Helen Storer has had a storied career that began with her playing bass in punk band Fluffy. From there, she has played in
Who or what inspired you to get into music in the first place?
It was a natural thing really, I was always very drawn to all kinds of music and started playing classical acoustic guitar when I was nine. My parents always had music on and also had a pretty cool vinyl collection (Pink Floyd, Beatles, etc) so that didn’t hurt!
Who are some of your primary influences as a musician?
There are so many and it changes constantly. I mostly like
What was the first band that you ever played in?
Fluffy. I was only 19. Before that I just played alone in my bedroom. Pretty much fell in at the deep end!
How did Fluffy start and what led to the band breaking up?
The band was already together when I met them in London and their bassist had just left. Amanda and Angie were at art school together and hadn’t ever played before but decided to start a band with their friend Bridget anyway, in true punk rock fashion. When we were dropped by our label Virgin we had already had a tough few years of constant touring and craziness and were pretty burnt out, so we called it a day and Amanda and I moved to LA.
Are you still in touch with the rest of the band and would you ever get back together again, even if just for a live show?
Yes we are in touch, but I’ll see a lot more of Angie and Bridget now that I moved back to London. Yes I would totally be up for playing a Fluffy show again, of course!
You toured with the Sex Pistols in Japan. how was that experience and did you hang out with the band throughout the tour?
It was truly amazing. We hung out and traveled with them every day for a whole month. I asked Johnny to tell me stories no-one else knows every night over Sake. It was mayhem and completely surreal.
As well as that tour, you supported them at their comeback gig in Finsbury Park. How was that day? Crazy to believed it was over 22 years ago?
Wow that is crazy, time flies. That was insane, 30,000 people in the audience – I remember that I couldn’t see the end of the crowd. It was a great day. One of the best parts was watching the other bands play from the side of the stage! It’s a shame we didn’t have cellphones back then because I have no video footage of those moments..
What are some of your other favourite memories from your time with Fluffy?
On my 21st birthday we played at CBGB’s and our record label threw a party for me afterwards. My friends from the band D-Generation invited a bunch of NYC punk rock royalty like Bob Gruen, Alan Vega and Joey Ramone so that was definitely a memorable night! (Actually I don’t remember much else about it, lol.)
Where are your favourite places to play live across the world?
I honestly love playing live anywhere and everywhere but small towns are generally more fun because audiences are a little less self-conscious and tend to go wild and have more fun. I’d love to do an Australian tour because I’ve not been there yet.
Will there be any further activity from Thee Heavenly Music?
I have a lot of recorded songs which I need to get mixed that are very similar to the music I wrote in THMA,
How did you hook up with Fireball Ministry initially?
I moved to LA in the 90’s and so did they – they were looking for a bassist and our mutual friend Greg Anderson (from Sunn O))) suggested me. So I was their first bass player. I left the band when I moved out of L.A. but recently stepped in to cover for Scott Reeder while he recovered from an injury.
How have the shows you’ve played with the band gone do far and can you tell us about them?
We are great friends and so it’s been really fun and the shows were awesome. I actually play in another band with Emily called Hexandagger (along with Brad Davis from Fu Manchu) so we are used to playing together. They are all great musicians so it’s always a pleasure playing with them
How did the recent tour Fireball Ministry played with Corrosion Of Conformity and Orange Goblin go?
It was awesome. The line-up was a great mix of bands so the crowds seemed to come early and watch everyone. Orange Goblin and COC are really cool people and obviously put on killer shows so it was a great tour. Not long enough!
What were some of the highlights of the tour?
Every night was a great show and the crowds were really engaged and into it, but London Forum was the last show of the tour and the best night from my perspective. We stayed at Jim from Fireball Ministry’s friend’s mad country mansion in Cumbria (complete with in-house deer) for some of the nights so that was really fun too.
Who would you love to tour with in the future?
Well since I have a couple of different projects it would depend on the genre – for the more atmospheric stuff I’d love to tour with some of the old bands who are doing reunion tours like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. In terms of the heavier stuff I’d like to play with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Blood Ceremony or Elder..or Sabbath of course while they’re still going!
What are you up to musically next?
I’m putting together a shoegaze project similar to and trying to mix those songs now. I also have some songs recorded with Hexandagger that we need to mix as well! Lots of mixing in my future
You were also a part of Duff McKagan’s band Loaded. Can you tell us about your time in the band?
Yes, it was very cool! I knew Duff already because Fluffy did a tour of the US supporting The Neurotic Outsiders. He was always very supportive of my bass playing and we had a lot of punk rock influences in common musically. I lived in Seattle for a while and Duff put that version of the band together with Seattle players. We did quite a few shows before he got too caught up in his other supergroup projects to continue.
What music are you listening to at the moment?
I’m being heavily influenced by my boyfriend’s insanely vast record collection right now – old prog bands like Out of Focus, Flax, Pan and Regaliz, Web, etc.
What have been some of your favourite albums from the past year?
Uncle Acid’s record Wasteland! Pretty much everything else I listen to is old right now!
What has been the best gig you have seen recently?
I went to a mad punk rock basement gig in Yokohama in Japan and saw Systematic Death and SOB play – that was pretty cool.
What have been some of the undisputed highlights from your career so far?
Mostly things that we’ve already discussed! Signing a deal with legendary record exec Tom Zutaut, playing bass for the bassist of GnR, supporting the Sex Pistols..there’s been a lot and I’m very grateful and also inspired to see what 2019 brings.
Will you be doing any more work with Fireball Ministry
You’ve played a number of big festivals in your career. What have been some of your favourite memories of them?
I think my favourite big festival was the Finsbury Park Sex Pistols gig – the other ones were all very similar and a bit corporate to be honest. Although the backstage area at festivals is always the best people watching
You mentioned you have recently moved back to the UK. Is that for any musical reasons?
Not really, more personal. It was just time to come home.
What inspires you as a musician?
Weird art and film inspires me a lot, but mostly just life experiences, especially as I get older and can review things from a more detached and objective perspective.
Who are your favourite bassists of all time?
Cliff Burton, Lemmy, Kim Gordon (because she inspired me to pick up a bass in the first place) Carol Kaye, Peter Hook, Phil Lynott. There are so many that I’ve probably forgotten here – I’m as influenced by as many guitarists as bassists
Who has been your favourite musician to collaborate with and why?
Duff McKagan because he has such a positive vibe and great energy, both musically and personally. I sang on a Twilight Singers song with Greg Dulli too which was a cool experience.
If you could collaborate with anyone in the future who would you choose?
Kevin Shields or Sonic Boom.
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