Pinky Beecroft: Out of Hibernation and Back to Basics

Looks like Pinky Beecroft isn’t in Kansas anymore, Toto. It can be fairly obviously stated that Pinky Beecroft, best known for heading psychedelic circus freakout band Machine Gun Fellatio, is attempting to break new ground with his latest band, Pinky Beecroft and the White Russians. But, onto all that fundamental stuff later. Right now, Pinky is the utter depiction of a shaggy-haired Bernard Black type scamp. He trails off some sentences, and sounds as though he is contemplating Life, The Universe and Everything during what should be a fairly breezy phoner.

“I’m hoping they don’t expect anything...but that’s more about me than it is about them. People expect everything to be MGF Part Two is what I’ve been encountering, it wouldn’t matter if I came out with the fucking Nutcracker Suite...I find there’s nothing I can do to avoid that, so I’ve decided to let it stop bothering at some point....in the future....” Pinky states heavily when asked what people can expect from the new album. And he’s right, I suppose; many people may find his transformation disturbing, considering a society not being known for its proud acceptance of change. But Pinky assures this latest project is simply “cutting all the crap out, getting back to basics”.

So, just how have things changed, Pinky? What are the dynamics of this band like compared to MGF? “I don’t think there were any mechanics in MGF...this one is a bit more...organic? It’s got a much more live rock approach to the thing....for starters, its stripped right down now to a 4 piece, which puts a lot more pressure on each individual member. It’s much more intense. It’ll just be nice to play again, I’ve been doing other things and I miss it a lot”

Ooh, what things? (What was I really expecting him to say?)

“Hibernated for a while, and kind of worked weird day jobs. Lot of writing for television. A lot of trying to figure out how to write songs in a new way with a new bunch of people”

My mind develops an image of Mr Beecroft serving lardy children chips and beef monstrosities, and I laugh, but I am nothing if not professional. On with the interview: “what do you want me to ask you?” I query, assuming he is heard every question an interviewer might hope to pose.

“Would I like a lot of money sent to me?”

“Would you like a lot of money sent to you?”

“YES”

“Brilliant”

So Pinky, get out much? Go to gigs and that?

“I saw Ween recently. They’re the best thing I ever saw in my life and I saw them five times” he answers, more deadpan than one might’ve expected, considering. “If you avoid the shit that gets thrown at you and go looking for yourself.... I probably listen to Leonard Cohen more than anyone in the universe. When I first quit MGF, Modest Mouse were a large factor in my decision to go do something completely different. I didn’t like their last record and that made me sad. Cold Chisel...’Cheap wine and a three-day growth’....if I could write a song like that, I might be happy...”

Oh, petal.

Pinky Beecroft & The White Russians' Somethin' Somewhere Better is out now through Gigpiglet Records/Inertia

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