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Since the last interview with 'Punk & Oi in the UK', you have had a lineup
overhaul - what was the reason for change in members?
We have had the inevitable couple of line-up changes due
to the pressure of touring. Since September 99 roundabout when the original
interview was done we have toured the USA four times, spending around 24
weeks there during which time we have done over 100 gigs in over 40 states
and as we are not a big band the financial pressure really started taking
it's toll as between us we have kids, mortgages and loans to pay and the
money we were being paid was really only enough to pay the van hire, petrol,
motels and driver. Don't get me wrong, I would change nothing which has happened
over the past two years as it has been an experience beyond our wildest dreams
and we have met a lot of great people and bands on the way but unfortunately
the bills still have to be paid at home and it proved too much for Spike
( Bass ) and Adam ( Guitar). I wish them all the best though and fully appreciate
the
time and effort they put in.
Since the start of Beerzone to the present day, have you noticed
any change in the scene in UK, Europe and the USA?
The scene seems to getting stronger all the time. You just
have to look at the amount of old
bands re-surfacing and new bands forming as well as the amount of gigs that
are being put on. When we started in 1997 you were lucky if there were a handful
of gigs a month in the whole of the UK, look at it now. A lot of it is thanks
to folk like yourself and George Marshall at Pulped making folk know what is
happening.
Beerzone are now a regular at HITS, plus many other festivals.
What other festivals would you love to play, and which would you decline
and why?
I am not sure which festivals I would like to play. Half
of me says it would be nice to have
bands like ourselves on tours like the Warped one as they attract huge
audiences and it
would be nice to show these crowds that the streetpunk bands can play a bit
too, you
know..like giving them a bit of bollocks instead of some of the jangly MTV
assisted bull.
We would only decline any political festivals, it's all about music. I get
so fed up with all the
political preaching.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you whilst
touring?
The funniest thing that happened touring both involved
Adam our old guitarist. The first was he got smashed out of his head and
started getting a bit too friendly with an old boxer dog in Atlanta and the
second was when we had just played an early show in Detroit, you know when
they become a club after, and he went to the bar and came back with some
little american girlie saying he was in love and would be stying at her house
and would meet us on stage in Pittsburgh the following night as it was only
a four hour drive. Needless to say the idiot never made it so luckily The
Bard (guitarist with Runnin' Riot) learnt the songs in our van during the
day and played a blinder at night. He was a huge success and the place was
packed with folk saying it was the best they had seen us!!! That dented Adam's
ego as he thought he was ir-replacable, well he is a guitarist!!
Bryza (Drummer) getting paralytic in Berlin and missing our biggest show of
the year at HITS Berlin and then lying by saying he was mugged by skate-board
kids wasn't the cleverest thing either but luckily enough Max Splodge took
his place on drums and we actually played in time for once!!!
If you could take a vocalist, guitarist(s), bassist and drummer
from different bands to make your perfect band who would you choose (can
be deceased)?
John Lydon - Vocals
Capt Sensible - Guitar
Rick Barton - Guitar
Tez Bones - Bass
Rat Scabies - Drums
If Beerzone were a type of alcohol, what drink would they
be and why?
Snakebite - Mixed-up and a bit fruity.
Beerzone seem to have a special relationship with Dropkick
Murphys, does this relationship still exist, and how has it helped both bands?
The relationship is no longer in place as we are no longer
on Kenny Casey's Flat Records
label and when we had to turn down a ten night trip to Europe to promote their
latest album in
November last year the day after we finished a five week tour of America due
to Adam being a
prick at the time and refusing to play as he missed his local pub ( literally!!)
I sensed then that we would not be offered any more tours as you could see
them thinking we were ungrateful but nothing could be further from the truth
as three of us were desperate to do it but Adam just refused pint blank and
we couldn't play it with a make shift guitarist as there was no time to get
one in. Looking back The Bard ( Runnin' Riot) could maybe have done it. It
is only recently that Kenny Casey has been in touch and he said it is all water
under the bridge now that Adam has gone so hopefully we can start to re-build
the br! idges.
Don't get me wrong I am only telling it how it was at the time and Adam was
becoming intolerable which was a real shame because we were losing his friendship
which was the worst bit. He is like a changed guy now he is not in the band
and we all get on great again...in fact he has been on stage with Beerzone
to guest on 'Ernie' only recently.
Who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with and why?
You of course Rebecca or if you were unavailable the birds
from Hollyoaks could fill in.
What do you think peoples views on Beerzone are?
No idea, people all have different opinions and that is
healthy. Hopefully they think we are a worthwhile addition to the punk scene.
Future releases and gigs, plus any final comments?
Our new album 'Strangle all the Boybands' is coming out
later this month on vinyl
courtesy of DSS Records (Austria) to help promote the band in mainland Europe
in time for our first headline European tour which is planned for the Spring.
We are also planning on a 20 a night tour of the US early in the new year.
If we don't so it then we will do a longer tour in the early summer.
Keep up the great work Becks!!!!
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