DEVIL'S ISLAND featuring Johnny Stanec
Welcome to this weeks edition of Devil's Island! Every week we maroon a band or artist on the island and see what they get up to, how they cope with being all alone on a small island in the middle of the ocean. It's not your average desert island and we'll see just how each person copes with the extreme conditions.
This week when we arrived at Devil's Island we find Johnny Stanec sat on the beach. The island is far from his home, so how did he end up here and how did he cope with life on Devil's Island?
Find out now...
Welcome to The Razors'e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don't worry about it's name I'm sure it's not as bad as that would suggest.
So you're marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you chose one album that you couldn't live without. Which album did you each chose and why?
Choosing one record is nearly impossible because no one mood is constant and hearing something over and over will probably make me even more insane than being stuck on an island. But anyway... my pick would be Beck's 'Sea Change'. Not just because of the title, but because it is an album that opened me up to new sounds and new ideas. It's quiet and contemplative, but also layered and nuanced. Even after all these years there are still things I hear each time I listen. A one of a kind record that holds up. Filled with acoustic guitars and sad reflective lyrics, it would be the kind of music I would want to hear while trying not to roast to death in the sun and die of starvation or disease.
Just behind that palm tree is a shack for each of you to stay in, with enough space for you to put up a poster on the wall of one album cover. What album cover do you each chose?
I don' know if an album cover would be the kind of artwork you'd need on a desert island to stop you from going insane, but if you are trying to spruce up the place a bit then I would go with Stone Roses' self-titled debut. The cover art was painted by guitarist John Squire and it is very Jackson Pollock-esque. So you'd see something different every time you look at it. Very abstract. Plus, maybe I could sneak in a copy of the record too so I have more than one to enjoy.
There's also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What's your tipple of choice?
I'd probably just stick with beer. I'll assume it's somehow cold. Beer is more hydrating which makes more sense on a hot isolated island. Whiskey would drive you mad, rum is too obvious and wine would be too dry. Beer is good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I still haven't grown tired of it and it gives you a nice even buzz instead of a knockout punch.
Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. What’s the merch and for what band?
Since it was my own suitcase maybe I'll just assume it was my own merch? Seems possible. If I were traveling for shows, then that is definitely possible. I would hope I was able to grab a shirt since I will most likely need more than one.
You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?
Other than saying something obvious like a supermodel or beautiful actress, how about someone interesting for the sake of good conversation? Ernest Hemingway seems like someone you could drink with and talk for hours. We could talk about tales of the sea and listen to 'Sea Change' and fashion fisherman's sweaters out of my band merch. Also, eternity is a long time, so maybe eventually I discover a tribe of women on the other side of the island that welcome me. That wouldn't be so bad.
There's a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?
Nirvana live at Reading in 1992. Pretty essential in my opinion. A band at their peak killing it in front of thousands. All that energy and so many great songs. A one of a kind performance from a band that will never be duplicated.
You're getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?
Billy Joel knows a thing or two about boats and open water, so he would seem useful for making a rescue attempt. He has plenty of money too, so he could charter whatever type of boat and pay a crew to come get me and bring me home. Seems possible.
You've been stuck here for a while and food supplies are running low. There's only one thing for it... which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?
Well, since it is only me and then maybe Hemingway, I guess it would be Hemingway. He would be tasty I assume, considering. I hate to eat the guy, but survival is paramount. Hopefully he understands. He seemed like a critical thinker, he would get it. Maybe before I eat him he writes a book for me to read. That would be nice.
Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?
I'd grab ol' Noel Gallagher and tell him I actually liked 'Be Here Now' and thank him for 25 years of music that I still haven't gotten tired of and probably never will. Then I'd say my one condition for saving him, in lieu of a reward, wouldn't be an Oasis reunion, that's too obvious. I'd ask that he put in a good word for me during his next interview. You just can't buy that type of exposure.
