Potty-mouthed Los Angeles electroclashers Dirty Sanchez are finally releasing their self-titled debut CD. IN caught up with the trash-talkin' trio to grill them about political correctness, gay fans, and their anthem "Fucking On the Dance Floor."

By Ken Knox

When drag personality extraordinaire Jackie Beat approached longtime pal DJ Adrian Barbeaux with the idea for a band called Leo, all she had in mind was a color scheme of gold, amber and orange. "I wanted the band to dress in all those colors and wear big blond afros," Beat tells IN Los Angeles. "My inspiration was HR Puff 'n' Stuff."

From that auspicious beginning came Dirty Sanchez, one of the most twisted, foul, and funny musical acts to emerge from Los Angeles in recent memory. Beat and Barbeaux recruited longtime mutual friend, L.A. personality and club promoter Mario Diaz (you may know him from Hot Dog and Big Fat Dick), ditched the name Leo, and started writing the scandalously fabulous tunes that would grace their 2004 EP Really Rich Italian Satanists. Live gigs around town followed, as did a bit of a cult following. Recalls Diaz, "We thought it would just be fun to make some funny electro songs. But the kids really dug it, and suddenly we had to take it all seriously."

Figuring "What the hell?" the band went back into the studio last year to lay down some more tracks. The result is their self-titled full-length debut, a rollicking set of 11 tracks depicting life through the eyes of this famously potty-mouthed trio. Whether waxing kinda poetic about the joys of fellatio on "Get It Wet," chiding the gay community for its obsession with image and appearance on the scathing "We Hate Youth and Beauty," or channeling Prince and Sheena Easton on their cover of '80s hit "U Got the Look," Dirty Sanchez holds nothing sacred in their mission to boogie-woogie their way into pop infamy.

We sat down with the band for what we thought would be a serious chat about music, fashion, and the new album. Boy, were we wrong.

IN: So tell me about the recording of your new CD. Any fun stories from the trenches?

Mario Diaz: Fun stories? I don't know how fun screaming and yelling at each other is! It's a wonder any band stays together for more than five minutes, seriously.

Jackie Beat: My favorite memory is regarding the song "Youth In Asia" which is a shameless song about Asian stereotypes. The first argument started when Adrian freaked because I sang the word "please" as "prease." He made me record it both ways and then used the safer, politically correct choice of "please," which, looking back, I'm happy he did.

Adrian Barbeaux: Yes, as usual I was right!

JB: Then I demanded that we add this "Turning Japanese" (by The Vapors) guitar riff to the song and again, Adrian thought it was just too much.

AB: It was, trust me.

JB: We argued and argued and argued and he finally gave in and the guitarist recorded the hook and we mixed it and it took like half a day at some ridiculous amount of money per hour. When we finally listened to it and I just murmured, "Get rid of it, I hate it now."

MD: Yeah! Fun stuff like that!

Was there any particular sound you wanted to capture for the album?

JB: We found that by adding electric guitar to our predominantly electronic sound we got a fun B-52's thing going on. We tried to steer away from the talky, robot vocals that it seemed everyone was doing a few years ago. After all, Mario and I can both sing very well. And we also tried not to make every song absolutely filthy.

AB: Yeah, 'cause it would be nice to get a song played on the radio, you know?

MD: We just wanted it to be fun. Not take it too seriously and treat every song as its own entity. We're finding our sound as we go.

I hear a lot of Human League in your music. I take it '80s synth pop was an influence for you guys?

AB: Of course. We all love Human League.

MD: I really dig the early '80s disco vibe. Artists like Georgio Moroder or Bobby Orlando are geniuses with their basslines. You hear a touch of these influences in this CD. I'm sure the fact that we all grew up listening to that kind of music had to rub off. Except for Jackie of course, who grew up listening to Laurence Welk.

JB: Funny stuff, Mario. Why don't you go spray-paint something while eating a taco?

"U Got the Look" was an interesting choice for a cover. How do you feel it compares to the original? Do you think Prince and Sheena Easton would be pleased?

AB: We chose that song for a Prince tribute CD we were asked to do.

JB: I prefer Prince's older stuff -- minimal and raunchy songs like "Head" or "Sister," but we liked the male/female back and forth of "U Got the Look."

MD: Prince is the master, so I was psyched to do anything of his. And the thought of Sheena Easton being pleased with me gives me a chubby. Next we may have to do "Sugar Walls: The Sequel."

There's a good deal of jet-black humor and a sense of irony on the disc. How do you think gay listeners will take to a song like "We Hate Youth and Beauty"?

JB: I hope they take it as it was intended -- as a brutal slap in the face of everyone who is just gliding through life being handed everything on a silver platter simply because they are young and beautiful.

MD: Guess what? Someday you're gonna be either fat, old, or ugly -- maybe even all three -- so I hope you have personality, wit, or intelligence, or you'll be left with nothing!

JB: I, of course, have been blessed with all three of those valuable traits and as a result my twilight years will be oh-so-wonderful!

AB: Good for you, Granny!

How do you feel this CD represents you musically?

JB: I would say it represents us perfectly!

MD: Yeah, it's retarded and crass.

JB: I was thinking more like it's smart, sexy, and funny.

AB: And don't forget: you can dance to it!

Speaking of, do you expect gay guys to start acting out "Fucking On the Dance Floor" at your shows?

AB: They already do!

JB: Yeah, but surprisingly it's the straight couples that really go for it and start bumpin' uglies at our shows! Gay guys don't need a special occasion to get nasty. Gay guys are like, "It's Tuesday? Let's get dirty!"

MD: I find that it's our huge Mexi-goth contingency that loves to act out the "Fucking on the Dance Floor" routine. You expect them to be all dark and subdued and then they bust out with a wacky Dirty Sanchez number. We looked up Dirty Sanchez on youtube.com and found teenage kids all over the country making videos for "Fucking On The Dance Floor" in their bedrooms and posting them online. All different kinds of kids completely 'tarding out to our music. It's quite rewarding.

JB: My favorites are these three Gaysians and their gal pal who are really queening out in full costume. They are gorgeous.

It's interesting how, in listening to the CD, the novelty of having a drag queen as the co-frontperson disappears. Is this your plan for world domination, Jackie? Warp the minds of America while tricking them with your feminine wiles?

JB: That is almost exactly what one reviewer said about my role in my very first movie, Grief. They said at first you think it's gonna be all about this drag queen and the tone will be super campy, but then you forget it's a man under the character and you quickly move on and just enjoy yourself. I take that as a huge compliment. I feel that way when I watch Divine. It can't just be about the novelty of a man in a dress; you have to evolve and go beyond that.

MD: Wait a minute... you're a man? I think I may be sick.

If there's one statement you think this CD makes about Dirty Sanchez, what would that be?

AB: We have a lot of time on our hands?

JB: We love to party?

MD: Honk if you're horny!

Conversely, if you were to play this CD backwards, what message would we hear?

JB: No message, just the theme song from The Golden Girls performed by Metallica.

MD: Oh my gay God.