Justin Talks to PopCandiesTV

Pop Candies TV caught up with Justin Tranter, Mama Tranter and Jimmy Knehans at Voyeur in West Hollywood.  Justin talked about the new weekly party Semi Precious Weapons be hosting in L.A. whilst recording their new album.

The "Rock & Roll - Porn Extravaganza" will likely be hosted at the Roxy, a venue that has housed many memorable SPW shows.  After which he and the rest of the boys will jump back in the groove of the Monster Ball Tour in April with Lady GaGa.

Check out the video above to see the new tattoos as well as some FFGHS (Fierce Fucking Glitter Heel Shots)

SPW Post-Fred Segal Interview!

Orion Croft Interviews Semi Precious Weapons

Vintage Justin Tranter Interviews

These interviews were added to the semipreciousVEVO channel (thank god).  We understand they might not classify as vintage, but if you want to argue about it make your own site, and suck it.  Enjoy!

Things We've Missed: Breaks, Birthdays, Covers & Interviews!

My phone was stolen thus leaving me internet/social network-less. But thanks to Jesus and Insurance, I have my Droid back and now can update the site! Here are some things we missed while we were gone.

Breaks:
Two songs into their opening set for the Monster Ball in Oslo, Norway – Justin broke his wrist. But like the glam fucking trooper he is, he managed to finish the final five songs of the set without a problem.

Birthdays:

October 21st Marked Stevy Pyne’s Birthday! He’s our FUCKING GUITAR HERO!

Covers:
SPW changed up their usual sound check and mashed up their fabulous song ‘Statues of Ourselves’ with Lady Gaga’s equally fabulous song ‘Dance in the Dark’ to make a truly great acoustic fuck of a song. Ch-ch-check it out!


Interviews:
Semi Precious Weapons took the time to sit down with Karmaloop TV, run by one of our favorite online clothing stores: Karmaloop.com

Semi Precious Weapons Shoot Breeze With Jon Chattman

Earlier this week, Semi Precious Weapons sat down with John Chattman of thecheappop.com to discuss
the 'Dirty Showbiz' tour, Monster Ball, GaGa, and Madonna. Check it out y'all.

Part I:


Part II::

Urban Nomad Kicks it With SPW

Semi Precious Weapons on Bullying

As you can probably guess based on pretty much, well, everything about them, the guys of Semi Precious Weapons weren't exactly your average high school kids. Because of that, they were bullied just like every other teen who dares to stray from the social norm, and it's why, in light of the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi — and a host of other gay teen deaths in recent months — they decided to tell their stories to MTV News.

SPW hope that, much like the message of the "It Gets Better" campaign, they can convince their fellow outcasts that, yes, life does improve once high school is over. Very much so, in fact.


"In every school, there's always the kid who gets it the worst, and I was, for sure, that kid," frontman Justin Tranter said. "Every time you had to get in a line that was boys and girls, it was like my worst nightmare. A lot of kids I know got made fun of for being gay; that was not my issue, I was just called a girl endlessly. I definitely was that kid. And when I went to high school, my first semester in public high school, it actually got very, very violent, to the point where I had to switch schools," he continued. "But luckily, I'm really blessed because my family was so cool that I never really felt bad about it ... [and] I used it as motivation to do something cooler. So instead of just switching schools, I convinced my parents to let me go to the arts high school in the city, and I had to audition and get in, and it was a very nerve-racking experience, because not only did I want to go to an arts school, but I needed to leave the school."

But while Tranter was picked on for his gender issues, SPW bassist Cole Whittle's experience was a bit different. He was both bully and the bullied, which gives him a rather unique perspective on things.
"I went through a period where I realized what a little a--hole I was, and went around my middle school and actually apologized to a bunch of kids. And then, in high school, I wouldn't say I was bullied, but being a musician wasn't cool," he explained. "I went from being a jock and a wrestler to being a musician over a summer. I showed up dressed like Kurt Cobain, and my friends were like, 'What the?' So, it has nothing to do with orientation, it just has to do with 'you don't look exactly like me,' and I think that's terrible.

"And also, bullying is worse now than it's ever been in human history, because now you can be a cowardly bully. ... Making fun of a kid 20 years ago in front of his face was bullying, but now you can sit at home and be an anonymous bully and reach three times the audience with your stupid computer," he continued. "Back in the day, the worst thing you could do was have four people on speakerphone and call some kid a loser, and it's like, 'Aw, that sucks.' But now it's getting to the point where it literally can cripple you. So if anybody has a bully they want to send to me, I'll choke him out, immediately."

And obviously, both men are living proof that life does get better once high school ends. They tour the world with Lady Gaga, party hard (and often) and command a loyal legion of fans. In fact, they consider themselves, as Tranter puts it, "the coolest guys on the planet." So much so that they wrote a song about their experiences — one that has become an anthem for their fellow outcasts.

"We have a song called 'Statues of Ourselves,' and now, when we're playing these headline shows, we look out, and whether it's girls who are overweight, or whether it's teens with gender issues, or whether it's the jock dude at our show who feels slightly out of place in our world, when that song starts, you can see [it] in people's faces," Tranter said. "This song it kind of, for me at least, it's my personal anthem and my friends' anthem, that it doesn't matter that people think we're losers, we think we're cool enough that we're going to build statues of ourselves."

And if all of that isn't enough, Whittle has one last piece of advice for anyone who's being bullied or feels like they just can't go on.

"Just know that the guys picking on you or saying sh--, one day, they'll be sitting in a Cheesecake Factory somewhere staring at their wife," he laughed. "And you'll be doing what we get to do every night. Trust me."

Credit: MTV.COM

Join MTV, Brittany Snow and the Jed Foundation (with support from DoSomething.org, the Trevor Project, Reach Out, Active Minds and the Ad Council) in spreading the word that Love Is Louder. Upload your videos of support to Your.MTV.com and tweet your message with the hashtag #LoveIsLouder.

Raw Dogg Interviews Semi Precious Weapons

Not sure how old this interview is, but I've never seen it.

Semi Precious Weapons Tell The Status Quo to "F-Off"

We Love a good interview with a dateline nbc intro... and i mean LOVE.

Semi Precious Weapons - Afoot Interview

"Semi Precious Weapons Are a Hemingway Novel on Ice"

Fabulous, FABULOUS Interview By Leila Brillson of interviewmagazine.com
 
"At least a (peroxided) head taller than the average guy, Justin Tranter, frontman of New York-based trash rock outfit Semi Precious Weapons, stands out. With bandmates equally bedecked in chains and gold, patchwork and hair dye, the group parts the crowd with ease. The Weapons aren't a household name yet, but their comrade-in-arms, Lady Gaga, certainly is (the friends made headlines when Gaga crowd-surfed with Tranter during his act, ending in a sloppy, audience-igniting kiss). The opening act on her Monster Ball tour, the boys are unabashedly loud, bombastic and glamorous. With his modelesque cheekbones and blinding hair, Tranter is the most noticeable, the others fill out his sentences as he speaks, occasionally even one-upping his signature hyperbole. Watching the four of them, there is an unmistakable sense of unity and friendship, even amidst their own personal chaos.


Though they know that the fans who love Gaga for her pop prowess may not get their grit and glam rock, the band doesn't care. As bassist Cole Whittle says, "We love playing in punk rock bars with 20 people just as much as we love as we love playing in an arena. We do the same shit, no matter where we are." Since Tranter and guitarist Stevy Pyne hail from Chicago, there seemed to be no better guides to the Midwest hedonism of Lollapalooza.

LEILA BRILLSON: So I know Justin and Stevy grew up in Chicago. So since we are here, where should we go?


JUSTIN TRANTER: Well, I love Belmont and Clark, which is like the classic punk area. Then Wicker Park is really cool, Bucktown is very exciting. Our favorite rock clubs are Cobra Lounge and Subterranean, and Cobra Lounge because its free.


BRILLSON: So, let's get this out of the way. Once upon a time, Lady Gaga opened for you. How did you become friends.


TRANTER: She was a big fan of ours, and we were looking for someone to open for us. And we heard she was really fun and a great performer. So we had her open for us, because it's difficult to find bands in New York that understand that its OK to have a good time. You can still be really talented and have fun.


DAN CREAN: New York doesn't think you can have sex and like it.


TRANTER: [LAUGHS] We share that same mentality. Gaga the person is much like Gaga the celebrity. She is very sweet, loyal and funny with her fans, and she is very sweet, loyal and funny with her friends. On stage, she is over-the-top, ridiculous, dirty and genuine on stage, and she is very over-the-top, ridiculous, dirty and genuine with her friends.


COLE WHITTLE: She's a rock 'n roll chick at heart. She's not a pop star.


BRILLSON: So what is it like coming from the clubs in New York to major arenas?


WHITTLE: Well, there is less crimes in the arena, less sex in the bathroom. But we like that stuff, but who doesn't. That's where our band was born. That's why we are making music.


BRILLSON: So, tell me about You Love You, which came out a month ago, and the response. It was a long time coming, and what was finally getting an album out like?


TRANTER: The response has been amazing. We hit the top 15 in album sales for every city we've played in. It's a sign that when people actually hear us play, they really like us. So hopefully one day we'll get on the radio and the TV, and then everyone will buy us.


WHITTLE: And then we will be number one at everything, in the world.


TRANTER: [Laughs)]We recorded it in LA with Jack Joseph Puig. It was kind of a dream come true. He's a weirdo like us, who believes in talent and fashion. He looks like Willy Wonka–not facially, but "fashionally." That's a word now, I say. We have this weird thing called a "rock band," where you actually play instruments at the same time, which doesn't happen anymore.


WHITTLE: We use real drums–which is unheard of–and no keyboards...who's ever heard of that? And a guitar that solos. There are no tropical robots on robots.


BRILLSON: What's a record without tropical robots?


WHITTLE: [Sarcastic] What's this fresh new sound?


BRILLSON: Well, while you are on the road with this fresh new sound, how do you guys and Gaga stay grounded to your New York roots?


CREAN: We party as much as possible. Literally, our occupation is acting like a bunch of 16-year-olds.


TRANTER: And we still hang out with Gaga, which we've always done in New York.


WHITTLE: If both of us had failed, we'd still be doing shows together to a hundred people in New York City right now.


TRANTER: Now that she has Lady Starlight DJ-ing the first hour of our show, it really is our whole posse. It really is the new New York, which is funny, because New York really didn't like us. Venues didn't want to book us, so we created this little world with about a thousand people coming to every show, but everyone else hated us. Now, we are playing all over the world and 10,000 people come to our show... and New York still hates us.


WHITTLE: And 12-year-olds come to the show, and Lady Starlight plays Black Flag and Pantera, and they are like, "What the fuck?" And then we play, and hurt ourselves and hurt everyone else, and they are like, "What the fuck?" And then Gaga comes on and the kids see an epic, futuristic show...basically a Hemingway novel, on ice, and they say, "What the fuck?"


BRILLSON: A Hemingway novel on ice? Thanks, you just gave me the name for this piece. Speaking of crazy styles and mashups, can you boys tell me about your look?


TRANTER: My fashion is inspired by Tina Turner and Sharon Stone. I'm wearing a nude leather jacket with gold grommets by Kimmy Him, and fishnets, and Fetty Jewelry, my line that is now sold in Barney's. Also, Stuart Weitzman heels, which he makes for me, because I'm a 12.5 women's wide.


WHITTLE: I'm inspired by LL Cool J, Turbo from Breaking, Don Knotts, Elvis, James Dean and common street trash.


CREAN: I'm Marc Jacobs on the bottom, NWA on top.


STEVY PYNE: I take my inspiration from a methadone clinic...and Weekend at Bernie's.


TRANTER: All of my clothes can fit into a Ziploc bag. But I wear less than my bandmates.


BRILLSON: So after Chicago, where to?


TRANTER: LA. We really like LA because it really likes rock and roll. The tourist attractions in LA are rock clubs. Even though LA can be kind of tacky, when a city's big draws are The Roxy and the Viper Room, you know its pretty amazing. Anywhere where rock and roll is number one, we are at home."

Justin Talks SPW, The Tour, & The Fans

He's tall, blond and pretty, and can rock high heels and smoky eye makeup. Justin Tranter, the frontman for New York City's Semi Precious Weapons, knows how to put his personality into well-crafted rock 'n' roll songs - like those on the band's brash, sexy, dark and humorous new album, You Love You. Tranter, however, didn't necessarily hone his style and sound while studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music.

"I did a singer-songwriter thing in college and I was boring myself to tears, let alone everyone else, but I didn't really understand why. I didn't really get it yet,'' says Tranter.

He and some friends from music school - bassist Cole Whittle and drummer Dan Crean (guitarist Stevy Pyne joined in 2008) - moved to New York City and formed Semi Precious Weapons in 2006.

"We got in a room and the first thing we wrote together was the `I can't pay my rent but I'm f---in' gorgeous' song (a.k.a., the eponymous track Semi Precious Weapons).Oh my god, this makes so much more sense,'' Tranter remembers thinking.

The raucous glam rock song Semi Precious Weapons leads off You Love You with swagger. Even the slower tunes are full of glam-rock attitude; the stunning piano ballad, Leave Your Pretty To Me, includes lyrics such as "with bottles and her mamma's cigarettes'' and ``gorgeous and passed out on the cement.''

"A little much? Not if you're a rock 'n' roller", says Tranter.

"These ridiculous, amazing, absurd things I say in real life, if I'm fronting a rock band and I'm not sitting at a piano, it actually makes sense and it's allowed to be humorous and over the top because there's a bad-ass rock band to back it up,'' Tranter says, and that discovery allowed Semi Precious Weapons to take off.
Funded by Tranter's equally rock 'n' roll jewelry line, Fetty, Semi Precious Weapons self-released its debut album, We Love You, in 2008, then re-released it on the Razor & Tie label. The band signed a deal with Interscope in November 2009, the same time they launched a yearlong tour as special guests of their friend Lady Gaga on her worldwide Monster Ball tour.

"It's interesting, because a lot of the kids have no clue who the f--- we are,'' Tranter laughs. ``But Interscope did have a three-song EP up, but that didn't even go up until we were about halfway through this tour. So it's been a slow but sure build.

But rock 'n' roll is allowed to take a little bit more time than pop music is. Can't complain. There were even a couple of people who said, `Oh, you shouldn't do a tour without an album out,' but if Lady Gaga wants us to open for her, we're not going to say no!'' he says.

And when they're not on stage, opening for Gaga, Tranter says he and his bandmates can often be found hanging around the merchandise table, talking with people.

"Until we got on this tour, we were the type of band that was also selling our own merchandise, driving ourselves to every single show, blah blah blah. And now that we're on this tour, you're not even allowed to (personally) sell your own merch, so we just go stand near the merch and sign things and take pictures and talk and chat and do that whole thing.''

So what kind of comments are they getting from the audience?

"My two favourite things that happen are: I love the 35-year-old drunk woman who's desperate to just have sex with one of us. They're always hysterical and can barely stand up,'' Tranter laughs. ``And then there's always amazing kids that, whether they're having some sort of gender confusion or whether they think that they're a loser, or whatever it is, the kids really, really get it.

They're like, `If you can be a man in heels and stand onstage and tell everyone that you're f---in' gorgeous, then I can be f---in' gorgeous, too.' So the two are very different fan responses, but they're both awesome.''

By Karen Bliss, Canwest News Service

Patrick Dear + Danni Davies Interview Justin Tranter

 Written by Danni Davies

Semi Precious Weapons: On The Verge

"While they claim not to follow astrology, Semi Precious Weapons certainly predicted the lives of most of this generation when vocalist Justin Tranter penned the lyric “I can’t pay my rent but I’m fucking gorgeous,” off the self-titled song that appears on SPW’s just-released major-label debut, You Love You. Things heated up at New York City’s Hudson Hotel (not just because it was 102 degrees) as Tranter and his bandmates (Dan Crean– drums, Stevy Pyne- guitar, Cole Whittle-bass) tell PV’s Joelle how the band went from rock bottom to bottoms up on tour with Lady Gaga in this two-part interview. Watch and try not to be jealous that Tranter can walk better than you in heels."
 




Source: Planetverge.com

Semi Precious Weapons Twitterview!

Yesterday - Our favorite boys, Semi Precious Weapons, tweeted that they would be answering fans' questions via twitter.  We thought, "Hey! What a great idea! Let's post it like an interview." But unfortunately Jawsh and myself got extremely lazy :(  So! Before you read this let me warn you. It's kinda complicated.. we didn't fully sort it all out so what you do is - scroll to the very bottom of this post and read from bottom to top.  To read the questions just click "In Reply To __________"

Scroll all the way down! 

Alright! Phew! That was amazing. Now a question for you all... are you gonna tell everyone you know to buy #YouLoveYou ?  

@MonsterCiara94 never get nervous. luckily. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to MonsterCiara94

@x_littlemonster already have. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to x_littlemonster

@TheFameKingdom we all met at Music school together. We were friends for 4 years before we started the band. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to TheFameKingdom

@Lady_Chiara all we have ever wanted to do is play music. since we were kids. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to Lady_Chiara

@sophieGAGAward we all came up with the term "filthy glaMOUR" together. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to sophieGAGAward

@LadyGagaQuotes yes. #YouLoveYou will be huge. Because the world needs rockNroll again. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to LadyGagaQuotes

@sammonsterr The mask idea was something I've wanted to do for a very long long time. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to sammonsterr

@LittleLiliB you bought #YouLoveYou 4 times?!?!? Amazing! about 19 hours ago via web in reply to LittleLiliB

@Monster_Jordee I love everyone. Blonde, brunette, ginger...I just love fabulous people. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to Monster_Jordee

@Harriet_PawsUp we hope to make an album every year for the next 4 years. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to Harriet_PawsUp

@hausofjay #YouLoveYou about 19 hours ago via web in reply to HausofJay

@jasminebridgerx the fans are the best part of the Monster Ball. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to jasminebridgerx

@iRycee we were in the studio for a month making #YouLoveYou about 19 hours ago via web in reply to iRycee

@UKfamemonster both at the same time. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to UKfamemonster

@MonsterrWeaponn yes! about 19 hours ago via web in reply to MonsterrWeaponn

@DreamNBelieve yes. xo. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to DreamNBelieve

@Lil_FameMonster Yes! about 19 hours ago via web in reply to Lil_FameMonster

@ohellyeahh Some of the songs are 3 years old, some of them we wrote while recording. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to ohellyeahh

@jrgMONSTER maybe:) about 19 hours ago via web in reply to jrgMONSTER

@LeftHandedFitch Lady GaGa and Sharon Stone. Because they are so fucking smart and hot. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to LeftHandedFitch

@LadyGagaQuotes We are SOOO fucking happy to finally have an album we are truly proud of come out. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to LadyGagaQuotes

@jessimonster being full of filthy glaMOUR is the only way we know how to be. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to jessimonster

@GaGasMONSTERpaw they will hear it all. Bonus tracks to come baby. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to GaGasMONSTERpaw

@weLgaga Leave Your Pretty didn't take the longest to write, but I loved it so much when I wrote it, that I just played it for HOURS! about 19 hours ago via web in reply to weLgaga

@aimeemcoles Yes it will be in canada. June 29th! about 19 hours ago via web in reply to aimeemcoles

@sophieGAGAward Justin writes all the lyrics. But we write most of the music as a group. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to sophieGAGAward

@IrishSteve like magic. hard work does pay off. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to IrishSteve

@Meaghan_Monster the best thing about stripping on stage is that I believe rockNroll should be dangerous. And thats pretty dangerous. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to Meaghan_Monster

@nataliiiie Put A Diamond In It and Sticky With CHampagne are always sooo fun live, but I love them all. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to nataliiiie

@CaptainKP Its true. I wasnt able to pay rent. You can watch my eviction notice on youtube! Ha! about 19 hours ago via web in reply to CaptainKP

@Madison_Monster Statues and Leave Your Pretty and Look At Me mean sooo much to me. But I can't really choose a fav. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to Madison_Monster

@NerdofGaga We met gaga because she use to open for us back in NYC in 2006 and 2007. xoxo. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to NerdofGaga

@gagamonster We will hopefully put Leave Your Pretty into our live show very soon. xo. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to gagamonster

 

@CariDeeEnglish I have lots of insanely gorgeous friends that cause LOTS of trouble. They end up in my songs. Ms Dee! xo. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to CariDeeEnglish

@SexpotStephen it is called "You Love You" because everyone should love themselves more than anything. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to SexpotStephen

@InsaneMonsterx3 there are 9 songs on the album. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to InsaneMonsterx3

@Imagine928 we waited to release it in the USA until June 29th, so we would be on tour in North America when it came out. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to Imagine928

@ChrisWarhol @musicalmover working with producer Jack Joseph Puig and have Ron Fair as our A&R man was the best part. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to ChrisWarhol

@musicalmover working with producer Jack Joseph Puig and have Ron Fair as our A&R man was the best part. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to musicalmover

@jtredwell1 put a diamond in it. because violence is glamour. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to jtredwell1

@GodivaGirlBH I did record the whole album in 5 inch heels. obvs. xo. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to GodivaGirlBH

@connorbrav the fog is about Lady Starlight and Breedlove. But the song is just about how everyone should know how cool their friends are. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to connorbrav

@monstersforever my fav color is nude. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to monstersforever

@Joshb89 my fav song changes everyday, but today its Statues Of Ourselves. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to Joshb89

@chiarajosephine because you are. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to chiarajosephine

@VeggieHead21 Its about a really gorgeous amazing girl I know who can't stop drinking to much. But she is so fab, I'll always lover her. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to VeggieHead21

@tonyreilly18 We will be making suprise flash mobs of album signings in every venue we go to. about 19 hours ago via web in reply to tonyreilly18

  

Alright lovers! Lets do this. For the next 10 mins we will try to answer as many questions as we can about the new album. Ask away! about 19 hours ago via web

ITN Talk Rock & Roll With Semi Precious Weapons

The good stuff starts around the 1:19 mark.  She's totez jealz of Justin's heels.

"If Marilyn Monroe and The Sex Pistols were starring in a Quentin Tarantino film, it'd be our album"

Check out this great interview Artist Direct.com did! It's absolutely fab.

"Semi Precious Weapons lock and load their debut album, You Love You, with style, swagger and a whole lot of sexy rock 'n' roll.

They've got the kind of boundless bravado that's characteristic of all unforgettable rock bands, and there's no stopping them once they hit the stage. You Love You bursts at the seams with the kind of dirty, danceable grooves that'd appeal to both AC/DC and Lady Gaga fans. That's the magic of Semi Precious Weapons though. They're one of the last ass-shakin' rock 'n' roll bands out there, and pop culture needs cats like them to keep it in check.

That's exactly what their doing on You Love You (Due out 6/29/10) and on the Monster's Ball tour with Gaga!

Semi Precious Weapons singer Justin Tranter sat down for an exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino delving into You Love You, the possibilities of the band collaborating with Lady Gaga and what it means to be a rock band.

You don't sound like anyone else out there, but you really capture a boundless old school rock 'n' roll energy. Would you say that's the case?

Well, thank you so much! I think that's the greatest compliment you could ever give me.

How do these songs typically come together?

It depends on the song. Some of the songs start with me alone in my apartment in New York. I don't actually have that apartment anymore [Laughs]. I play piano, so just starting there and writing with a main lyrical idea, normally. For other songs, the four of us get into a room, and something sparks it—whether it's a riff or a lyric. It's different for each song, but there's typically one thing that everyone gets really excited about. If it's a song I wrote by myself, then I bring it to the band to figure out how it's actually going to go. There's always one thing that really sets it off. With "Statues of Ourselves," it was that one line—"We're going to build statues of ourselves"—that blew the whole thing up. With "Put Diamond in It," I had been wanting to say "Put a Diamond in It" and bite down on that song for awhile. I never even told the band about it, but the minute our bass player Cole started playing that riff, it immediately came to me. It's normally one spark that makes the whole thing happen.

Can it be anything?

It can be! We'll be in the van sometimes, and I'll tell the rest of the band this line I thought of. Then, they start thinking of what that line should sound like for the next week while we're on tour. It's amazing! Whether, it's the whole band or me by myself, it's always one exciting thing that starts a song.

What's the story behind "Look at Me?"

I think that's definitely one of my favorites on the album. We were in my apartment for this one; we weren't in a rehearsal room with our drummer. We were like, "Let's write something subtle because we're not a very subtle group of people, obviously." [Laughs] It was the perfect time of my life of a really amazing friendship-slash-relationship. Normally, all of my relationships and friendships become sort of magical, sexual, weird and awesome. I was at one of those moments when we decided to surrender to writing something subtle. It was the perfect time to do it!

Is this your most intimate song?

It's probably the most intimate I will ever get [Laughs].

Is "Semi Precious Weapons" like your call-to-arms track?

It was actually the first song we ever wrote as a band. When we started playing in New York, the set was originally a bunch of songs that I'd written by myself that we were figuring out for our first couple gigs. We were like, "Let's write a song together and see what happens." It was the magic moment of when this band became Semi Precious Weapons. I've been writing songs since I was a teenager, and I always wanted to say ridiculous shit like that because that's how I talk in my normal life. It never made sense for me to say, "I can't pay my rent but I'm fucking gorgeous" while I'm sitting there at a piano by myself. It just felt weird. When our guitar player started playing that balls-to-the-wall straight-up rock 'n' roll riff, I was like, "Oh, now that there's an actual badass band behind me, I can say something like that and even a frat boy would think it's awesome!" If I'm sitting a piano saying that, it's like, "What the fuck is this campy bullshit?" [Laughs] The song defined what Semi Precious is—which is real rock 'n' roll with bold glamorous lyrics that no one else has the balls to say at this point in the world. I've been evicted. You can watch it on YouTube. I collected cans, and I cashed them in at the grocery store to eat because I got fired from a job. I worked many day jobs in retail. I got fired before we started Semi Precious Weapons. I was like, "Screw it, I'm not going to do a day job. I don't care how broke I am. Fuck it!" I had landlords threatening me—rightfully so because I wasn't paying rent [Laughs]. It's not like they were assholes; they were just doing their job. I talk about walking over bridges on the record a lot because I literally could not afford subways. I was walking over bridges and cashing in cans in five-inch heels and full makeup at 4am coming home from a party. Luckily, I'd get in to the party for free and drink for free so it didn't matter if I had any money, but I couldn't get home on the subway so I'd walk back to Brooklyn every night. These are ridiculous things to say, but people can sense it's not bullshit. It can be fun, but it also can be serious and real at the same time.

If You Love You were a movie what would it be?

I would compare it to if Marilyn Monroe and The Sex Pistols were starring in a Quentin Tarantino film. Tarantino is one of my favorite directors of all time. His movies are so beautiful, and they always have very feminine leads that are very violent. Ever since I was three-years-old, I've always been obsessed with beautiful women that are violent, whether it was Wonder Woman or whoever. I loved bitches who kicked ass like Shira! [Laughs] Marilyn Monroe is one of my biggest influences ever—just the way she dealt with her celebrity. It ended grimly so it's kind of sad to reference her as an inspiration. Before she became self-destructive, the way she dealt with her sex, beauty and the amazing polarizing position she held in the world is really inspiring to me. Then there's The Sex Pistols! I think people should either really love or really hate all good rock 'n' roll. Honestly, The Sex Pistols embody that better than any other band that's ever existed. Those are my three favorite things—Monroe, Sex Pistols and Tarantino.

What albums do you always come back to?

It's really split. It's either straight-up rock 'n' roll albums like AC/DC's Back in Black and Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, Nirvana's Nevermind and Hole's Miss World or it's endless amounts of female singer-songwriters like Patty Larkin, Patti Griffin, Gillian Welch or Miranda Lambert. I love her! She's a modern country star at the moment, and I think she's a fucking genius. Then there's Dolly Parton and Sinead O'Connor. It's a weird split thing for me of really loud dirty rock 'n' roll or really quiet female singer-songwriters. We're at such a weird place in pop culture now where everything's so divided. You have to make a decision whether you're going to be really fun or really serious. People don't want anything in between right now. If you consider yourself a smart person who loves intelligent music, then you can't like anything that's on the radio. I feel like that's so dumb. Obviously, a lot of what's on the radio fucking sucks [Laughs]. We're at such a weird place where everything's so close-minded. If something indie makes it on mainstream radio, hipsters decide it's no longer awesome. We do like fashion and we believe a live show be exciting, so lots of hipsters think it's a gimmick and we're full of shit. To us, it's so funny, if they only knew. Our drummer has a degree in classical composition and could compose a symphony. However, because he likes to wear cool clothes, people automatically think he's a fucking idiot. It's such an interesting place in the world. We love and understand all different types of music so we have the confidence to say, "Alright fine, fuck it. If you want to think I'm an idiot because I wear five-inch heels and that means there's no way I could be a great songwriter, then fuck you and you just don't get it."

Not everyone got Led Zeppelin when they first came out either, and that seemed to work out…

[Laughs] Exactly! Our fans that love us live and die by it, and it's amazing! They get so mad when people don't like us. All great rock 'n' roll bands have been loved and hated. That means it's working.

How's Monster's Ball with Lady Gaga?

It's insane! We're still on it for like another nine months! It's a fucking dream come true to be able tour the world in arenas. We went from booking our own shows in bars. We've known Gaga for years, and she's always been such a huge fan. She actually used to open for us in New York. Whenever we'd talk to her, she'd be like, "At some point, I'm going to put you on tour with me!" It was so amazing. We were confirmed for two weeks in December, and that two weeks turned into a month and that turned into three months. Now, that three months became eighteen months! It's so exciting. It goes to show the genius of Lady Gaga, wanting to push one more boundary. She's like, "Even my opening act is going to make people wonder why the fuck I did it!" She's such a boundary pushing pop star. It's so funny she has this crazy rock 'n' roll band opening for her. It's a great experience for these kids to get the full spectrum.

You two need to collaborate.

I'm sure at some point it will happen!"

—Rick Florino of Artistdirect.com

Semi Precious Weapons Talk Isle of Wight

Lady Gaga’s special guests on her Monster Ball Tour, the Semi Precious Weapons, played the Big Top today and lead singer Justin Tranter was in typical over the top dress mode.

“We don’t believe in festival wardrobe, we believe in life wardrobe,” pouted 6ft Justin who was dressed in a fashionable nude shade – white and nude fishnet tights, a white t shirt barely covering his modesty and large eyelet adorned leather jacket, with his trademark six inch heels.

“I wore six inch green heels yesterday too. A colour to match the mud,” said Justin.

“Jay Z was amazing – we danced the whole time. And we saw Marina and the Diamonds and Florence and the Machine.”

The band also played in the big top on Thursday evening for those lucky enough to be camping.

“John Giddings saw us open for Gaga at the O2 and asked us if we’d play his festival. We said yes but we didn’t even know where his festival was,” said Justin.

“Our manager came and told us “Now you’re playing the IW Festival twice”,” he laughed.

“This is our first festival and it’s been amazing.  There’s a lot more people who know who we are than we thought. It was insane – there were so many people who knew our words and the album isn’t even out yet.

“We’ve had a great time. We’ve got to fly back to the US tomorrow to play Nylon Party in LA.

“We’re the new rat pack,” claimed Justin. “All rock bands take themselves so seriously but we’re having a great time.”

The Weapons are all Berklee School of Music graduates. “Our drummer (Dan Crean) has a degree in classical composition, which is a bit bizarre,” said Justin.

“Lady Gaga has been a huge fan of ours for four years. She’s so fun and exciting and secretly a very good musician.”

In 2008 Justin caused a stir when Kate Moss attended their gig at London’s Death Disco Club and danced with the outrageous blond bisexual singer.

Source: iwgazette.co.uk

GayCalgary Interviews Justin Tranter of Semi Precious Weapons

Semi Precious Weapons miss when sex – the dirty come-ons, reckless rebellion and, of course, groin grabbing – was as important to rock as the music itself. So they’re bringing it back.

As those who’ve beheld Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball spectacular know, they’re taking this mission seriously – in pantyhose or whatever other girly garb singer Justin Tranter’s feeling, the New York foursome make every glam-rock song, like the brazen, buzzed-about “Magnetic Baby,” a climax.

As the modern priestess of pop rolls out another leg of the tour this summer, Semi Precious Weapons – who’s dropping their proper debut You Love You on June 22 – will wield their sex shenanigans across the world. Before heading out again, we caught up with Tranter to talk about being on tour with Gaga, how he sees himself sexually and his own precious weapon (or lack thereof).

GayCalgary: Why is sex an important part of rock ‘n’ roll?

Justin: Because the whole reason rock ‘n’ roll became something different than pop music – and why rock ‘n’ roll became something different than every other genre out there – was that it was dangerous and rebellious and extremely sexual. Sex needs to exist in rock ‘n’ roll always, or it shouldn’t be called... Read More Here