Please give a brief history of the band, including current line up.
Formed way back in 78, at the age of 14 years, inspired
by the Pistols and Clash and well just about all the bands around at the
time. By 81 we had signed a deal with no future and released Police Story,
after a few releases with them they supposedly went bust, only to start up
future records probably with the help of our royalties. Anyway thats another
story. I left the band (andy)as I was bored of it all, and wanted to move
to London, Shark and Spike followed so we gave it another go, This time with
Parsons on bass, that didn't work so in the end it was just Shark Spike and
my goodself. We did the second album and just fizzled away in a puff of smoke
so to say. As for the current line up, I had seen our drummer Gustaf, back
in 89, playing in a rockabilly band and at the time I thought he looked cool,
he was playing the drums standing up and had a big fuck off rockabilly quiff
and tatts everywhere.
Anyway when we decided to reform we asked Shark if he wanted
to be a part of it, but because he lives in Singapore and has only limited
holidays it was to impractical, so we opted to get a rythm section in my
now hometown Gothenberg, I contacted Gustaf and asked him if he wanted it,
and he wanted it, so we did it, he had a mate who could play bass and that
was it, we have a new line up.Spike lives in Cardiff, so we rehearse without
him, I do all the singing at the rehearsals, and when we record Spike takes
time off work and flys over here, then we go in the studio.
Discography.
PoliceStory
17 Years
The Partisans album
Blind Ambition
Time Was Right
......................... and soon the Hysteria ep
There seems to be a surge of bands reforming at present.
Why did you reform after all this time?
I think as a musician, you never give up wanting to play,
its in the blood, and it haunts you all the time, there is nothing more fun,
than making records and playing in a band, so I think that all these bands
reforming are doing it because its great to get a second chance. We reformed
because we love what we are doing, and we want to push our music into this
century, we had no idea that we were popular again, really we were really
freaked by it, and we cant understand it either, we are very critical to
the first album, and yet the punkers seem to love it, strange, there were
so many bands that were better than us,UK SUBS, Blitz, GBH, The Exploited,
well there were alot of great bands around at the time, we always felt some
what inferior and musically handicapped.
What have you been doing since leaving Britain and are you
still in contact with the original members of the band? If so, what are they
up to these days?
I have been doing loads of things since moving from Britain,
dishwashing jobs, working in Hospitals, restaurants, printers well just about
everything thats boring basically. I have also been in many bands since the
demise of the Partisans, but nothing ever happened with them.I am in contact
with all the old partisans except Louise, I dont know where she is, all I
know is she is a hairdresser or something, Shark is in Singapore, Parsons
is stinking rich and in Bush(shark has conatact with him), Spike is in Cardiff
and a web designer just like I am.
What is the favourite song (and what band is it by) of each
member of the band?
The other band members are not here so I will answer for
them.
Spike - Stay free the Clash
Andy - Submission the Pistols
Magnus - Clash City Rockers the Clash
Gustaf - White man in hammersmith The Clash
What is the best gig Partisans have ever done and who else
was on the line-up?
The best gig must be the last one we did in Gothenberg
in September, the support band were gbg punx, and they were great. Its great
playing to a swedish audience, they go nuts and there is no fighting and
well everyone is so pissed.
What is the scene like in Sweden?
I didn't know this until I started to do a little detective
work on various record labels, but there is a label called Burning hearts
and they have some really good bands on their label including the Business,
alot of the swedish punk bands are the best in Europe, and well there seems
to be a healthy scene here beleive it or not. We were shocked when we played
in Gothenberg and it was sold out, I did not think there were many punks
in such a small town, so the scene is probalby better here than anywhere
else in Europe.I was listening to the main radio station that plays mainly
top 40 stuff, but they do seem to play alot of punk now and again. 8. What
bands would you recommend checking out? I am the wrong man to ask, as I say
I am no expert anymore, there are a few new york bands that are good, here
in Sweden there is Topper and Bombshell rocks and voice of a generation,
these are all good bands and flirt a little with the clash and early punk,
and the best I have heard lately is a scottish band called 4 pm after midnite,
they have some good songs, but they spit now.
What is the punk oi scene like in your area
I am the wrong man to ask, as I say I am no expert anymore,
there are a few new york bands that are good, here in Sweden there is Topper
and Bombshell rocks and voice of a generation, these are all good bands and
flirt a little with the clash and early punk, and the best I have heard lately
is a scottish band called 4 pm after midnite, they have some good songs,
but they spit now.
Plans, gigs and releases planned for 2000-2001.
Maybe the states and Holidays in the Sun in Morecombe
in July. We will be releasing our new ep soon, dont know how yet but we will.
Any final comments?
Yes I do, first thanx for the interview and second we
are giving away a track from the new ep on mp3.com, its not the best track
but anyway its free, so surf to www.listen.to/thepartisans and
under our latest news page go to mp3.com and download the song, all the best
Andy
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