Openly queer Bill Tutton and omnisexual Carla Bozulich, bassist and lead singer for the critically acclaimed Geraldine Fibbers, are gearing up this month for the release of their newest effort, Butch (Virgin), which mixes classical violin with electric guitar for a groovy modern rock vibe. Here are Tutton (he of the Baldwinesque, scoundrel-like charm) and Bozulich (think Pippi Longstocking gone grunge) on gay fans, alternative uses for cucumbers, and kicking ass (literally) onstage.
Who the hell is Geraldine Fibbers?
Bill Tutton: Oh, everybody's got their own theories. Lets say she was a Celtic witch from the eighth century who was burned at the stake. We found her in a seance with a Ouija board. It's actually her spirit that's summoned through Carla's voice.
That said, describe the band's sound.
BT: Our primary roots are American country-western and noisy punk-rock stuff--real fast and immediate music.
Carla Bozulich: We're an experimental pop band and the instruments tell the story. It's this weird meshing of what violins, upright basses, guitars and a loud-mouth chick can do.
How does your new album, Butch, compare to your last one?
BT: It's more extreme. The loud fast songs are louder and faster, and the dramatic songs are more dramatic. And it's paced very nicely. Everybody is really proud of how it flows as a piece of music.
CB: A lot of the music on the album is inspired by the feelings we have about AIDS and the friends that we've lost. It's dedicated to them.
Bill, you're a gay musician...BT: Gay? Who's gay? I'm not gay. Oh no!
CB: What? Bill's not gay. It's Kevin, the drummer. How did they screw this up again?
BT: He lisps so much better than me. You'd think they'd know!
Anyway... How do you handle being an out rock star?
BT: I don't think it should matter. Maybe I'll regret being out someday. A lot of pop stars seem to have great success by maintaining their ambiguity.
And Carla, are you sexually...ambiguous?
CB: What does that mean, anyway?
Maybe that you're bi?
CB: Oh, that I'm bi? [Laughing] What did my friend say when he got asked this? He said, "No, I'm not bi. I'm tri. Trisexual." I'll try anything sexually.
So what else have you tried besides men and women?
CB: You know, any old thing that you find around the house.
Like...?
CB: Well, here's what been the revelation of my sex life, and it's a real summer treat. If you feel you need a penis, but you don't really want a man, the best thing to do is go to the store and buy a nice big cucumber. And you don't just peel it--you carve it into the perfect penis. There is no better dildo in the world. Like a woman, cucumbers are self-lubricating. They're cool and nice, they taste good, and the texture is perfect. Oooh!
OK, Bill, who's in your most frequently recurring sexual fantasy?
BT: That old Cary Grant. Boy, if I could have nailed him once, or been his lover--God! That would have been like manna.
What type of car best suits your personality?
CB: One of those electric cars.
BT: The one I used to drive--a '79 beige Dodge Aspen special edition with an eight-track player, power windows, and a crashed front grill. I loved that car. One time I was in West Hollywood and some guy pulled up next to me in that gay jeep they all drive. He was one of those gym guys with a flattop with blond tips. He was blasting the Pet Shop Boys. I had the Village People's Cruisin on my eight-track player, and I turned it up just as loud. His song ended and he looked in my car and was like, "Village People on eight-track? Oh my God!" and he just drove off. It was really funny.
What's your guiltiest musical pleasure?
BT: I really like deliberate pop like Abba. "Dancing Queen" just makes me sob.
Describe your most outrageous moment onstage.
CB: Once, when I was singing with my last band, I actually had to hit someone in the audience.
What's up with that?
BT: He was asking for it.
CB: Some guy reached up and grabbed my crotch. Before I even knew what I was doing, I just swung my arm back and hit him in the forehead with the microphone. Hard. Like, real hard. I was like, Uh oh, I'm in trouble. But I wasn't. He just got a huge lump.
Finally and most importantly, what kind of underwear do you wear?
BT: Right now I'm wearing Joe Boxers. But I have all different kinds.
CB: Generally, I wear men's jockey shorts. But today I'm wearing--let me just show you. [Pulls up her dress.] Look, grandma undies!