You have been on the road as long as I have had
my fanzine Skrutt. Have you been playing all the
time since 1984?
-Foreign Legion was formed March 1984 from the
ashes of Welsh punk band Dead on Arrival.. We
changed the name because sometimes they put DOA
on the poster.. We know the Canadian band DOA so
we changed the bands name... We split up in 1992
I lost a family member was not in a good place..
We were still writing songs so we came back 1999
found a label and recorded some new tracks...
Have it been many changes of members?
-Yes we had band changes, some members couldn't
handle practice every week travel etc some
members wanted to go down differant road heavy
metal sound etc..
Which are the members now? Tell me a little
about everyone in the group , age, family, work
other bands now and before?
-Marcus vocals Si guitar.. Greg drums David bass..
We are all punk rockers. Si is in his 30s he
recorded with the Welsh band Impact.. Works at
local warehouse.. Greg ex member of the
Violators and he works as a gardener.. David
works full team with Hooligan Dublin. And Blue
carpet band... I was ex member of Society and
Dead on Arrival..
You´re from Wales…The only punkbands I can come
up with right now is Picture Frame Seduction and
Anrehfn? Other good bands from Wales?
-Yes we come from South Wales UK over the years
we had some great bands System Kills, Impact,
Pizztramp, Shrapnel, Picture frame seduction ,Oppressed
Partisans, Symbal of freedom Abs Doc Savage
8.4%, Fatal
blow, Trigger poo Soldier Dolls, Sick livers,
Strawberry blondes, Tenplusone etc etc plus many
more..
Anrefhn sang sometimes in the welsh language,
have you ever done that?
-Anrehfn was a great Welsh band and I got most
of their records and have been friend with Rhys
for many years and I booked them a show 90s and
they went down very well....
We have never recorded a Welsh track but watch a
lot of Welsh TV shows.. Been a few I done
background work acting for 7 years. I was good
at Welsh in school.. Lol....
Politic and music, does it belong together?
Which is your most political song?
-I think politics is OK to be in music, punk
Rock streetpunk oi bands have something to say.
I would say our best track for that is dogooders
about the clowns in power.. Just don't do theirs
jobs cheat and lies...
Best band who does the best political songs?
-I love most of tracks by the Clash and Dropkick
Murphys.
IS there anything Foreign legion never will
write about and which of your songs is the song
which isn´t about anything important at all?
-I can't see us ever writing a love song... -We
wrote a song called I've been years back about
travelling around the world just a fun song...
You have done a song about George Best, why he
wasn´t from Wales?
-We wrote a song called George Best and it was
cause we all liked him as a great player met him
onces the song is about the way we were 70 80s
sticking two fingers up and no one cared about
anything anyone,
drinking,
women
etc..
Do you have any favorite football team?
-My favorite team is Wales. Queens Park Rangers
same has Mick Jones Clash Glen Matlock Sex
Pistols.. And Merthyr Town FC, a non league team
I played for them in the early 80s...
Many rockbands do their own beer , is that
something that you have thought of? If you would
have done an own beer, which type of beer would
it be?
-Love to do our own beer one day.. Lol but maybe
cider be better. Or water from the local
springs.. Never know....
You have had some wellknown rockstars which have
produced your record as Mick Jones and Phil
Campbell? How come?
-I met Mick Jones at football and gave him
copy's of our eps. He called me on the weds and
said he
love to work with us to produce a video plus
happy to produce and mix the new album...
The boys were friends with Phils son and we used
to record at his studio. Phil helped us with
production and the mixing,
great
sound all round.....
Which do you think is your best album except
from the latest you have done?
-Our best album we would say is our last album..
But before that I was say light at the end of
the tunnel..
Which is the song that everyone want to hear
when you play?
-Everybody goes crazy mental when we play
where's Johnny gone which about homeless kids
all over the world.......
Here´s a question you don´t have to answer but
you said that you go to hospital three days a
week, I hope it isn´t any serious(of course it
serious) but I mean not anything deadly? Can you
be well from it?
-Ive had a bad 7 months,
I got
problems my kidneys are closing down. So I go
into hospital 3 times a week for dialysis
treatment which is not nice,
feel
like a drunken man when you come off the machine.
How is it with hospital and so on in Great
Britain, here we pay tax and it doesn´t cost so
much to go to the hospital and get care. Is it
so that you must pay everything yourself?
-The HHS are great in the UK itts just the
people who run it which are the problem.. I
don't pay for treatment but I pay for my own
transport to and from hospital units...
How is it otherwise to live in Great Britain
nowadays with Brexit, the political life
overall?
-The UK is one big mess down to the peoples vote
to leave Europe. It´s taken 3 years for the
clowns in government to sort out what a waste of
money it could have been spent on health schools
etc.. It´s like going back to 80s small business
big car plants closing on moving away from the
UK. South Wales had alot of European money for
roads etc etc. No more. One big ffff mess
Have you ever been to Sweden? Have you heard any
good Swedish bands?
-Never been to Sweden love to play there one day,
we
played in
Denmark and Norway... I've heard of Anti cimex,
Ebba Grön, Asta Kask and I can't wait to see top
Swedish fanzine Skrutt...
You said that you did your first gig in 1978,
which band was it with? And what´s the biggest
difference of playing today if you compare with
when you played 41 years back?
-I was a founder member of the Welsh punk band
Society.. Only played 5 shows. Then I went to
form Dead on arrival who was feature on On the
streets 1983 comp lp.. With two tracks
Foreign legion was formed march 84. We get more
people at our shows plus the gear sound is a lot
better. Plus you get more well looked after...
You have been playing with Foreign Legion in
many countries, which the best one to play in?
-We have been lucky to visit 15 countries. The
east coast USA tour with major Accident was
great. But all shows away have been super. We
are the only Welsh band ever to have played
CBGBS New York City big apple..
What´s the most odd thing which have happened
during a gig with you?
-I booked a show for Joe Strummer in the late
80s. The night before in practice our amp blow.
So we asked Strummer if we could use his amp. 3
songs in my guitar player Joe's amp blow.
Nightmare. Joe was OK with it give us invite to
after show party... I booked a local show for
the UK subs and saw an ex girlfriend with one of
the members of UK subs... Crazy... Lol....
Which type of people comes to your gigs? Both
old and young?
-We get young and old at our shows. Getting alot
of young people last few gigs.. We thank them
one and all...
What does punk mean to you, a lifestyle or only
a musicstyle?
-First it's a lifestyle and music style u are
what are. Never change... Punk rock oi for
life... Once a punk always punk Demob...
You have been interviewed many times I assume,
have you ever got some really weird question?
-Somebody.. asked us onces what socks and
trainers do we wear,
odd!.
If you should describe your music to someone who
never have heard you,which three words have you
said then?
-Our music is hard hitting working class street
punk oi oi music.. ALWAYS WORKING CLASS...
You´re playing Rebellion 2019, have you done it
often. Is it only a place for nostalgia or is it
any new bands there? Any new bands from Great
Britain to tell me about?
-We are lucky to have played Rebellion many
times. The greatest punk festival in the world
nothing can comes close to it.. On show 30-40
new bands who go up to play bigger stages.. Some
great new bands No thrills Control The Placks
Arch Rivals Grade 2
Boots n All Acid Attack Panic attack
United bottle. Fat Albert. Boilmarker Gimp fist
Criminal mind. PFS The Warriors.. B squadron.
Ambition demolition. Borrowed time. The
Partisans is a great Welsh Swedish band now....
You release your records as physics record?
Could you imagine to release a record only on
digital platforms? Which is your favouriteformat
on records?
-We love all formats of music. But it's great to
put out vinyl. Lots of people love getting these.
Think the download world is killing the CD
Market a bit. But that's life there u go...
First, last and most expensive record ever
bought?
-First record I got was a copy of God save the
Queen.. I payed 50 notes for a vinyl copy of the
Clash in London 85 I was at the show.. I just
got a copy of the new Control album.. Democracy
is dead true right.
Wisdomword?
-Wisdom world punk rock music rules the world.
People on good wage good pension. No more shit
trouble in the world.. Justice for the working
class.
Futureplans after Rebellion?
-We are waiting to book a few shows end of this
year. Record a new ep and album. Been asked to
play with Cock Sparrer in France Nov. 2019.
Looking forward to fresh air.. In Blackpool. I
haven't been out much this year and to catch up
with old and new friends bands from all over the
world..
Something to add?
-Thank you Peter for interview and good luck
with Skrutt for the next 35 years. Best wishes.
Any promoters out there get in touch.. Thanks to
every one who come to our shows, promoters,
zines, radio shows. Thanks to our label boss
Patrick. Respect Always Working class crew.
Marcus Si Dave Greg.. Foreign Legion.
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