The high-octane punk rock band simply known as Didjits.
Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices, a production of NPR Illinois. I'm your co-host, Jeff Williams, in the studio today. A couple of dudes from Decatur that I've known for a long time, thought I'd have him in and talk about, it's a band, (the) Didjits.
Billy Fury:
This is exciting, dude.
Beanz Decatur:
Yeah.
Jeff Williams:
Kind of fired up. Is it THE Didjits or Didjits?
Beanz Decatur:
There's a big controversy about that, but technically it's Didjits.
Jeff Williams:
It's Didjits. I wondered about that.
Beanz Decatur:
But to the world, it's The Didjits.
Jeff Williams:
Right, exactly, I wondered about that. Okay. Anyhow, Didjits, I remember first seeing, it was at Crow's Mill a million years ago. It was crazy. It was before the band that I’ve been in, nil8, we were like, man, we couldn't get a show any place or anything like that. And I remember coming and seeing Didjits play, and I lost my mind. It was just super inspirational! Way, way back. Anyway, I've got two members of Didjits. Now, these two weren't in the band way back then. They might not have been born back when this happened, because that was a crazy long time ago. Anyhow, if you guys both want to introduce yourselves real quick.
Beanz Decatur:
I'm Beanz Decatur…
Billy Fury:
… and I'm Billy Fury.
Jeff Williams:
Welcome to the studio, guys.
Billy Fury AND Beanz in unison:
Thanks for having us, dude.
Jeff Williams:
Wow!!! I like that! You guys are all synced up, man. That's crazy. (laughter)
Beanz Decatur:
Tied together.
Jeff Williams:
But yeah, I kind of want to just talk about that. I mean, because I've... known Didjits for like a million years. And Rick, the other bands he's been in, like the Gaza Strippers, who he played with, like in Mississippi Nights down in St. Louis, which for any people who don't know, Mississippi Nights was the place in St. Louis. Every band would come through there like way back.
Billy Fury:
It was so cool.
Jeff Williams:
That venue, man. What's crazy to me is what? It's like they didn't even really do anything with that whole area, it seems like, of St. Louis. Like what?
Billy Fury:
I know.
Jeff Williams:
I know.
Billy Fury:
It'd be nice to see it built back up though, man. That's such a cool little spot and strip.
Jeff Williams:
Right, And I remember we played like a little while ago with Fragile Porcelain Mice. There was this (festival), it was supposed to help… I don't know … fund getting something going back there or (maybe) just draw attention to it. But anyhow, Rick was also in Supersuckers, right? He had that as a project. Were there other projects that he had going on? Those are the two main ones other than Didjits.
Billy Fury:
Yeah, he was in Supersuckers on the Sacrilicious Sounds, which is the best Supersuckers album.
Beanz Decatur:
He did the… Gaza Strippers, was his thing. He's allegedly in some other projects that we won't mention their names. Rick Sims Secrets. I do know that he's been writing for other bands as well. He's done a horror punk album around Halloween and he did something for a Spider-Man comic, stuff like that.
Jeff Williams:
Are those things that aren't supposed to be mentioned too much?
Beanz Decatur:
No, those are kind of more… Those are Rick Sims things, but there's a band, we won't mention the name, that everyone is aware that he's a part of, but it's a Don't talk about it. Not for a bad reason or anything like that.
Jeff Williams:
But just not for right now.
Beanz Decatur:
That's the schtick. That's the point.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, that's cool to hear. Where does he live now?
Beanz Decatur:
He's living in Chicago area, suburb area. He does a lot of sound for theater and a lot of like composing the whole play or he does stuff with the college students and the high school students and it's really cool. He shows us all the crazy noises he makes, big booms and claps and everything that involves music to do. It's a big production like that. He's usually in charge of it.
Billy Fury:
Yeah, lots of theater stuff.
Jeff Williams:
Does he? Okay, that's super cool!
Beanz Decatur:
Yeah, up in the Chicago area.
Jeff Williams:
So how did it all come about? Like where all of a sudden the whole thought of Didjits getting back together, Riot Fest, all that, how did that start to slowly unfold?
Beanz Decatur:
So Riot Fest came to Rick and wanted a Didjits reunion for Riot Fest. And he told him, No, that could never happen. It's too far gone. I'm a totally different person than I was back then. Like the band, the members, some of them had passed. His brother, Brad, has other things going on in life. And it just wasn't an opportunity that he was willing to take at the time. (But) they were pretty persistent, I guess. And his wife and him came to the agreement like, well, what if you did do that? Me and Rick have a history. We're from the same family tree. My dad was raised by his uncle and who is Rick's dad?
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Beanz Decatur:
So they lived in the house together. They're cousins. So, Rick is technically my second cousin.
Jeff Williams:
And now is this in the Charleston area or is this?
Beanz Decatur:
Decatur.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, it's in Decatur. Okay. I didn't realize that.
Beanz Decatur:
Yeah, Rick's originally from Decatur.
Jeff Williams:
I didn't know that.
Beanz Decatur:
Yeah. So he's a Decatur guy like us!
Jeff Williams:
Right on!
Beanz Decatur:
We talked and we kind of play the same realm of music, And so Rick Sims being in my family tree, I always sent him my records and like anything we did with the (Soy City) Stranglers and wanted him to be aware of what we were doing as well. And we talked and I always said, if you'd ever do a Didjits reunion or a Gaza Strippers reunion, let me come play drums, Rick, you know, or put me on the guest list, you know, whatever it may be. And he sent me a message one day. He was like, hey, man, would you play Didjits reunion with me? And I was like, yeah! No, of course! For a pat on the back and like, thank you. (laughing) And he's like, well, it's Riot Fest and it's for this amount of money. And I was like, oh wow, you know, yeah, of course. And you know, like we don't play music for money. Right, So we're looking at the opportunity. Like, of course, I would love to do that!
Jeff Williams:
So this was all within like the last year?
Beanz Decatur:
All within the last year! Yeah! We sat down and he gave me three days. He said, learn these songs. I'm gonna come down in three days. And 3 days passed and I played with my other bands all weekend. And I told him, like, Rick, you know what? Why don't you give me two weeks and come down here and I'll have these songs ready to go? No, I'll be there. It's coming on a Sunday, you know? And he shows up and I chopped the songs, like, so terrible. I didn't know (the songs), you know? Like, I just didn't know them. And He's like, Yeah, that's great! You know, I'm trying to defend myself, like, you know, this is how I play drums, you know, I don't know these songs, and he's like, No, no, I just wanted to see, I just wanted to watch you play! (laughter) I just wanted to see that you could do what I wanted you to do, you know?
Jeff Williams:
So it wasn't like a thing where it's like, Thanks a lot for the audition, we'll let you, we'll get back to you! (laughter)
Beanz Decatur:
You know, it was like he was all on board right off the bat, no matter what. Yeah, so Rick was like... I see the vision, you know, let's do this, and make it happen. I was really lucky to have my friends and the people around me that play music the way they do and tell Billy first thing, dude, I'm playing drums for Digits at Riot Fest. You know, he's like, dude, I'm so happy for you.
Billy Fury:
I was like, put me on the guest list! (laughter)
Beanz Decatur:
Put me on, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, put me on the guest list, same thing. He, I was like, man, I need somebody to kind of learn these songs and help me learn these songs so I can be prepared for when Rick comes. And the next time Rick came, he I mentioned, we're going to have to find a bass player and clicked in my head, Hey, I know a guy that knows the songs. Like he's been playing the songs with me. Here are these videos of us playing them.
Jeff Williams:
Nice.
Beanz Decatur:
You know, it's like, man, I really like that. I like the attitude. And he had known of Billy before because he's, you know, aware of the Stranglers.
Jeff Williams:
Sure, yeah. When you say Stranglers, it's Soy City Stranglers. Just so people know it. So (they don’t) think of the Stranglers UK.
Beanz Decatur:
Yeah, we're part of that too. No, he was aware of Billy and he's like, man, Billy plays bass. And I was like, he played bass before he ever was a frontman for our band. And we should do that. And he's like, we'll have him come to the next practice. And then after that, like it was kind of sold, so it was. I got this cool opportunity, like on a whim, I'm related to this guy. And he wanted, like I said, his brother was the drummer before, the original drummer. So he wanted to keep it to the roots. And he could have went and got any Chicago hired gun musician, you know, and he was like, no, I want to do it this way. And I think that's super cool. And he allowed us to do it our way as well. Like, bring your buddy on board. And not only is it a paycheck for both of us at this point, it takes, like you said, starting this job, these people. It takes the anxiety out of it and stuff. And like walking onto a stage like Riot Fest, I kind of needed that.
Jeff Williams:
Well, it's nice to be family in a way. You know what I mean? You guys all, It is, it's sort of more a family thing. It's not just like, okay, we're going to look for the polished people and put them together because a lot of times that can fall apart. Like you're saying the first thing out, you know, Riot Fest and you're looking on the stage like, I don't know the bass player. I don't know this dude, you know. So.
Billy Fury:
I think that's really like when he said that Rick was down here in three days and stuff like that. I really think that that's like what Rick's got a good eye and a good feel for stuff like that. And I think that he probably would know immediately, like, this is going to work or no, this isn't going to work. Like, yeah, you've got that thing. I could do this with these guys.
Jeff Williams:
You know what I mean? Yeah, it's not like, oh, man, he missed this fill or whatever. You know what I mean? It wasn't exactly, So that's super cool too, to be able to. just have that feel of family.
Beanz Decatur:
It's authentic. It could very easily be a cookie cutter, all right, let's go play these songs, act this way, and like, it's not that way. We're all just being like who we are, and it's not weird, you know, and it's fun. It's been.
Jeff Williams:
And it works out for him too, really, because he's got that built-in trust, accepted thing.
Billy Fury:
Yeah, we've been, you know, playing and traveling together for so long, and we're both here, whereas he's 3 plus hours away in Chicago. Chicago, so where we can get together and his rhythm section can get tight.
Jeff Williams:
And he's got him dialed in pretty well. No, he just does what he does.
Beanz Decatur:
It's been super cool. I mean, like he could, Rick's been so cool about the whole thing. Like he comes, we rehearse in Decatur, like.
Jeff Williams:
That's what I was going to ask too. If you guys are going up there, he's coming down here.
Beanz Decatur:
He's like, no, like do it in Decatur. I think in the summertime when we were rehearsing, he was going to Sinawik Park and like sitting on the benches he used to sit on and warming up (to play guitar). It's authentic, man. It's like it's been so cool and like, you know, a lot getting the paycheck as well. It's like it's a whole different experience for both of us than things we've done in the past and bigger shows and airplanes instead of vans. Right, and it's been super cool and we're really thankful for Rick for that opportunity.
Jeff Williams:
Are there more shows planned?
Beanz Decatur:
We have a goal. We have a goal of around 25 shows this year. It's shaping up awesome. We're trying to be particular about what we take and like kind of trying to stay in a festival circuit maybe this year. And we've been super lucky. We have (a show lined up with the band) Rocket from the Crypt. Also, we're playing with The Mummies! Which is awesome! In Austin, Texas! We're (are pursuing) ideas for some short runs, you know, four days. We have some things locked in maybe for some Midwest shows, like the people who are Soy City Stranglers fans, shows that maybe we have been involved with before, doing some headliner spots there and trying to cater to our people as well as getting new fans and cater to the older fans as well.
Jeff Williams:
You know… when nil8 was touring full-time… like through a chunk of the 90s; it was crazy how many places we'd go…and….(for example) I remember being at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle. After the show, just talking to people, whatever. And they would ask where we are from? I would say, “We're from central Illinois”... our label's out of Chicago (Fuse Records). These people were like, what? Didjits? Do you guys know them? You guys… that happened a lot! It was crazy! Because sometimes you're not sure, you know… Didjits are big and YOU know that! There's people that know about Didjits… all over. But sometimes you don't know if people know WHERE a band is from… originally. And so if we just would say Illinois, they'd be like, wait, have you ever heard of a band called the Digits? And I'm like, yeah, you know what I mean? So it was really cool to see where it would be at some small club in Austin, Texas, or in Gainesville, Florida, or wherever it would be. And I don't mean it would come up every time, but it was like happening enough where it was like, wow (Didjits really made an impact on people!).
Billy Fury:
I think that's awesome too, man. I mean, you know, we've always represented the Midwest as much as we can, you know? And so I think it's awesome that they kind of, you know, essentially like put our area out there!
Jeff Williams:
Right.
Beanz Decatur:
With you guys as well. Let's not be modest.
Jeff Williams:
Didjits were a huge inspiration. I mean, seriously, when I went out there and saw them at Crow's Mill School, I was like…. OH!.... I got to get serious with this stuff! Just like an inspiration where I just want to really work on songs a lot more, you know?!? So it was that kind of thing where just seeing this live… original (band)….. because there was a lot of people way back when we started, they'd be like, “Man… why don't you guys play some covers? You guys could have more people come out to your shows! It was like a confusing sort of thing where, in my mind, it just wasn't for me. I'm not saying it's not for other people, you know! Everybody's got their own thing! For me… it just didn't drive me, really. So, seeing bands like that… THIS is what it's all about! So another thing that's crazy too was how many (people)… being from the Midwest…. a lot of people move FROM the Midwest. That helped us a lot because we'd place like San Diego or like I said, Portland or whatever it was, and there'd be people who were from the Midwest that then moved different places. And it was kind of cool too, because then they'd sort of meet each other and be like, wow, you're from this part of that part of the Midwest. So it was like a weird little niche tie-in, did you just have that same thing? You know what I mean? We're tied about it. Well, that's what I'm saying. That's why I was wondering if there's some more shows, because I was like, man, there's going to be people who want to see.
Billy Fury:
Absolutely, man. It actually, it's kind of like it blows me away a little bit more and more, like just to like people coming from all over the country and to whatever we're doing, it's a big deal! And that's pretty sweet! That's like another reason, like you were the first person I even told about this! I was like, man, I got to tell Jeff, like he was there.
Jeff Williams:
Dude, I know. And you told me and I was like…. ARGH!!! Don't tell anybody!?! I can't say anything about this?!? MAN!!! I got to keep it under wraps. But yeah, So super, super cool!
Billy Fury:
Yeah.
Jeff Williams:
Once again, we got Beans and Billy in here from Didjits. And thanks a lot, guys, for coming by the studio.
Billy Fury:
Absolutely, man.
Jeff Williams:
Any other things you want to say on this side?
Beanz Decatur:
We just want to thank Rick once again, and thank you and nil8. We want to thank Zuma, thank Dave Landis, who does all of our graphic design and anything that Didjits have ever done graphically, actually. So that's cool. Same person the whole time, man. For all these flyers we're doing is same guy from the 80s, you know. So we just want to shout those guys out. And once again, thank you to Rick and thank you to you and NPR Illinois.
Jeff Williams:
Thank you guys, definitely. Thanks A lot.
Beanz Decatur:
Cool, thanks for having us.
