THE PLOT TO BLOW UP THE EIFFEL TOWER TOURING THIS MONTH With Guests THE SCARE Wed Nov 9 - Brisbane, The Zoo Tickets on sale Sep 28 from Skinny's, Rocking Horse & online at www.thezoo.com.au Fri Nov 11 - Sydney, Spectrum Tickets on sale Sep 28 from all Moshtix outlets, Phone 9209 4614, online at www.moshtix.com.au Sat Nov 12 - Melbourne, Northcote Social Club Tickets on sale Sep 28 from the NSC box office (Mon-Fri 12-8), Phone 9486 1677, online at www.northcotesocialclub.com

THE BASICS
1. Name : Brian Timothy Hill
2. Band : The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower
3. Job In Band : percussionist extraordinaire
4. Website : www.blowuptheeiffeltower.com
5. Hometown : San Diego, CA USA

THE BAND

6. What's the story behind the name?
In every band's infancy, there comes the all too important task of coming up with a name so you'll have something to put on a flyer. I personally had no part in conjuring this one up, but I agreed to it because I am terrible at naming bands. It's all related to a book I've never had the urge to get through (because I was too lazy) called Lipstick Traces.

7. How did the band come together?
If I can recall correctly, I think I came from a rib that was pulled out of one of the other guys. I was created by them solely to play drums, and I eased into that role rather nicely.

8. How long has the band been around?
We've been together around four and a half years.

9. Briefly describe your sound
I have kind of a higher-pitched speaking voice compared to the other guys in the band. I'm quite often mistaken for a woman on the phone because of it too. When I play drums, I sound like a freight train or a Chinook helicopter though.

10. A few influences
I am highly influenced by Brian Eno's baldness, sense of style, and utter sex appeal. I also like his music.

11. What's your current release? Tell us a little about it
Love in the Fascist Brothel is the latest record on Revelation/31G records. It is a really fast, pointy, abrasive record that is over in under 25 minutes and I still like it. Usually, I get pretty tired of our recordings after they've been around for a while, but this one is still holding up for me. It has a lot of lyrical themes that I'm sure one of the lyric writers can give more justice to than I ever could.

OFF THE STAGE

12 . When did you decide you had to be a musician, and how did you go about it?
I think that I wanted to be a musician since I was about 11 years old. I had to do a lot of begging and way too many handjobs for a guitar (my first instrument), but I eventually got one. After I found other kids to play with, that was it; there was nothing that felt more satisfying to me.

13. What was your first band name and what style did you play?
I was in a band called the Emergency Funk Technicians (I swear to god). As you may have figured out, it was a funk band. I played guitar and drums (yes, we were one of those bands that does the annoying switch-over halfway through the set). We were awesome. We won our high school's Battle of the Bands when I was a senior by completely shredding the competition.

14. Tell us three albums you couldn't live without in your collection
That changes on an almost daily basis. Right now, I'm on a kick with these three:
1)Heroes-David Bowie,
2)Station to Station-David Bowie,
3)The Idiot-Iggy Pop

15. Best piece of musical advice you've been given
I've recently started stretching before we play. It's not really musical advice, but it came from a fellow drummer and has been a really good thing for me.

16. Two groups/artists you'd love to take out on the road
Right now, I'd love to go out with a band from Seattle called Shoplifting or go on tour with American Thundergay.

17. Favourite song of your group?
I really like this newest song we've written a whole lot. It's called "I.N.R.I." and it isn't like anything I've ever really played before, let alone anything the band has. Maybe that's my favorite now because the sheen is still on it. I like "SLC Hunks" quite a bit.

18. The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is
Getting out of San Diego for a little while. Oh, and seeing our friends in other cities is a big motivator.

19. The thing you least look forward to before a tour is
The day we leave for tour. It's always hectic, we're never totally prepared, things take too long, the drives are always boring, I always think of things I should have done/brought before we left, etc.

20. When your not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing?
Right now, I am working a whole lot trying to make some money doing office jobs. It has sucked the lifeblood and creative energy right from me, but you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess. We all are working a lot lately. I'd rather be whoring.

ON THE STAGE / ROAD

21. What gear do you use?
I have a mix-and-match drum kit made up of various drums from different sets--all chrome. The bass drum is my pride and joy at 28 inches strong though. My cymbals are whatever I can scrounge up that aren't too cracked or shitty sounding. Stuff breaks all the time. I need someone to give me free gear. Perhaps a charity can be set up?

22. Favourite place (city/town/country) you've played and why?
For me, I think it was pretty great playing in London. Even though I wasn't too fond of the actual performance of one show there, I think that place is amazing. I really liked playing outside of Barcelona too because of the crowd's response and watching a guy do coke off of a bar in a shanty club.

23. Favourite venue to perform at and why?
Absolutely the Che Cafe in San Diego. That's where we started and it's just such a great and unique club. When it's wall-to-wall kids, I get sexually aroused as well.

24. Who hogs the stereo in the van the most?
Whoever's driving should get final say on what's being played, but that isn't always the case. I don't know how to drive, so I let those guys figure it out. Luckily, there are only a few records that get played in the van that I can't stand, so most of the time, I'm good.

25. Who in your group has the worst "bad habit" on tour, and what is it?
I don't know if anyone's bad habits are worse than my own. We all have our vices, and we love to drive each other crazy with them, of course. I have a crazy jones for methadone lately, and I get the shakes pretty bad.

26. Most embarrassing moment on tour?
I stepped in dog shit and smeared it all over the back seat of the van last year. It was horrendous cleaning that up and I was gagging the whole time.

27. Give us a good quick 'on the road' story, funny, embarrassing, memorable, whatever
I broke into an abandoned house and made tender love to an anonymous boy. Most thrilling event that tour for sure.

RIGHT NOW

28. What's getting the most spins in your stereo right now?
Any album out of David Bowie's "Golden Years" as some refer to them. Really that's anything from Diamond Dogs through Scary Monsters. I'm ape over David right now (as I am quite often). Also, there are a lot of Clash records getting played. Also, 70's Elton John, The Pogues and anything Motown that I own will get a turn or two.

29. Tell us a band or artist everyone should check out and why
Mika Miko because they were fucking brilliant when we played with them the other night.

30. A word of advice to those slugging it out in empty pubs on Tuesday nights
Whenever we've played pubs, we have had similar luck a lot of the time. It helps to develop an alcohol problem--dulls the pain and loneliness.