Greg Saenz is an old friend of mine from Junior High School. Greg’s rock-steady pounding has currently landed him the drumming duties for the San Francisco based punk band The Dwarves. He found work in Excel, a late 80’s early 90’s thrash/skate band from Venice Beach, that had a huge audience in the changeover from punk to grunge era, and also with My Head, who would go on to sign with a major label. Here’s a email interview I sent to Greg in July of 2009.
Greg Saenz in New York
3 Zoners 1991 Hollywood CA.
Greg and I backstage at The Blue Cafe 2009
Q.We met in horticulture class 1981. We shared a liking of the Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath and LSD (I sold you a tab). Do you remember that trip?
(A) Yes, horticulture class, when California had a school budget!
I remember that trip, I was with my cousin James from Eagle Rock and his disco buddy Ralph. They tried to take me to Marilyn's Back Street in Old Town Pasadena. We were riding down the Glendale Fwy, going past the Eagle Rock Plaza when I saw a mammoth tarantula standing over the mall, peering down upon on it as if it was going to pierce the glass dome and eat all the shoppers, starting with the drunks in Casa Escobar.
Good shit, Mike!
I remember that trip, I was with my cousin James from Eagle Rock and his disco buddy Ralph. They tried to take me to Marilyn's Back Street in Old Town Pasadena. We were riding down the Glendale Fwy, going past the Eagle Rock Plaza when I saw a mammoth tarantula standing over the mall, peering down upon on it as if it was going to pierce the glass dome and eat all the shoppers, starting with the drunks in Casa Escobar.
Good shit, Mike!
Q. Do you still have the southern cross you used to wear?
(A) My Black Sabbath cross? I HAD it, for ALL these years, then I accidentally left it in a Dutch hotel in 2007. I felt as if I lost my mojo.
Greg with Excel in the 80's
Q. You were the first guy I knew to be in a regularly gigging band(EXCEL) and an inspiration. How did you deal with all the groupies at a young age? I know there were many , Dudes and Girls! lol
(A)All that attention, to me, was great when it came from my friends that I grew up with, but in 1987 I was comparing EXCEL to Metallica and the "Silly" Peppers, which left me hungry and un-satisfied. I always wanted MORE chicks, pot, beer, like the BIG bands. The ratio at an Excel show in 1990 was about 80/20 so it was mostly drunk dudes. I would party with people, talk to the ever-present "drunk dude in your face" as long as I could, chill with the fan-boys in Excel shirts that either had bud or a few girls tagging along, or both. Before long I worked it and tossed in a few psychotic and insecure girlfriends trying to step in my light, or fuck my bandmates. I guess I handled it like any typical 21 yr old dumb-ass would, but I always had my Highland Park homies keeping me in check, keeping me real.
Excel (L to R) Dan Clements, Greg Saenz,Adam Siegel, Saun Ross
Q. What are the chances of an Excel Reunion?
A)To this day I have heard nothing. Don't forget I was pretty much banished after I quit. I was expecting to hear from singer Dan Clements (he owns all that is Excel) when "Dogtown Z-Boys" came out. That would have been good timing seeing as how Suicidal Tendencies is doing well on the road, and Beowulf is touring and recording again. I would do it in a heartbeat, but it would cost them.
Q. I remember the” top” 3 drummers in the scene were you , Raza Ralo(Tormentor,No Comment)and Jed Unrot(Destroyer). Can you believe you we’re all in Blade World at one time or another? Comments?
(A)I was honored to share bands with Jed and Raul, especially a band as "special" as Blade World. Those guys were in bands before I even had a kit. You had to know Jed if you wanted to be cool, period. I remember he "went away" for a while and it was while he was gone that his legend grew, and me and Julian O would go up in his room and play his drums. He had bandanas and feathered roach-clips, hot chicks plastered on the wall next to WASP and Motley Crue flyers. Upon Jed's return I was able to meet him and roadie for his band "Des-Troyer". Ralo had SO much rhythm and he is one of the original blast-beat drummers in Los Angeles, maybe the first, but is best remembered for his talent of fucking up a good party.
Q. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen touring as drummer for the Dwarves?
(A)In 2000 I saw some guy cut himself with broken glass after punching himself in the face, bleeding, smiling, snarling, and chanting "GG-DWARVES" over and over (as in GG Allin). Security had to remove him from the venue. Drunk girls want to meet Blag and sometimes make a scene, either before or after they meet him. Dudes offering coke and speed, even their girlfriends, just to party and fuck shit up with the band when all we truly want to do is get back to the hotel and smoke weed and watch Jon Stewart.
While performing in Lisbon, Portugal we got into a fight with some aggressive skinheads, and a few of them were even wearing Lucha Libre masks. Everyone at the club told us to get out of the country fast because they were going to bring their friends from the Portuguese Hells Angels chapter to torture and kill us. They turned out to be "violent" but loyal Dwarves fans who truly did not expect to get hit back, so it got a little out of hand for about 30 minutes but we drank with them and earned their respect (and our lives) and everything worked out fine.
We did a performance for a porn movie titled "ROCKSUCKERS" and while we were lip-synching at a very low volume there was live sex going on in front of us. A hot girl dressed like a slutty Raggedy-Ann had a target painted around her lips and there was three guys doing her. Then a guy in a bear suit joined in and they got it on like a couple of cartoon characters and he finished the job by covering her face in spooge. He asked her "how did you like that little Raggedy Ann?" and she replied "ooohh, it was BEAR-Y goood".
(A)In 2000 I saw some guy cut himself with broken glass after punching himself in the face, bleeding, smiling, snarling, and chanting "GG-DWARVES" over and over (as in GG Allin). Security had to remove him from the venue. Drunk girls want to meet Blag and sometimes make a scene, either before or after they meet him. Dudes offering coke and speed, even their girlfriends, just to party and fuck shit up with the band when all we truly want to do is get back to the hotel and smoke weed and watch Jon Stewart.
While performing in Lisbon, Portugal we got into a fight with some aggressive skinheads, and a few of them were even wearing Lucha Libre masks. Everyone at the club told us to get out of the country fast because they were going to bring their friends from the Portuguese Hells Angels chapter to torture and kill us. They turned out to be "violent" but loyal Dwarves fans who truly did not expect to get hit back, so it got a little out of hand for about 30 minutes but we drank with them and earned their respect (and our lives) and everything worked out fine.
We did a performance for a porn movie titled "ROCKSUCKERS" and while we were lip-synching at a very low volume there was live sex going on in front of us. A hot girl dressed like a slutty Raggedy-Ann had a target painted around her lips and there was three guys doing her. Then a guy in a bear suit joined in and they got it on like a couple of cartoon characters and he finished the job by covering her face in spooge. He asked her "how did you like that little Raggedy Ann?" and she replied "ooohh, it was BEAR-Y goood".
Greg with The Dwarves
Q. What are the benefits/downsides of growing up a light skinned latino in North East Los Angeles?
(A) Downsides? Always proving myself to Mexicans and having to hear derogatory terms about "wetbacks" from whites. My Grandfather was illegal until he became a citizen. I had caucasian friends that would visit my house and they would see my mother's decor and smell tortillas and bacon grease and realize I was Mexican/American and stop hanging with me. I had dark-skinned Mexican friends hating on me, calling me "whitey" and "guedo", accusing me of playing both sides of the fence, and maybe I did, but what the fuck did I care? I just wanted to have a good time, so this is where the benefits came in. I was Mexican enough to party in East L.A. and El Monte, and white enough to party in La Canada or Glendale, so I got around, que no?
(A) Downsides? Always proving myself to Mexicans and having to hear derogatory terms about "wetbacks" from whites. My Grandfather was illegal until he became a citizen. I had caucasian friends that would visit my house and they would see my mother's decor and smell tortillas and bacon grease and realize I was Mexican/American and stop hanging with me. I had dark-skinned Mexican friends hating on me, calling me "whitey" and "guedo", accusing me of playing both sides of the fence, and maybe I did, but what the fuck did I care? I just wanted to have a good time, so this is where the benefits came in. I was Mexican enough to party in East L.A. and El Monte, and white enough to party in La Canada or Glendale, so I got around, que no?
Q. Nelly or Ini Kamoze?
(A)Oh man do I have to answer this? I'd have to say Nelly since every woman I know has shaken their ass and gotten freaky to his sexy music.
Q. If you could say something to that idiot(Carlos SHIT-HARD-los) who told you that you couldn’t play the blues at a backyard party what would it be?
(A) Well, let's be fair, he did "kind of" compare me to John Bonham. I would probably yell "FREEBIRD!" in his face and puke on his Carlos Santana gig shirt.
Q. Is life better in the desert or by the coast?
(A)One has to truly have "gone desert" to understand it's appeal. It takes a few years. For some it takes a day.
I find great solitude in the desert, it works for me. L.A., S.F., I go there enough for DWARVES related projects and I get a bit stressed after a while.
Q. What are you doing now?
(A)I was living in S.F. for the past year writing music, doing DWARVES gigs and tours and recording the new record titled "THE DWARVES ARE BORN AGAIN" to be released in early 2010. I will drum for Blag Dahlia's solo band "Candy Now" if logistics don't get in the way since I am back in the desert now with my wife and step-kids. The Dwarves are getting ready to tour Australia this coming October, then I go back to my seasonal day-job in November, and then we are touring South America in December. Other than that I am anticipating all that may come up after the new record is released. I truly hope to see you Mike V. and all my friends again soon. Cheers!
(A)Oh man do I have to answer this? I'd have to say Nelly since every woman I know has shaken their ass and gotten freaky to his sexy music.
Q. If you could say something to that idiot(Carlos SHIT-HARD-los) who told you that you couldn’t play the blues at a backyard party what would it be?
(A) Well, let's be fair, he did "kind of" compare me to John Bonham. I would probably yell "FREEBIRD!" in his face and puke on his Carlos Santana gig shirt.
Q. Is life better in the desert or by the coast?
(A)One has to truly have "gone desert" to understand it's appeal. It takes a few years. For some it takes a day.
I find great solitude in the desert, it works for me. L.A., S.F., I go there enough for DWARVES related projects and I get a bit stressed after a while.
Q. What are you doing now?
(A)I was living in S.F. for the past year writing music, doing DWARVES gigs and tours and recording the new record titled "THE DWARVES ARE BORN AGAIN" to be released in early 2010. I will drum for Blag Dahlia's solo band "Candy Now" if logistics don't get in the way since I am back in the desert now with my wife and step-kids. The Dwarves are getting ready to tour Australia this coming October, then I go back to my seasonal day-job in November, and then we are touring South America in December. Other than that I am anticipating all that may come up after the new record is released. I truly hope to see you Mike V. and all my friends again soon. Cheers!
