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 Live from Tel Aviv, YONATAN GAT from thrashing madmen MONOTONIX delivers to MITCH ALEXANDER a cautionary tale on the perils of rocking out too hard.
By most accounts, Monotonix have just returned from another massively successful tour of America and Europe. Reflecting from his apartment in Tel Aviv, Israel, mop-haired guitarist Yonatan Gat spouts off some of the highlights. Devoting much of the year to time abroad (if you believe the mythology, they’ve practically been banned from every bar and club within the band’s homecountry), 2009 involved something in the realms of 300 performances, including a support slot for the dual reunion show of Faith No More and Dinosaur Jr (although this was staged at the monstrous Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Centre). Throw in the release of full-length debut Where Were You When It Happened? and a short recording stint with production enigma Steve Albini, and you have to ask why there’s a pang of trepidation in Gat’s tone.
“Yeah, Ami’s still on crutches, when it happened it wasn’t a bad fall, it was something that was built up after a long time,” explains Yonatan. The crutches in question belong to feverish singer Ami Shalev, who seriously injured his leg within the opening minutes of a performance in Florida at the beginning of February. “I don’t know the English word for it, but, like, the springs inside his knee were damaged.
“It’s kind of like something a sports player would get, so it could happen again at any time, or it could never happen. If he was playing soccer, his career might be over, but because we’re not running around for 90 minutes, I think he’ll be ok.”
Following YouTube videos of past performances, I think Yonatan’s doing himself a disservice in playing down the athletic disorder of a Monotonix performance. For a band whose music is a chaotic mix of caveman drumming and rudimentary Led Zeppelin riffs – think of it as a more neolithic garage Wolfmother, more entertaining because it’s less flashy – only an equally frenzied onstage presence would suffice. Chairs are thrown, instruments are mangled and the crowd-performer divide is broken down as the band performs their set from within the throbbing audience.
Owing to the prominence and importance of Yonatan’s guitar work (Monotonix consists only of guitar, Shalev’s wails and Haggai Fershtman’s muscular drumming), he’s able to shield himself from the brunt of onstage injuries and general malarkey. Although he does have some interesting theories about the pain inflicted on each other by the band’s remaining members.
“Maybe there’s a little slave vs. dominator relationship going on between our singer and our drummer, I’m not too sure … you’ll have to ask them,” he jokes. “I think we just do things that we think are funny or right and good at the time.
“Once we start playing, we feel pretty free, I think that’s all part of the show. Whatever happens happens … having fun and being freaky. I don’t think [Ami’s injury] has slowed us down, I’m just hoping he’ll be back by the time we get to Australia.”
One show cancelled out of approximately 700 in just over three years is a pretty decent average, yet it is that one blip that Gat gives too much focus to, bordering on remorse. As Monotonix embark on their first Australian tour, tell them that you forgive them … and that Florida deserved it.
MONOTONIX play alongside New Pants, DZ and Oh Ye Denver Birds at Rosie's Sunday Mar 7. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN IT HAPPENED is out now through Popfrenzy. www.myspace.com/monotonix
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