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Tez from The Adulescents UK answers my questions in
September 2006. They have been on the road for a while and we hope that the
other guys in the band come in with their answers soon too. And in the
middle of October Jez and Steve gave their answers…so here is the full
interview.
History?
Tez:-Well the band was started at school in 1982 before I joined, Jez formed
a band with his classmates called TNT which later became The Adolescents
obviously because of their tender ages, we should be called the fucking
Convalescence uk now. After leaving school both guitarists left and I being
a friend of the drummer Slooth joined in 1984 and we played as a three piece
until about 1986 when Slooth left and two of our mates Scott and Norman
joined on Extra guitar and Drums, after going down well locally we started
to get good reviews from fanzines abroad so we decided to form our own label
(Yakakaa which is still going today) and release our first E.P ‘YAKAKAA’ (by
the way Yakakaa comes from something Jez used to shout at high pitch behind
people when he was pissed, to scare the shit out of them, if you where
wondering),it was then we changed the name to ‘The Adulescents uk’ mainly
because we knew there was an American hardcore band called the Adolescents
by changing the o to a u and putting uk on the end meant not even the most
cerebrally challenged clown could confuse the two bands. Unfortunately by
the time it was released (1989), we had split up after a fight between me n
Scott at a gig in Sheffield, but around 1990 we reformed with a new lad
‘Beaver’ on drums and Scott still played guitar for a while (we kissed and
made up). In 1992 we released a split E.P with German band ‘The Pissed
Spitzels in-between all this we kept gigging as usual.
Scott left a year or so later and we stayed as a 3 piece appearing on a
compilation CD on Rage records (part of Nervous records). One big mistake
around that time was to acquire a manager (with a drink problem) and
although in that time we released a mini Album (6 tracks) called ‘Society
Owes Me A Living’ and did a tour with GBH and The English Dogs, by the time
we sacked him we were in shit creek debt wise and a bit disillusioned with
the whole thing, our Drummer Beaver left to play for a well paid covers band
and we struggled with a succession of stand in drummers, throughout
everything we kept playing that’s the thing we are in it for, playing live,
you can’t beat it.
Bringing us up to 2004 I met a young lad called Dave at work, and discovered
he used to play drums so he joined up and at the moment things are
tickety-boo, we have a shit load of new songs which are on our new CD album
‘Banging a Shovel Against a Shed’ released late last year (2005). Dave is
leaving this year to go on a new adventure but old boy ‘Beaver’, who played
on the ‘Society’ CD is joining us, so it’s a pretty smooth change over. We
are gigging regular still although we still don’t think we gig enough, it’s
not for the lack of trying. So there you are 24 years of punk rock, fist
fights, beer, gigs, n friendship, well you did ask …..!!!!!!!!!.
Jez:- We will go down in it ha ha. Vocals and bass
1982-2006
Steve: -Drummer 1991-1997, 2006-present
Please tell me a little about every member, age, family, work, interésts and
something bad about every one
-Tez:-Well I’m Tez the guitarist and backing vocalist, I have been going out
with the same girl (Michelle) for 16 years, I work as a Warehouse worker
doing stuff like driving forklift trucks and stuff all very boring, apart
from the band I have loads of interests, I like walking my dog, I go out
running a couple of times a week play football, watch football, my team is
Newcastle United, because I am originally from The North East of England
(Durham), and of course I love drinking alcohol mainly beer or wine. I don’t
get to see as many bands as I would like but occasionally I venture into
Doncaster or Sheffield to go to a gig, but mainly I go out and get pissed
with my mates. Something bad about Jez n Beaver mmmmm where do I start, well
Beaver tells very bad jokes and sweats quite profusely and eats too many
chips, and he plays with himself under the table, whilst Jez does the most
horrendous burps, his breath is bad, he never eats anything and he has never
ever been to the toilet for a poo
Jez: -I am Lord Saxton of Saxton manor, 38 year old self
employed dosser, work is for fools. I am a punk poet beyond description.
Interests include Piano also include drinking and sleeping. Something bad:
itchy teeth.
Steve:- Steve Beaver, 33, Musician. Interests : Drinking,
shagging, something bad my cock is too big.
Is there any other bands you’re being compared with?
Tez:-People have told me we sound like Dead Kennedys couldn’t really see
that myself, a Belgium fanzine said we sound like a cross between the Sex
Pistols and the Toy dolls with a pinch of folk, I thought that was quite
good, whilst someone else said we sounded a bit like Dropkick Murphys, your
own description between Ramones and Social Distortion is quite a good one,
everyone has there own slant on things don’t they?.
Jez:- Ramones, Pistols, Squirrel Hunters
Steve:- Sex Pistols, Ramones.
Do you care about reviews?
Tez:-Damn right we do, a lot of bands say they don’t care but they’re lying,
It’s always interesting to know what people think of our music If we didn’t
care why fucking bother being in a band. The one thing that stands out when
reading good or bad reviews is the good ones always talk about the music how
good the songs are, the melodies the power etc, the bad reviews we’ve had
always start with some other agenda about why they don’t like us as people
before they say how shit they think we are, like a recent review in Ripping
Thrash fanzine complained about the fact that we had a union jack with the
words British punk rock in the top right of our CD cover, what’s wrong with
that?, that’s what we are!!! a British punk rock band the fact they took
exception to the flag blurred their decision on whether they liked the music
or not, that is poor reviewing . Another review just kept going on about our
ages, yeah I’m 40 Jez is 38 so what!! , Charlie Harper is 105, do we stop
being punks when we hit 30? fuck off, these people obviously don’t know the
meaning of the word punk. A good review always puts a spring in my step,
there you are.. pride!, a member of the punk rock police will probably
criticise me for that.
Jez:- Yes they spread the word of ADUK, good or bad I
smile
Steve:-No!
Banging a shovel.., where did the name come from?
-Jez’s mum played one of our CD’s to her friend Tony and he said it sounded
like someone banging a shovel against a shed so Jez insisted on using that
as the title of our newest CD Album.
Jez:- My mums’ boyfriend remarked that our last CD
sounded like it.
Steve:- It came from us Banging a shovel against a shed.
What´s the best and the worst with being a punk band?
Tez:-The best is just that, being in a punk band is the best thing in the
world, we get to play our music and drink lots of beer, and to express
yourself through music is just the greatest thing. The worst is we don’t
earn enough to do it for a living we have to have other shitty jobs to pay
the bills. Another thing that pisses me off, when people arrange local
festivals or all day events they always try to put the punk bands on first,
metal bands always seem to want 2 hour sound checks and want to headline
everything, I know that sound like a generalisation but in my experience
this is the norm.
Jez:- Scaring old people and making money whilst getting
drunk in the pub.
Steve:- The gigs, and best is shagging groupies who look
like hippos
Is England a good country to live in? Tell me about Doncaster?
Tez:-There are some great things about England and Doncaster and some shit
things. England has had some great bands, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The
Damned etc but the music scene here now is absolute shit, boy/girl bands
watered down rap, rnb and commercial dance is all anyone hears on the
airwaves, you'd think people would get sick of all that shit ?. From where I
live in Tickhill on the outskirts of Doncaster life is pretty good, plenty
of countryside some nice pubs and clubs and the people are generally nice
people, but Doncaster itself is a bit of a shit hole, too many trendy wine
bar type pubs n clubs and too many trendy nob-heads out looking for a fight,
and too many stupid tarts out looking for a shag. That sort of sums England
up really, some nice rural places and lots of hellhole cities with no-go
areas simmering violence, nice.
Jez:- Not bad. Doncaster is hell on earth. Nuttalls
mintoes and Douglas Bader.
Steve:- England is a shithole, so is Doncaster, Garthorpe
is heaven.
What about your government?
Tez:-As governments go I think this one is probably as shit as the next one,
our national health service crumbles whilst we spend millions on fighting
people on the other side of the world, licking President Bush’s arsehole,
taxes on Alcohol and fuel/petrol cripple people scraping by on an appalling
minimum wage structure, human rights violations commonplace etc etc etc etc
etc etc etc etc. They’re more bothered about arguing with the opposing party
in their little leather-upholstered room than what’s going on under their
noses. I do think some politicians get criticised too easily though, there
are some good people out there trying to do good for their people it’s just
so hard to pick them out from the arseholes??.
Jez:- Didn’t know we were governed?
Steve:- I hate politics.
Do you think that music and politics goes hand in hand?
Tez:-Not necessarily, if you think in a particularly political way then yes
obviously, but why be a political band?, the way we look at it is this,
write songs about your life, if you’re somehow involved or embroiled in a
particular political way of living or some political event and you can write
a good song about it go ahead, do it, but to write political songs because
you think that’s what punk is about but not really what you know too much
about you are defeating the point, write about what you know, not what you
think you should do to be a punk band, there are too many political bands
who write about stuff they no fuck all about but would never admit it. On
the other hand a good political band who know what they’re talking about and
have a good tune to carry it, fucking brilliant yes! go for it, for me it’s
SLF’s Inflammable material album, Bad Religion’s ‘Grey Race’, Dead Kennedy’s
Fresh Fruit, albums with fantastic songs with meaning.
Jez:- Not really, nice to throw in a few political gems
in there though.
Steve:- No
Best political band?
Tez:-Ha ha I just about answered that aint I ?, SLF, Crass, Dead Kennedys,
Bad Religion, the Clash, it depends what you call political. Politics is
life, everything is political, but if you mean parliament and government
then groups like those I mentioned are great.
Jez:- Ivor Cutler and Discharge.
Steve:- The Jam?
Is there any good bands in your home country now?
Tez:-Depends on how many you mean?, there are probably a couple of hundred
good punk bands, including all the old bands still gigging (UK Subs, GBH,
999, Lurkers, Abrasive Wheels etc), I particularly like the ‘Dead Pets’, I
supported them once with my other band (duo) the Squirrel Hunters in
Doncaster and I thought they were shit-hot, punk/ska/folk sort of thing with
a great front man in Sweeny. There is also a very good young band called
outl4w, they are all about 13/14 year old and they play superb old school
punk, I aint seen em live yet but I’ve heard they put most older bands to
shame, they are on our myspace top 24 check em out. A lot of English bands
disappoint me with there attitude, they don’t seem to want to make an
English punk scene anymore, more bothered about personal glory ..ie: who
does main support to the Subs and who plays Wasted the most, that’s
pathetic, I’m more impressed by the younger bands, who are obviously
influenced by bands like Rancid and Bad Religion etc, they seem to have
their shit together and more of a scene attitude, it’s the way forward, I
think ?.
Jez:- Numerovs, The Paddingtons and Deadline
Steve:- No none whatsoever.
What do you know about Sweden?
Tez:-A bit I suppose, probably the stuff your sick of hearing about and a
bit stereotypical maybe too, you gave us a crap Manager in Sven Goran
Eriksson, ABBA were shit, You like saunas and your all sex mad, Freddie
Ljungberg is and Henrik Larson are decent football players, you all have
blonde hair, your flag is yellow and blue, Bjorn Borg was great (but
boring), we never beat you at football, Ace of Base were shit, your beer is
expensive but very nice, your metal bands kill each other, is that enough ??
ha ha.
Jez:- Turn right at Denmark.
Steve:- I have been to Sweden gigging before, it smells
nice.
Have you heard any good Swedish bands?
Tez:-I’d love to say I know loads but I don’t sorry to say, but any Swedish
bands who want to get in touch on myspace please do. We are doing a gig with
Splitside from Sweden soon though, they sound good, I’m looking forwards to
that one, we’ve already spoke on myspace and we’re gonna swap CDs on the
night
Jez:- A couple can’t remember.
Steve:- Non whatsoever (Roxette ??)
What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or is it a lifestyle?
Tez:-Punk is lots of things to me, it’s a way of thinking, a way of
dressing, obviously a style of music to live to, so all in all it’s a way of
life but in no way a set of rules.
Jez:- It’s a word. Proper punk is doing ones own
lifestyle.
Steve:- To me it is both.
Please rank your five favourite records, five favourite concerts and five
most important things in life?
Tez:-Never mind the bollocks, Nevermind, Out come the wolves, Give em enough
rope, Inflammable material.
The Damned, @ Lyceum Sheffield 1985. The Dead Pets @ Leopard Doncaster 2003.
UK Subs/Exploited @ Retford Porterhouse 1986. Crass, @ The Marples
Sheffield, 1984. Killing Joke, @ Sheffield Polytechnic 1982.
Love, friendship, beer, chips, gravy.
Jez:- Fave records: Anarchy in the UK (Pistols), Fascist
Dictator (The Cortinas), Wheelie Bin (The Squirrel Hunters), Workin (Cock
sparrer), Blitzkrieg bop (Ramones) . Fave gigs: numerous. Fave things: Bed,
drink, cats, comfort and pork swords.
Steve:- Records: Riders on the storm by the Doors,
Concert: The Wildhearts @ Rock City Nottingham 1993
First, last and most expensive record ever bought?
Tez:-First record I bought was ‘Are Friends Electric’ by Tubeway army , Last
record I bought was ‘Rum Sodomy and the Lash’ by the Pogues. And the most
expensive mmmmmmmmm that would probably be ‘Hits from the West End Shows’
which was about £15.00, it was for my mum’s Xmas present by the way.
Jez:-Can´t remember.
Steve:- First record Run Away by Slade, last one Lily
Allen (sorry), most expensive was Indians by Anthrax on Orange vinyl.
Most embarrassing record in your collection?
Tez:-The Slim Shady LP by Eminem.
Jez:- Floral dance.
Steve:- Danni Minogue
Have you released your record yourself? Not any label or what?
Tez:-Yeah we are totally independent at the moment, with our own label
Yakakaa.
Jez:- Did it ourselves on our own crappy label with no money.
Steve:-Yes.
Have you done anything more than Banging a shovel...? If you have how can
I get it?
Tez:-‘Yakakaa Vinyl E.P 1989 Yakakaa Records.
Split E.P with Pissed Spitzels Sclawiner Records 1992.
Punkompilation Rage Records 1993. ‘Society Owes Me A Living’ Rage Records
1994.
‘Titanic Ambitions’ Yakakaa Records 1996. Collectable Recordings Orion
Studio Sampler 2002.
‘Banging A Shovel Against A Shed’ Yakakaa Records 2005.
Best is da new one of course.
Yakakaa E.P/Society/Shovel are all available from the band (see enclosed
price list and address etc) plus T-shirts n badges too. Titanic is out of
stock at moment as far as I know Schlawiner records still exist so the split
single can be got off them and Rage records is now looked after by Nervous
records so the punkompilation and Society can be got from them but you can
get Society off us cheaper. If you live in Doncaster you can get Shovel from
Track Records and The Leopard.
Jez:- Yeah, quite a few see Tez’s list.
Steve:-Yes, don´t know.
Is it many interviews? Is it boring?
Tez:-We have had quite a few interviews before and I always answer them in
full, I find them interesting, and it’s nice that someone actually gives a
fuck what you think, though sometimes when I read through old interviews I
have contradicted myself, but no I never get bored.
Jez:- Yeah I like it, they make me smile
Steve:- No, yes.
Which is the question you never get, please ask it and answer it?
Tez:-Q. What would you do if you won the lottery?
A. Buy a pub in the country with it’s own concert room, and football pitch
and team/darts team/pool table, then steadily over a couple of decades drink
myself to death.
Jez:- Will you marry me? No I wont ha ha
Steve:- Can I have sex with you? No
Is it any chance to see you in Sweden soon?
Tez:-We would love to play in Sweden but have no contacts with promoters or
venues, yourselves and Splitside are the only Swedish friends we have.
Jez:- Fat chance!, we are open to offers ??.
Steve:- Only if you marry me.
Where is the best place to play?
Tez:-In England?, I don’t know really, the place is really not the important
thing it’s the people you play to that are the important thing. We have
played at some big places like the Marquee and are about to play with Rancid
at Nottingham Rock City which holds 2250, but some of our best nights have
been at smaller venues with a good crowd response, like the Cartoon in
Croyden or the Broken Wheel at Retford, the Woolpack in Doncaster.
Jez:- Tickhill Institute (or anywhere we get free drinks)
Steve:- My underpants.
How is a good gig with you?
-Tez:Drunk people dancing, folks talking to you afterwards, people buying
our CD’s, that’s what makes us happy chappies.
Jez:- Nice people, free drinks, cozy pubs, crowd
participation.
Steve:- Good crowd, good sound, fit barmaid.
The name where does it comes from? (Yeah it’s a boring question but it’s
interesting)? Adolescents was an American band called, is it therefore you
have Adulescents with u and UK after?
Tez:-Well we were just called The Adolescents, but we read in Maximum
Rock’n’roll in America that they also had an Adolescents and even though our
paths had never crossed or ever has done, we just changed the O to a U and
stuck uk on the end to be sure. The name change has suited us as we got
older actually because the term adulescent apparently now is a name for
describing an immature adult, someone who wont grow up, quite apt don’t you
think ?.
Jez:- I made the name Adolescents up, then we mis-spelled
it and stuck UK on the end
Steve:- Don’t really understand the question.
Futureplans for the band?
Tez:-We wanna tour Sweden, we wanna tour the world we just need to someone
to pay for it all. We will just carry on gigging, rehearsing, writing all
the things we’ve always done, it’s what we love.
Jez: World domination.
Steve:- World beating
For yourself?
Tez:-To win the lottery, seriously though I don’t wish for much more I have
everything I need, but I wish I didn’t have to work for it.
Jez:- To giggle and smile and annoy people when I’m old
Steve:- Smaller belly, bigger cock.
Wisdomword?
Tez:-Tooth
Jez:- Ivor Cutler
Steve:- Flange, Minge, wide on
Something to add?
Tez:-Numbers are quite good for that.
Jez:- More money in my sticky pockets
Steve:- 17+4
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