So why get the Oppressed back together after all this time? And are the inspirations
still the same?
Truth is we want to earn some money playing the odd festival.
We'll still be promoting a SHARP/ANTI-FASCIST attitude but the main reason
is the money. We reckon we deserve some payback for all the years we put
in
and at my age it's now or never.Now we are at it again I'm writting new
stuff and getting a the old buzz again. The inspiration remains the same
though,it's just
More Music for Hooligans.
How have you seen the scene change since you first got into it? And do you
think it is for the better or worse?
At the start it was all just "Havin' a laugh and
Havin' a say, but all to soon the Fascists
jumped on board and fucked the whole scene. What started as a pure working
class
streetpunk scene became a recruiting ground for right wing politics. The
world and
his wife had us all written off as Nazis and we all faced an uphill struggle
to reclaim
things from the politicians. And before anyone starts shouting that our side
are just
as bad for politics remember it was the Fascists who brought the politics
in and we
are a re-action against that. In other words, if the Fascists hadn't have
brought their politics to the table then we wouldn't need to fight back.
These days it all changed and
The white Noise crowd have splintered off into their own little demented
world while
the real Oi! has gone from strength to strength. Now it's a worldwide thing
with
countless festivals and bands playing. But don't nobody be fooled, the Fascists
are still out there and given a chance they'll try and take over again.
Who's in the band these days, and how has the personnel changed
over the years? Are you still in contact with old band members and if so,
are they still involved in the music scene?
The band is me, vocals/guitar, my brother Dom on bass, Floyd on guitar
and
Tony Kizmus (ex Societys Rejects) on drums. You can see a complete history
of
band members on our website http://www. theoppressed. co. uk .
I still see Ducky down the football every now and then but ain't seen the
others
in years. I don't think none of the old members are involved in music these
days
except our old drummer lee who does some session work but nothing in the
Oi! scene.
How is your new album coming along and what can people expect?
You can expect more of the same. Like the old saying
goes "NO MESS-
NO FUSS-JUST PURE IMPACT. I've got about half a dozen new songs written
and 3 of them will be out by xmas on a Japanese split C-D with UNITED FRONT
from Scotland, UNITED WE STAND and Oi! VALCANS both from Japan.
What has been the highlight and lowest point of the bands
history?
The highlight would be playing an AFA benefit in the
Camden Irish Center in 1996.
It was our last gig and we had the Stage Bottles over from Germany. It was
like it
used to be in the early days. No seagull spotters giving people grief, just
a big party.
I don't think there's ever been a low point. Even through all the riots and
police escorts back to Cardiff we didn't take it to serious. I can only write
dead basic punk songs
and I've never thought we was anything more than lucky bastards. We ain't
really into
being a band, we just do a bit when it suits us. At the end of the day our
lives go on with
or without the band.
Over the year you must of heard plenty of Oppressed covers.
What your favourite and least favourite you have heard and who would you
be flattered to cover one of your tracks.
It gives me a buzz whenever someone covers one of my
songs but I don't do favourites
coz they all make me proud. If someone famous done a cover and cheques started
falling through my letterbox then I'd be flattered.
What is the strangest rumour you have ever heard about the
Oppressed?
"The Oppressed are fuckin' Commies". What
a load of old shite. The nearest we ever come to being Commies is voting
Labour. Yes I know Blair and his middle class wankers are no better than
Torys but they're still the best bet when the BNP got someone
standing. The funniest one was some cunt saying I would send my Fascist Thugs
around!! So now I'm a Nazi and a Commie. Also the rumour about me and Sporty
Spice were greatly exagerated.
What is the best sentence you have ever heard, that someone
has managed to get into a song's lyrics?
We don't carry flicknives, we dont carry lead.
We only carry hatchets, to bury in your head.
We don't carry shotguns, we don't carry chains.
We only carry hatchets, to bury in your brains.
The Oppressed - The A. F.
A song. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Yes I know I wrote it but it came from an old Cardiff football chant and
it brings
back sweet memories.
Plans, gigs and releases planned for 2004.
We got the 3 new tracks on the Japanese C-D "UNITED
SKINHEADS". I'm working
on more songs for a studio album in early 2005, and we might be playing Berlin
in
January 2005. Later this year we plan 1 or 2 small gigs in Cardiff to warm
up for
the festivals.
Any final comments?
Cheers to you beccs for the interview. Your doing a great
job helping to keep the spirit
of Streetpunk alive and kicking.
And to everyone else, "FUCK FASCISM BEFORE IT FUCKS YOU".
And if anyone thinks that's political, "FUCK YOU AS WELL".
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Please note that the opinions expressed by band
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