What is your full name?
Murray Spencer Acton
Do you have any aliases?
I have been called a cretin since I got sent to an english style rugby school. Now I am the cretin.
What bands are you actively involved with?
My main band is the dayglo abortions, but I am have a doom/stoner goes classic rock band called Stinkhorn, and a genre neutral band called the Hearts of Stone.
What was the first instrument that you played?
guitar
Tell me about one of your first musical memories?
When I was very young I had the record “Peter and the Wolf” conducted by Leopold Stekowski. There was a part in it where the wolf was following Peter through the woods and the music got all creepy with mostly bass strings and woodwinds. I used to love that part and I would play it over and over. It was that record that really established the kind of music I like.
What was the name of the first band you were in?
The first band was when I was 15. We were called airborne. It was 1975 and we were trying to be prog rock.
Tell me about the genesis of Dayglo Abortions?
I was going to a community college taking an electronics program and my band at the time (the sikphuxz) had just broken up, we sucked anyway. I thought, for a laugh, I would start a band that was a parody of punk rock. Really ham it up. Punk rock was not popular back in 1980 and I got a kick out of bugging people. We got our name from dayglo brand of spray paint and the most frequently used word on the front page of the day's paper. It was the day that an abortion clinic in Montreal got raided by the RCMP and abortion was all over the front page. Our first show degraded into a near riot once we started playing and I ended up in a fight with a member of the headliners. I took that all as a sign of good chemistry so we kept at it.
What inspired the name Dayglo Abortions?
Oops I just answered that one
How long did it take you to write and record Hate Speech?
The songs had been piling up through Trump’s Presidency. The state of the world was in a nose dive, and America seemed to be dragging us all down. Their political system was obviously just a sham of democracy with both parties completely catering to the whims of multinational companies with no concern for the welfare of their citizens. Then another election came and the powers had found Trump difficult to handle so time for a change. There was bigtime unrest in the states with BLM and the defund police thing. The media got involved stoking the fires and managed to polarize the population to such a level that the protest groups started to fragment and fight amongst themselves. The movements like BLM got co-opted by neo-liberal globalists and all of a sudden everyone was hating each other. Cancel culture was busy eliminating anyone who was opposed to their ridiculous concepts. The protest was over, everyone went back to militarising the police and killing people of colour, then some stupid cunt got infected by a bat at the lab they worked at where they were doing incredibly stupid research with their hopped up bat virus. The idea to tie all the songs together with the concept “hate speech” really gelled watching the reaction to anyone that didn’t think lockdowns were the best thing for us and maybe there was other ways to deal with covid-19 than putting all of our trust in companies that had a terrible record of criminal activity in the recent past (for selling untested drugs and dishonest marketing practices). All of a sudden if you mentioned anything contrary to the official narrative you were a Trump supporting anti-vaxxer. Even my punker friends were insistent that you not question anything, just follow the leader. Sorry that’s not the way I roll. I question everything and follow no one.
If you could insert yourself into any one band what band would it be and why?
I don’t know, I work very hard in my bands, and don’t make much money so it would have to be a band whose music was easy to play and paid good. Let’s say AC\DC. I could take over Malcom Young‘s spot. Basic 3 chord songs, not too fast, stands at the back in the shade, all the songs are the same so not much to remember. Perfect.
Have you ever heard a song and immediately wished you had written it? If so… What was the song and artist?
Yah, the drummer of my band Stinkhorn has a band called the Gnar Gnars and they have a song called “the Anticipoops” about how people have to poop when they are waiting to buy some cocaine. I thought that was brilliantly funny and yes I admit, I wish I had written that one.
What are some of your pop/mainstream musical inspirations?
When I was a kid my parents only had a couple of records. My mom liked the Beatles, and my dad liked CCR. I love both of those bands still to this day. The first song I learned on guitar was “Down on the Corner” and when John Lennon said they were bigger than God I knew exactly what he meant by that, and that is why I use my music as a weapon of mass creation.
I write way too much music to learn other people’s music as well, but when I was a kid I played a lot of black sabbath songs and one day I decided to learn Rock Bottom by UFO in its entirety. I learned an entire 2 minute long guitar solo and actually remembered it for at least a week.
What band have you played with that has really impressed you with their live show?
I’ve played with some really good bands. Voivod, Napalm Death, Negative Approach, lot’s of them. A band that really amazed me was Left Over Crack. They are really good musicians and very tight, but it was the way they communicated with the audience that really got me. On their albums they are very political. Lots of stand united, burn the system down, songs, everything is a battle. But live, their singer talks a lot in between songs and exposes a lot of frailty to the crowd, while inserting some very positive and supportive concepts into the conversation. He made it very clear that he was just like them, very human with all the weakness and fear. By the end of the night, everyone there felt like they were friends with him and everyone else at the show. It really was amazing. Never seen anything like it.
Do you have a favorite venue to play at?
There’s good ones all around the world. I love playing outdoors too, but maybe my favorite venue to play in Canada (since the Cobalt shut down) would be the Foufounes Electriques in Montreal.
Do you have a pre-show ritual?
Yah but it wouldn’t be wize to talk about it in public. I’m kidding. I hang out in the bar have a couple and watch the other bands play. The better they are, the more stoked I get to play. I chat with people, let them buy me drinks. Just relax and get ready for the workout.
What is your favorite thing about touring?
That’s easy. I love touring. On the road, everybody loves you and the drinks are free.
What is your least favorite thing about touring?
It would have to be the waiting thing. You have to wait for everything. The plane, the next gas station, your turn to play. That’s what you tell the people back home touring is like. Just long endless days watching the scenery go by, pining for you baby.
Is there a city that you love to hit while on tour?
Most cities have something to offer but some are over the top. San Pauli, Amsterdam, Prague. Those places are so steeped in civilization. It’s very different than back home. I live in a city that’s barely 200 years old.
What’s the weirdest experience you’ve had on the road?
Weird things happen to me all the time. I don’t have to go anywhere for weird shit to happen. On my first tour of Europe we were playing a festival in Germany in this big old building and I was busting to take a shit. Nobody spoke English so I was looking around trying to find a washroom. I had heard the stories about European washrooms but up to this point on the trip they had been pretty normal. Just when taking a shit was becoming an emergency I finally found what looked like a washroom of sorts. It was a tiled room with three holes side by side in the floor. Each hole had a couple of handles mounted on the floor so you didn’t fall in (I guess). There was no running water or shit tickets but there was six or eight people with drinks and a couple of dogs just standing there talking in German with their backs to me. I had no choice it was on. I had to take my pants right off so I didn’t shit in them. It was really awkward with all those people (half of them women) standing there but they just went on talking and didn’t even seem to notice. When I was finally dressed again, a woman turned around and laughed. Then she said “No one has shit in there for over one hundred years, there’s a western toilet downstairs on the first floor.” Fucking Germans eh. You think they have no sense of humour. They do, but it’s all about der scheisse.
The year is 1985. Where are you at and what are you listening to?
In 1985 I was working as an electronics technologist building gadgets for scientists at Defense Research Establishment Pacific, and listening to Naked City.
What advice would you give young musicians that are just starting out in the music business?
Think real hard about what you want in life. If it’s money, get a job. Think about what you need to be happy and content. Chances are you won’t find any of that in the music industry. If you want to travel the world, don’t mind a life of continual struggle, and feel you have something that needs to be shared with as many people as possible, maybe playing music would be a way to do that. Or if as far back as you can remember all you have ever wanted to do is play music, then you’re like me. You have no choice, you won’t be happy unless you do it. Don’t ever let anyone tell you your dreams are out of reach or not sensible. Nothing is out of reach, and many things worth doing are not in the least bit sensible.
What is an absolute band killer?
Getting married to your uber hot singer. The band won’t last the year.
Have you ever recorded a song that you really didn’t like, but somebody else in the band really did?
Yes but I just kept my mouth shut and let them do it. I write almost all of the songs in all of the bands I’m in. You have to let your bandmates ideas fly occasionally.
I wouldn’t in my wildest dreams ever consider putting on a live music event. Besides the bands I like are way too far out in left field for most people. No one would go to it.
What’s the longest time you’ve gone without bathing?
What are you talking about, I’ve been clean for…. Oh bathing, right. Touring squats in Europe you can go weeks without seeing a shower. I remember this one place, these guys were watching us brush our teeth and laughing amongst themselves. Of course everyone of them had black rotten teeth with half of them missing. In North America, for the most part, hotels have showers. I bath more on the road than I do at home.
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
They don’t know that my middle name is Spencer, but they do now.
Is the Fistful of DOOM show in the top 10 of your favorite music podcasts?
I’m not gonna lie to you, I’ve never listened to it, but now that you’ve mentioned it I will be checking it out.
Do unicorns sleep standing up?
Unicorns don’t sleep
You’re driving cross-country and you can only listen to one album the whole time. What album will it be?
Spirituality and Distortion by Igorrr, I’m loving that shit so much. Finally somebody is taking music somewhere new.
You are writing a book about your life thus far. What is the title of that book?
Fuck the world if it can’t take a joke.
What is your favorite song by Taylor Swift?
Who the hell is Taylor Swift?
Dead Kennedys or Circle Jerks (if you had to choose)?
I like them both but… I’d have to go with the Dead Kennedys
Doobies or Boobies (if you had to pick one)?
Dude that’s not fair. They go so good together. I’ll eat some gummies and go with the boobies.
Waffles or Pancakes (if you had to pick one)?
Waffles, but I make them both with the same ingredients anyway.
Star Wars or Star Trek (if you had to choose)?
Star Trek for sure. Star Wars is pussy shit. Captain Kirk knew how to treat a woman.
Favorite band t-shirt you own?
Left Over Crack…. Shoot drugs not people
Favorite meal?
Tuna Steaks very rare.
Favorite book?
The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadeth by H.P. Lovecraft
Favorite movie?
martyrs
Favorite album?
Peter and the Wolf
This is one of the funniest interviews that I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of. Massive thanks to Murray for answering my queries and for all the laughs. I appreciate it. Run… Do not walk and wrap your ears around Hate Speech. The latest offering by Dayglo Abortions. You’ll be glad that you did.
~El Pedo Caliente (aka Uncle Jameson from the Fistful of DOOM show)
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