EMERGENCY

Emergency was an English band called once but now itīs time for a new Emergency to be shown. This is the American band Emergency which is the band right now. They have released a record on Step 1 Music and itīs really good.Fergus have been into the band Strike which was on an Oi-album some years ago. It’s Nick who plays the guitar who gives us the answers on my questions here. ………November 2004.

 

A little bit of history of the group please?

-Well me and my buddy Mike(who some will know as the mastermind behind Longshot Music) were eager to start a band. We asked another friend of ours Will to play drums and with me on guitar and Mike playing bass we started to write songs and practice. We fucked around for a few months not taking things too seriously until I met Fergus and asked him to be our singer. With the line up now complete we started playing some local shows until one day Mike broke the news that he was moving to New York. Rather then try and find someone to replace him, we decided that it would be best if Fergus took over on bass, and subsequently we became a three piece. A few months later we went into the studio and recorded our record and now here we are.

 

Please tell me a little about every member, age, family, interests, work and something and about every one?

-Will our drummer is 22 and works as a motorcycle mechanic and enjoys crashing vespas at high speeds. Fergus our singer is, uh . . . over 22 and is a special needs support worker who spends his free time wishing he was Paul Weller and listening to Sex Pistols singles. Me, I'm Nick the 28 year old guitar player who does what ever he can to avoid real work, and enjoys telling other people what to do.

 

You know that there was an English band called Emergency once, and that they did a single called Point of view(I think it was called so)?

-Ya we were aware that there had bean a band called Emergency, in fact our drummer has their single. As they only released one single some 20 years ago, we didn't think there would be any confusion.


It seems like itīs a little bit different between your ages in the group, am I right, and if it is so ,what about that?

-I'm about 6 years older than Will, and Fergus is a little over 10 years older than me. The age difference hasn't bean that much of a problem yet, except that Will's pram and Fergus' walker can make the stage a little crowded at gigs.

 

I compare you a little with Cocksparrer, how about that?

-One of my all time faves, so great! I'll take it.

 

Other groups you have being compared to?

-Somone said the 4skins once, but I can't hear it. We've tryed to create our own sound, but sometimes we ware our influences on our sleaves.


How have the reviews been on your CD 1234?

-Actually yours was the first we've read so far.


Do you care about reviews?

-No. We want people to like the record, but if they don't there isnīt much we can do about that.

 

Which is the most peculiar review you ever have got?

-We had a gig review once where a fight broke out and the reviewer called us "Viloent assholes".


Have you been in any other bands before worth to mention?

-Well I was once the drummer in a band some of you may have heard of called the Subway Thugs, and Fergus was the singer of a band called The Strike that many people will recognize from the infamous "Strength though Oi" record.

 

What do you know about Sweden?

-Very little I'm ashamed to admit.


Have you heard any good swedish bands?

-I'm sure I have but I can't think of any off the top of my head.


Is there any good bands in USA right now?

-We're actually from CANADA!, but ya there are loads of good bands in the states. The Butchers from Seattle are a higly underated band.


How is it to play this sort of punk there right now?

-Well where we live people don't really give a fuck about Punk. We get good crowds at our shows, but the local press could care less about us.


Are you disappointed on the elction of Bush again?

-I'm not American so they can elect who ever they want.


Politics and music, does that goes hand in hand?

-Politics are important for some bands, but not ours. We're in it for a laugh and to enjoy ourselves, we don't want to tell people what they should be thinking.


Best political band/writer?

-I supose Mensi would be somewhere up there.


How does the average fan to you look like?

-What do our fans look like? Geez I dunno . . . like us I suppose.


If you could choose five bands from now and back in the history to have a big concert together with you, which five bands would you choose?

In no perticular order:

1) Sex Pistols

2) The Jam

3) The Who

4) Cock Sparrer

5) Small Faces

or one of any number of great bands.


What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or is it a lifetsyle?

-I've spent most of my life surrounded by punk and have no plans of ever straying from it, so I would say it is most definitely a lifesyle.


-Why have skinheads got so bad reputation? Wasnīt it so that the skinheads was nonrascist and so on when they first came? What happened?

-Ya know that is a really long story that is covered in depth on many websites around the world. I'll leave it to those readers who really want to know the history to go out and find it for themselves.


Please rank your five favourite records, five favourite concerts and five most important things in life?

-Well I'd say these get pretty steady rotation on my deck: 1) Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, 2) Cock Sparrer's Shock Troops, 3) The Who's Who's Next, 4) Cockney Rejects Greatest Hits Volume I, 5) Anti-Nowhere League's We are the League.

My five fave gigs have been: 1) Stiff Little Fingers in Briton, England a few years back, 2) Cockney Rejects at the Dublin Holidays in the Sun a couple years ago(I know everyone says they're shit now, but I loved 'em), 3) UK Subs here in Vancouver about 6 or 7 years ago, 4) Fear also in Vancouver a bunch of years back, and 5) The Professionals when they played Vancouver back in 1981

Five most important things in life are:

1) Good Friends

2) Good Women

3) Good Booze

4) Good Music

5) And always having a good time.


First, last and most expensive record ever bought?

-First record I ever bought was a Howard Jones cassette tape when I was about 8 years old. The last record I bought was a best of the Easybeats comp, and the most expensive record I ever bought was "Blue Beat Special" on Blue Beat Records from 1968. It wasn't that much really but I forked out more than usual for it.


Most embarrassing record in your collection?

-Well I'd have to say the Howard Jones Cassette, although I doubt I still have it.


The best record to have sex to?

-It's been so long I've forgotten.


Futureplans for the band?

-We plan on touring the west coast of the US this up coming Spring and then make it over to the UK and/or Europe by the Summer. Hopefully back in the studio by February or March.


For yourself?

-I dunno, win the lottery.


The question you never get but you want to have, please ask it and answer it?

-Q: How did your band get so damn good looking?

A: We were born that way.


Wisdomword?

-Keep the faith!


Something more to say?

-Enjoy the record and come see our shows.

Thanks Peter

Cheers

Nick