The most visceral experience you will ever have is seeing Cheerleader 666 live. Period.

It's the dirty mix. The barely tuned guitars. The spit that evolutes from Bassist Ethan Cawke's mouth that makes Cheerleader a hard act to follow and a tough band to imitate. Not that anyone would want to walk 20 paces in these guys ratty footwear; the sweat and grime are real - years of slugging it out in Toronto's darkest dives and sleeping on the city's nastiest chesterfields looks to be finally paying itself out. But just because the guys in Cheerleader 666 may finally be getting their due, doesn't mean they want to play into the mainstream's glove either. Fuck that.

Or at least says Ethan Cawke, the aforementioned dark horse that lays down the bass for T.O.'s most reviled quartet. So stereotypically bad in that black-leather-and-ripped-jeans way, Cawke makes even the baddest biker look like a little sissy girl. According to him, it's not up to 666 to change their wayward ways or soften up their songs. It's up to the rest of you to come around, and if not - who cares? Cheerleader 666 had gone through four drummers, one porn director and numerous gigs usurping the headliner to get where they are. They sure as hell don't need to be changing now, so don't even think about it.

Back in Canada after a summer of touring the States and spending quality time in L. A. recording Cheerleader 666's first full-length album (with Guns'n'Roses producer Dave Dominguez), Ethan filled us in on the state of punk rock, how you get a gig with Motorhead, and why pissing off the A&R guys is so much damn fun.

Dixie Tucker: Cheerleader 666 seems to be a band people either love to death or totally hate. Why is that?

Ethan Cawke: The people who hate us are jealous that they're not this good. It must really suck for some people to put so much time, effort and hard work into their band and then just be blown off the stage and defeated the moment we plug in. I would hate us too.

DT: After years of not having the budget to make more than an e.p., you are finally recording your first full-length album. Is the world finally ready for Cheerleader 666?

EC: The world has been begging and praying for Cheerleader 666. This album will change alot of lives, lives that have so far been wasted watching Good Charlotte and Simple Plan videos.

DT: You have Dave Dominguez, who recently worked on Guns-n-Roses Chinese Democracy, on production for the record. Are you the least bit afraid it will have the same ill fate as Axl's project?

EC: Axl's ill fate was Axl's fault. He took 7 years to complete that album. We have 2 weeks. Dominguez does his job and does it fucking well and we can't wait.

DT: Punk's really a washed out word these days but if any band embodies the DIY nasty spirit of to 70's, it's Cheerleader 666. When it seems everybody's sister listens to the Ramones and wears safety pins, what is punk anymore and how do you get a revival going in the face of all the 'skater pop'?

EC: We don't care about a punk revival, if it never come back we wouldn't care. It's cool if little sisters listen to The Ramones because that's better than Ja Rule & J-Lo. We are inspired by the original punk explosion but we'd never want to repeat it.

DT: Most Canadian bands are content playing their province and doing a Trans-Canada tour every couple of years. How'd you guys get it up to go to California and play to an audience that actually has standards?

EC: Most Canadian bands should die. The only other band from this country of worth is Goathorn (www.goathorn.com).

Lemmy from Motorhead likes us and set us up with Texas Terri from LA who invited us to play 2 shows with her. When we got to LA a local band named Tori Cobras added us to 11 of the shows on their California tour.

DT: Speaking of tours, you're going to be opening up for Motörhead in the UK this October. What's it gonna be like playing with someone as notorious as Lemmy?

EC: It will be weird because I've only ever thought of Him as a God. I hear he makes people kiss the wart.

DT: Your stage show is always loud and rowdy - you don't really give a fuck about what anyone thinks. Even in cases where there might be label reps in the audience, you still play to the fans even if it means turning off a potential A&R guy. Are you ever concerned that you may inadvertently pass up a deal or piss off the wrong person?

EC: We never think about that shit. If we piss off the wrong person that'll just make the night more fun. A&R guys are looking for the next Nickelback and they're gonna be turned off to us no matter what.

DT: So how did you guys get involved with Porn Director Bruce La Bruce?

EC: He came to one of our 1st shows back in 2000. He loved us immediately and offered to direct our 1st video that same night. We chose the song "Go" even though he wanted to do "Turn it on".

DT: Have you worked on anything besides the 'Go' video with him?

EC: We're doing a 2nd video with him (for "Deathboy"). This time, we let him choose the song.

DT: So does Bruce have something to do with why you claim to owe all your music to anal sex?

EC: No, we just like anal sex. With girls, boys, animals, house appliances, whatever.

DT: You've said your drummer, Chris Rites, smells like puke. But not only that, he once thought one of your opening bands sucked so much, he pissed on their car. Want to share the story with the rest of us?

EC: Rites just really fucking smells. Every time anyone walks into the room it's always "what the fuck is that smell?" The only thing worse than the smell of Rites is the stench that comes from a bad opening band. We've lost count of the times he's pissed on the vehicles of opening bands. It's the best (or worst) in the winter when the piss freezes onto the car. Hopefully, kids don't eat the yellow icicles.