Punk Globe: How did The Barbarellatones form, Robbie?

Robbie: The Barbarellatones morphed out of my band ‘Sex With Lurch”. It’s the same kind of beast; Glitter Rock that’s swampy and surfy, with drag queen go go dancers…and both bands were weird Hollywood Art Bands. I think the 90s. I love B – movie horror themes, and the cheesier the better.

Punk Globe: Any favorite bands?

Robbie: I’m a huge Bowie freak. There’s no secret about that. I love The Cramps, The B-52s, and The Velvet Underground.

Punk Globe: What are you working on now?

Robbie: My latest album is called ‘GlitterHole’. Yes I’m aware of how cheesy and trashy that sounds… I’m just focusing on songwriting these days. So I’m just using my name, Robbie Quine. It’s on Golax Records and sonically it’s like a quualude. Not a bootleg one either…the real McCoy! Glitter Rock, baby! I’m working on my second album now. This one will be more Gothabilly. I love that shit. It’s still Glam, but more Zombonic. I love playing guitar and bass and simple keyboard parts… going to the studio for me is almost like a therapy session at the psychiatrist office. I really enjoy it. Makes the cells in my body dance. Music does that for a lot of people I guess?!

Punk Globe: Please tell us about the song called ‘Nina Hagen’ which features Nina on the track.  

Robbie: The first time I met with Nina she said in her thick Marlene Dietrich-esque accent ‘Hey GlamRrrockah’ and I kinda fell in love, maybe mixed with some lust. She is beyond. I was working at Geza X and Josie Cotton’s Satellite Park Studios, in Malibu, up in the canyon. Paul Roessler was producing her new song at the time ‘Personal Jesus’. I wrote a spy-song called, you guessed it ‘Nina Hagen’. It’s so campy, and I’m surprised she agreed to be on it. She’s cool and very supportive of underground Glammy-Punk bands. It was very kind.

Punk Globe: What are your live shows like?

Robbie: I LOVE playing live shows, but I moved to Maui a few years back. I’m still in touch with my old bandmates. Those old whores are all in other bands, but I’m sure with a few rehearsals we could whip a great set into shape. But I’m  really enjoying writing and recording songs for now. Rodney (Bingenheimer) plays us a lot, and that that feels so killer. We are on his new ROTR Vol.4 compilation on Gexa X Records. 

Punk Globe: Who is the songwriter for  Barbarellatones and on ‘GlitterHole’?

Robbie: I am. ‘I write the songs that make the young girls…?! I like both sides of the coin. (No dirty jokes pls) The music/and the Lyrics… it’s a song scape. 

The dreamy thing that happens when everything falls into place. It’s hit and miss…!

I like a bunch of different things psychedelia, cheesy B- movies (the name ‘Barbarellatones’ is a good example… surfing, Hinduism, the ‘feeling du jour’…I keep my guitar by the bed and not in a case. So I can grab it and play anytime I feel inspired. Sometimes during a commercial, I’ll write a weird little riff and a song starts forming. Percolating. That happens a lot. I just follow where it leads. I was in a weird mood one day and wrote a song about ‘Tab Hunter’. I recorded it and sent it to Rodney, and he plays it a lot on his show on Underground Garage on SiriusXM. I try to have fun with the process and not overthink it too much. Some people will love it, some people will give it a big ‘ol eye-roll…! Can’t win ’em all.

Punk Globe: any future plans and projects?

Robbie: I would love to play in London and Berlin one of these days. That’s always been a dream of mine. For now, I’m just finishing the new album and I also want to make some videos. I’m really Artsy-Fartsy…I like music, film, fashion, all that crap…I also want to close with something personal. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m passionate about sobriety. I have been over 30 years clean and sober and I sponsor half the junkies on this island and a  few peeps in LA too. I get a rush of Love and Service. It feels like ‘Karma-Cleansing’ to me to help other addicts get clean. To ‘back into the stream of life’! To give. Not everyone has this problem, but to those who want to help, it’s there for the taking. You can recapitulate and reinvent yourself. Having an attitude of gratitude is a good start.

Love yourself, that’s your job.