Looking back at this interview
In 2005 Alex Mitchell was fronting the band Fat Nancy. Circus of Power was no longer active. C.O.P. was about as straight ahead and raw as you could get. In a time where there was a whole lot of party vibe and polish in music, Alex Mitchell fronted Circus of Power. C.O.P was dark, gritty , with pure emotional power permeating through every track. If you are unfamiliar with Circus of Power, check them out. Those albums still hold up today. If you only caught a couple of C.O.P. songs back in the day, revisit them.
Alex Mitchell (Sept 2005)
Fat Nancy. Circus of Power singer
Alex Mitchell
Give us a rundown on Fat Nancy. How’d you get the lineup together?
We started with some other guys that didn’t work out. Both left the band. Steg I knew from nyc and we brought him in. Chris, who plays on the record, is getting payed by other gigs and we can’t pay anybody yet so in came Sharkey, another New York dude, from Brooklyn. So now Brooklyn’s in the mother*&# house. Tony, our drummer, played in the band Throwrag for awhile and responded to an ad. He’s a unique and great drummer. Billy I’ve been working with for a while
You guys have a new cd “American Muscle Baby”. What can fans expect from the new cd?
Our $#! doesn’t sound like anything anybody else is doing. It’s raw rock n roll. We love punk rock and soul and all kinds of $#! so that permeates through. I think we destroy.i think most of the stuff out there blows, if I may be negative for a minute…
How did the recording of the new cd differ from your previous post Circus of Power projects?
Some of the stuff does sound like C.O.P., some doesn’t. Different guys, different times. The songs ‘Hot Lottie’, Children of the Midnite Sun’, they’re very C.O.P.
We also hear you have a book in the works. What’s the scoop ?
My book is called’; “Life is a Phantom K-mart Horse Starting Up in the Middle of the Night”. it’s on Yahara Press and you’ll be able to get it on Amazon and at our website. About twenty pieces, 2-9 pages per, I write about some of the nuts that I see every day, about women and dogs and working and hummingbirds and being happy and being depressed. I’m so happy about the book, it took a year to write, I’m very proud of it, pride being one of the seven deadly sins, right?
You appeared on the “Morton Downey Jr. Show” ( along with Ace Frehley and
The Cycle Sluts from Hell ). We’ve watched that tape about a billion times. It was pretty wild. What do you remember about that experience?
Don’t remember much about the Morton Downey thing, it’s been a long time.
Speaking of the Cycle Sluts from Hell any idea what those gals are up to
these days?
I only have seen Donna from the Cycle Sluts, and she is in the band She-Wolves. We played with them one night and it was a blast. I love Donna, she is the best.
We know it’s a standard question you’ve been asked about a billion times,
so bare with us while we ask it once more. What lead to Circus of Power disbanding?
we were sick of each other and didn’t have anything to offer any more. You have to bury the dead. Someday, we might record again, and even play. Why not?
What did you do during the years between C.O.P disbanding and your subsequent return to recording?
I have been working, baby, I am Joe Sixpack, building sets for commercials and videos for many years. I got into writing. I never lost the dream of playing music. I made a c.d. called ‘Plastic Gator Machine’ with Charlie Pickett and some other cats. Sort of out of print for now but has some good stuff on it. I’ve been living in this insane and beautiful world. I’ve been being bobby brown! ha ha ha
Let’s take a jump back into the “Music Video Time Capsule”.
What’s your favorite music video you’ve been in?
Vices
A Few Quick Hits:
First concert you ever saw:
I don’t know.
Worst concert you ever saw:
There were a lot of bad ones.
Most embarrassing album in your collection:
Wasn’t happy with most of the last album, C’est la Vie.
Favorite TV shows growing up:
Grew up with hockey night in Canada, Bewitched, the Flintstones, I Love Lucy. Later I liked All in the Family, MASH, Taxi, The Jeffersons, The Honeymooners,
The one thing Alex Mitchell is best at is:
Being a good guy
The one thing Alex Mitchell is worst at is:
Consistently being a good guy.
When you were a kid a we’d most likely find you:
Playing street hockey, riding my bike, playing football, kissing girls
That I am not a violent person, not racist, and very liberal.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Watching being bobby brown! ha ha ha
Our staff has whittled down a list of some of our favorite Circus of Power tracks. What thoughts, memories, or anecdotes do you
have regarding the following songs:
“Call of the Wild”
Wrote it in the studio practicing. Met Debby Harry at that studio, Rick Rubin, Chris Goss, Joey Ramone..Top Cat it was called in NYC.
“Needles “
Wrote it because I was surrounded by junkies.
“Letters Home”
Wrote it on the wall of my squat in little Italy, across from Gottis Fortwess.
“White Trash Queen”
Don’t remember
“Dr. Potion”
That one either
“”Last Call Rosie”
Wrote it with Garry when we first came to L.A. like that song okay
“Heaven and Hell”
Wrote it with Jerry Cantrell, was palling around with him at the time, getting drunk and crazy. Good guy is Jerry, and very talented. I’d like to work with Jerry again and get it right.
“Poison Girl”
Don’t remember
“Shine”
Did it with Ian from The Cult. I think maybe me and Jerry and Ian should make a c.d!
“The Life and Times of Alex Mitchell” is being made into a multi million dollar movie. Who plays Alex and how does the movie end?
Some stud like Brad Pitt! It would end with a shocking revelation-when I get to heaven (no, that’s not the shock) I find out that Lemmy isn’t really God, it’s Morrissey!
What’s the greatest life lesson you’ve learned over the years?
Appreciate the here and now
Every musician has their personal favorite “Jam Songs”. Whether it be
the last call, open mic night, buddies in the audience yelling “Let’s jam”!! So what are your top 5 all time “Jam Songs”?
Jam songs? You have to go back to the originals, like Little Richard and Chuck Berry..you know, stuff like Good Golly Miss Molly and Carole
You have 5 songs to put in your time capsule. What are they?
I don’t know. I love so much music ; James Brown, The Damned, The Beatles, Motorhead, Johnny Thunders, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Stones. I love schleppy $#8 like the Carpenters and Burt Bacharach. Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
What was your “Spinal Tap Moment”?
Every day in a band is spinal tap
You have only 5 albums you can listen to for the rest of your life. What are they?
I’ll just name some amazing albums that I love; Sticky Fingers by the Stones, Machine Gun Etiquette by The Damned, Ace of Spades by Motorhead, Live at the Sands by Sinatra, Tapestry by Carole King, Layla by Derek and the Dominoes, What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye
We love songs with Cowbells! What are some of your favorite cowbell tunes?
Lemme see..Mississippi Queen, American Band by Grand Funk, Little Sister by Gotsa,
Anything you’d like to mention or comment on?
I’ll shamelessly plug ‘Pure American Muscle, Baby’ by ‘Fat Nancy’ and my book. good on ya!
Thanks Alex,
You are another Warrior keeping the spirit alive. Keep Defending the Faith !
ARTIST UPDATE 2019
Circus of Power did indeed reunite a few times. In late 2017 the band released the album “Four”. Alex and the current Circus of Power lineup are working on new tunes. Checkout their Facebook page for updates ! Circus of Power Facebook
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