John Leamy’s career began as the drummer for the criminally underrated noise-rock band Surgery. The band’s best album was probably Trim, 9th Ward High Roller. Kickin’ Around was one of the best funk-metal songs of its era (much better than similar tracks by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction), but perhaps the most authentic representation of the band was to be found in visceral, explosive tracks like A.K. After this album, the band released Shimmer, which was perhaps weaker overall but contained one of their best tracks: The thrilling and insanely catchy Off The A List. The song should have turned them into stars, but it was not to be. Vocalist Sean McDonnell died of an asthma attack shortly thereafter and Surgery disbanded.
Leamy signed on as the drummer for Masters of Reality post-Surgery (replacing none other than Ginger Baker in that capacity). Their album Deep In The Hole features Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri, Screaming Trees / QOTSA singer Mark Lanegan and others; it is perhaps Leamy’s highest-profile collaboration to date.
Concurrently, Leamy had a parallel career as a designer; his clients included Amazon and U2 (a band he is not necessarily a fan of). I spoke to him about his tenure in Surgery as well as his activities since.
1 | I’ll start with the obvious: Off The A List should have been the biggest thing since sliced bread, yet somehow this song — and Surgery in general — didn’t make it. Why do you think this is? Perhaps the “second cousin” line is somewhat offputting?
By the time we signed to Atlantic, the journey had kind of taken a toll on us. We went from indies to a major and the difference between them in terms of a record being successful was, and is, obvious. Our A&R guy went into rehab the day that record came out, and maybe it wasn’t that great of an album? Sean dying rightfully ended the band, although Atlantic tried to convince us to find a new singer. “Look at Pearl Jam!” We were friends before we were a band, and the goal was to have a good time. We knew when it stopped being fun it was done. As for that lyric, Sean was brilliant. I wouldn’t change a word of anything he wrote.
2 | What direction do you think the band would have gone in had Sean McDonnell lived?
Impossible to say. I don’t think we ever “went in a direction.” We just sounded like whatever came out of us. Never had a conversation about it. I used to say that we made stupid music for smart people. I think Sean was the most aware of / up on what other people were doing, and he opened my ears to a lot of music I had never heard, but when we wrote songs they just came out as what they were.
3 | If it’s not too personal, what was your last encounter with Sean?
Sean went into the hospital while I was visiting family over Christmas. The last time I saw him was in his room at the hospital in Brooklyn. He was unresponsive, but I talked to him awhile. I don’t remember the last exchange I had with him. So many. I eulogized him at his funeral. Maybe that was it.
4 | What’s your favorite Surgery album? My quarter is on Trim…
I don’t really have a favorite. I like them all and dislike them all for various reasons. I think this is probably true for any musician. The act of making something, to me, removes the need to listen too much to it when it’s done. The experience of making it has a lot to do with how I feel about it afterwards. Hard to be subjective, although I think the earliest stuff has the energy of realization that new things seem to have. We weren’t a band for very long, but we packed a lot of miles into that span and the memories are deep.
5 | More specifically, what’s your favorite Surgery song? And/or the song which you feel contains your best drumming?
Again, I don’t really have one. Never thought about which song has my best drumming. There are songs that I hear, like anybody who records, where I think about what I could have done better. Usually, we recorded songs before we toured and played them every night for months. This is where you find yourself refining and improving your understanding and performance of the song and maybe wishing you could track it again. Ah well. Recordings capture the truth of a moment in time. Sometimes, you can never play it as well as you did on the recording. I guess it goes both ways, but it is what it is.
6 | Are there any Surgery songs which you feel were failures?
No.
7 | Your post-Surgery career took an intriguing turn. U2 (and Amazon, and various other well known companies) hired you as a designer. How did that come about?
After Surgery ended, I began working as a freelance designer and learned to use a computer. I had been a painting major in college, and was very against non-traditional work. I soon learned that the computer was a choice-making tool and not a cheat. I gradually became a creative director for over 20 years, working for design firms and myself. I started working with U2 on animations for their Vertigo tour and this led to four years of work with them. A music video, 3D concert film, album packaging, posters etc. It was a pretty great run with one of the world’s biggest bands.
In 1998, I teamed up with Chris Goss in Masters of Reality. I had painted their album cover in college (they were from Syracuse), and I was a huge fan. I left Surgery for about a year and a half and moved to L.A. to join Goss after the band split into two halves after Delicious Vinyl signed them. I was let go so that Ginger Baker could join. A whole other story, but I rejoined in ’98 and have recorded and toured with Goss ever since. 25 years. Surgery was only about six years, but way more intense. You never forget your first love.
8 | Without losing your longstanding clients, please tell us honestly: what do you think of U2’s music? Who’s the better band: Surgery, or U2?
I haven’t worked with U2 in years, so I’m not worried about losing them as clients. When their longstanding management changed, so did the cast of characters that ran the enterprise. In truth, I was never a fan of U2 growing up. I still don’t own any of their albums. That said, working with them gave me the opportunity to see them live many times. They are an extremely powerful live band with an incredible singer.
I had to do a reference video of Bono’s face singing a song I was making a video of for 3D character animation and he agreed to meet me in the basement of a hotel in Chicago after the show. He showed up, alone, in flip flops. I had just a chair, camera and boombox with the song on a cassette. When I pressed play, he sang the song in full voice and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. It was incredible. Sometimes you get to see a glimpse of something special. I’ll never forget that.
What makes a band better? Popularity? Record sales? Surgery could be the worst band you ever saw depending on the night. It could also be the best band on the planet. A roll of the dice. What makes a band great is when it manages to lift off with the help of the audience, the release of energy and the abandon of caution. Also, maybe some booze.
9 | On a related note, how well do you know them as people? Is Bono as serious about philanthropy as the media makes it seem?
While working with them, we developed familiarity. Mostly Bono and Edge, but Adam as well. Larry was the toughest to get to know. They were actually really nice, down to earth and empathetic people. You might expect a band that big to put on airs, but none of that from them. Super cool, funny and appreciative. Supportive. Bono gave my team a shout out from the stage at MSG. Much has been said about Bono’s philanthropy. I don’t have anything to add to that. We never discussed it. He was just a good and insightful hang.
11 | Suppose someone on the street recognizes you. Is it more likely that you’re recognized as the drummer from Surgery than as the designer for U2/Amazon/etc.?
Ha. I don’t think I would ever get recognized on the street for either reason. At least I haven’t. Designers aren’t visible anyway. Anyone who recognizes me from being in a band is usually in the vicinity of that night’s show and knows who the band they’re seeing is.
12 | Who do you think is the greatest drummer of all time? Who is the greatest musician of all time in general?
Trick question. There is no greatest drummer of all time. It could be someone down the street in a basement right now. Same applies to greatest musician. Totally subjective. What makes someone the greatest musician? Says who? I will say that when I think of the greatest drummers, my thoughts return to the much-praised and maligned Buddy Rich. I don’t think the world has seem his like since. Really.
13 | Closing thoughts?
Surgery was an idea between friends. We were going to go wherever it led us and have as much fun as possible along the way. We did the fuck out of that. Every band needs someone with their eye on the prize. Someone who thinks about the next step and the cultivation of the people needed to take it. Sean was that guy. Without him, nothing would have happened at all. We also had what you could say was the spirit animal of the band in Lapper. Learned to play bass to be in the band. An absolute animal. Scott Kleber learned to play guitar while his leg was in a cast in college and emerged as maybe the greatest naturally gifted guitar player I’ve ever heard. In a few months. No one in what could be called our scene played anything like him. It’s crazy to me that this stuff happened so long ago. It still feels like yesterday. Young men on the make.
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Brett Abrahamsen is a lifelong connoisseur of the experimental and obscure. He is also a science fiction writer (and an amateur philosopher of sorts). He resides in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
