INTERVIEW
THE LUCKY STIFFS
by Christer Davidsson, June 2006
Hello! How are you doing?
Greg De Hat: Good, Trying to recover from my Dad dying and near-death car crash but I am OK, just banged up a bit, nothing broken… just medicated.
Aaron Anonamus: Doing well, I'm alive and kicking.
Tell me a little bit of how you got this band going.
Greg De Hat: We started out as a 3 piece back in 2000, with Sean, Aaron and I. We wanted to start a band that would be an extension of our life. We never doubted ourselves or this band, we just went for it, no matter how bad it got.
Aaron Anonamus: One thing that got this band started was the brotherhood we had created between Sean, Greg, and I and the will to put out good music.
Have you changed any members since the start?
Greg De Hat: We have had a few guitarists (Shinister, Chuck Worthy, and Alex Empty) that have helped us out until we found the line up that we have now, with Tony and J.P. We got a good thing going right now. It seems like we are all on the same page.
Aaron Anonamus: What page I don't know. Ha, Ha.
What turned you on to punk rock?
Greg De Hat: Skateboarding, back then Punk and SK8ing went hand and hand, I mean punk always was about freedom and individuality… and so was skating. Reading Thrasher Mag and watching videos, punk was the perfect soundtrack to my life, and still is.
Aaron Anonamus: Growing up in East L.A., I sure didn't want to be part of the gang element around me, I was smarter than that. Skateboard in one hand, punk music in the other.
Tell me about your releases so far?
Show of Hands Records 2006 Comp. (CD) ‘06
Bouncing Souls / Lucky Stiffs Split 7" - Pirates Press Records ‘05
Lucky Stiffs 7" Last Confession - May Cause Dizziness ‘05
Interpunk Local Compilation 2005 - Interpunk.com (CD) ‘05
Today Will Follow You EP - Five and Dime / Released Date ’04
Horseshoes & Handgernades EP - '04 (out of print)
The Lucky Stiffs S/T EP - '03 (out of print)
Redemption EP - '02 (out of print)
Tell your Mom I'm Sorry EP- '00 - 01 (out of print)
Greg De Hat: Its all smoke in mirrors. I like our 7” Last Confession, because it looks and sounds great, and its our first vinyl record. FREAKIN VINYL! We can skrach on it like Grand Master Flash!
Aaron Anonamus: I am really stoked about our recent releases, as well as the ones we have yet to put out. Sharing a split with the Bouncing Souls is rad, it’s like every kids dream.
What’s your favorite Lucky Stiffs record?
Greg De Hat: The NEW ONE!!! I can’t wait for everyone to hear this; we took SO much time on this record. It has a lot of blood, sweat and tears in it.
Aaron Anonamus: Definitely the new one.
What do you sing about in general?
Greg De Hat: Life, Friendship, Loses, Beer, Zombies and sometimes politics. Pretty much anything that we feel needs to be said.
Aaron Anonamus: I don't sing. I make lots of faces behind my drum set with full force attack.
How does the band write songs?
Greg De Hat: That’s a hard one to answer, Sometimes we will work on a riff someone brought in for weeks, sometimes the songs write themselves. And sometimes a song will come to you while taking a crap.
Aaron Anonamus: Sometimes we will jam at the studio, certain riffs stand out from others and we work on those. Other wise its all magic.
I found you on MySpace.com. Do you think that’s a good way to promote a band?
Greg De Hat: Any way you can get your band out there on YOUR terms is great. MySpace is cool because you can talk to kids and other bands, promote shows and merch, and at the same time take a survey on how bored you really are.
Aaron Anonamus: It definitely has got us out to kids who would otherwise have to wait till we played a show in there town. Now they will be waiting for us. Hopefully with cookies, I like cookies.
What is "OMNI Punk"?
Greg De Hat: We keep getting asked what is this "Omni Punk"? Well we will set the record straight. When people ask us "what kind of music do you play?" we never knew how to answer it. So we just started calling ourselves Omni-Punk. We are not the only ones; there are MANY bands out there that you just can’t fit into a nice neat label. We just feel that there is NO REASON to limit ourselves musically or even in our day to day lives. Thus we are and will forever be OMNI-PUNX! Here is the dictionary definition...
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Omni- ..Om"ni-.. [L. omnis all.] A combining form denoting all, every, everywhere; as in omnipotent, all-powerful; omnipresent.
Aaron Anonamus: I think its greek, for we kick ass.
Any new recordings coming up?
Greg De Hat: YES!!! Our first Full Length! It is called "Gold in Peace, Iron in War" it will come out Fall 2006 on Pirates Press records.
Aaron Anonamus: …Oh yeah!
Describe a Lucky Stiffs show?
Greg De Hat: Trying to dance in the middle of a Tornado. We (and our fans) can get a bit crazy. I have been both blinded and beaten at a show, both times needing to go to the hospital… But it is so much fun I would never want it any other way.
Aaron : Once I was playing so intensely I gave myself a black eye. When the kids go crazy we get even crazier.
What’s the best show you’ve done so far?
Greg De Hat: For me, I don’t know… they keep getting better and better. It’s hard to pick. But if had to I would say with Manic Hispanic at Slims (SF) on Cinco De Mayo ’03. It was our first Show at Slims (SF). I kept thinking "So this is what its like to hear yourself on stage". That was a great night.
Aaron Anonamus: They are all good shows, but I think playing with One Man Army for Stinky's Peepshow's fifth anniversary was tits, get it?
What other bands have influenced you?
Greg De Hat: Bad Religion (SUFFER!), Circle Jerks, Jawbreaker, Dag Nasty, Beastie Boys (old) Rancid, N.W.A., Slayer, Pantera, Refused, Beach Boys, the Clash, Chuck Berry, Alkaline Trio, Kid Dynamite, Public Enemy, Iron Maiden, Hank Williams…. I could go on and on. There are so many “bands” that have had an influence on some aspect on my musical creativity; it’s hard to name them all.
Aaron : Buddy Holly, Dinosaur Jr, Firehose, Descendents, ALL, Anthrax, pretty much anything that goes through these ears.
What are you doing when you’re not playing music?
Greg De Hat: Thinking about music, walking my dog, hanging with friends and family, getting tattooed, BBQing, Skateboarding, stressing out at my job, working at Pirates Press.
Aaron : Doing some art work, hanging out with my lady and friends.
You’re from California, what’s the best thing about that?
Greg De Hat: Well growing up in Iowa, there is NO SNOW! And if I want snow I know where to find it. San Francisco is it's own little world, I have never been to a place like this, and that's what I think I love most about it.
Aaron Anonamus: Come on it's California, how can it get any better than that.
Any plans for the summer?
Greg De Hat: Going to shows, playing shows, hanging out with all my friends that I haven’t seen in a while, playing shows, buy a new van so that we can hit the road for as long as we can. Also, I think we may take a band Camping trip (we do it every year for Sean’s birthday). Oh, did I mention playing shows?
Aaron Anonamus: Band camp is in my future, then tour.
What would you like to say to all the ones reading this?
Greg De Hat: We know and will never forget that we can not do this with out your continuing support, we thank you all. Carpe Diem. Oh, and don’t eat the Red pill.
Aaron Anonamus: It's all the people the kids, girls, boys, aliens, that he-she I saw the other day that make what we do possible and for any other band to do so. Keep it up.
I think never ask yourself "What If" just do it. What ever your heart and mind want or desire. Cheers!
Nice of you to take the time to do this interview. Thanks a lot and good luck!
Greg De Hat: No problem, anything to help people judge me.
Aaron Anonamus: Thank you, now where's the beer?
Links:
http://www.theluckystiffs.com
http://www.myspace.com/theluckystiffs