Maintained by Nick Coleman aka Santa Dog [email protected]

This is version 2.0 of the Stabbing Westward FAQ. It is updated from version 1.2 and includes information about their latest release, Darkest Days. As much of the information within is time dependant, this document must undergo constant updates. Please send comments, suggestions, and corrections to [email protected] with the subject heading: SWFAQ.

Contents:

• Personal Info/Band History
• What is the current lineup of Stabbing Westward?
• How long has Stabbing Westward been around, and what have they done pre- "What Do I Have To Do "?
• Where did the name come from?
• Why did Dave Suycott Leave? What is he doing now?
• Why did Stuart Zechman leave?
• What other bands have members of Stabbing Westward been in?
• How old are they? Are they married?
• What kinds of instruments to they play?
• The Music
• What is (insert Stabbing Westward song here) about?
• What is Chris whispering on "Crushing Me"?
• What soundtracks have Stabbing Westward contributed to?
• Why does "Ungod" (the song) sound like Filter's "Hey Man Nice Shot"?
• What is "Everything I Touch"?
• What covers has Stabbing Westward done?
• What videos have been made?
• The Fan Club
• What is Haunted Reality, and how do I join?
• Where is the Stabbing Westward homepage?
• How do I get on/off and post to the mailing list?
• How can I find archives of mailing list messages?
• How do I get on the Stabbing Westward IRC chat room?
• What can I do to make the mailing list a better place?
• When is Stabbing Westward playing in my home town?
• Acknowledgments

PERSONAL INFO/BAND HISTORY

What is the current lineup of Stabbing Westward?

• Christopher Hall - vocals, guitar
• Walter Flakus - programming, guitar
• Jim Sellers - bass, guitar
• Andy Kubiszewski - drums, guitar, programming, backing vocals
• Mark Eliopulos - guitar (live, not on the album)

• The band started with Walter and Chris when they we in college. They didn't have enough musicians to play out, so they made recordings with MIDI that sound more industrial (or more digital) than there current stuff. They released a four song demo at this point which included the original versions of "Shame" and "Violent Mood Swings". The latter was also released on _Cyberflesh Conspiracy_, a compilation on If It Moves. They went through many different lineups until they started recording their first LP, _Ungod_. The lineup at that point was Chris (Vocals), Walter (Keyboards), Jim Sellers (Bass), David Suycott (Drums), and Stuart Zechman (Guitars). David and Stuart have since left the band. Andy Kubiszewski replaced David on drums for _Wither Blister Burn & Peel_ their second LP. On the album, they all take turns on the guitar, but while on tour they acquired Mark Eliopulos as their new guitarist. Mark does play guitar on their latest album, Darkest Days.

• Says Chris: "We made up the name in 1985. We worked at a college radio station and were looking through and writing down liner notes of all the albums in the station that we thought were clever. Since we went to Western Illinois University, Stabbing Westward had a certain "kill everybody in the school" vibe to it! (laughs) The school's way out in farm country and the country is really close-minded. I was walking around looking like Robert Smith with really big black hair, big baggy black clothes, black fingernail polish and eye makeup. They just didn't get it. We hated the town." (From interview by: Georgia Lecorchick, R & R Reporter, April '96)

• David left during the Ungod tour because he didn't feel the band was going anywhere. He then joined Machines of Loving Grace and plays on their _Gilt_ album. He also did drums for aSeven Red Seven album. According to Walter, who still keeps in touch with him, David still does drums for Machines of Loving Grace while working on other projects. Rumor has is MLG has a new album in the works for 1998.

• Stuart had joined the band initially for the _Ungod_ recording sessions and contributed to writing many of the songs on that album. However the band, Chris in particular, did not get along with Stuart. By the time sessions for _Wither Blister Burn & Peel_ rolled around he had a very different concept of what the album should sound like than the rest of the band. Due to irreconcilable differences, he either left or was forced out.

• Andy was in Exotic Birds, The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, recorded with Prick and Nine Inch Nails, and has toured with The The and Crowded House.

Chris was in Odd Man Out and toured with Die Warzau.

Chris and Walter were in Last Visible Band.

Mark was in Stranger Things.

Jim was in Cathedral Burns.

• Chris - 32 divorced
• Andy - 36 single, waiting for a supermodel
• Walter - 32 married to Laura
• Mark - 24 single.
• Jim - 33 married to Deborah

• Chris plays an Ibanez the model is called Talman.

Mark plays a Les Paul.

Andy plays DW drums. The drums he previously played were custom made.

Walter uses IKEA synths and samplers.

Jim plays an Ernie Ball Musicman bass.

THE MUSIC

What is (insert Stabbing Westward song here) about?

• ACF (named after the chords in the song) is about 'obsession, insomnia, and masturbation' according to Chris in concert.

Violent Mood Swings was originally about the Vampire Lestat

Can't Happen Here is about an acid trip.

What Do I Have To Do is about the end of one of Andy's past relationships.

Sleep is about Chris's ex-girlfriend who was molested by her father. It's the same girl that most of Chris's songs (at least from the first two albums) are about.

• I've spent every moment since the day you left in an attempt to rebuild a shattered remains of a pathetic life...

Working to be someone you can be proud of and someone you can love again.

I have given you everything I have; everything I'm able to give, taking into consideration your reluctance to accept anything I have to offer.

I'm tired of living this way for you(left side of mix) I'm tired of living my life for you(right side of mix)

I'm tired of living my life in everybody else's world(left side of mix) I'm tired of living my life in everyone else's world(right side of mix)

I'm tired of protecting you(left side of mix) I'm tired of life(right side of mix)

• Clerks, Mortal Kombat(not on the soundtrack), Johnny Mnemonic, Escape From LA, Bad Boys(also not on the soundtrack), Spawn.

• Around 1993, when Stabbing Westward was recording Ungod, Stuart Zechman was playing guitar for both Filter and Stabbing Westward. For some reason he used the same guitar line for "Ungod" and "Hey Man Nice Shot". When both bands had been made aware of this, they made a decision for neither band to sue once the songs are released. By chance, "Hey Man Nice Shot" was released as the first single from Filter's _Short Bus_ album, and due to this fact Stabbing Westward has been reluctant to play "Ungod" in concert. They did in fact try to play the song live, but it reportedly didn't sound very good.

• The demo version was the b-side to the Japanese import of "What Do I Have To Do" The version on Darkest Days was re-recorded for the album.

• Give Me It, Me And A Gun (Tori Amos) - not recorded, only in concert.

• Nothing, Lies (from Ungod)

What Do I Have To Do, Shame (from Wither, Blister, Burn & Peel)

Save Yourself (from Darkest Days)

THE FAN CLUB

What is Haunted Reality, and how do I join?

• Haunted Reality is the Official Stabbing Westward fan club. To join email Chad (the Fan Club Maintainer) at [email protected] for info.

• http://www.stabbingwestward.com

• To subscribe to the new list send mail to [email protected] with the subject ADD ME TO THE MAILING LIST.

To send a message to all the people currently subscribed to the list: just send mail to [email protected].

Any questions should be sent to [email protected]

• Reference.COM has begun archiving this list as of: Nov. 27, 1996

Searchable archives for the lists are available at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/[email protected]

• Reference.COM has begun archiving this list as of: Feb. 27, 1997

Searchable archives for the lists are available at: http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/[email protected]

If you do *NOT* want your post archived at Reference.COM, include the following line as an email header or as the first line of your message: X-No-Archive: yes

• Step 1: Get MIRC or other IRC program.

Step 2: Log on to an undernet server. Here are some preferred servers: chicago.il.us.undernet.org port 6666-6667 austin.tx.us.undernet.org port 6665&6667 st-louis.mo.us.undernet.org port 6667 washington.dc.us.undernet.org port 6665-6668

Step 3: type the command: /join #stabbingwestward

• cservice has confirmed x so be patient
Step 4: chat away.

the hours are usually around 11pm to 4am....the regular ops being there for sure between 12 and 3am....(central time). If you pop in and find yourself alone, search for a familiar nick in #industrial or #depeche.

**WARNING***

do not do a whois on @W or @Ungod. These are bots and will likely flood you right off irc if you whois them!!

• 1. No flaming allowed on this list - there will be weekly or biweekly giveaways of Stabbing promos to the mailing list to ensure that there is no flaming on the list. if there is flaming, no promos will be given away.

2. Please keep all information relevant to Stabbing Westward. think to yourself, "would this be something that is beneficial to the list members and worthwhile for the band to weed through?"

3. Things that the whole list doesn't need to see can be sent via personal email. If more than 50 messages are sent to the list at a time it shuts down and the maintainer has to fix it.

4. THINK about what you are going to say before you say it - will your words offend other list members? are you replying to a long letter only to say, 'yeah, I agree?' think about other people's mailboxes, their limited space and most importantly everyone's limited time to check email.

5. If you get about 80 messages one look at the subject headings and skip the ones that don't interest you.

6. Make sure your subject headings relate to the content of your post.

7. Keep posts as brief as possible, e.g. don't include an entire message you are replying to.

8. If it's a really important, informative message that you feel that everyone should pay special attention to, put IMPORTANT or something similar to that in the subject.

9. NO CHAIN LETTERS, PETITIONS, OR FORWARDS UNRELATED TO STABBING WESTWARD. There is a place for these things, but it is not on the list.

10. Before you ask a question, read the FAQ to see if the answer is there.

• An updated list of tour dates can be found at the official Stabbing Westward homepage at
 
• http://www.stabbingwestward.com
For more recent tour dates watch the list, they are posted from time to time.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• I would like to thank the following for help with and contributions to the FAQ: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and all other members of the Stabbing Westward mailing list that I may have forgotten.