You've been labeled in the press as a gay punk rocker. What does punk mean to you and do you consider yourself *punk*?

Punk to me is doing whatever the hell I want to do. It's not a specific kind of music, a certain kind of look, or a particular scene. It's an attitude. Yes, I am punk.

Were your musical roots always in punk?

No. I grew up with country, pop, and every other kind of rock. I discovered punk later. Praise the lord I discovered it.

What are some of your musical influences?

Social Distortion, System Of A Down, Third Eye Blind. (Must be why I live in California...)

Sex appeal plays a major part in your performances. What are your feelings regarding sexual exploitation ie. using sex as a commodity to sell?

Sex is exciting. Sex sells itself.

Do you drink alcohol or ever indulge in drugs? Does that interfere with working out (if indeed you do)?

I drink a little bit. I do drugs a little bit more. If I party too much my workouts go down the toilet.

Do you consider yourself a "gay/queer sex symbol"?

Only when I'm high.

Folks often associate you with what they interpret as your raw masculine sexuality/animal magnetism thing. How do you react to this observation?

I wonder why I don't just go be a porno star...damn the artist in me!

Was coming out a natural process for you or a struggle? How old were you when you came to terms with your sexuality?

A big fucking struggle thanks to the Mormon church and zero gay role models. I was 21 before I finally got laid. It was not until my 30's that I really lost all that baggage.

How does your notoriety affect your relationship with long time boyfriend Pascal?

Shhh...nobody knows about the French guy. Fuck it, now they do. He is so O.K. with everything it makes me sick.

What are your feelings regarding monogamy versus open relationships?

We have an open relationship of almost 4 years and that's why it's worked.

Your music and lyrics exhibit a sense of irony, humor and angst. How important is the humor element?

A sense of humor is vital to my survival. Seriously. All angst and no funny would eat me alive. Not many picked up on the humor in Ventura...

Midway through your recent performance at Ventura Pride, the organizers literally pulled the plug on your performance sighting "offensive" language and stage antics. Do you feel your freedom of speech and expression have been denied?

Definitely.

What happened exactly and why do you think you were censored?

They told me half way through our show that they would "pull the plug" if I did not "clean it up". Sorry, folks, even my Disney version is dirty. I continued our show until they cut the power off on my microphone in the middle of a song. That pissed me off. I shouted to the crowd what was happening and many of them were really supportive, but the police told me I needed to leave the festival and escorted me out the gate. I waited for my band in the parking lot. My band was especially amused that I was the one kicked out because they are all straight. I was told on my way out that the festival wanted a "family" atmosphere.

I'm gay and I'm at a Gay Pride Festival and I'm still not "family". The irony here is that I am cut off from my Mormon family in Utah. Neither "family" would approve of each other and neither approves of me. Good thing I approve of myself or I would really be fucked. I was censored because I'm sexual and angry and it all comes out in my stage performance. They were afraid because it was real.

How do you feel about that incident now?

Like an alien.

What could the event organizers have done to possibly have avoided the situation?

The Ventura organizers could have bothered to find out about who they booked.

Was Ventura Pride your worst performance experience?

Yes. It killed my "Pride".

Do you feel that in your experience Pride Festivals are organized with a responsibility to the GLBT community or are there other agendas?

For the most part it's all political. Time for some new blood.

What is the largest detriment the GLBT community brings upon itself?

Trying to be "normal" and fit in.

GAY SHAME bills themselves as the radical alternative to consumerist "pride" crap and are committed to a queer extravaganza that brings direct action to astounding levels of theatricality in order to expose the evildoers who use the sham of gay "pride" as a cover-up for their greed and misdeeds. They claim to seek nothing less than a new queer activism that addresses issues of race, class, gender and sexuality, to counter the self-serving "values" of the gay mainstream and are dedicated to fighting the rabid assimilationist monster of corporate gay "pride" with a devastating mobilization of queer brilliance.

Is this a viable alternative?

We played the pride festivals this year to see if we could help change them. We definitely opened up some eyes and ears that would not have been exposed to us if we had not played them. We still played the alternative/underground clubs, but those are like preaching to the choir. I definitely understand the desire to rebel against the pride festivals, but I also see the danger of a minority weakening itself by dividing itself. We need to educate each other, not just criticize or snub.

Independent queer music (punk/indie) in southern and northern California is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance. Do you sense a feeling of community in that scene and how involved are you in promoting community?

My experience with "community" has been hypocritical bullshit. The first bit of success my band experienced outside of the "community" resulted in us being ostracized from our local "scene". They were not happy for us. Our success was criticized and we were no longer perceived as part of them. I had to accept that reality and move on.

Do you feel the queer community should play a larger role in fighting homelessness and substance abuse? Are you active politically?

There's that damn word again. "Community". It's a myth for me. I've been homeless and I've abused substances and I got myself out of it. My public visibility as a gay man is my political activism.

Do you support any particular causes?

Spay and neuter your pets.
I'm talking dogs and cats, you sick fucks.

Can you interpret your song "I Fucked Your Boyfriend? Give us some history?

It's about twisted revenge. I was jilted by a girl and replaced by a new boyfriend. My ego was soothed by fucking her boyfriend. My cock was my weapon. I fucked him like I was fucking her. I even dressed him up in a dress and a wig. I got the ultimate revenge in my mind. Even though I'm gay, I've fucked girls as a form of kink and experimentation. This is a song that only a gay guy like me can sing. Sorry you asked?

Bad Boy…

Does being a queer musician in the punk genre afford you and the band any less respect from other musicians?

I wipe my ass with other musicians when it comes to what they think.

What has been the reaction from other punk rock musicians about your sexuality?

They're lining up, bending over, and ready to take it up the ass.

How do your band members react to your sexuality?

My band are exceptional people. All straight and all supportive.

Did you intentionally choose straight musicians or did it just work out that way?

It just worked out that way.

Do feel that the GLBT media offers even coverage and opportunity to queer artists?

Definitely not. Because they are still kissing straight society's ass.

PR agents often say that coming out is professional suicide…

Suicide to what? A life of lies? That sounds like death to me.

So it’s more important to you to be able to be true to yourself than to become successful at any cost?

Hell yes.

What drives the power behind your performances?

The need to slay my dragon.

We spend most our lives at war with our own demons (or dragons). How would you define your dragon and what is your greatest fear?

My dragon is failure and my greatest fear is never completely conquering it.

Where does the anger come from?

Where do I start? Let's see...brainwashed by the mormons, brainwashed by society, brainwashed straight, brainwashed gay...

Tell us about your band members’ involvement in the creation and decision process within your band?

Stripes writes all the songs with me. He plays the guitar and sings harmony vocals. He is too talented for his own good. Sunshine is the featured vocalist. She loves to act like she hates me. She says it's no act. Clean is the bass player and sings harmony vocals. He melts in your mouth, not in your hand. The Demon is the drummer from HELL. He will tell you he's from Switzerland. I crack the whip and bully all the decisions.

Is the present line-up still NN & the Normals of just Nick Name?

Whichever you prefer. www.NickName.biz and www.NickNameAndTheNormals.com will both take you to our web site.

Choose a topic and share your thoughts, feelings, and convictions?

Yeah...masturbation. It's free and it feels great. Do it daily.