Jay from Slackers had an busy hour answering my questions but he did his best and here´s the answers. they we´re answered in march 2001.

History?
-Born in 1991 as a three piece, we just kept adding members until about 7
years ago and started to really focus on the older jamaican sound.


Please tell me a little about every member, age, family, interests,
something horrible about every person and so on?
-Everyone is around thirty now. its the best age for a man to be, you are
finally in control of your facilities . the problem with being in a band
though , is that you really start to lose your mind at a certain point. for example, marcus
is a control freak and he likes to scream orders at everyone and make loud
announcements about simple things like loading in or stopping for a piss.
Dave does most of the business for the band , so sometimes he looks like
he's been whacked with a shovel. TJ and Glen are addicted to a hand held fishing
game. We've had a new drummer lately named Alan so he's not completely
cracked yet, but he's a drummer and they're always fucked up anyway.
However, my names Vic and I'm perfectly sane .We're lucky cause we have a tour
manager named skinnhy who makes sure we all take our medication.


You´re on Hellcat records, is it good? Whats the best and what´s the worst
with the label?
-The best thing is that it's a small label that lets us be very free and
expressive. they pretty much allow us to deterrmine our own direction. the
worst? I suppose they are terribly understaffed so its hard to do
everything you could do on a bigger label, but really , who gives a shit, i mean i'm
not on this record label to get free shoes and go to dumb parties right?



You´re 7 in the group, how is to be so many, wasn´t it easier to be three
or four?
-Its easier to have more guys musically because you cvan do all these really
 involved ideas very easily , and it helps to inspire you. you can look
 around and you have this crowd, a crew to look at and listen to and copy and fuck
 with. its also good cause you can avoid people who are driving you crazy at
any given time. its like a communuity. the bad part is simple orginization.
dumb things like eating or getting everyone in the van

 

Have you been in any other groups before; any groups beside of Slackers?
-I´ve been in the Stubborn allstars with Dave, I played with Rancid and so did
Dave, I toured europe once with ska jazz playing guitar, ...ummmm....me and
Marcus played in a punk band called sic and mad, dave had a band called
Donkeyshow, glen played in the pressure cookers and an awesome band called
Malestrom. TJ played reggae in a band called Jah Wombat, ...Dave Hillyard's
band we all play in at some point....


You´re not having punkrock mixed with your ska, howcome?
-We mix ourselves with ska and new york with ska. we dont need to mix musical
styles. also , most of the stuff we play we try to be a little edgy about so
 ...you know .. we're not a band that is a clown show . not purposely at  least.


But you´re into punk also or?
-Yes, we all have a certain affinity for old punk, or just any good punk.
even Dave enjoys it , especially cause two tone was an early favorite of his,
and that was one of the few succesful combinations of punk and reggae ... my
favorites are the Stooges , the Ramones , the Circle Jerks, ...Dead
Kennedys....


Do you know where the black white thing come from in skamusic(I mean the
 Two Tone thing) Have any historical meaning do you know that?
-It´s a hold over from sixties op-art i beleive ,,but you know, they tried to
 make it like a political anti racist thing...like you can´t make that cool
checkerboard effect with just one color...in my huge ska nerd days i also
connected it with the sound of the music, like things contrasting against
each other musically, and the choppy rhythm.

How is the skascene in USA right now? Are you often play out with
punkbands or is it mostly skabands you play with?
-Lately more ska bands,   especially strange are the bands that have popped
up recently, they seem taste wise to be alot more similar to our way of
thinking.


How is a fucking good Slackers-gig?
-It´s better than getting your dick sucked by a girl with a popsicle in her
mouth.

How does the average Slackers-fan look like?
-She's five foot two, with dark short hair and tiny stinky little feet that
she will put in pattent leather shoes to match her catholic school dress and
pigtails....sooo beautifal.


Do you have good contact with your fans? If you think you have in which
 way?
-You bet I do , I have alot of fun with folks thats why I love being in a
band...especially the little catholic school girls...I mean they dress like
that now answered by Dave Hillyard

You do Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi, why do a cover?
-It´s a funny song.  some guy offered us some money to record it for a comp
and we just started digging it.


What does a cover good?
- hmm???


Do you do any other covers?
- Work song by Nat Adderly, Tin Tin Deo by Dizzy Gillespie, Iron Shit by Max
Romeo, Walking the dog by Rufus Thomas, that's about it.


When you do music, is it most important to have a good melody, a good
lyric or a refrain that people remember?

-It just has to be interesting to members of the band.  its got to have
something that makes it good, whatever that is.

First, last and the most expensive record you have bought?
-I can't even remember properly.
1st record - rolling stones - tatoo you?
last - jimmy forest - forest fire
most expensive?? - i can't remember

Idols when you were small?

-My first idol was Richard Wright. He's an american writer.

What do you know about Sweden?
-It´s cold a lot of the year.  you guys have pretty good cheese - bund ost. 
haven't really got in a war since you fought the russians in the 1700's. 
good social welfare.  volvos.  now having to deal with immigrants for the
first time in it´s history.  my cousin moved there.  he lives in a small town
up north near stockholm.

Have you heard any swedish bands worth to mention?
-Abba?Ace of base? just joking.  Last time we were there we heard Liberator,
who're like a 2-tone type band.

What advices do you have to a contractless young band to get a contract
with a label, what shall they think of?
-Put stuff out yourself first. that way you'll learn how to do the music
business, and then when you sell enough, sell your stuff to a label.  never
 sell your songwriting credits.

How did you came in contact with Hellcat/Epitaph?
-Me and Vic played with Rancid

How is to live in USA?Is it violent?
-Compared to what?  its a big country y'know about the size and population of
the entire european union.  crime in new york has declined a lot recently,
but its also been connected with a lot of police repression.

What´s the best and what´s the worst part with it?
-The USA is a land of contradictions - free yet conservative, equal yet
racially divided, sometimes commercial yet has created a lot of deep music

What do you think about your new president?
-He's a spoiled rich idiot

What was the difference if you compare Clinton, Gore and Bush?
-Clinton came from the people.  Gore and Bush came from priveledge.

You have an own website or, is it important to have one, are you doing
something with it yourself?
-www.theslackers.com
yeah, we get involved. just had it reworked. this lovely lady called kc runs
 it.

What do you think about the new way to communicate,with email and
internet and that stuff?
-It´s great


Future plans for the band?
-We're gonna be touring until may at least. in europe in april.

Wisdomword?
-Electricity.