History?
-(FISH) .We formed the band whilst we were still at school, We got signed to Zenon records in 1981 and released our 1st single "ROUTINE MACHINE" followed by our "PEACE FORCE EP" IN 1982 we went to Cologne Germany to record our SO THE YOUTH LP we returned a year later to play a big(ish) festival at the Stolwerk Cologne. After that we released our split single with the INSANE VENDETTA the We did our final vinyl release RETURN TO HELL EP.
What happened between So the Youth and the new CD?
-(USH) Not a lot with THE SKEPTIX......
Fish left to join DISCHARGE then went on to join DEMON.
I joined a band with the guy who ran the studio where we rehearsed.
Chig joined a local band.
Snotty continued with his football, Resulting in his mangled leg!!
Me and Chig got back together a few years later in a couple of bands ...... Then THE SKEPTIX got back together..
Please tell me a little about every member, age, family, interestsm work and something bad about every one?
-(USH) Cheesy question!
Why not ask us the colour of our eyes and favourite sandwich filling too!!
NEXT QUESTION PLEASE!
(FISH)
Ush= late 30's married with 1 child, he's a chronic, alcoholic, has the memory of a goldfish and can really upset people without trying or knowing that he's done it.
Snotty=late 30's married with 2 children chronic alcoholic not as bad as Ush slightly better personality than Ush without alcohol.His main downfall is that his cup is always half empty.
Chig= divorced....there's always one!! 1 child chronic alcoholic but all around decent chap
Fish=late 30's, married with 3 children . likes a drink but not as much as the others....
fish has the nasty job of keeping the others in tow!!! He just wants it right.....
but for his troubles, the other 3 take the piss and are generally rude to him and about him to others.
Why did you start to play again?
-(USH) We got back together after Captain OI released the Pure Punk cd.
Before that we weren’t aware there was any real interest in the band after so long.
(FISH) I never stopped playing, but we got the skeps together because we had unfinished business to sort out.
All punkbands in Great Britain support a team(not all but most of them) which is your team?
-(USH) I Support NEWCASTLE UNITED.
Chig and Snotty support STOKE CITY.
Fish supports VALE when he's with Snot and Chig, he supports STOKE when he's with SECTION 5
he supports LEEDS when he's with MAN U supporters and MAN U when hes with LEEDS fans....he's a bit of a twat really.......
You have been older, is it something you think about or? What´s the best and what´s the worst of being older?
-(USH) Speak for yourself...!! I’m still 21 !!!
(SNOTTY) I am 40 now but still feel as young as USH thinks he is!!!
(FISH) Yeah mentally I feel 21 but sometimes my body reminds me otherwise....Ush's beer gut gives him away, as does Snottys blue rinse
What´s the difference of playing nowadays if you compare back in the good old days?
-(FISH) my arthritis didn't cripple me back then...ha ha
we wish the kids would come out to play more....come on Derby 24 people For Drongos and The Skeptix you should be ashamed of yourselves.
How´s the punk movement in England right now? Is there any good bands?
-(USH) There are still the old favourites like G.B.H, UK SUBS etc. Then you have the DRONGOS FOR EUROPE, NO CHOICE and loads of other bands new and old that still make your bowels bleed with good, old fashioned PUNK
What does punk mean to you, is it only a word, or what?
-(USH) Punk is what you make of it yourself. It can be a word, a fashion item or a way of life. Do with it as you will.
You don’t have to have the spikey mohican and studded jacket to be a punk. Punk is down to you.
What do you know about Sweden?
(USH) Nothing.... Tell me about it!!
-(FISH) Ive toured Sweden and played at the Sweden Rock Festival 2000. I think its a really great Country with some stunning views!!...... Some nice Countryside too!!!
Have you heard any good swedish bands?
-(USH) I don’t think I’ve heard any Swedish bands to be honest ….. Tell me about them!!
(SNOTTY) Abba! Bjorn Borg and Sven Goran Erikson!! and volvo
(FISH) I toured with a band called Tad Morose they were not a punk but they seriously kicked arses.I quite like THE GOOD NEIGHBOURS too.
How is a good gig with you?
-(USH) A good gig is a gig where the crowd has enjoyed it. Not necessarily a gig we’ve played exceptionally well. It’s the punters that make a gig good, if they’ve liked what you’ve done and danced to your set, then you’ve had a good gig.
(SNOTTY) It’s not very often I agree with USH, but his reply says it all!!
(FISH) I think they are having a go at me because I think a good gig, as they said, is when the kids have a good time HOWEVER the band should play well and not mess songs up due to unholy alcohol levels in their blood stream....as has happened on a few occasions.
Do you have good contact with your fans- in which way?
-(USH) We have great contact with the fans!
We are in the crowd before we play and back in the crowd when we come off stage. There is no point being so far up your own arse as to think contact isn’t important. If it wasn’t for the kids that are there, then we wouldn’t be there either.
So, yeah, if you see us at a gig come and talk to us, buy us beers and burgers!!!!
(SNOTTY) Buy me beer and I will talk to you!!
(FISH) you will get better value for money at a SKEPTIX gig if you don't buy them a drink prior to them playing!!!! (see question 12)
How does the average fan look like?
-(USH) There’s no such thing as an average fan!! Each has there own style and personality to bring to a gig. Whether it’s a spiky haired drunk punk or a balding old timer. They are all different.
The things which is happening in Iraq right now, what about it?
-(USH) There is no arguing that Saddam is a psychopath. You only have to look at what he does to his own people
But the truth behind it all is that he sits on a lot of oil. That’s what Bush and Blair are after control of. It wasn’t to free the Iraqi people of a tyrant.
To go to war is only going to create problems for Iraq when the soldiers leave. The West is not in a position to tell the Iraqi people what is best for them.
How does people react in England when they decided to be in the war with USA?
-(SNOTTY) There were many anti-war marches, all over the country, with all types of people demonstrating against what is fundamentally a government that will not listen to it’s peoples opinions.
Have war been the solution any time?
-(USH) War has, on occasion, appeared to be the only solution. The most obvious ones being the World wars.... After all, you can’t let one tyrannical despot take over the world........ erm, someone check what Bush is up to just now!!!
When you do songs, which is most important, is it the lyrics , the music or to have a refarin that people remembers?
-(SNOTTY) A combination of all three..
(FISH) I think first you have to have some good music, because without the music no ones gonna listen to it long enough to hear the lyrics. However, the lyrics have to be meaningful too....check out Ush's ramblings on Obsessed...ha ha
What drives you to play your music?
-(USH) It’s purely a love of the music. We’ve all tried different styles since we first split, but nothing has the drive or energy that punk has.
(FISH) I don't like to agree with ush at all, but, Ive played in different types of bands, and the only music I've ever played which makes me want to jump into the audience is punk, its got balls, spirit and loadsa energy.
Please describe it with three words, your music I mean?
-PURE PUNK ROCK!
Thunk records, is it an own label or what? Is there any other artists on it?
-(FISH) It’s our own label. I run it with another guy. We haven’t got round to signing other bands to it yet, but we’re doing quite a bit of recording. SECTION 5 & DRONGOS FOR EUROPE have recently recorded new albums there.
I heard something that this years Holidays in the Sun will be the last, is it true? have you been playing there any time?
-(USH) That’s the rumour, yes. Though I’ve also heard that it will continue in a different format. Smaller gigs, 1 dayers perhaps.
We played there last year, and in New Jersey and are on again this year in Morecambe. It’s a good weekend!
Please rank your five best records, five best concerts and five most important things in life?
-(USH) THAT’S BEYOND ME!!
(FISH)
RECORDS
1 Never Mind The Bollocks PISTOLS
2 1st album The Clash
3 Machine Gun Etiquette The Damned
4 Inflammable Material SLF
5 Give Em Enough Rope The Clash
CONCERTS
1 DAMNED VICTORIA HALL STOKE 79/80
2CLASH VICTORIA HALL STOKE 79/80
3RAMONES VICTORIA HALL 78
4CHRISTMAS ON EARTH LEEDS 80
5 GARRY MOORE VICTORIA HALL 81
IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE
1LOVE
2 PEACE
3HONESTY
4TRUSTWORTHYNESS
5MUSIC
First, last and the most expensive record ever bought?
-(USH) I can’t remember the first, probably something by SLADE. The last one I bought was at a gig, that was Dry River Fishing by NO CHOICE. I don’t buy anything expensive.
(FISH) 20th century boy by T.REX was first, the last one was 1000 copies of HATE AND FEAR by us.
The most expensive was anything over £10
Idols when you were small?
-(USH) How small??? Magic Roundabout as a child. Danger Mouse as a teenager. Newcastle Brown Ale as an old man.
(FISH) CAPTAIN SENSIBLE, HUGH CORNWELL, JOE STRUMMER, JAKE BURNS,
What about the bands future?
-(USH) We’ll be together for as long as we can get on with each other!!
(SNOTTY) So you’d better catch us live while you can then!!
(FISH) yeah they mean it!!
Your own futureplans?
-(USH) To make no plans for the future. You’ve got to take each day as it comes.
(FISH) My plans for Thunk Records are:- Firstly we are going to re-record our first album and then release it along with the original on one cd....14 bonus tracks So The Youth.
We are hoping to record our HITS gig this year on the studio's multi-track then mix it into a live cd, also we aim to video the gig with 4 cameras, this will be the HITS 2 HITS dvd/video along with all the footage from the last year, HITS/USA/UK GIGS etc.
we plan to do the same with our singles all done again and released with the originals,
we are hoping to record a new CD EP with a track called ALIENATION IN AN ALIEN NATION which will include some bonus tracks (two tracks that didn't make HATE AND FEAR)
We are taking 2 cameras to document our USA TOUR in July/August 2003 sort of Skeptix SPINAL TAP without the cheese.
AND we will be both recording and filming our CBGB'S gig in NYC for perhaps an addition to the USA video/dvd
Wisdomword?
-(SNOTTY) Life’s no dress rehearsal, so make the most of it while you can.
Something more to add
(FISH) if anyone wants to book THE SKEPTIX for some shows in Sweden or is interested in distro on any of our releases please mail us on TheSkeptix@cd2.com
FOR MORE INFO GO TO WWW.THESKEPTIX.COM
DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE AND HEAR.