Scottie Chapman (Mythbusters)

Details

Written by Aaron Farrier

AF: Scottie! Thanks for stopping by backstagemusician.com as my very special guest. I wanted to do a little something different as a little “Christmas present” for the readers. Don’t feel like an object. =) People probably recognize you from the popular (and a personal favorite) Discovery Channel TV Show, Mythbusters as the “mistress of metal!” But there’s a lot more to you that I don’t think a lot of my readers are aware of. For instance, you’re a bass player! A drummer’s companion in rhythm (did you know I was a drummer? I’m sure I told you that long ago. We’ll jam sometime…but anyway this isn’t about me!)

AF: When did you first start playing bass guitar?
SC: I started playing bass when I was 14, much to my parents’ chagrin.

AF: Who have you played with and are you playing with anyone currently?
SC: Well, I’ve played with lots of people. I moved to LA when I was 19 in order to do something more serious with it because all I could seem to dig up in the small Maryland town where I was from was an occasional cover jam kinda thing. The first band I played with in LA was a band called “Fuzz” and it was with Rivers and Winky from Weezer. It didn’t last long. We got to the part where it was time to write new stuff and I quickly found out that I would have no part in helping in the creative process, so I quit.

My last band in LA I started with one of the guitar players from another band I was in. We started out as Dogstar until Keanu Reeves stole the name and we changed it to Charles Brown Superstar. It was two bass guitars with heavy distortion, drums, and a totally tone deaf female vocalist. It was the most fun of all the bands I played with. I quit playing bass about 13 years ago. I just had my fun with it and got sick of it. The only thing I really regret, though, is that I quit playing drums. Wish I would have stuck with that one.

AF: Well I wouldn’t worry…its NEVER too late to start playing drums again. hee hee That’s ironic though that Keanu stole it. I actually saw Dogstar a few years back in Columbus, OH. Go figure, right?

AF: What are your preferred styles of music to play?
SC: Anything loud, fuzzy, hard, funky or just downright stupid.

AF: What are some of your favorite albums of all time?
SC: Big Black – Songs About Fucking
Herb Alper t- Whipped Cream
Monster Magnet – Superjudge
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
Perez Prado – Havana 4AM
Asylum Street Spankers – Spanker Madness

AF: Lets get to more of your favorites…What is your favorite food?
SC: Butter

AF: What are some of your favorite movies?
SC: Bladerunner, The Party, Brazil, Team America World Police, Baraka, Evil Dead 2
AF: Brazil is an AWESOME movie. I don’t too many other people that dig that movie. Impressive!

AF: Favorite place to chill out and take the edge off?
SC: My bed.

AF: So not only are you an utter badass on the Discovery Channel (on Mythbusters and a few times on Monster Garage), and you know how to rock…but you also belly and fire dance! I can’t hardly get through The Chicken Dance!

AF: How in the hell did you get into that?
SC: I started off taking hip hop classes. I was such an uncoordinated dork that my roommate wanted to put a web cam on me and start “afflictedchick.com”. I then decided that bellydancing might be more my speed. The fire thing is a given, being a lifelong pyromaniac.
AF: Haha. That hilarious. Not at all what I was expecting you to say!

AF: This is a dumb question but…practice makes perfect right? Well…when practicing with the fire portion, did you have any instances that were, less than favorable? In otherwords, have ya ever burned the hell out of yourself or come close to it?

SC: Well, you practice A LOT without fire. Of course I’ve burned myself. You know what they say about playing with fire… But only minor little burns, mostly from the hot metal hardware on my wicks. Mostly I just end up burning my hair.

AF: I think I read somewhere that you also have a racecar. Which just makes you that much more of a badass as I am one who also has the need for speed. Although I don’t see it much in my Honda. Unless of course I go down a steep hill. Anyway…How did you get into that?
SC: I no longer have a race car. An ex friend of mine who was storing it for me sold it behind my back. I miss it. I got into it with another friend of mine. We found out about a car that was for sale and went in on it together. We would share driving time. It was cool though, because you could have a passenger in the car at the racetrack where most of the races were held. Finally I got sick of sharing and got my own car.
AF: Are you kidding me? SHE SOLD IT?! Ugh, whats wrong with people? Seriously…

AF: What are your plans for the new year?
SC: Total world domination.
AF: I think Pinky and the Brain have the same plan, so keep an eye out.

AF: What do you want for Christmas?
SC: Total world domination.

AF: What are your ultimate goals for your career?
SC: See above.

AF: Have you worked on any movies? If so, any that we might know?
SC: I’m not an actress. That was the main problem I had with Mythbusters.

AF: What is your favorite quote(s) from a movie?
SC: “Num num”

AF: Tell us one random and interesting fact about yourself.
SC: I am random and interesting.
AF: Haha. Smartass. =P

AF: I have to ask at least something about Mythbusters or my readers will feel like they got short-changed. Can you walk us through a “typical” (speaking in a broad sense) day of shooting?

SC: Sit my ass in traffic for an hour or so getting there. Get some “good morning” verbal abuse from the (old) producer. Get to the shop and resume whatever I was working on. Spend about 30 minutes looking for the tool that I need (this will be repeated many times throughout the day). Track down the camera guy to tell him I’m about to build something. Go and do it even though he doesn’t think it’s worth filming (we have a short period of time to complete the task). Get yelled at by the producer for building something off camera. Take apart what I built and re-build it on camera. Set up to do the experiment intro. Try to repeat what the (old) producer tells me to say over and over and over while trying to sound “natural” and “excited”. Sit my ass in traffic for an hour and a half to get home.

At points throughout this scenario there can be long periods of sitting around waiting for Jesus to return or something. Or even an entire day of sitting around waiting. I hate waiting.

AF: I gotta say…that’s pretty interesting. I mean, the average viewer never truly knows what happens off-camera. It sounds like it would have been much for fun if there was better leadership. That’s unfortunate…

AF: Well moving on…Who are you listening to right now that you would, or wouldn’t perhaps suggest? We’ve discussed music before,and from what I remember, you have good taste.
SC: Right now my brother is singing the “Benny Lava” song from the Youtube video while he is cleaning the kitchen. I wouldn’t recommend it.
AF: Hmm…good tip. Thanks.

AF: Have you enjoyed the interview thus far?!
SC: hee hee hee More than my brother’s singing.
AF: I’m taking that as a “yes.” hee hee

AF: And finally…Being so multitalented, is there any one thing that you favor most? Or do you like to have your finger in a lot of pies so things don’t get too monotonous?
SC: I get bored doing one thing. I like to mix it up.

Well Scottie! That’s it! Thanks again for taking the time to give us a little insight into who you are. I’d like to inform my readers that you do not currently have a site for them to visit…yet. (cough, cough). But as soon as you and I finish it, I’ll get that link posted on here for all to visit!