The Powder Interview: Part 2

The Powder Superpowers: Attack of the Killer Guitar

Mickel: You recently received nationwide critical acclaim for your turbo-pop version of “Christmas Don’t Be Late (The Chipmonk Song)” off of the A&M record collection “Very Special Christmas.” Plans to do any other chipmonk songs or cartoon revamps?

Phil: Oh, no… maybe cartoons. We’d have to watch cartoons for a few Saturdays
with a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles and see what hits us.

Mickel: Which cartoon would you like to do?

Phil: How’s this? (singing) “Roadrunner! If he catches you you’re through!”

Mickel: That’s pretty cool actually!

Phil: It’s really wierd, because I don’t know how we thought of doing the Chipmonk song in the beginning, but I remember hearing it when I was a kid and thinking, “Wow, that would sound cool as a rock song!”

Mickel: I hear a lot of superhero references describing your concert performances. Is there a particular comic book you draw inspiration from?

Phil: I think everything Ninette does comes out of her brain. In general, we’re big fans of superheroes, superhero movies and comic books, cartoons, and it works for our advantage that there’s nothing like Ninette. She’s not ripping any singer that already exists, and she runs with whatever comes to mind at the time.

Mickel: If you were in a Powder cartoon, which superheroes would each member of your band turn into?

Ninette: My powers! Holy good question! (Pause) I would like the power to disappear and reappear like that guy in the X-men!

Phil: Nightcrawler!

Ninette: Yes, Nightcrawler!

Phil: Something sonic, like a banshee. Everyone would hold their ears and not be able to do anything else, and I would just take over! Then little stars would fly out of my guitar, and would, maim and kill bad guys! I think J-Bo would throw lightning from his fingers. In our video for “Up Here,” there’s little bolts of electricity going through his antennae on his head! Allan…

Ninette: Allan would run people over in his tank!

Phil: And fly the superhero plane.

Mickel: Where do you get the inspiration for your stage costumes, and where do you find this stuff?

Ninette: I just think of stuff when I’m sleeping, mostly. Then, when I see remnants of stuff, I think, “That might be cool for a costume.”

Mickel: So you see them in your dreams?

Ninette: Like when you’re waking up, half asleep and half awake. It’s quite yummy, and I get very creative then.

Mickel: What’s the craziest and most unusual thing that ever happened at one of your concerts?

Phil: One time we were playing and this girl ran up on stage and grabbed Ninette’s ass. The funny thing is, Ninette didn’t know it was a girl. So she spun around, ready to kick a guy’s ass. Meanwhile, she sees the girl and starts laughing! The fire in her eyes… I thought she would explode. And there was a time I almost killed a Femme-bot. Once or twice with my guitar. In one of the showcases we did, the strap on my guitar broke and the guitar went flying and it almost tore into her face. It would have been really bad!