Checking into Suite 666
By: Lenny Nero

The newest addition to the burgeoning Vegas music scene is a four piece called Suite 666. Suite 666 can best be described as a melodic, fuzzed out, bluesy punk rock band comprised of current and former members of some of Las Vegas most infamous bands. After the demise of Sin City Ghouls, the Ghouls’ raspy-voiced Katherine Hepburn sound-alike front woman Brookelyn teamed up with former Loud Pipes drummer Gilbert and current Dirty Babies bassist Brue, and the magic began. Once the all-female trio Cute in the Face announced their extended hiatus, lead guitarist Misty joined the fold, and the ensuing results have been favorable, to say the least. After a stellar debut in early March of 2005, the band has hit the Vegas scene full force with follow-up gigs all over Southern Nevada. Smash Magazine had the chance to sit in on a rehearsal to catch up with Suite 666 and ask them a few stupid questions.

Smash Magazine: Since Brookelyn is the front woman of Suite 666, let me ask you how the concept of Suite 666 came to be. Brookelyn: Four losers, drunks, drug addicts, and friends all came together out of a love for music. Actually, we love Celine Dion. We love her. All of our music is based on her.
Brue: We were all standing outside the Bellagio watching the fountains, and we all felt so spiritual because Celine had lifted us to this higher spiritual plain, and we felt that we should name the band Suite 666 and do something in her honor.

Smash Magazine: I want to hear your musical influences, both in life, and for the band. Brue: The Heartbreakers, The Stooges, The Damned, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Black Flag, The Dictators, and Huey Lewis.
Brookelyn: Daisy Chainsaw, Blondie, Vixen, Lita Ford, Concrete Blonde, and…I don’t know…
Misty: Built To Spill made me want to play and Bjork made me want to write.
Gilbert: Wow that was heavy. Anyways, my influences are cartoons, the Marquis De Sade, The Clash, and pizza.

SM: All time favorite bands, living or dead, you’d love to tour with?
Brue: Um, I’ll just go with the bands I listed as influences, and I’ll add the Buzzcocks too.
Brookelyn: Siousxie & the Banshees, Pixies, Sugarcubes.
Misty: Berzerk, because they’re so much fun.
Gilbert: The Monkees with Jimi Hendrix opening.

SM: Do you have a favorite song that you like to play? And if so, why?
Brue: “Pusherman” because is just has a nice fucking swing to it.
Brookelyn: I really like “Hellhound” because it’s like doing a big line of speed, and I miss doing that. Because I can’t do it anymore.
Misty: I like “3 Sisters” because I like the tempo change in it, and it’s just a great song; a lot of fun. It‘s got a lot of energy.
Gilbert: “Radio Stalker” because it shows our different sides, and it’s the song we blew out the power at Matteo’s (Underground Lounge) with when we played there last weekend.

SM: What do you foresee the future of the band being? Like what are your plans? Touring, record deal, MTV, Radio Music Awards?
Brue: I foresee us OD’ing in a hotel room in New Orleans.
Misty: We’re going to go on tour, for sure.
Brookelyn: Touring definitely.

SM: Are you going to do a record before the tour?
Brookelyn: Next Sunday, we are recording.
Misty: So, we have the demo coming out.
Gilbert: We’ve been talking about doing a split (CD), but nothing is set in stone until someone ponies up the cash to do it. It’s kind of crazy how we’ve been doing these shows, and we’ve been getting such a positive reaction. All these bands want to play with us, do shows with us, record, you know, like I said, split a record. So, it’s nothing but positive right now.

SM: So the next step is the full album or the split?
Gilbert: Nah, we’ll probably do a 7” single first.
Brue: I’d really like to see another compilation of local bands…kind of like the Ramones tribute thing, but you know, more put together by the local bands. Kind of a concentrated effort.

SM: So we got a possible record or demo or 7”. What else?
Brookelyn: A whole lot of fun. No drama. Everybody in this band is so much fun, and we’re all genuinely good people. I love everybody in this band. We’ve all been there and done that, so we all know the formula. We’re going to do something. We’re all in positions right now in our lives that we can actually get in that van, and go and do a tour. Whether it be a West Coast, Southeast, national. Whether we get hooked up with another band to play a few shows with or go on tour with. We’re all in a position that if something like this came up, we’d all say “Yeah, let’s go.” And everybody in our lives support that.
Brue: I’d just like to put Las Vegas on the map.

SM: Slaughter did that already dude, sorry.
Brue: Exactly. And that’s exactly why I’d like to change that.

SM: So, for those of you in Suite 666 that are also in other bands, would you be willing to put those other bands on hold while you tour or while you devote your full time to this band?
Brue: No, I’m not willing to put my other band on hold, but I am willing to work this band in with my other band and make it a cohesive package. Like, I wouldn’t mind having the Dirty Babies and Suite 666 tour together. I have no problem playing 2 shows in a row every night for a month. It’s what I love to do.
Misty: Yeah, we’re on hiatus. And everybody knows that I’m still down to jam, but I just don’t want to book shows anymore because it’s become more of a hassle in the past 3 years. But I still love Cute in the Face, and Cute in the Face still loves you.

SM: What are some of your favorite bands – local or otherwise – that you guys like to play with?
Brue: I’m going to say ½ Ast and Jupiter Shifter.
Misty: Dirty Sanchez is cool to play with. The Holy Smokes & The Peccadilloes. Black Camero are one of my absolute favorite local bands, and they’re fucking rad kids and make rad music. Black Jetts are cool. FFI, The Holy Moleys, and all Big Lizard Records bands.

SM: If you guys had to classify yourselves as a specific genre of music. Like, if someone asked you what kind of music you played, what would you tell them?
Misty: Rock and Roll.
Brookelyn: Punk Rock.
Gilbert: Punk.

SM: What do you guys think of the Vegas music scene right now?
Brue: I moved here about a year ago from Austin, which at one time had a very reputable music scene, and one thing I really like about the Vegas music scene is the bands don’t all sound the same here. Everybody’s kind of doing their own thing. It’s not very cohesive. I don’t think a lot of the local bands work with each other here. I think there should be a lot more unification going on between the bands here. I think there should be a lot more networking going on, but there’s a lot of diversity here in the scene, and I think that’s missing in a lot of the other big music scenes in this country. And, you know, I think Las Vegas definitely has a future in that area.
Misty: I like the Vegas scene because it’s so small. Everybody knows everybody, and it’s a tight knit community, and a lot of people do help out a lot of other bands. And we may play with a lot of the same bands, but it’s all about helping each other out…getting shows and getting exposure. I like it because it is a tight knit community, and people are willing to help each other out.

And with that, the band and this interviewer continued pounding beers and taking shots of some unknown booze. The interview turned into a free for all of ripping on successful national bands, clowning on places like the now-defunct Boston, and praising people and entities like Revenge Therapy, Smash Magazine, Big Lizard Records, The Aristocrat, Double Down, and anyone and anywhere else that has helped to support the scene and bands alike. For more info on Suite 666 check out www.myspace.com/suite666 or catch one of their upcoming live performances. You won’t be disappointed.