Flowers of Hell Frontman Will Return to Congo Despite Hostage Showdown

Posted on Nov 27th 2010 4:00PM by Jason MacNeil
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Optical Sounds

There's no way to mistake the excitement in Greg Jarvis' voice when the Flowers of Hell frontman talks about his band's travel plans next summer. "The plan is to record in the Congo with this great orchestra we found out there," Jarvis tells Spinner. "It's this 100-piece African orchestra with this 100-piece African choir -- while they don't play with German precision, they play with African soul, and so they're great people to work with."

But as the London-based musician continues to speak about the trip -- which enables the collective to work with producer and Bowery Electric member Lawrence Chandler on 'Symphony Number One,' the follow up the recently released 'O' -- his hesitation about heading to the Congo becomes apparent.

And rightfully so -- Jarvis was taken hostage in Papua New Guinea earlier this year.

"They didn't know if they were going to have to kidnap me or kill me," he says of his captures, the Organisasi Papua Merdeka rebel forces, who mistook him for a British spy.

Justifiably fearing for his life, Jarvis proceeded to play a ukulele he had on hand -- an impromptu performance that likely saved his life.

"I was just like, 'I want to play' -- it wasn't that I was consciously thinking, 'I'm playing for my life,' it was more, 'I may never get to play again in my life,'" he recounts. "They shut the hell up and just listened, and the others started getting into it. [Then], they all got up and walked out."

"And the hotel manager said the coolest thing, the most kung fu or western line I've ever heard: 'Mr. Greg, for your safety, by sunrise you must leave town!' And I did; I got the f--- out of town!"

Watch Flowers of Hell's 'Opus 66'

So how does one brush off a little thing like being held hostage at gun-point, and happily sign on for another adventure so soon? Well, according to "Mr. Greg," traversing high conflict zones isn't all that out of the ordinary for him.

"I've crossed through many places at war in my travels," he says. "Normally, that stuff doesn't bother me."

Even if Jarvis wasn't as calm as he purports to be about passing through hostile environments, it seems doubtful that he would pass up the opportunity to work with the aforementioned orchestra and choir.

"With what little money we have to record," he says, "I'd rather give it to these African musicians who play for the passion of it rather than give it to students from the Royal Conservatory, who are going to buy a burger with it that day."