
the picture and thought “He looks kind of cool and what a cool bike!”
He lived in the ‘burbs his whole life and after six months of dating, he
was with me every night. Everyone in his family asked, “So, you live in
Cambridge now?” He loved living in Cambridge. Lots to do, bars right
down the road, easy to travel, get drunk and take a cab home. He said that
he’d never move back to the ‘burbs. Then when it came time to buy a
house, I wanted to buy in the city and he all of a sudden wanted to buy in
the suburbs.
Suppose you attended some function that included
an open bar, what would be your first drink?
Probably wine, but then onto beer. We both like beer. God, I’ve been
to many a Darbkbuster show when I’m the drunken girl on stage grabbing
the mic and singing the song. I get insane sometimes. When Darkbuster
broke up and got back together, I had to be the merch girl. I love him so
much and I love his band and I get into it so much. I’m not afraid to
show it. Some people just go to shows and sit there and act too cool. If I
like a band I’ll show it and get up front and dance. Bands appreciate
seeing that, knowing that someone is really into their music and not
afraid to show it. At Darkbuster shows, I tend to drink a lot because my
boyfriend is gone and I have nothing else to do. When we get to show
everybody wants to talk to Lenny, everybody wants a piece of him. So I’m
usually all by myself and I just run around and talk to people all night.
You know how everyone just jumps up on stage with Darkbuster, so I just
started doing it to. I know how a lot of girls in the scene are so caddy
and think I am so obnoxious and a show off. I’ve heard some people talk
about me, but hey I just like to have a few drinks and have a good time.
But when Darkbuster got back together, I decided to be the merch girl
because then I really don’t drink. Maybe a few beers, but I’m too busy
to drink too much. (check out Shelley’s stage dive on the Darkbuster
DVD-reviewed in this zine- at the 24:22 mark)
You and Lenny are in the Dropkick Murphys’
video “Walk Away.” Before that, had you ever done anything like that?
I had never done anything like that before. It was so cool being in a
video for a song that I love, but it was hard work. The shoot was two days
long; Saturday and Sunday. All day, both days. It was a long time. The
video comes across as a good time and shooting it was so much fucking fun.
It was probably one of the most fun and coolest thing I’ve ever done. It
was so awesome. It was funny when they called me. They said they wanted
this rockabilly, punk rock looking girl with tattoos to be the bride and
asked me if I wanted to do it. I was like, “Ya, that’s cool.” But
after we hung up the phone, I was screaming and so excited. I was running
around yelling “Oh my God, oh my God!” Two weeks later, they called me
back and told me that they needed a groom for the video and they didn’t
think about Lenny. I was thinking that I have to act in this video and
what if I have to kiss some guy because the video is of a wedding. So when
I brought this up with Lenny, he was like my father and so protective, but
then they called back and said they really wanted this tattooed, cool
looking guy to be the groom, so they asked Lenny. So that got rid of the
kissing issue.
We
had been engaged for a long time and Ken Casey (Dropkick Murphys) is a
minister. Ken became a minister because so many people get married at DKM
shows. People come from all over the world to see Dropkick shows and a lot
of people want to get married. So right before the video shoot, Lenny said
to me “So Shell, you really want to get married?” We were really
considering getting married for real in the video. After going back and
forth we decided not to do because the video was so much work. Every
single scene took like an hour to shoot. In one scene, some guy asks me to
see my tattoo and we had to do it 18 times. God, the stage diving, jumping
around had to be done over and over.
When
I met the director, producer, and costume director, they wanted to dress
me in this crazy punk rock plaid wedding dress, but I told them I had this
cool 50’s wedding dress. It’s amazing. So when I showed up for the
shoot, I put up my hair and wore that dress and looked exactly like I look
in the video. The director looked at me and said, “ That’s the look.
Don’t change a thing.” I really felt comfortable even with all the
work. Now I know why it takes years to make a movie. It took two full days
to make a three-minute video. We also shot so many scenes that never made
the video. The scene of me squashing the cake on Lenny’s face was done
at least a dozen times. We almost ran out of cake. Every body was drinking
and just having so much fun.
When playing, Darkbuster tends to get showered
with beer from admiring fans. Have you ever found yourself caught up in
the excitement and thrown beer at Darkbuster?
I’ve thrown a few beers, but nothing much. I remember doing it at
the Hemp Fest on Boston Common a few years ago. I think that might have
been the first time. I was backstage with my boss and it was kind of tame,
so I threw a beer.
Do you and Lenny have
any secret signals you give each other while he’s on stage?
No, none at all. Lenny doesn’t even see me when he’s on stage. Are
you kidding? The second we walk into a gig, he forgets I’m his
girlfriend. Not that he flirts with other girls, but he just becomes Lenny
and talks with anyone who wants to talk with him. All the other Darkbuster
guys spend time and talk with their girls at shows. No, not me and Lenny!
Thank God I’ve got friends at these shows to talk with. It is weird, the
few times he has come up to me at a show and puts his arms around me,
it’s nice, but weird. I’m not used to that at shows.
Do you have a favorite
and least favorite Darkbuster song?
Yes, Irish, last song on 22 Songs, is my favorite. I love it!(long
pause) I don’t think I have a least favorite. I like them all. In
fact, 22 Songs was in heavy rotation in my cd player for a long time. I
never got sick of it. At my hairdresser job, I have a lot of young clients
who are just getting into punk rock so I grab cds all the time and give
them to the young punk girls.
Suppose Playgirl approached Lenny asking him to
pose naked for $20,000, would you be supportive?
(big smile) Of course I would! He’s got to lose that beer gut first
though...(laughs)
Do you have a copy of
the Darkbuster DVD? Do you like it?
I do have a copy, but I haven’t seen it yet. It’s weird. I love my
man and I love his band, but I haven’t watched that DVD yet. Since we
bought the house, we’ve been so busy and I work a lot. I still haven’t
seen the new Dropkick Murphys DVD either.
When at Darkbuster
shows, do guys ever hit on you? How do you handle that?
It happens, but I just brush them off without trying to be mean.
It’s just like if I were anywhere else. It’s nothing. When we first
starting dating, it happened all the time. But now everybody knows that
we’re together. It’s funny, because everybody tries to buy me beers as
if I were Lenny. So it may seem like they’re hitting on me, but
they’re not. They’re just buying a beer for Lenny’s woman. Some
people are weird and get all excited that I’m Lenny’s girlfriend and
they have to shake my hand. Lenny sometimes asks me what guys are talking
to me about and almost all the time we’re talking about him, Lenny.
(Lenny returns)
Suppose you were at a show and a woman flashed
Lenny, would you simply blow it off, or would you go scratch her eyes out?
Oh, that’s been done and I don’t care.
Lenny- That really happened, really? I’ve never noticed.
One time at a show, these girls were on stage yelling at Lenny and one of
them was yelling, “I love you Lenny!” and the other girl looked and
pointed at me and said “I think that’s his girlfriend over there.”
The other girl yelled, “I don’t give a shit, I’ll fucking kill
her!” And of course this was one of the shows where none of my friends
were so I was all by myself. But I just went to the bar, got a beer, and
returned to where I was and they just kept yelling at Lenny. I think that
was the night some girl attacked Lenny and gave him her email address. She
was like 19 and Lenny felt so uncomfortable because he could be her
father. She just walked up to him and attacked him, even wrapped her legs
around him.
Lenny
is really friendly and the greatest guy in the world. He talks to anyone
who wants to talk with him, so he won’t tell girls to get away even if
he feels uncomfortable. He doesn’t get mad and just lets it wash over,
or whatever. I let it wash over to, but that one 19 year old girl was
concerning me only because she was so drunk and really attacking Lenny.
That was at the Middle East. A lot of guys would love having tons of
chicks around him, but Lenny doesn’t care at all. I guess that’s why I
love him so much.
Suppose Darkbuster
came to you and said “Shelley, pick a song, any song, and we’ll cover
it for you.”
Train inVain, by The Clash
When you get mad at
Lenny, do you call him Leonard?
Yep, couple of times. But don’t call him that or he’ll punch you
in the face…
Lenny- I won’t punch you in the face! Have I ever punched you in the
face?
No, you haven’t punched
anyone in the face. But the last time we were here, if I remember
correctly, he was here a long time drinking and didn’t come home. So I
came here and walked up to him at the bar and said “Umm, Leonard..” He
turned around and said (in a hilarious mocking voice) “Don’t
you call me that.”
(to Lenny)
Remember that?
Lenny- (smiling)
Barely..
I really never call him
that, but I like the name Leonard. The few times I have called him that he
doesn’t like it.
Lenny- Ya, she just jumps
right to calling me a fucking loser anyway. Doesn’t even bother with the
Leonard thing.
Ya, I go right for the
loser call…
Lenny- (laughing)
She goes right for the throat, “Go back to living in your mother’s
basement you fucking loser..”
I do not!
Lenny- (laughing)
She does…
I said that once…
Lenny- (laughing)
Ya, once this week…
(Smiling and laughing)
He’s lying!
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