The Adicts Oi for Jesus

The addicts are an English punk rock band from London. They have experienced great success on many level overs the years from being signed to Warner Brother records to have a Disco hit in Sweden. They are the longest running punk band in history with original members. Although they did add a violin player but there was not on before that. One thing is for sure this band have paved the way and inspired punks from the past and the future. The crazy Roller coaster is not over yet and have plenty years to go!  I got to sit down with the guys and speak about their experiences over the years. They shared some very funny stories and are just great humble artist.

What’s your name and what do you do for the band?

I’m Pete and I play guitar fantastic

I’m kid I play drums and your gorgeous

I’m dan I play violin and I’m obnoxious

And he’s American which is redundant

I’m Scott and I play guitar too

How’s the tour going so far?

Fantastic last night we played a great show its gets better and better

Yall have been around a long time how do you keep the sound fresh?

We don’t practice we don’t see each other unless we tour we live all ove the place when we do get together its fresh.

Funniest touring moment?

In japan in 1986 where playing at the emperors palace and a hurican came in and we have big screens at the center of the stage and I came down the ramp and I fell over and I didn’t have any underwear and there was this big dark patch where you could see all my pubic hair through the jeans.

Kidd: I thought I would do something different and tried to set my kit on fire but I hit the symbol and the flame from the symbol went all over me. That was a long time ago

Last time I played Houston and my trousers fell down

Favorite place to tour and why?

There’s no favorite there all great

How would you say the sound of the addicts has changed from the early years to now?

We got better musically we can play we couldn’t at first just have fun and make noise. The energy is better are songs are so much better.

Do you still get nervous on stage?

I puke up every night before I go on stage. One minute before I do on stage I’m pukeing in a bucket

How’s the scene compared to back then?

I like it its happy a lot of young kids. Its healthier now then it was

Groupies?

no groupies for us where all married men and have to behave.

We where signed to warner brothers and did everything we could. We made a disco single just to try and get kicked off. We had a disco hit in Sweden and we threw a show while filming and we didn’t have any money to get home our name is one d is doesn’t mean anything and they put it on screen what a bunch of idiots.

What are some words of wisdom you can give to people wanting to be in a band?

Just keep believing in your dream keep your head on your shoulders. We have fallen off the road so many times if you keep on the road you will get there. Be genuine and stuff don’t do it to be famous or be on TV. The ones who stay true are the ones that get threw in the end you write your music for you not the band. We write our music for us and no one else we don’t do it for the fans somebody critizes an album that we did 25 years ago and it’s a kid I cant help but laugh. They don’t know what there talking about. Our last two albums where great.

How did you go about getting dan the violin player?

I was playing at a bar Toby’s I had a little acoustic show called the dan and Bryan show. What we do is just improvise songs of people walking into the bar and Pete came in and saw me playing and he said you got some talent mate you want to be in my band. I thought who are you creepy  british guy  and then I started asking around and got a huge response saying omg they asked you to play. Luckiest thing that ever happen to me.

Do you ever get writers block?

it happened for like 7 months but im ok now.

How does it feel to be the longest original running punk band in history?

Old hahaha

How did you work out your problems and stay together?

We don’t really know we love each other that’s one thing were family and two of us are brothers. We enjoy what we do

How did you come up with the original name of the band?

The original name of the band was the pins which laste two weeks and then kid came up with the after birth which lasted 48 hours. We did a gig and the local new paper said the music is so addictive and that’s where we got it form.

How often do you see your wife?

I’m technically married but I’m divorce separated

Whats your personal favorite songs??

Changes

Favorite album?

Roll coaster I think it’s a great album

Why?

it just has a good pop feel like the sound of music. We made the entire thing in 2 days with the new album its got a pop side of it so it is good stuff.

If you weren’t in the addicts right now what would you be doing?

Id be in jail Id be

Dan: dead in jail

You be fucked in jail

 Yeah while I was dead they would do some necrophilia

Probably managing an emo band good looking kids get them on tv.

Do you guys have day jobs?

I’m an artist. I’m an educator

I heard monkey was a professor is that true?

hes an archeologist

The thing that’s diffent about the band now also you feel like it’s a football team it’s a team effort. Different then other bands no ego trip. If you don’t do you job on the field we lose and where out to win

Do you ever see any kids imitating yall?

Oh every night maybe not tonight its interesting even in japan a 10 year old was dressed like monkey. Usually when they do a good job monkey will take them back stage.

Do yall have side projects?

I have a band called love junk. I have a band called fish circus. I have a band called humpty hump.

Three words that describe the band?

Fun, Expandable, fun with the addicts will reach into your pants and make you smile

Monkey who’s ziggys bastard son

Any pre show rituals besides throwing up?

Yes we all huddle up and say Oi for Jesus. Where thinking about calling our next album that just to piss everyone off Oi for Jesus. For the cover art a bunch of Muslims jumping out a plan and just as there about to his the ground they fall on satins tongue and monkeys standing there in front of them. Oi for jesus

Do yall have a fan club?

No offense to Muslims of course

Yes we do

Can I be the president of the fan club?

you have to start from the bottom you know we answer every email on my space and face book. We haven’t done any today so there’s like 300

Ive never talked to a band who manages their own sites and emails.

Every day we can get reception on the net today but we will answer.

So do you have personal face books?

Dan: I do send a friend request and if I feel like your worthy I may accept it,

The addicts: he doesn’t have any kids.

BBM: I cant handle the pressure.

What’s coming in the future?

Well after the tour where going to re-record the first album its 25 years since first album we recorded 25 hours and we thought wouldn’t it be awesome in 25 days and release as a double package with an enhanced DVD because weve never been happy with the album even though it’s a classic will do it different with some violin.

What inspired you to go with the Clockwork orange style?

2 years into punk rock it became boreing all of a sudden there was punk rocker with bright hair and bondage trousers you know it looked like crap and punk rock was not about that. It was so healthy before that with diffent looks  so if you think of our age it was a right time. Punk rock got us our first plaque but we did many other things

Hows touring the us different then the rest of the world?

there a lot younger here plus its big and long drives

Have you seen the Alamo?

yeah I been there before I went also to where jfk was shot.

Did you go to the basement of the Alamo?

no its not even the real Alamo. I got told it was a load of shit. I was with ozzy when he pissed on it. It was great but I didn’t get caught. I didn’t get arrested I was on the top of it

What where you think about that?

What when he was pissing on it? Its awesome I thought

You entire career can you remember how many times you play san Antonio?

5 will be back we love it here Texas is full of enthusiastic fans. I was going to wear my Texas sucks shirt But I didn’t because it doesn’t suck. The only bastard that comes from here is George bush. The rest of the world looks at Texas as a strange place. But what is it the red neck Texans have a big of an attitude. They take it up the ass up here Steers and Queers

Do you have anything to add?

We like to thank everyone I think we’d like to thank Texas the kids and all of America for being behind us where very thankful and show it tonight at the show. We like to give the love spread the love and where not hippies we just want everyone to walk away with a smile on their face. We had a guy come up to us and say we’ve seen kiss and rolling stones and said we were the best show he ever saw.

How did you come up with the cover art to roller coaster?

I was pretty stoned right and I was in Hamburg Germany watching this crazy movie it was in a strange language with German subtitles. I was like wow this is blowing my mind I took a picture and that’s where it came from. No one still knows the name of the movie Ive show so many people the pic and no one knows very bizarre movie. We had to doctor the photograph a lot of work to get it looking good.

Support you local record label

What do you think of punk going main stream?

I think its great what is main stream selling out. Im going to explain something about selling out what gives someone else to tell them not to be able to spend there money in hot topic if I want to buy a record I will buy a record. Good luck to all these bands making money. After 20 years we have our first bus and its so good. The only thing it doesn’t have a sun bed or a sauna.

Is it true you can’t take a dump on the tour bus?

well you can but you just get charged 500 dollars for each turd ( laughs) that’s an expensive shit we can pee on the bus.

Have you ever been discouraged in the past?

day to day weve had some bad experiences with record labels like the warner brothers thing biggest label in the world at the time.

How did they wrong you?

The bands at the time where at the label where the Ramones, dead boys and Madonna and Madonna was number one in every street in the world and they didn’t have the man power to support the other bands. They sold the Ramones for 5,000 dollars they wouldn’t allow us to leave it cost us 80,000 grand and when we gave them a new album they wouldn’t release it.

How’s sos treating you?

Its great fantastic where part of that family.

How was the British invasion dvd coming out is it selling well?

idk but they are slowly embracing the latest albums. Its one of those ahead of its time we knew it when we were remaking it. It’s more like the first album than any other its got the same kind of format from beginning to end. I just don’t like the sound of the first album we did it so quickly and it was the hottest day of the year and recorded in Pink Floyds studio in a county western studio.

Interview with monkey the lead singer

So i heard you an archeologist have you ever found anything cool?

Yes I found some things worth value but that’s not why we do it. It’s for the fun back in England we found jewelry and shields and daggers.

Most memorable touring moment for you?

its right now

How do you keep your lyrics fresh?

Its good to say where we come from and how we work together?

Do you design your own cloths or have someone make it?

yeah I buy  crystals and other things on ebay

What made you want to be in a band?

Just the entire punk rock ethic just anyone can get up and do anything. I had a friend into it before I was and he said you gotta check out the scene. It wasn’t the music so much as the artist expression you could act and do your hair any way you want. It was innovative and its more like performance art to me.

What’s some advice you would give to someone wanting to start a band?

Get yourself some black doc martins and see where that takes you

What’s an embarrassing tour moment for you?

There were naked photographs of me in Germany a few weeks ago. I think on the internet it was quite embarrassing you know forgetting the words falling over on stage. The older you get the more you forget and fall over. I;m waiting for the time of the young punks finally get old and don’t remember anything.

Favorite album and why?

 couldn't tell you

last time you played someone came on stage and kissed you are you used to stuff like this happening?

Yeah it happens from time to time.

I heard you have confetti and streamers on tour? How much is it?

I buy it before tour and its all pre packed buy in bulk make it all and arrange it all

Favorite place to tour?

Americas always been good for us

Any last words any thing you want to add on?

yeah do you really do this for a magazine you seem to be doing it on the fly. Its okay if you’re a fan

BBM: ....

Yeah that came about because we had an interview with the entire band and before they said monkey wont be in the interview after we finished with the band they said monkey is ready for you came as a big surprise and was not expected.