Interview with Eric from Wellington Arms.

Bernando: Hi Eric. First of all thanks for taking the time to answer a couple and sending in the latest demo (which sounds great by the way in all it's DIY awesomenes). Could you please introduce the band and it's current line-up for those who are new.

Eric: The line-up for Wellington Arms is Paul Sicilian on lead guitar, Kev M on Bass, Nate Woodell on drums, and this line-up has been consistent for a little over a year now. So far I think it's the best line-up we have had because as a band we can pretty much travel anywhere in the states to do a gig over a weekend , and we sound the best considering the dual guitars, and back-up vocals, but the only problem thou is we haven't had a proper chance to record anything in an state-of-the-art studio to really demonstrate the value of our band. For instance the Stahlhelme demo is pretty good, but we only had an hour to record the frame-work starting at 9pm on a week night when we all had work the next morning, and Nate just got done working a 12 hour shift, and was way too exhausted to be there in my opinion, and he also thought the same so... We want a studio where we can jam for about 8 hours straight, and we haven't had that chance yet, but that may change come late summer, and I hope it does because we go some serious material to put out there for ya guys.

Bernando: Any chance of getting this Stahlhelme demo on vinyl in the future? Or perhaps even a full-length coming up?

Eric: I doubt it because any investment that would be made would have to be a full length LP at this point, and I think any record label would agree. A full length album is our goal right now ha. Speaking of demo's thou WAR Records contacted me, and said that they will produce the original 4-track demo Living in Amerika from 2008, and as far as I heard it may be available by August. I'll keep ya posted on that for sure. As far as the Stahlhelm demo goes maybe we can release it on vinyl at a later date, but until then the CDR's I'm producing are pretty cool looking in my opinion, and most people will dig them.

Bernando: Speaking of demo's I remember seeing a CD with WA called Demo's 2008-2011 being released by some label called Working Class Skins last year. Since I have never heard you mentioning it before and never even heard of the label i must ask, is this a bootleg or a proper release?
Eric: It's an authorized bootleg from Germany ha. I don't mind people bootlegging our demos and all that, but a full-length release would be different of course, but till then burn and record away.

Bernando: Could you please explain what the whole "Spanish Arms" thing was all about? You traveled down to Spain for some time and joined forces with the Glory Boys if i recall correctly. Why and can we see any simulair co-operations in the future? (By the way what songs where recorded down there?)

Eric: Yeah we joined forces in April of 2010 and ah man Spain was a blast, and we do have some live practice recordings of the set-list I'll put out there one day. The trax we did were: Living in America, Today Chicago tomorrow the world, Boredom's a drag, Were young, International lover, I can't take anymore, Bringing you down. Drove me insane, and Government action. There may have been a few more, but I can't remember at the moment. When I sang with the Glory boys at the end of their set we covered Friday night by Skrewdriver, and Disorderly conduct by Arresting officers, and that was killer too. I would love to play with those guys again, but the line-up I have now is pretty legit so it won't be the same if we went over there except Vega on bass of course.

Eric with Glory Boys

Bernando: Your sound has a heavy 77-feeling to it and i know that Skrewdriver is a big influence. What other bands has had an impact on either the sound or the lyrics?

Eric: Well that's good then. Brutal Attack has always been a big influence on me too, but bands at the moment, and probably bands that influenced me also are: Hand of Doom, Black Sabbath, Pink turns blue, The Knots, Queen, Booze boys, Slaughter and the dogs, Bad Manners, Eater, George Thorogood, Iron Maiden,Crucifixion, Meat Loaf (Guess where) and early Ministry.
As far as lyrics go it all comes natural really when I hit the strings of the guitar, and sing about whats on the mind if anything. It's a Chicago blues thing ya dig?
O' Damn, and don't forget Bob Seger, and Springsteen haha

Bernando: Meat Loaf haha. Now that's something i didn't see coming. What exactly is it that Meat Loaf won't do for love? Stop watching porn?

Eric: Yeah great band musically depending on who ya ask. I'm influenced by them much in the same I am with such bands like Skrewdriver, Iron Maiden, and Brutal Attack because they are able to combine music, lyrical expression, and theatrics together which I see as very important. The elements amalgam, and I put this concept into Wellington Arms as well. Like for instance We're from Chicago, and we are a skinhead band, but I don't write these lyrics cause I'm patriotic because it's more then that. I'm a Chicagoan - this is my culture, and this is what I gotta say about it. It's about heading to the bar with your guitar, and playing with whoever else can pluck a string to your rhythm, and keep a beat on drums to then put some real energy into the void we call space. Some call it punk, but that's because maybe we dress that way, and some say it's skinhead, and that's because we are, but in reality - what we are doing is what the Chicago blues, and rock 'n' roll scene was doing before any of that and we're part of that like our fathers, and moms were. I drink heavy, and pretty much just drink ales, but like everyone else in the band and in Chicago we all started off drinking in the local bar with the old man with an Old Style in hand, pizza in the mouth, twenty dollars in the pocket for the jukebox, and the Chicago Bears game live on the television. Not to mention if you didn't have at-least one political debate you were a poser to go along in that environment,and I still believe that,and that's why I don't care about the skinhead scene that much because the whole "Non-political" stance has left that whole scene apathetic, and oblivious (clueless) between racial politics, and local politics which is something I can't handle. Not to mention how easy it is now for the commies to nick pick at everyone with ease these days. Politics are very important, and if I sound like a racist, fascist, or homophobic to any UN-American red then I know I'm doing my job well for my community so fuck it. For instance if it's racist to vote against Section 8 housing to take place in your neighborhood then I'm fine with that, and if it's non-skinhead to vote for a decent Representative in the streets and sanitation department then I don't want no part in that scene. Hell I got mine, and guess what we'll keep drinking, and rocking-in-the-free-world.

Bernando: I understand where you're coming from and have to agree with you on most of it. Skinhead is a word that can become quite dull and ignorant since the whole idea is built around a stereotype both in clothing (boots, short hair and right brands) music (ska, punk and some rock'n'roll) and even views and lifestyle (working class, patriotism and publife). So an almost philosophical question would be when does one start being a "skinhead" and when does one stop being a "skinhead". Same goes for politics and i can also become annoyed at the right/wrong climate of it all and the lack of a middle-ground. WE has always (in my book at least) been an non-political band as in your lyrics don't tend to point any fingers in any direction. How important is modern politics for the band and to what extent does it impact the lyrics and songs?

Eric: We all have our opinions on topics that directly or in-directly effect us, but we don't embrace any set ideology or campaign. I rather strap on the guitar, build a good riff and let the lyrics come natural to reflect whats going on in my life, and guess what? They do deal with real dilemmas that skinheads can relate to, and very well because the atmosphere to relate, and backlash against social upheaval is still there - it's viewed in our homes, on the street, and is a mouthful in the bar scene, and  it has been since the 1950's in countries such as England, America, and Europe, since the exploitation of multiculturalism , and there's no stopping it. Skinhead much like the other youth movements, and gangs at their original presence  fought over their original locality due to the influx of mass cultural migration , and this couldn't be more evident in England the day cropped youths put the steel to foreign influences such as the paki's, rockers, and the left-wing flower children of the Aquarian age. It's was/is cultural, but there were real politics, and racial problems behind it all that couldn't be ignored much like today, and people should be aware of what they are doing, and saying instead of being repugnant to these politics, or exemplifying acronym's to describe their political outlook without actually understanding what they are fighting for or against. Skinheads are, and will always remain patriotic, stylish and unfavorable to totalitarianism in the significant sense given their background, and that's all that needs to be said or said about them. They aren't anti-racist or racist because commies dictate that term and when its applied to a group or person, and they aint Nazis, Commies, or fascists because those are political parties that patriots won't buy into, but they can certainly "like" or "dislike" things about them. I certainly do, and do not like things about them, and I have no problem with a debate in person about them cause its interesting stuff.

As far as my theory on how a self governing country should work is this: The realm, Knights, magical babes, feasts, ale, and dragons...

no...On the real tho, skinhead or not- The worlds nations are important unless ya want an one world soup, pill and bread line, and If ya love your nation, and honor others - it's your responsibility to take care of your land,  your people, and the devoted culture that binds it all together . Vote wisely on issues, and invest great time into when it is, and when its not in the best interest to have foreigners compete in your markets let alone migrate into them, but most of all vote local cause it gets the job done. Trust me your garbage service, and flood clean-ups are more important right now then political theories. Other then that jot down what ya no, and jot down what ya don't, and get educated. It's always good to be quick on the uptake.

Bernando: How is the scene in Chi-town today? Any bands one should check out, stay away from etc. How is the scene in large over there as far as gigs and "unity" goes?

Eric: Ha, O' joy... I suppose its fine, and dandy if ya side with the left-wing, but for few of us rocking out for patriotism, and rebellion it's not. The scene itself is pretty good thou if not great when it comes down to gigs these days, but I much preferred it when the music scene was low-key, because the whole punk, and skin unity made more sense when we drank together in flats, and in the street rather then in venues that clearly rip us off. It was really cool to meet people, and although there was violence, it was usually a fair fight with a drink in the end compared to the "Safety in numbers" routine being practiced today by cowards. I miss the subterranean gigs, and all of that, but now it's all in the open for the left-wing to attend, and since then the criminality rate has went up ,and I couldn't even tell ya how many times these cunts have broke into cars, smashed venue windows, and have mobbed innocent people (ladies and men)  because of so-called political affiliations with wrenches, hammers, and knives, and the worst part about it it has made the scene submissive, and even counter involved to what got punkers, and skins involved in the scene in the first place because they feel they need to take a side.

There are a few bands from Chicago that rock, and although by me mentioning them to you may get them "attacked" by the left-wing it makes no sense on the lefts part so  I'll mention them anyways.

1: The Jetbirds (ex street brats)
2: Criminal Kids
3: Black Actress
4: The Capones
5: Bell-weather syndicate (dark wave)
6: Flesh Panthers
7: The non-believers
8: The infected
9: Brickwall Vultures ( I had to say it) ha ha ha
10: Is there a Ten... I dunno ha

As far as bands to stray from I don't really care what people listen or who they hang out with, but I'll be damned if I get get slagged off from the left-wings predominance because of our message of Patriotism, youth rebellion, and rock 'n' roll because it is important in what youth movements want out of it all in the first place.

 Bernando: Ok so here's a couple of short one's. Answer as you please:

-Piano in punk songs?
Eric: I love what Frankie flame does that's for sure. I don't know who else does it in that style, but if I found out I'd give it a listen.

-Zionism, Islam, Christianity and other forms of modern day religions.
Eric: Ha, I'm not content about the Zionists, and their Jewish destiny to make Jerusalem "the mecca of the world" at the expense of Western Civilization that's for sure. Nor I'm I happy to share a country with Muslims harmonious or not  -nor do I care for Christians either, but not because in what they believe in the biblical faithful sense, but because all three of these major affairs exploit markets, and working, and common people, for power, and profit in our free, and loyal countries.

Ha, which Zionist film is most likely to win an Oscar?
The Great Terrain Robbery of course, starring Sean CON-nery and Donald SMOTHER-land.

-Kanye West's latest album entitled "Black Skinhead".
Eric: Never even heard it till now, but I'm sure its bad. Alright let me see this video hold up... Ha, yeah this video is bad, and so are the lyrics. Hip pop is so drawn out ya think? Besides what the original hip-pop had to offer in its momentary existence hip pop in its entirety was the downfall of great music presented by black culture in my opinion.

How do you know that Adam and Eve weren't black? Ya ever hear of a black person giving up a spare rib ha ha ha.

-The lack of Mohawks and spikes in the modern Oi! scene.
Eric: Probably for the best since punk rock is so left-wing these days, but yeah its a shame to see the spikes, and Mohawks fleeting in favor for a well-received image. The attitude is just lost without I think - as it's more about the drugs then unity these days, and it's more about the image to uphold then rebellion for most punkers if not all. I used to love the girls that looked like the Devotchkas, and Beki Bondage however punk being more acceptable has lead to a abundance of smoking chicks into the mix regardless, and I can't complain bout that because they are usually always down for a drink or two with the skins, but I can't say that for the men thou cause they have no loyalty or respect. Heres a quote I wrote for the band.

WELL... WE'RE DISGUSTED BY ALL THE LEFT-WING LIES, THE POSERS, THE DRUGGIES, AND PEOPLE IN DISGUISE. WE AINT INTO DRUGS, THE MAKE-UP, OR THE DOWNTOWN STRUTS - WE AINT INTO FASHION PUNK, AND THE PUNKS THAT SUCK IT UP. WE AIN'T INTO WHATS HIP, AND HIP IS PUNK - WE AINT INTO GANGSTERS CAUSE THAT CULTURE IS FUCKED. ALL THAT NON-SENSE YOU CAN SHOVE CAUSE WE'RE INTO MUSIC CALLED ROCK 'N' ROLL - THE SOUND THAT LEAVES US WITH A TASTE FOR BLOOD.

-Football or football (soccer)?
Eric: Da bears... American football may not be the Grid-iron game I came to enjoy in the past, but it's still my favorite sport to watch. As far as football (Soccer) goes I think the sport has the best fan gear, but its not that enjoyable to me, and I prefer Hockey and rugby to soccer.

Bernando: What do you know about the greatest country in the world called Sweden?

Eric: Ha, that they have one of the best fan-zines there as in yours, and one of my favorite bands Ultima Thule, and Amon Armarth are from there. I also got my Thors hammer necklace for my bday (June 19th) from a friend that went to school there. I guess he said it was forged from the fires of Surt or something, and then he rambled on about Elves or dwarfs making it ha (haha they actually are). Other then that I've heard of her beauty, and would love to visit.

Bernando: Thanks for taking the time to do this and even more thanks for the good tunes over the years. Any last words?

Eric: Well thanks for putting out such a well written fanzine, and giving the band exposure over the years. One day the Arms will visit, and we'll drink to Sweden. Till next round. ~Eric Scott

Interview with Hans Bondo the singer of Major Disappointment

A lack of new good bands comming lately it's strange how a band like Major Disappointment flew right under both mine and most others radar with their debut album last year. Really liked the band and couldnt get over the Squiggy vibes it gave me so i asked Hans Bondo the singer in the band for an interview to find out more (and got a free CD in the process).

¤First of all thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Could you please introduce yourself and the band?

-Major Disappointment is Rod on guitar, Mikey Disappointment on bass, Outlaw on drums and myself, Hans Bondo on guitar and vocals

¤I just found out about you guys last year when i heard the CD. How did the band come to be?

-It started with a collection of songs that i was just going to record. The original 4 song demo was recorded in Grand Rapids Michigan with myself on guitar, bass and vocals and Contempt on drums. The studio we recorded with didn't have a fucking clue what they were doing and we weren't really happy with how the songs turned out. Shortly after that Contempt stepped away from the recording aspect of music to focused on design work and video editing. I found another studio and began recording. After i got some of the songs done i had people listen to them and they began to express interest in playing in the band. So here we are a couple years, and several line up changes later working on our 2nd cd.

¤Did any of you play in any other bands before Major Disappointment and what would you say influences your sound?

-We have all played in bands over the years but none that were as involved as MD. Our sound is influenced by many factors one of which being that we're not musicians. It's simple and raw but the spirit is there and that's what counts to us. That's what drew me to the old school oi, punk and r.a.c. bands to begin with. I could list a ton of bands that i would say influenced me personally a few being Condemned 84, Combat 84, Exploited, Diehards, Cock Sparrer and the list goes on. I don't get into many hardcore bands but Slapshot is on the list and the first Chaos UK album was outstanding. There are a lot more that range from rock to classic country that may not have had an influence on the actual sound but i would consider an influence none the less. That's just me personally, although me and Mikey pretty much listen to the same stuff. The younger guys in the group listen to all kinds of weird shit but are also into the classics. And to use the old cliche "we just sings about or lives" gives plenty of things to talk about. With global financial crisis, riots, wars, and the biggest bunch of asshole politicians in history it's all we can do to keep up. Not to say we are crying about our lives and asking for handouts like a lot of the so called "punk" bands do. It's so far gone you can't fix the shit we are in. I'm not saying i have the answers, but i have the answers for me. This is the soundtrack to Americas descent into chaos and it doesn't bother me a bit.

¤On the back of both your DVD and the CD it says TFB Productions. Since i have never heard of this label before i must ask is it a new one or a D.I.Y. by you guys?

-Its D.I.Y. I did it that way for a couple reasons one of which was so i had something to trade with other labels. I always enjoyed looking for new bands, or hard to find items. I thing that's something people got away from over the years with the internet. Sure it's convenient to look up a band online and get their whole discography in 10 minutes but it's not as rewarding as finding that one old 7 inch that was limited to 200 copies. Our dvd is limited to 300 copies. People will make copies and download it and doesn't bother me but there will always only be those 300 original copies. Those are the type of items i wanted to have available at our shows.

¤While on the subject about the DVD i must ask about some of the content. You have a segment where your guitar player Rod gets released from prison. What was that all about? He sort of looked like he belonged in Guantanamo with that beard.

-He was just in county jail although he probably belongs in prison hahaha. He had been in several fights in a short period of time and eventually they caught up to him. He had a small beard when he went in and the jail house razors are not the best quality so he just didn't shave while he was there. The end result being that he looked like a taliban member when he got out.

¤You have now recorded some new songs and the few i have heard sound great. What upcomming release/releases can we expect and when will they see the light of day?

-We are currently recording our second cd which is due to be out by spring 2012. We also plan on releasing 4 of the tracks as a single in January. The single will be the 2 tracks that were featured on the This Is Our Culture comp along with 2 others

The 7 fast ones:

¤Condemned 84 being banned from various Oi! festivals because they are "facist".

-I think it's a sad commentary on where the scene is at. I always thought the fact that oi bands weren't afraid to speak their minds is what made them so real. This whole pc thing has gotten way out of hand. Oi bands shouldn't be afraid to offend, and getting thrown off shows is just part of the game.

¤The bible.

-Don't know much about religion

¤Rancid.

-Tim doesn't know how to talk and Lars don't know if hes a hippie, punk or skin. But don't tell The Old Firm Casuals i said that. I might catch a beatdown hahahaha

¤Skinheads wearing bulletbelts instead of braces ;)

-Haha good one. I wear both. The bullets i wear are live and the caliber i use so it's not just a look. I wore braces daily for years but lately it's been the ammo belt

¤Conservative US politicians wanting to reinstate child labour?

-The whole US political scene is a fucking joke. It's just a matter of which set of lies you want to believe.

¤Skinheads wearing SHARP badges in the year 2011.

-I think the whole sharp thing is about acceptance. At least that's what i've seen over the years.

¤Piano in punksongs.

-I don't see MD having piano in a song or know why anyone would. But then again i don't claim to be a musician

¤Last and probably most important question. What do you know about the nation of Sweden?

-Haha fuck! You got me! I really don't know much about Sweden which is sad since i'm part Swedish. I'll have to get my shit together and get back with you on that one.

¤Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions and yet again thanks for sending me the CD. Any last words?

-Well thank you for getting the music out there and keeping the spirit alive. The Underground Allegiance is growing and we are just getting started.

Performing two songs from their debut CD. Footage is from 2010.

Interview with Todd Herstein from The Krabs + dowload of their Working class 7''

I visited a friend for a barbeque this summer and heard a really good song called Working class so moved of the porch and into the house for some cratedigging and found out it was an American band called The Krabs. I later breezed through the latest issue of Wax & Violence and found out the band had released 2 EP's and a cassette. So who was this mystery band?

I just had to know more so i posted the band on my wishlist and got contacted by their old guitarist and singer Todd just a week after. My guess is a lot off other people have missed this band as well so i decided to do an interview to get some info on them. The band has just reunited and are getting ready to release a collection of their old songs on CD so i will throw in a download of their Working class EP as a sample of what to come from the CD.

¤Hi Todd. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Could you please introduce yourself and the band to the readers.

-I'm Todd, I play guitar and sing. John plays bass, Danny plays guitar and Matt plays drums. This is our original lineup although we made our first demo with Tim Pendergast (Born without a face) on drums because Matt couldn't do it for a while. We all met and were in other bands together in the late 80's in high school, then formed The Krabs around 1992. Our very first few shows were with a 15 yr old girl named Jessica Powell singing and a different drummer, Snapper (Pecker Tracks). We did about 3 shows with that lineup, but it's been mostly us four guys since 1993.

¤I am in a loss when it comes to your releases. I know you released 2 ep's and a demo but could you please give us the full discography?

-We have one full length tape called 616 Rumble that was recorded with Tim on drums. We made about 200 copies on cassette. Then when Matt got back in the band we recorded a 7" EP called Punk Crock and made 500 copies ourselves. Beat Hotel and Room 13 Records in Detroit then put out the Working Class 7". I believe there were 2000 copies of that. Then we had songs on various compilations on Centsless Records, Shredder Records, and some others I honestly just can't remember.

¤Will all these old releases be on the upcomming release?

-Yes, we are putting everything that we recorded on an upcoming release. We're hoping a label will put it out, but there is nothing for sure yet. If no label comes through, we'll do it ourselves. We also have a full length album of new unreleased material that we will be putting out soon as well. Again, still looking for a label!

¤When did you break up and for what reason? How did it feel to reunite and have you noticed any differances in the scene since the 90's?

-We never really broke up. Danny our guitar player went into the army around 1999 then ended up in Iraq for a few years. We played as a 3 piece for a while, but it just wasn't the same. When Danny finished his time (about 10 yrs) in the Army, we started playing again almost as soon as he came back. It felt great to be back together! We played a couple shows and a ton of people showed up, so that felt really great to know people remember us.
The scene here in Michigan is different now because for one thing, our economy has always been based on working class jobs like making cars. When all our jobs went to China, it means nobody has any money. So, instead of taking vacations, people now just buy a couple of beers and go to a show. The scene here is much bigger than it was in the 90's. We were actually kind of hated in our town because most bands here were anarchist crusty noise bands, and we weren't really into that. Now, it seems like people are more into the kind of music we are playing. So, that's good for us!

¤I heard some of your first songs and it didnt really sound like Oi!/Punk to me. What made you change your sound and what bands influenced you to do so?

-I'm not really sure that we changed our sound. I like to think that we've just gotten better! LOL We've always played different styles of music. I think our records ended up with more oi/streetpunk type songs on them, but we've always been into different music. We have some ska songs, some more metal type stuff, and some songs that are just kind of funny joke type songs. We just play what we want to play. We are all into various types of punk. I think when we were younger, we were listening to lots of British Oi!, New York Hardcore, and a lot of California punk. But, we like stuff like metal and ska as well! I've played in ska bands, garage bands, and metal bands. I even played in an Irish folk group for a while with my mother! The other guys have played other types of music as well. Some of our biggest influences were Michigan/Midwest bands like A.L.D. (Almighty Lumberjacks of Death), Negative Approach, Naked Raygun, Meatmen and Sloppy Seconds. Bands like the Business, Circle Jerks, Clash, Anti-Heros, Stiff Little Fingers, Black Flag were all bands that we listened to alot as well. Probably our biggest influence was from bands that nobody has ever heard of.
When we were growing up, there was a place called the Icepick that was the only punk place around and other than an occasional touring band, it was all local bands playing there. We were teenagers and it was our first taste of punk. There were skinheads and punks there and lots of beer. It was a great place. It was like a big family really. We got exposed to different lifestyles at a really young age. GG Allin even lived there for a while!

¤You mentioned that not only where you working on a collection album of old releases but also a brand new record with unreleased songs. What can we expect from this record? Gothrock or synthpop?

-Well our drummer had to eat his own arm when he was trapped in his car under the snow for over a month last winter, so he'll be playing Def Leppard style now. The rest of us have decided to play Swiss Alpenhorns instead of guitars, so we'll see what that sounds like. Seriously, it's pretty much straight forward American punk rock. The same four chords we've been playing for years!

¤From what i remember your town had some Left VS Right skinhead violence (Group 38 or what they called themselfs). How is it nowdays? Unity or fractions?

-We've never really had much of a skinhead scene at all in our town. Detroit has had some problems, but our town of Grand Rapids has only a handful of skinheads. Mostly non-political, although there was one Aryan group back in the 80's called the Pitbull boys, but that's ancient history. The skinheads now are mostly just working class guys like us that like to drink beer and listen to good music after work. The only division in our city is between some young skins trying to prove they're men and us old guys. But, nothing real big.

¤This is probably the most important question of them all. What do you know about the fabulous and ass-kicking viking kingdom known as Sweden?

-Hmm.... well, I know the Swedish word "Lagom", from what I read in the news there is a growing problem with the muslims in Sweden (maybe need to revive that viking heritage?), and Sweden has a knack for producing pop groups that help drunk Americans have sex (Abba, Ace of Base, etc.). Probably the most important aspect of Sweden though, and the reason we want to tour in Sweden, is because of your beautiful women!

The Krabs - Working class 7'' (1995)

Tracklist:
01. Working class
02. Victim
03. Gun control
04. Destroyers

Released by Room 13 Records in 1995.

Nice coverart in typical 90's fashion á Headache Records etc.
The first song on the record was the one that sparked my intrest in the band. Maybe it was mostly because the rest of the music i heard that evening was underground electro and over appretiated Black Flag records, i dont know.
Listening to it now afterwards it aint all that special, it's good and all but not even the best one in the bunch.

The best song of them all is Gun control. A great and fast anthem about...... gun control and quite reminds me about a more pop and less noizy Squiggy.
8/10

Download

Interview with Scott Davis.

Being a longtime fan of Broken Heroes i have been worried the last year of members leaving one after another. But now they seem to have found some sort of stabillity adding one of the founding members of Armed Suspects Scott Davis to their ranks and getting ready to release their first propper release since 2005. I got in contact with Scott to sort some things out.

¤Hello Scott. First of all thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Could you please introduce yourself to the readers.



I play bass and write a majority of the lyrics for Armed Suspects. I am also the new frontman for Broken Heroes. My friends call me Scotty Violence.



¤I know you where one of the original members of Armed suspects but did you play in any other band before hooking up with Jay and the other guys?

Jay and I were in another band together when I first got out of the Marine Corps back in '02. I played guitar, and he played drums. We had an all skinhead line-up with a female singer and a female bass player.
People said we sounded like a mixture of Minor Threat, Black Flag and X, but we weren't very good.
I quit after a few months to go work for my friend Jim as the cook in his Irish pub; the song "O'Farrell's" was written about that bar. The idea to start Armed Suspects was actually conceived at O'Farrell's one night in December of '03 when Jay told me he wanted to sing for a band, and the bar was our regular post-practice hang-out.



¤How did you get in contact with Broken heroes and what happened to their other singer?



I have been a fan of Broken Heroes for a long time, ever since I heard "Skinhead Rock'n'Roll" on the Backstreets of American Oi! comp back in '96 or '97. When Armed Suspects first started out, we played a lot of gigs with Broken Heroes, and I booked them when I was working as a promoter; we became good friends and have stayed in touch over the years.
A record label was supposed to release a four-way split with Armed Suspects, Broken Heroes and two other bands. The label dropped out, and Pete and I got in touch via a mutual friend; we decided to put out the split ourselves, and now Oi! the Boat Records has agreed to help us release it.
Anyhow, Pete let me know that there were line-up issues, and I expressed interest in trying out. I've wanted to front a band for a while, and I thought Broken Heroes was a good fit. I went to practice, the guys liked what they heard, and we been plotting world domination ever since.



¤Many people has left Broken heroes the last couple of years. Now with you and Andy from Niblick henbane joining the band can we finally see a dedicated line-up?



As far as line-up changes, I really can't speak for other people and why things didn't work out for them. I like all those guys and wish them nothing but the best.
I do believe that Broken Heroes has a really strong line-up now, and that we'll be together as long as possible. We have a really good chemistry, and everyone is enthusiastic about being in this band; we even wrote a song together already. I'm really looking forward to our first gig.




¤The upcomming release on Oi! the boat will be a split LP with both your bands. Tell me more about that.



The upcoming split is called For the Punks & Skins, and it will be released as a 12" record next year, hopefully by early Spring, on Oi! the Boat records. The split features 8 new Armed Suspects songs and 10 Broken Heroes songs -- some old, some new, but an all new recording. The interesting thing about the Broken Heroes' side of the split is that it's the last recording with Fintzy on vocals, and I think it's the best quality recording that Broken Heroes have had to date. We had the split mastered by Mike Kalajian from 30/30 Club Studios, and the sound quality is pretty amazing.
I think fans of Broken Heroes will really appreciate that since their previous efforts never really captured their amazing live energy. Other than the first two 7 inches, Broken Heroes haven't had a really great sounding release, and I think this record changes that. I'm really looking forward to seeing it get pressed, because I was a Broken Heroes fan long before I joined the band.



¤Armed suspects has gone through a lot of changes musically since it first got started (thinking mostly about the latest release with Ol' Cheeky Bastards) what sound will you be bringing for this release?



As far as Armed Suspects' sound, this record is similar to the stuff we did on Time Will Tell. This Old Lonely Road, the acoustic split with Ol' Cheeky Bastards, was written, rehearsed and recorded in the span of a month, just to prove to ourselves that we could do it, and it was written with an outlaw country style (i.e. Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, David Allan Coe, etc.) in mind. The eight songs on this new split range from faster hardcore-influenced stuff to more melodic Oi!/streetpunk stuff. The major change on this split is that Jay wrote a lot of lyrics; he penned "...And On The Speakers," "My Life," and "Broken & Bruised." I generally write the majority of the lyrics for Armed Suspects, but I've always been a big fan of the stuff Jay has written, like "Be A Man" and "Through Hard Times" from Next Stop New Scene, and "For The Kids," "F.I.S.T," and "Working Class Thugs" from Time Will Tell. The stuff Jay wrote for this split is really interesting, and I think a lot of people will be able to relate to it, especially "Broken & Bruised," which is one of my favorite Armed Suspects songs. DJ also contributed lyrics for the song "Leather Tramp," which I think is a really interesting departure from other stuff we've done. It all falls under the banner of punk rock, but I think we're always trying to push ourselves to try new things and explore different approaches to what we're doing. The addition of Kurt on drums has definitely helped to broaden our sound a bit; he's been with us for a while now, and I think he's the most well-rounded drummer we've had and he contributes a lot to the song-writing process.
I think the main thing about the Armed Suspects sound is that we've always worn our hearts and our influences on our sleeves, and we've never really been afraid to experiment and do things outside of what would typically be considered Oi! or streetpunk. The only people that write rules for our sound is us, and if we feel like writing a country record, or thrash-metal like "The Noose," or power-metal like "Viking Quest," which is on the new split, we're going to do it, and we're going to do it to the best of our abilities. Hopefully our fans will appreciate it, but we only make music because we love doing it; we're four really good friends who love hanging out together and banging out some songs to break up the monotony of daily life. I think being such good friends is part of the reason we've stuck it out the last 7 years in spite of setbacks and line-up changes. If we were in it for money and accolades, we'd be playing Top 40 radio-friendly shit that appeals to the lowest common denominator, and we probably would have broken up years ago.

¤ I understand your mentality and appretiate your honesty to the stuff you do. With all those musical branches you must have a broad musical influence in the band. Could you name a couple of bands/albums that has influenced you the most.

As a band, our influences are all over the place and it would be hard to nail down a definitive list. However, I think Rancid's "And Out Come the Wolves," Cock Sparrer's "Shock Troops" and The Clash's "London Calling" are integral influences to our sound, but that's just a starting point. There's the obvious hardcore, punk and Oi! bands like The Anti-Heros, Menace, The Bruisers, The Pink Lincolns, Black Flag, Social Distortion, Dead Kennedys and The Oppressed, thrash metal like Nuclear Assault and Slayer, power metal like Riot and Iron Maiden, jazz great Django Reinhardt, alt-country stuff like Lucero and Austin Lucas, the Conan the Barbarian & Rocky soundtracks, Motown, Stax and old soul records, reggae, ska and rocksteady, glam stuff like Slade, The Jook & The Sweet, mod revival stuff like The Jam, Secret Affair & The Aces, straight up rock bands like Rose Tattoo, and a bunch of weird stuff like The Pixies, The Smiths and shit you wouldn't think we listen to at all. All of that stuff informs our sound, and we draw on a wide variety of influences. We all really love music, and I think we filter the best of what we hear and use it to help shape what we do.

Personally, when it comes to playing bass, I'd say I'm most influenced by James Jamerson, the legendary bass player for the Funk Brothers, aka the Motown house band on all those early hits; the dude doesn't get much credit outside of fellow bass players, but he reinvented the art of bass playing and put it in the forefront. Also, Steve Harris from Iron Maiden and Bruce Foxton from the Jam inspire me a lot. I am nowhere near as talented as those guys, but they make me want to be a more creative bass player and a better musician.

As for singing and wanting to front an Oi! band, I'd say Oi! & punk bands like Anti-Heros, Stormwatch, Combat 84, Murderer's Row, The Oppressed, The Bruisers,The 4-Skins, Forced Reality, Sham 69, The Templars, Oxblood, Those Unknown and Beltones, even Broken Heroes prior to me joining the band, and lesser known American Oi! bands like American Noise & the Anti-Socials had an impact on that. I used to go to American Noise practice when they were starting out, and I would screw around and fill in on vocals until Mike showed up; Andre always told me I should sing for a band, and I guess that stuck with me. While I love Armed Suspects and the stuff we do, singing for Broken Heroes means sticking more to my skinhead & Oi! roots and paying homage to those bands that went before while continuing to carry the banner, so to speak.

¤ Now on to the most important question of them all. What do you know about the great holy land of greatnes also known as Sweden?

My knowledge of Sweden is fairly limited. I loved the Swedish Chef on The Muppet Show and the Swedish Bikini Team beer commercials when I was younger, but I've never been to Sweden and I haven't met too many Swedes in my travels. I hear it's a beautiful country though, and I would love to visit, maybe even play a gig there someday.

However, despite my ignorance, I am a huge fan of the Swedish movie LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Låt den rätte komma in); I think it's the best vampire movie ever made, and the American remake doesn't do it any justice whatsoever. I really need to read the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

One of my favorite action movie stars is Dolph Lundgren. Alexander Skarsgard is another great Swedish actor that I like, especially in his portrayal of Sgt. Brad "Iceman" Colbert on the HBO miniseries Generation Kill, and no red-blooded heterosexual man can deny how fucking sexy Malin Akerman was in The Watchmen. Sweden has surely produced some of the world's most beautiful women like Victoria Silvstedt. Mini Anden, Elin Grindemyr and Marina Hedman. I'm sure not every Swedish skirt is a hot piece of ass, but damn, Sweden sure has contributed some nice eye candy to the world.

As far as music, I dig Perkele, The Bones, Bombshell Rocks, The Cliches, The Bristles and a lot of stuff on those Brewed in Sweden comps like Agent Bulldogg, Dim's Rebellion and The Headhunters; I noticed that Swedes generally have a great melodic sensibility that you don't find in a lot of Oi!/streetpunk bands (B: Yeah we tend to focus much on the guitars and no one can deny the impact early Skrewdriver and Templars has given the modern Swedish sound). I also have to admit that I own some Yngwie Malmsteem records. The Sounds are one of the best live bands I've ever seen, and I'd love to put it to Maja Ivarsson in the back of a SAAB or on an IKEA couch while downing some Svedka or Akvavit.

¤Any last words?

Thanks for your interest in Armed Suspects and Broken Heroes. Both bands are working on new material and will be recording again in the near future. I'm excited to be a part of both bands, and hopefully one day we'll get over to Europe and play a couple gigs in Sweden. Keep an eye out for the split on Oi! the Boat records.

Also, an interesting side note: my uncle Phil was briefly married to the famous Swedish pop singer/actress Bibi Johns for a brief period back in the '50s. My understanding is that she was quite a hot piece of ass back then. So there is a connection between our peoples after all. Hahaha!

Interview with Shawn from Immoral Discipline

I think everybody with any kind of interest into American Oi! and hardcore has heard about Immoral Discipline. After being one of the dominant forces in Washington D.C. back in the eighties they just disbanded and disappeared from the scene. Over 20 years on and the band is getting ready to release a discography album. But what happened back in 89? I got in contact with their singer to get some answers.

¤Hi Shawn. First of all thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Could you please introduce yourself for those who dont know about Immoral Discipline.

Thank you for your interest in the band and sending the interview. My name is Shawn Garard Leahy and I was the singer for the band and one of it's founding members along with lead guitarist, Bill Gerber and bass player, Jimmy Wood (R.I.P.) who was stabbed to death while he and I were involved in a street fight with some drunken assholes.The band formed in Washington D.C. in 1986 and broke up in 1989. We released a 5 song demo tape entitled "Boots and Braces, Stars and Stripes", a 4 song EP called "Battlefield" and a 3 song EP that was self-titled. We also had two songs on the Link Records compilation "The U.S. of Oi!" and two songs on the Oi!Core Records compilation The Spirit of Oi!-American Style". The band went through various line-up changes throughout it's history and the final line-up was: me on vocals, Bill on lead guitar, Chris Bodeen on rhythm guitar, Todd Greene on bass, and "Raven" on drums.

¤What happened after the St 7'' in 1989? I mean you got Chris Biondo to engineer the album and everything was going fine. Why did the band go separate ways?

Well, Bill decided to move to New Jersey with his girlfriend at the time (now his wife) because that's where she was originally from. Around the same time, Chris got accepted to Tufts University in Boston where he'd been wanting to go. Losing both guitarists at the same time was too much for the band to be able to handle. Finding a new rhythm guitarist wouldn't have been much of a problem because we'd had to replace those before, but there was no replacing Bill, he was a great guitarist and the band wouldn't have sounded the same without him. It just made the most sense to try to end the band on a positive note (going into the studio to record 12 songs and playing a couple farewell shows) and then call it quits.

¤When people talk about your band they often use the term RAC (and also described as RAC on Wikipedia). I dont remember you ever being politcal band in that way. Could this be because of the bands friendship with Brute Force?

I don't know where that label came from because we were never an RAC band as far as most people who are knowledgeable about music and the whole skinhead scene define an RAC band to be. We were not a political band and we were anti-racist. None of us were pro-communism of course, but we never touched on that point in our lyrics. As far as Brute Force goes, we were friends with those guys very early in their career and we played an Oi!fest with them in Linden, NJ which was like their second or third show. At the time they weren't an RAC band and they definitely weren't spouting any racist views. Eventually they changed as some bands do, which is unfortunate because they were real cool guys and fun to hang out with at the time.

¤After the breakup most of you went on to form other bands. Could you name a few and are any of these active today?

Bill went on to play in the New Jersey band, The Surefires who still play shows occasionally. Todd played in a band called Livid and is currently working on some solo tracks where he plays everything and does the vocals. I was in the Pittsburgh, PA Street Punk band, The Steeltown Pubsters. I am ready to start a new band, I'm just looking for the right band members to get the ball rolling.

¤Your forthcoming album is a complete discography album with 26 songs in all but when i count my Immoral discipline songs i only have 12. What is it i am missing that is coming on this record?

The 26 songs that are going to be on the CD are: the 5 songs that were on our demo, 1 song that we recorded during the demo studio session that we never released, the 4 songs off of the "Battlefield" EP, the 3 songs off of the self-titled EP, the 12 songs that we recorded that we planned on releasing as our first full-length LP but never did, and 1 live track from our last show in D.C.

¤From what i have heard the profits of this record will go to charity. Dont know if this has ever been done by a "skinhead band" before. Why?

I'm not going to speak for other "skinhead bands" as to how they choose to do things, that's up to them. With our CD, we didn't have any desire to make money off of a band that broke up over 20 years ago. All of the former members of the band go to work for the money that we earn and that's an arrangement that we're happy with (most of the time). It seemed like the right thing to do to donate our proceeds of the CD to charity, so that's what we're doing. We're putting the CD out because we want the music that we recorded to be available to anyone that might want to find it, it's as simple as that. Most of our releases are long out-of-print and about half of the material that's going on the CD has never been heard before, so it will be cool to get that out there.

¤I am looking at some of the bands you have shared records with like New glory, Arresting officers, Best defense etc etc. Why do you think the scene became so politically correct after this era?

Okay, first I'm going to set the record straight: We never planned on being on a record with New Glory and The Arresting Officers. When Sandy from Oi!Core Records first approached us about being on "The Spirit of Oi!- American Style", she assured us that there weren't going to be any racist bands on the comp. We took her word for it and turned over the two songs. Later, when the comp. came out and we got our copies in the mail, we were fucking pissed off when we found out who she had decided to put on the comp. because we never would have agreed to being on it if we knew about that in advance. As far as Best Defense, they were very good friends of ours and while they weren't "politically correct", they were NEVER a racist band EVER. I have had numerous conversations with people over the years that were under the impression that they were racist for some reason or another, and my response is the same every time- "No, they were not!". (I tried saying the same thing when i wrote about the band some time ago//Bernando) Now on to your question, I think that the scene became so "politically correct" correct after that era because people began to realize that times were changing and that some things were no longer acceptable anymore. More and more people learned to be more tolerant and that definitely started showing through more in the music and at shows. Lines were drawn even deeper and people were forced to choose a side instead of just standing in the middle like they might have done in the past.

¤Around the time you played you where basically making shit up as you went along and i know today many bands can say they where influenced by you but was there any specific bands that made you lace up the boots and pick up the guitar?

There are tons of bands that influenced us individually and as a band, here are some: Sham 69, Cockney Rejects, Blitz, The Oppressed, Section 5, Peter and the Test Tube Babies, Cock Sparrer, Stiff Little Fingers, Rush, Iron Cross, Purevil, Black Market Baby, Bad Brains, and Agnostic Front.

What current band are you listening to?

Some of these are actually older bands that have recently gotten back together, but are still great: Patriot, The Traditionals, Toughskins, Iron City Hooligans, Flogging Molly, Hard Skins, Paddy and the Rats, Crucial Change, Hepcat, The Aggrolites, Circle 1, The Dead End Boys, and many more.

¤Whats your thought on:
-Irish streetpunk disguised as oi?

I don't think anything should be disguised- you either are or you aren't.

-SHARP becoming red?

Well, that's just going to cause even more problems and more lines to be drawn isn't it? Not good for the skinhead movement. I think they need to take a closer look at the origins of skinheads and what has and hasn't worked throughout our history.

-RAC turning into pure racism (though a lot of bands are picking up the banner for what it really means nowadays)

Well, there's too many labels, too many sub-classes to those labels, and too many exceptions to those labels. It would be nice if there were clearer definitions as to what those labels were, and it would also be nice if people decided what the fuck they wanted to be labeled and stuck to it instead of flip-flopping around. Way too much confusion, I want to know who to kick.

-America still sucking ass at football?

It would be nice if America fielded some better teams, but you have to remember that football (soccer here) is relatively new to the U.S. compared to other countries. As it gains popularity here, our teams will get better eventually until we're kicking your asses like we do at just about every other sport. Until that happens (probably not in my lifetime) I'll be watching English and Irish football.

¤And now on to the most important question of them all. What do you know about the great land of ice and polarbears known as Sweden?

I know that it's really cold there. I also know that there are a lot of blond women there with very large breasts that love American men. I hope to go there someday when it's not so cold so I can have a few pints with you and sample several of your large-breasted blond women.

¤Thanks for the answers and the best of luck with the new record. The word is free so spill your heart out.

Oh, I almost forgot: you guys make great meatballs too, I love Swedish meatballs...good stuff! Oh, and Svedka...great vodka, I drink a lot of it, probably too much. Burp! Oops, sorry! Thanks for the interview and your support, Bernhard. Cheers!

Interview with Larry "Lugz" Hernandez

After a long time away from the scene Riotgun is getting ready to release a new record. I got the honor to talk to Larry "Lugz" Hernandez who is one of the founders of the band.

¤Hello Larry first of all thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Could you please introduce yourself and your position in the band.
Hello and thanks for talking to me. I'm the lead singer and lead guitar player in the band. If you consider my style singing and guitar playing, more importantly I am the lead beer drinker in the band. I prefer stouts and porters but consider myself very adventurous and try to to seek and a try a new beer regardless of style daily.

¤I heard you are about to release a new record. Is there a said date yet and what label?
Thanks for asking that. We are releasing a series of releases six at a time. We're calling it the 6-pack series. The first 6-pack slated for release will be titled "Stout". The idea is to release 3 six-packs a year, for a total of 18 songs and then release a "case" 24 songs at the end of the 12 month period with the recorded 18 songs and add 6 bonus "live" tracks of both old and new material, kind of like a mini-concert at many of the punk and dive bars we play throughout the country (and maybe even Europe as we hope to be playing out there very soon). As for Labels releasing it, we have long standing relationships with many great labels who release in a variety of formats. Great labels like Madskull (Netherlands), Last Punkrocker (Germany), Barhulo (Brazil), Basement (USA), Haunted Town (USA), PyschoTribe (USA) and hopefully a few asian labels. The goal is to have it released on vinyl first then follow up with CD and digital download after. Vinyl is still my weapon of choice. As far as release date, we are still mixing, so hopefully in the next couple months. Any swedish labels out there, give us a call. We would love to have a proper release in that region.

¤You havent released an album since 2003 much must have happened. Is the old lineup still going strong or can we expect some new blood?
Matt "Bone" Merrow is still the drummer, 11 years now as the powertrain for this band. I owe it all to him. He keeps the power and timing constant. Pond for pound (no pun intended) he is the best drummer in our part of the world. Probably the only musician that I truly see eye to eye with. He understands my song writing and has incredible ideas for songs, lyrics and arrangements. What drummer can do that. Without him, there would be no RIOTGUN. He keeps me motivated and inspired, plus he's a great partner in crime when it comes to beer drinking and exploration. We have recently added a kegorator (beer dispensing machine) to the studio. So we are always inspired. (B:haha i look forward to hear your new beerinfluenced songs)
We recently lost long-time guitarist "T-Ball", he works for Gibson guitars and he was transfered to Nashville Tennessee. He may be returning in 2011 for 5 months as he will be back in California then as he moves to the Pacific Northwest. Plus we have another 6-pack we recorded with him and then bassist Anthony Victoria which is slated for release (after we mix and master) after "Stout" (beer flavor unannounced at this moment) is official released. So you see we have been real busy. We have two new guys in the band, they are a little green with the touring but are solid players, so hopefully all the long time supporters we have acquired world wide will openly embrace the new guys. On Bass we have Graham "Theft" Otto (his brother Doug Carrion was bass player in the Descendants), an old friend and high energy player and Alfred Cruz on Guitar. Alfred and I have been friends since 3rd grade, we're in our 40s now, so we've been playing in bands together since 1981 off and on. The chemistry is there, we're excited.

¤Why a record now all of a sudden?
We've always recorded, releasing songs as needed for compilations and stuff. Last Punkrocker Records in Germany is going to re-release "Shortcuts to Nowhere" on 12 inch vinyl. So we said we should get off our asses and record all the new stuff and head to europe to play. I'm sure there are beers out there we haven't sampled. Small regional breweries that don't import to the U.S. We owe it to ourselves to seek out those tasty beers and drink with other supporters of streetpunk and oi!, and to have fun while we can. I guess it's selfish reasons, but we do appreciate beer and music.

¤Could you give us a short (or long) history of how Riotgun got started?
In 1993, I was tiring of the politics of the band I was presently in and wanted to start a band based on the principals of "Beer and Revolution". In 94/95 we recorded and released "Even Out the Odds" as a 7 inch and started touring the US, northern Mexico and parts of Southern Canada. We started releasing 7 inch e.p.'s on a number of labels, then doing a lot of compilations. The intention initially of RIOTGUN was to create a social situation where like minded musicians could share their interests in beer, music and strange views on cinema, politics and cars. I think we have managed to do that. RIOTGUN is like a family and/or a club in many ways. We have friends in many bands (Bonecrusher, Social Task, Brassiac, Haters, etc.) that will often join us onstage to sing, play an instrument or just hand us beers mid-song that we consider part of the band/family and the door is always open to all who feel the need to participate. In fact, because of this ever growing family we have developed, Matt "Bone" (drummer) and I have started a side project called "Broken Patron Saints" that incorporates many of the extended family members (Disregard, Cell Block 5, Etc.) and will be closer to traditional Oi! than RIOTGUN, but will still have the intensity of the band.
It's still all about "Beer and Revolution" my friend. As long as there is beer and seedy punk dives (bars/pubs/etc.), we'll be playing and playing our hearts out.

¤Was this the first band for you or where you in any other bands prior to this?
My first band i was in was called "Morbid Face" in 1981 with Alfred Cruz. I remember our symbol was a Ronald Reagan (then president of the USA) face with Crossbones. Musically we were a cross between Ramones, Cockney Rejects, DOA, Black Flag. We probably didn't sound like any of those bands, but those were our influences back then. I then was in a band called Flesh Weapon (84-85) with a Oi! meets Stooges vibe going. Then I was in Sikky Velvette (86-87) with a sound that mixed Sham 69 with the Deadboys and little bit of early Cocksparrer style. In 1988 (fall 87) I started Motorpsycho (not to be confused with the hippy Scandanavian band who would start up in the 90s), very Ramones meets Motorhead sound, with classic OC punk stylings. We toured way too much and had to deal with corrupt management and record label.
Matt was in Crucial Fix prior to RIOTGUN and they were probably the best hardcore band in The OC/LA area. Matt is a Machine! Best drummer I have had the pleasure to drink and create chaos with. He is Riotgun!
Alfred has played in Morbid Face, HVY DRT, Doggy Style, Motorpsycho, Famous Last Words, Bondage Fairies.
Graham used to tour manage us and got drafted to play bass.

¤I hear a bit of Ramones mixed with harder streetpunk in your sound. What bands has been the biggest influences to your sound?
Ramones, Motorhead, Naked raygun, Effigies, Black Flag, Cockney Rejects, Oxymoron, Cocksparrer, Business, Turbonegro, DOA. The list is endless. I have been collecting punk/oi! religiously since 1978. I have many influences that also go beyond music, Bukowski, Burroughs, Hunter S. Thompson (B:To wierd to live, to rare to die). But the Ramones are my biggest influence. Saw them for the first time in 1979 and that is when I knew I would be playing music. It was intense. To this day, they are my most favorite and influential band.

¤Hailing from California how is the scene there now? Any new bands we should keep our eyes on?
California has a rich scene with some great bands. There is Bonecrusher, Shooting Lucy, The Haters, Brassiac, Hard Riders, ADZ, Yeastie Boys. We have scattered scenes, but they are all very good and range from oi! to hardcore, some even mix them. Great high energy stuff.

¤Being a "punk" back in the days and being one now. What has changed in the industry and the scene over the years?
Good question. Though there some good bands out there that create our scene (world wide), there are some imposters out there playing punk that don't really care about the culture or the history of it. They are along to cash in on the commercial aspect of what the industry dictates what punk is. Sad to say, a lot of labels (both independent and commercial) that are picking these bands up for the sake of soley making money. I find that as sad. No commitment to the rich history or aesthetic of punk. Punk was designed to save rock n' roll, break barriers, challenge the status quo, be creative and original. It's still out there, you just got to search it out now. The underground will always be there. RIOTGUN is proof of that. We've been around for 17 years plus, we've played every divebar, pub, hall from Tijuana Mexico to Toranto Canada and all points in between (USA). we've played in front of 5 people to 5000 people. It doesn't matter. As long as a band stays true to their beliefs and doesn't try to follow trends, supporters will continue to support and you'll pick up new folks along the way. I'm old, but very opinionated.

¤This is probably the most important part of the interview. What do you know about the almighty great country of Sweden?
Well, i remeber when I was kid (early to mid 80s) there was a great band called the Bristles (B:Actually they are STILL around and you get A+ in Swedish punkhistory for namedropping that band). Cool English sounding punk. Perkele and Bruce banner I have heard in the recent years. Both very good bands. I'm not sure if the Cliche's are still around. Mellincollin I enjoy. I do really like listening to the Hellacopters while BBQing and drinking beer on the weekends. I know we did a couple comps with the Satanic Surfers on point break records in Italy, there were several Swedish bands on that comp. I know Sweden produces some of the finest looking supermodels. How is the BEER out there? (B: Awefull)

¤Any last comments?
I really appreciate all the European support we have received over the years, especially from the Northern European punk/oi! communities. If I had my way, we would have a release out there every 4 months. we'd tour twice a year, but I know times are tight for everyone world wide, but the time will come. Thanks to everyone who supports underground music, not just punk, but all kinds of underground music. If we take the power away from corporate labels/radio and put it back in the hands of the people, our community would better set for consumer and artist. PUNK is empowering. Punk is community. Punk is a theology that inspires, incites and creates unity. The streets are ours, the music is loud, the beer is cold. Lets party hard and live for the future. Cheers friends. You can contact us at:
http://www.riotgun.com/

Interview with Doug Sloan.

Hello Doug. First of all thanks for taking the time to do this interview for my site. Could you present yourself and what you do to the readers.

I started the Boots and Booze Record label and put out East Coast Oi Attack Vol. 1 about six months ago featuring Vanguard, On Trial, The Hooligans and Maddog Surrender. Currently I am looking to do several additional volumes to East Coast Oi Attack.

Where are you from and how is the scene there?

I'm from Washington DC. Currently there is not much of a scene but there are still a decent amount of skins. The younger generation hasn't taken up the culture and many of the older guys are too busy with work and starting families to hang out much. And then of course many people in the scene hate each other for silly reasons. There is also a lack of venues willing to put on oi shows and currently there are not any skinhead bands that are active in DC. Mostly the skinhead scene in DC is just the same old guys having cook outs and going to bars.

Being a smalltime labelthug doesnt pay the bill i guess. What do you do for a living?

I'm a superintendant for a construction company and involved in real estate. I can't say the label has really made any money but I have a distro as well and make a little extra drinking money off of that.

What made you decide to start the label Boots N' Booze?

I wanted to start a label because of the lack of American oi labels. I'm glad to see that European labels like Dim are willing to put out so many American bands but its kind of sad there's no labels to do it over here.

Boots N' Booze... is it inspired by the old song by Pressure point in any way?

No, unless it's a subconsious thing. I'm really not into Pressure Point at all. Sorry, guys.

I know its a DIY label but have any distro's or other labels helped you with the release in any way?

No other labels helped me with the production of ECOA but many labels have helped me with distribution such as United Riot, Dim, True Force, Bronze Fist and many more.

Is this your first "move in the subculture" or have you been active in anything else before. Zine's, band's, other labels?

I was in several lazy and unsuccessful punk and oi bands when I was younger but nothing worth mentioning.

On your first release East coast Oi! attack you feature 2 of my favourite Oi! bands Vanguard and Maddog surrender and also the excellent "up and comming" On trial. How did you get such good taste in punk ;)

I remember seeing Vanguard in Richmond Va. about five years ago and thought they were great. After that I went to see them in NC several times and became friendly with the members. When I decided to put out ECOA they were the first band I talked to. I have been listening to Maddog Surrender for years and they seemed like a natural choice to me. On Trial contacted me about getting on a release and when I listened to them they were surprisingly good. They are a hard working band and I think they have a bright future in the oi scene.

Will there ever be an Westcoast Oi! attack or even perhaps a group release instead of a compilation?

I wouldn't rule it out, but not anytime soon. Unless California develops more bands in the vein of Toughskins, The Revolt or Boot Party.

I understand you are planning a Vol.2 of the Eastcoast Oi! attack. Is the lineup complete or are you still searching for bands?

The line up isn't set in stone at this point but most likely First Strike and Offensive Weapon. The Iron City Hooligans might be on it, and maybe one more.

Could you name your alltime favourite American Oi! band?

If I had to pick just one I would say Best Defense. Some of my other favorite bands are The Anti-Hero's, Arresting Officers, Niblick Henbane, New Glory and The Templars.

Favourite European Oi! band?

That's hard because its so general but maybe Brutal Combat.

Whats your thought on:
¤RAC?
There for sure are some good RAC bands but racism is completely ignorant and un-American.
¤SHARPS?
A bunch of PC hippies.
¤Irish streetpunk disguised as Oi?
It's for frat boys and pre-teen pop punks.
¤Barack Obama?
A whole lot of hype.
¤The rapper callin himself Skinhead Rob?
Complete blasphemy. An abomination. He should be shot.
¤People like me doing a site about a country he doesnt even live in?
It's a great site, although I can't say I agree with all of the reviews. I guess you just have to be a Yankee to enjoy the vocals of bands like The Allegiance and The Siege.

This is probably the most important part of the interview. What do you know about the great, glorious, beautiful country called Sweden?

You guys are direct descendants of the Vikings so its definitely cool in my book. There are some great bands from Sweden as well.

The word is free.

I would like to thank all the record labels who have helped me and Grant Gang Up for all of his help and Mike H. (First Strike) for drawing the label logo

Thanks for taking the time.