Putrefaction are a Dublin (Ireland) based band, who consist of members of Scientific Bong and Easpa Measa. I think they have a very Scandinavian sytle crust sound, which is right down my street. They have a great demo out called 'Destroyers', well worth getting a copy of contact direwolf @ riseup.net 1. Would you mind giving a bit of background/history of the band? Do you find it helps to get gigs having all been in various bands before? Crusty stuff was quite popular for a while around Dublin, but seems to be fading out again. Do you think there's a good reaction to your sound? As I find sometimes, if you say a band is crust, d-beat etc, there is an automatic assumption, it'll be a bunch of raggedy, patched up drunken crusties... which sometimes can be the case....hmm where was I going with this question? eric:The band started around two years ago as a five piece,playing more jap-core type stuff but a bit all over the place musically..we played one gig at CrustyFukkFest,with the name Chemical Death,and then called it quits. We then reformed as a three piece and its been like that since..We've played alot in dublin and belfast and we just got back from playing at shit town fest in Copenhagen which was amazin..I think it does help having been in bands before but there are so many gigs in dublin these days its no really hard anymore..Yea we get a good response sometimes..raggedy,patched up drunken crusties..yep thats us.. although i'd like to move towards the white cowboy boots,bullet belts and wind machines meself! eoin: I think music of the crustier persuasion is popular enough at the moment,there's a lot of people into the heavy raging type of stuff right now and crust/hardcore fits into that demographic so people are into it. I like the assumption that it'll be a bunch of raggedy, patched up drunken crusties, it keeps the posers away! donal: Maybe, maybe not, we're all in a few bands, people dont wanna see us playing every week... theres a very strong reaction, my bad leg starts acting up,and i sweat a lot.. and my eyes start staring out of their sockets in a funny way 2. Do you think you can still get across a point of view/opinion/message by playing gigs? Or do you think it's more in people reading lyrics etc on the album etc afterwards? eric: I guess my feelings on this change depending on how positive i'm feeling about the scene..which fluctuates a bit.. i think sometimes you can definitely get a point accross during a gig.. with easpa measa i used to talk alot between songs and we did have people coming up afterwards and talking to us about what we were sayin..but also a good few heads abus in us on the stage..thats the way it is though..i do think it sometimes breaks up the momentum and energy of a set so i think lyric sheets are really important. we include short explainations with our lyrics too and try to find a new take on some themes. Like looking at some shit like current war/environmental issues/colonial history etc from an irish perspective.. eoin: I'm more interested in expressing how angry and pissed of I am at a base level than getting a 'message' across, don't know what the point would be anyway - I'd rather have a conversation with someone if I wanted to communicate what my opinions were. Having said that I like having good, non-generic (sometimes generic...) lyrics that deal with topics in an interesting way. I'm just a hypocrite... donal:Well, my intention isn't to express a view/opinion/message, I like the medium though, getting angry about something fucked up in front of a load of people is a great laugh! The more articulate our lyrics are the easier it is to shout them with some passion... I dunno if people take them seriously or not, I hope so 3. What's the story with Seomra sproai at the moment is it still going strong? It's great to have an alternative in Dublin. Putting on a gig is just to damn costly there, or anywhere for that matter. eric: Seomra Spraoi is in new premisis now on Marys Abbey and more active than ever..lots of events;weekly radical film showings,parentscollectives,RAG(Revolutionary Anarcha-feminist Group),Animal Rights groups,Anarchist Black Cross,vegan cafe,some gigs and parties and ALOT more.Its a really important space,especially as squatting has proved so difficult for us in the past in Dublin and rents are so high..Collectively run spaces seem to be the only answer..I dont think it is the end for squatting either,but it is great to have a legal space too.It can be more open and accesible,especially for people new to this "scene".. donal:I wasn't allowed into a party last week, so I'm going to hold a grudge against the collective for the rest of my life, hopefully longer.. 4 When are you playing in Donegal or Derry direction? Any plans for leaving these fair shores for a few gigs? Is it awkward with the other bands your in to get time to practice/gig, without pissing off your other band mates? eric:When ya put a gig on!! No plans to leave ireland for gigs just yet,although we got offered to play in spain and the US.. yea, i have absolutely NO time,between 4 bands,tattoo work,seomra spraoi,doing a new zine etc etc but we manage ok... donal: Yeah I hope so! Erics really lazy though so its hard to do anything like that... huh huh.... We're trying to open a new practice space, thats pretty high on a short list of priorities, but i'd really like to do some gigs around the country. eoin:It can be awkward being in a few different bands, its a case of trying not to prioritise one band over another and not double-booking anything! I'm terrible for that... You get to play loads of gigs though (read: get into gigs for free). 5.For years now, at the end of every interview I always ask, 'anything you like to add', future plans'. So this time I came up with a whole new question, very political it is too. What's the crustiest thing you've ever done? There you go I could get a job with any teenage pop magazine with questions like that.... ah sod it, anything you like to add? eric:Crusty things kind of happen to me rather than me doing them..erm..Sean erm..future plans are to releae an LP some day. We will be on a compilation i am puttin out with me new zine"TWO HEADED DOG" which also includes Still Birth from belfast,Divisions Ruin from Kilkoole and Carosah from Bray..I should be out this month(october 07),hopefully tour more too.. crusty things..er, i've slept in our "Putrefaction Banner of Filth" a few times.. its a massive patchwork of foul old leather jackets and crusty trousers abandoned by the dirtiest punx ever to stay in our houses,stitched together with dental floss,with a big skull squid painted on it.. it smells like wee..crust is nothing to be proud of..it just turns you into a wretch! boo hoo! donal: Crusty.. hmm crusty... mostly involving poo, human and animal.. unorthodox usage of faeces as projectile weaponry... aiding in the creation of a frozen Poo-Dildo..that was the worst... eoin: Future plans - do an actual real tour sometime, do a few splits (one with War Crimes from England coming soonish), bring down civilisation, the usual... The crustiest thing I've ever done? Man, crust is my middle name (actually its Liam). I threw a bottle of piss at some Gardai a couple of weeks ago and the piss had aids in it. Does that count? Also I spent Christmas in jail for rioting, rioting is crusty right? While in the clink I cried watching Home Alone, not so crusty...