Castrator Set One of Pipeman's Favorite at Milwaukee Metal Fest

0:04 Hi, you live, don too censure? Wow, crazy Young. This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four C Y Radio. And I'm excited about our next guest because we tried to connect at Milwaukee Metal Fest. She played there, but she was also doing like quadruple duty, like every job in the house there. I don't even know how she played, but their band killed it, like one of my favorite sets of the whole festival. So let's welcome to the show, Robin from Castrainer, How are you hello?

0:46 How are you? I'm good doing this. I know it's great, and I have to like, there's one thing I rarely talk about as band names, but I do think it's kind of funny that you started off as an all girl band and you named it cast Trader, And it makes me a little scared right now. It's a great name, right, It is a totally great name. And I mean, so let's go back to the beginning. What was it that was really your driving force to start this band? Well, I mean, I played another band, and I was friends with Carolina the drummer. We did a show with my other band, Jarkada and her other band Hypoxia in New York and then we just kind of stayed friends.

1:38 And then we were on barge to Hell together and she was talking about like starting another band of just you know, girls or whatever, and I was like, that's cool, and we kind of just started there. Nice. We are like thirteen fourteen years later. It's wild. And you know, I have to say, as somebody that came from like the eighties metal and punk scene, yeah, I always saw it was bullshit, the whole gatekeeping, especially with women, because especially now, I think some of the most badass women in metal and punk, I mean badass artists and metal and punk are women. Like yeah, I mean I never thought of it as like a gatekeeping thing. I just feel like metals, probably even punk, is the only genre that is like, oh they're girls. Like you don't have that with country, you don't have that with rap, you don't have that with pop, nothing else except for.

2:42 It's weird to your side. It's like all of a sudden, it's like, oh, there's girls. It's like okay, you know, and we know girls can play music. That's been proven in every genre throughout. You know exactly ever, and there's the passion that women have, you know, and the emotion that women have. That to me directly fits with metal or punk because they're both very emotional, passionate genres. Yeah, girls are definitely more emotional than than boys. Yeah, I always I think it shows that the lyrics, and it shows on stage, you know. And I'm actually there's sometimes too, Like I'm so in awe of certain artists, Like you take Courtney Laplunk, Like when she sings, I just sit there looking at her mouth because she's got that.

3:39 She's got that, like, you know, total technique that you don't really see often, and you can totally tell like somebody trained her how to do her. Voice without losing it the way she does because. I sang Thrash Meow in the eighties and I trashed my throat because I didn't know what I was doing. Yeah, you know, so you need the technique, but it does, you know, and it even amazes me. Like I love when I play bands to other dudes and then I tell them that the lead singer is a female before after they listen to it because they don't even like sometimes they can't even conceive of that brutalness coming from a female. But I think you do it so well. You know your whole journey, you know, anybody that's in metal or punk that does that. And but your band, man, oh my god, Like I would say probably top one of the top five sets of the whole Milwaukee Metal Fest for sure.

4:44 Wow, okay, I mean I didn't see any bands. Yeah, you were a little busy. I take that back. I saw Obituary, which, like I've seen Abituary a million times, but and I think part of Monstrosity and that was like the extent of my Milwaukee Metal Festival. But to say we're the top five, that's hard to believe, you know, with all the good bands that were playing. Yeah, it's just the energy that you brought forth and just that and that passion. Like I never saw your band before that, and I was like, oh, they're pretty good, you know. And you know, I'll tell you the company you're in, like you're in the company of Violence, who was one of my favorites too, because they're one of my favorites from way back.

5:35 But yeah, their show was sick. Okay. Like I texted my daughter a video of it and there were all kinds of stage divers and she goes, oh, is that how you knocked your all your teeth out back in the day. I'm like, yeah, except I did worse, but yeah. And then oh my god, Green Jello and like they're really Green Jelly. They're supposed to be Green Joey because of stupid jell O company. And I'll say it, like you can have a pedo represent you, but not some great band. Just saying but their show was the funniest gig I've ever seen ever in mind? Was it?

6:17 Oh my god, I could imagine because like I have video of their set, like they handed out water noodles to everybody. And like, picture picture the stage set. Oh my god, that's insane. And it was like I couldn't stop laughing because like the mosh pit was all water noodles and it was like just so much fun. And then were they at the meet and greet also chanting Green Jello because they had everybody. Just basically they just they basically just extended their show. I love it. I love it.

6:58 So those are people that you're in company with that are my favorite sets of that festival. So and how does it feel playing at festival across the street from the Damer Killing. I don't look at it like that. I'm forget about it. Honestly, I didn't even I didn't even think about it. I didn't put two and two together until I was doing an interview and I had the Ambassador Hotel as a backdrop, and when the band started talking about it, I'm like, oh, I didn't even put that. I didn't even put too and two together. Like it was funny, but yeah, like what what a great festival. And you know, I watched you too run that meet and that meet and greet, and you ran it like a clock because that's a lot of.

7:45 Work, you know, it was. It was a lot. It was fun and I had a good team of people with me, so that helped. The fans were you know, good as well, so that was also helpful. And the fans were you know, accommodating with me, so it all worked nice. So what what do you want to share with the listeners about your experience at Milwaukee Metal Fest, especially your performance? So I don't even know if I have anything to share. I didn't have like an experience really. I spent what four days, you know, in the same spot, right, you know, except when I.

8:29 Went to go play, yeah, exactly, So that was a nice break right there. Yeah, I mean it was like kind of stressful, yeah, you know. And even Nick that was with me, he played also because he plays with you know, Jamie, so he did those jams, so he had to go run too. And then both me and him did the Slayer day, right, so we left for we both left for that, So that was a lot of fun. Yeah, And I imagine it would be stressful to play a set when you're that busy too, because he kind of want to have a little chill out time before you go on stage. And there was no chill out time, right. He went straight and straight and green and then straight back.

9:16 I ran right back as soon as I was just like put my bass in a case and just ran back to. The meet and greet so and speaking bass. So what made you originally pick bass as what you wanted to play as an instrument? Basically, I used to play guitar. I played guitar forever, and I usually tell the story because my first guitar was like electric guitar was a Kreamer striker for Eddie van Halen, nice and I still have it. And the color was the blue like Steve Harris's bass. Very cool, and I just I'm not really good with like playing with the pick. It's not my favorite thing in the world.

9:58 And somebody was like, why don't you just play bass? And I'm like, huh, that sounds like a plan. And I went to the music store and I happen to find a fifty dollars bass at the music store. Still have that, and nice here I am. But I still play guitar along. With that for a very long time, you know, And I have to think there are basses at play with a pick. It's gotta be so much harder to play a bass with the pick with those strings, you know, Like it just seems so much easier with your fingers. I enjoy it more like I enjoy playing bass more, I think than guitar. It's just so different, you know. Yeah, Like guitar is fun, but I like I find bass more relaxing. I always say, I'm a frequency. You don't notice me until I'm not there.

10:47 Nice. I love it, you know. I have a trivia question for you. Oh no, okay, Yeah, who is one of the most famous bassis of all time that was original guitarist And the only reason he played bass is because they were all guitarists, So somebody had to draw it the short straw. Oh boy, is this an easy one? I don't know, and maybe maybe not. Sometimes it's hard anybody that's a basis that used to be a guitarist. I asked this trivia question too, and some have known, some have not. You know, but let's just put this way once I tell you if you don't know, you'll be like, oh, that makes sense, and I will say it's not in metal.

11:40 I was gonna say, I don't know if it's in metal. No, it's it's not in metal, and they're not a band anymore. But the person who I'm talking about is one of only two people left on this earth from that band. And that is unless than nineteen sixty nine radio show is true and he's actually dead. And that's an impost. There's a really good hint. Oh boy, I have no idea, Like, I don't know. I keep going with like Geddy Lee or something. Close. Paul McCartney.

12:20 Oh okay, that makes sense. Yeah. See now now you listen to Beatles songs, you can hear he kind of plays the bass like a guitar. Yeah. A lot of people, do you know, like a lot of especially if you're playing with the pick a lot of people, you know, do the chords, they do this, you know, that's one thing, like you know, playing how I play. I don't plays standard like a guitar, right, I mean somewhat I do. It's weird, it depends. I follow mostly a lot of the kick drums. Which is usually what you do as a bassis. Right. Well, I play like more than I do technical.

13:03 That's why you're so good because I like fast. Yeah I play. I played fast and and you know you've mentioned Steve Harris and it's like, man, that dude, what a bassis. You know, he plays that thing like a guitar. I used to fast and technical exactly like it's really good, like insane to me. That was that was why I liked made and that you know is his bass. And you know who else was at Milwaukee Metal Fast Who's an old friend of mine who I always saw in the beginning way back in the eighties that he played bass just like Steve Harris. And that's why I liked them and their band so much. Do you know who that there's another trivia question, but this is somebody at Milwaukee Metal Fest.

13:54 Somebody at Milwaukee Metal they play. They played two sets one with the band Triger. Yep, all right, yep, yeah yeah, So like he always reminded me of Steve Harris, like and me and I've we've been friends since like the very beginning of Armon Saint, you know. Uh so, And I felt that's what Milwaukee Metal Fest was all about too. It was like a family reunion. I love what Jamie did because I do a lot of festivals and this just felt like an old school just like typical just everybody knows everybody type of festival.

14:37 Yeah. I mean it was like I wish I had more time to chat with people and see people. Yeah, but it was a lot of fun and it's organized very well. I love the fact that it's in one building, it's not outside. Oh yeah, because the festival I did before that evacuated three days in a row out of four. Yeah. Like I just I like the fact that it's indoors. You know, there's plenty of bathrooms, there's food. Yeah. I couldn't believe how big that venue was too. I've never been to that venue. Oh really, and it's huge. It's like I didn't I never even imagine it.

15:19 Now that I've been there, I'm like, oh, now, it makes sense that there's a festival and that's the whole thing. Too, like all this, like the stages are great as well, like anywhere you stand to see the bands, it's great. Like you know, there's not a bad venue. In there, exactly exactly, you know exactly. And it was kind of cool down where you were in the basement and because the merch down and was down there. Yeah, it was cool for me too for doing interviews because it was quiet down there. Yeah, you know, uh min it right. So anything else you want to share with the listeners that you got coming up with your band or yourself or any thing that you want to promote for Castraighter.

16:03 We have a show in New York coming up raid Debarmaged Infest. It's a like a smaller festival in New York that should be fun. And then we have a possible tour announcement coming up. Nice. You know, we're just looking to play more shows. We're writing new music right now, so hopefully a new album next year. Very cool as I feel write in new music after all these years, I always am in awe of artists being able to continue to come up with new ideas. It's sometimes it takes me a while to like be motivated. Yeah, Like Carolyna and I can only get together, you know, periodically, and like sometimes we'll get together and lock ourselves in a jam room for like two days, you know, for eight hours a day and just you know, write whatever, like really raw stuff. Right now, I'm at home writing stuff and sending her videos and everything, and she's writing stuff and sending videos. So we're in just like the pre production phase, and I'm getting ready to leave on tour for work. So I'm like, for some reason, this week, I feel more highly motivated than normal. Like I think I sent her four different lyric things and three different like full song videos. So sometimes I'm not motivated at all, and I'm like, eh, we'll see. You know, takes me a month, and I'm like, oh, maybe I should jam

17:34 or something. I I you know, I get that feeling because I'm also a published author. In my first book, the first half of it took me six months to write and the second half took me a day. Yeah, it's just how you feel at that point, like all of a suddenly, Oh, all of a sudden, it's just like, yeah, I feel great. About this exactly, and then like you just shelve it for a while in your head, and then it's like all of a sudden you're moved again. But then you might be at the point where you just like bang it all out at once. You have to be in that mood to bang it all out. I mean, I have a lot of friends that can just sit and noodle for hours and hours and hours.

18:17 I just don't have that. I am not that person. I've never been that person. Unless I am like, oh, I really want to write this and then I'll take the time. I'm just or oh, I have a show, I have to jim, oh I want to learn this song. But to sit around and just like people do for hours and just no, I. It's not me either, Like that's probably why, Like I played guitar and sucked. I played drums and sucked, and I sucked because I never could sit down. Like I remember being like, oh, I want to be like Randy Rhodes, and then I found out he practiced eight hours a day.

18:57 I'm like, yeah, yeah, I don't think I have and didn't mean to practice eight hours a day. Yeah, I'm like eight minutes right right. And I just wanted to play songs like I'm getting taught scales. I'm like, this is boring. I can't do this over and over again. I just want to play a song. I took, like guitar, Like I took guitar in high school and then I had lessons as well, and I remember going to my teacher and just being like, I want to play this, you know, and it's like probably like White Snake John Psykes, like you know, I want to play this, and he's like, well, before you could play that, you know, you got to start with this.

19:38 And I'm like, why can't I just go show me this one? Show me that? Come on. It's the same with drums. When I played drums, had that practice pad forever and annoyed the hell. I mean, just give me a drum set. I don't want this stupid practice. Yeah, just like I don't know, like people find just noodling and stuff like that fun. I I'm not one of those people. Well, it's like when you take people like a Tommy Lee, no matter where he is, he's drumming like everywhere he is. You know, it's just kind of a habit, and you know that's not me. But but I do like what comes out of that I like the end result. So music is my passion, whether I'm I suck at playing it, so listening is my passion, and.

20:33 I just want I just want to have fun and play and you know, if people like it, great, If they don't, okay, exactly, not everybody's going to like everything. Like you know, well, you definitely looked like you were having fun at Milwaukee Metal Fest. I think we did. I wish we played longer, right right, It seems it seemed way too quick. And I didn't even when you went, didn't put two and two together because i'd met you earlier in the day because I was doing an interview with Sean and and then I looked up, I'm like oh, and then like oh, I have an interview with her later and.

21:14 Mean Unfortunately we couldn't do the interview that night because Green Jelly was actually took their thirty minute meet and greet and it was over an hour. Oh my god. It must have been entertaining. Though it was entertaining and frustrating at the same. Time, it wasn't. It was the last one of the night, and it was they were having fun. They you know, from a band that they were like kind of apprehensive about wanting to do it to full on, full scale show. Yeah, meet and greet. I mean they were so into it, like everything. They were doing their own selfies, they were doing like whatever. I was like, Okay, that's amazing. I love bands like that, you know.

21:58 I kind of like took it over and I was just like, okay, there's whatever. And then when I did see you later, you were definitely you know, you even said look at me. I'm like, yeah, I know you can't do this interview. I don't think I could have at that point. And my voice was already fried. So here we are. This was better. And tell all the listeners how they connect to your merch store on band camp because you got some badass merch and speaking of merch and how they connect to you guys on socials and check out all you know, all that you have coming and coming up awesome. Yeah, I mean Castraighter spelled as you would think Castraighter band camp or Castraight or band. And you have to be careful sometimes googling because you'll get sometimes actual Castraighter band and like videos right like animal Castration.

22:54 Yeah we don't want that. You don't want that, but yeah, like all regular social castrader band on, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, band camp, YouTube, all the socials nice. You know, well, everybody should check you out. Definitely band camp if you don't want a physical copy, check out our stuff. Absolutely because you guys are badass. I look forward to seeing more of you. And thanks for being on the Adventures of pipe Man. Thank you for having me. Finally, yeah, thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipelin on w for c u I Radio.