Helen McWilliams aka The Hellion

I’ve been a fan of Harmonix producer Helen McWilliams, who moonlights at the lead singer and songwriter for punk group Tijuana Sweetheart, ever since I read her ‘Zine articles for the Rock Band website. If you haven’t already read “52 Weeks in the Life of a Rock Star”, Helen’s hilarious how-to guide on becoming rock star, you absolutely have to check it out.

This being said, I knew that Helen, aka the Hellion, was going to be an entertaining persona to interview. You can check out the entire video interview below, but I thought I’d whip up a few highlights of the night.

After walking around Fenway for approximately an hour in twelve degree weather, my husband and I gave up and took a cab about half a mile down the road to the Baseball Tavern.

I interviewed Helen about an hour before Tijuana Sweethearts was set to play. The “band only” room was situated right next to the speakers and the bathroom, so we decided to do the interview outside.

Braving the elements, the Boston club goers, the buses, (and really anyone else who was walking around Boylston that night), Helen and I sat down under a canopy of cascading Christmas lights.

Earlier on, I had texted Helen that we were going to do a video interview, and in true rock star style, she had donned a black and red wig, a short black dress and pink stockings under black fishnets: truly a vision of punk rock style.

Here are some things I learned from Helen on that cold Saturday night:

Helen’s influences include: Iggy Pop, Zeppelin, Cock Sparrer, and Stiff Little Fingers. She loves Iggy Pop and Zeppelin’s stage antics and lists Cock Sparrer and Stiff Little Fingers as her top punk rock influences.

Helen reaaally likes: chicken fingers and pizza. When asked to describe Tijuana Sweetheart in five words, chicken fingers counted as two words.

If you could order a Tijuana Sweetheart at a bar, it would consist of a Tequila shot with “Chelada” a beer, clam juice, and Bloody Mary mix. Buy Helen one after the show!

Tijuana Sweetheart’s new song “No Mercy” is Helen’s favorite song to perform live and it’s about the Karate Kid. This song is going to be available on RBN when it launches, so get ready. When Tijuana Sweetheart plays it live the girls wear Karate Kid headbands! (You can wear a Karate Kid headband too when you play “No Mercy” in the comfort of your own home).

Helen’s favorite Rock Band instrument is the guitar. Her favorite song to play on Rock Band is “Laid to Rest” by Lamb of God. Helen informed us that before Rock Band, she probably would not have picked up “Laid to Rest” but after playing it, she realized how fun it was and how much she actually liked the music.

According to Helen, Rock Band is a gateway drug, and by drug we mean that it becomes addictive and causes players to want to learn real instruments. Helen explained that when Harmonix was first making the game, they were hoping that players would transition from playing an instrument in the game to playing an instrument in real life. Helen believes that Rock Band is an impetus to try the real instruments.

After “Seven” debuted on Rock Band 1, Helen’s former band gained recognition from fans who would have never heard her music otherwise. Many fans still email her and confess that they first heard her on Rock Band. One fan even offered her 2,000 dollars to play a show at his home!

When I asked the question, “Your house is on fire and you have 60 seconds to save something,” Helen debated between a 65 Corvette, a bunny and (sorry guys) a boyfriend. She then became extremely concerned about whether or not there was cold pizza in her house pre-fire.

Helen agrees with RockGamer Studios. Rock Band Network is going to be a great way for up and coming artists to get their name out to the public. Bands that are looking for more recognition and a more varied fan base are going to love the Rock Band Network. Helen’s sage advice: “Talk to RockGamer Studios, they’ll hook you up, they know what they’re doing”.