GIBBY Yeppo!

DOUG Allright… Got things straight… Is the new record out yet?

GIBBY Sure is... shipped December 4th, we got it the afternoon of a show we were playing with 9 lives, (ex-blacktrain jack) and Ducky Boys... so it was a suprise for us and the audience that this would be our record release show... hahah

You can get it at stores in the US now.

DOUG Yeah? Usually you have a record release show and the records turn up a month later!

GIBBY Exactly. This was a good turn of events!

DOUG Can you tell me a little about the new record? How many songs?

GIBBY Sure. The CD is on GMM records, our first CD. It has 15 tracks altogether, and features all re-recordings of all of the 7" tracks except for "False Front" Two of the songs on the CD are covers, one, "You Make me Sick", by Satans Rats, and a "hidden track" is "INSIGHT" a favorite of mine by my favorite band, Joy Division, which we recorded the night after the anniversary of his death, and I must say this track sounds eerily similar to the actually band, I even come off sounding like Ian at times...

DOUG Joy Division!.... You goth!

GIBBY Hahah... I was always into the Manchester music scene... Stone Roses, the Smiths, Joy Division, etc etc... I grew up around that kind of music.

DOUG Who are Satans Rats?

GIBBY Satans Rats are a very unknown English punk band from 76-77. The song is very fast and angry, a lot of fun to cover.

DOUG I noticed you wearing a mod target t-shirt in a photo once, do you get into much mod stuff?

GIBBY I noticed the mod thing when I started hanging out with skinheads 8 years ago, it always fascinated me... I never really starting hanging out with mod kids until about 3 or 4 years ago here in Boston, as there's lots of mod nights here, soul nights, etc... which are tons of fun with lots of people and often afterparties, etc... Yeah I ran around in parkas and Clarks hahah! I even have an li125 Series 3 for you scooter people

DOUG Siiiick... Scootertalk. I'm riding a px125e with a Polini 177 kit at the moment

GIBBY FANCY! Mine doesn't have much push, cause it rattles so much from all of the shit on it! 6 mirrors and blinding headlights, racks and chrome crash bars and the like. Annoyingly flash!

DOUG Nothing but trouble with mine since I put the kit on it.

GIBBY Heeheha!

DOUG I know Boston as more of a hardcore and skinhead scene, is the mod thing new there?

GIBBY Not really... The Boston Stranglers are an old mod/scooter/skin crew... they've been around for ages...

GIBBY The mod nights and the like didn't start until 3 years ago, so in that sense I guess its new... the kids come and go... most of the boys I ran with are all gone or moved or got married off to french-pop girls from Montreal! (Roger, you poof!!) HAHAHA

DOUG Roger is now defamed in Australia... Do you ride with a scooter club?

GIBBY I hung with the SCFM who moved here from CT. Now I ride with an unnamed group of scooterkids and I ride the only Lambretta... theres about 20-25 of us.

DOUG Decent enough size. I think we got 3 scooter skins in my town, and the rest are nerds.

GIBBY Hahah well you have kids who care for nothing but speed and engines, rebuilds, etc... and then there's kids like me who are happy if it run-starts pops and kicks about going 15 mph as long as the new chrome and headlights stay fastened HAHAHAH

DOUG Typical Lammy rider, they look alright, mostly when you ride past them when they're on the side of the road!!!… No hard feelings... hehehe

GIBBY Hahah come now! Hahah. No I get it a lot... its fine! Hahahyah and Vespas are Sears built for American housewives :) In my opinion, the only mod scooter is the Lambretta.

DOUG I agree the only mod scooter is the lambretta, although...what about a rally? That mods up quite well.

GIBBY True true...

GIBBY Are there many Velos in Australia?

DOUG Christ this interview is running all over the show... Velos? No never heard of them...

GIBBY Velociferos haha…I've seen one here.

DOUG We just got Italjets

GIBBY Ah.

DOUG Actually have you seen the Vespa ET4?

GIBBY Nope.

DOUG What a load of plastic retro crap.

GIBBY HAH!

DOUG They're shit. So you're into mod stuff and you're band sounds like a hardcore/oi combo, are you into hc as well?

GIBBY Yeah HC is good! I'm into stuff like Chain of Strength, New Day Rising, Integrity, Slapshot, Inkwell, etc.

DOUG Yeah right, Slapshot, funny you mention it, your vocals sound similar to Choke's. Actually they have a very 'Boston' sound. Is that intentional?

GIBBY No, I guess it's just the way I sing! Hahaha.

DOUG What do you think of the Crime and Punishment 7"?

GIBBY We recorded it with our old bass player... ummm...well I frankly think it's some of the toughest shit ever pressed onto wax.

DOUG You know what?

GIBBY What's that ?

DOUG I fucking well agree with you.

GIBBY Thank you! We were very proud of it when it came out. That was about 2 years ago or so now...1.5-2 or so.. yeah.

DOUG Without trying to piss in your pocket, it was the best thing I had heard in ages.

GIBBY HAH!! Great man no its great to hear really! The CD knocks its teeth out though. The new version of No Regrets is insane.

DOUG Well I will have to get ordering… The follow up split didn't seem as hard though. Why's that do you reckon? It seems weaker. Is it just the recording/mixing?

GIBBY The split... that sounds like we were hungover when we recorded it. Hahahha just kidding.

DOUG Hahahaa I said that didn't I?

GIBBY I read your review.

DOUG Hahahaa. Nothing personal maaaaaaaaaate.

GIBBY Alright no problem. I think We Are The Blood is hard as nails, False Front is weak as hell though.

DOUG It's not that I don't like it, it was the mix or something that killed it.

GIBBY As for the mix, I dunno maybe you got bum vinyl cause it’s the same recording sessions as Crime and Punishment.

DOUG Shit, you'd never know it.

GIBBY Same mix yeah...oh well!

DOUG So how come you teamed up with 30 Secs Over Tokyo?

GIBBY Okay, well 30 secs was friends of ours, thought it would be fun.

DOUG Yeah fair enough... Blacktrain Jack, 9 Lives, what were they like?

GIBBY 9 Lives RULES. Blacktrain jack is an old Straightedge HC band. 9 Lives is the singer from them and others. They rock the set. Melodic hc.

DOUG Are they better than Blacktrain Jack, because frankly I was disappointed with them. Token Entry were a class above them

GIBBY Yes

DOUG You mentioned Chain of Strength before, were you ever a straight edger?

GIBBY No never...

DOUG Just into good chunky meaty hardcore?

GIBBY Thats right! I like it chunky. Haha.

DOUG Got any opinions on straight edge for all the Aussie sxe kiddies?

GIBBY If it's what pushes you forward, if it what keeps you positive, more power to you!

DOUG Awww my sentiments exactly…My friend Craigo wants me to ask you about Ginger and www.working-class.com…Exactly what, I don't know...

GIBBY Sure thing!

DOUG So what are you going out with her or some shit? Christ knows what he wants me to ask...

GIBBY Oh no! Hahaha… I've known her from ST. Louis before she moved... known her for 6 years or more

DOUG All I know is that she hosts your web page

GIBBY Yeah she's cool, she offered to do it, so yeah why not!

DOUG Man on the old page you have some serious sweat stains in your armpits happening on one photo, looked like some mod polyester shirt or something!

GIBBY GOD DAMN THAT PICTURE I *KNOW* ITS HORRIBLE… I have a version of it that I "repaired" the pits in photoshop! hahAHAH!

DOUG So what kind of folks go to Trouble shows in Boston?

GIBBY Mostly punks and hardcore kids. Young kids. Depends on what bands we play with and what venue... We do a lot of DIY shows that mostly younger kids show up to.

DOUG DIY is the way to go… How do they dance to the Mod/HC/Oi!/Joy Division combo?

GIBBY We get everything from jumpkicking karate swinging Adidas tracksuit boys to mohawk circle pits to skinhead stomping and beer bottles flying... haha

DOUG Yeah that's what I imagined listening to the records...

GIBBY Im glad we cross the barriers... its important to me.

DOUG I understand that, there's bands that can do that here too.

GIBBY Oh don't forget the skinny mods that are my friends that hide in the back smoking cigarettes and dusting off their new suits scoffing at the dirties hahah and say: "God Gibby's band is so COMMON, when is this over so we can go to the club... do you think if we sneak out now he'll yell over the mic at us? Quick run man run..."

DOUG BWAHAHHAAAAAAA.... I can see it all happening now

GIBBY Well it's happened! HAHA… They feel obligated to go when I tell them, show up wearing new Ben Sherman leather squaretoes and Sta-Prests and cravats etc and then complain! AHHAHA

DOUG HAHAHHAHAHAAA

GIBBY They leave after a half-hour, ahhh its alright, I meet 'em at the club afterwards, all is forgiven!

DOUG You got the new Merc catalog?

GIBBY Yes the new Merc cat is like a Gap ad.

DOUG But fuck me, some nice clothes huh? I think making Ben Sherman rip offs and charging for the same price as a Bennie is a bit rich don't you reckon?

GIBBY Yeah I do, but if you go to the actual store, damn they have some gear. Those Ben Sherman shoes are so sharp. I have some old Fred Perry Etonic sneakers with the wreaths on the sides... damn smooth!

DOUG The Ben Sherman shoes are made pretty shoddy though, I mean for the price...

GIBBY Yeah I know but they're smooth.

DOUG Hahahhaa… So do you go to soul allnighters after shows with your hair all messed up and all sweaty and get frowned upon???

GIBBY Nah I usually bring a quick change in a bag or grab a lift home to shower and change hahha.

DOUG Oh ferk I forgot my question

GIBBY We're having a crazy party here this saturday which will be insane... DJ's and kegs, scooters, etc... wow. Okay yeah lets move on…

DOUG Oh all my hc friends here love Boston hc, they'll kill me if I don.t ask Boston questions.

GIBBY Alright lets get me at em!

DOUG Ummm old Boston bands, Last Rites, Impact Unit, Negative FX or is it Neg Approach I always get confused about that, did you see them?

GIBBY No.

DOUG Well there goes that out the window.

GIBBY I only moved to Boston about 6 years ago.

DOUG Hahahaaa

GIBBY Seen Slapshot though... stuff like that. The Freeze… reunion shows.

DOUG Aww my boys here like the Freeze a lot… So is Choke gay or what?

GIBBY Well I know hes a DJ now, like techno, and he works at Vidal Sassoon on Newbury Street, which is a very flash and expensive street downtown... but no, I don't think he likes men.

DOUG Hahahahaaa man that is fucking funny as all hell.

GIBBY Yep! Our drummers ex-girlfriend got her hair done by him to take the piss.

DOUG BWAAAAAAAAHAHHAHAAAAA I am sitting here pissing myself laughing.

GIBBY So did a friend of mine, but only because he's obsessed with Slapshot, and he probably got a fucking hardon when Choke ran his fingers through his hair...

DOUG Awww christ, it's beyond funny now, it's actually quite sad...

GIBBY HAH! I know it... I know.

DOUG Explains the bleached flat top in that video where he kicks the twigs around…

GIBBY You know, I don't know. Choke is a mystery.

DOUG Keeps us kids in Australia guessing… Is there still any NY/Boston rivalry or was that just eons ago?

GIBBY Not that I know of... I think that's all boiled down.

GIBBY Now there was some mod Connecticut/Boston battling for some time.... but thats not quite as interesting.

DOUG Hahaha not as macho as Choke and Mike Judge!

GIBBY Yeah mod fights are funny... "dont smear my eyeliner! YOU wrinkled my new fred! Asshole you smudged my new Clarks, hey dont steal my pills!"

DOUG Hahahhaaaaaaa.

GIBBY Dont mess me girls bob up!

GIBBY Hahaha this is the funniest interview i've ever done I swear...

GIBBY Good!!!

DOUG I can see it now, all these little sxe and hc kids reading it and going 'what's a mod'?

GIBBY Heehehe.

DOUG Hey do you smoke cigars?

GIBBY NO I think they smell like ass! In fact the other night a knacker at this show lit one up and I nearly died!

DOUG Oh well there you go then... must have been a dick to spark one up at a show in the first place… So to grow up with the Manchester thing must make you an oldie then, how old?

GIBBY Nah, just had nice neighbours with good taste... I'm only 21 man! I'm actually the oldest in the band, really...

DOUG Oh well fuck me, I was well out then wasn't I?

GIBBY Yeah you probably thought I was some salty Boston old-schooler... nope, just a skinny kid that moved here a few years ago and started a band! Hahahha.

DOUG So this connection with Blood For Blood, some guitarist-brother connection isn't it?

GIBBY Well Mark from the Ducky Boys is the brother of Eric, the singer of Blood for Blood, so he came in and did backups, and we've played with them a bunch... always fun. Eric actually sang in my place when I couldn't make a show once… NO NO!… I mean Mark is the brother of ROB from Blood for Blood, but Eric, their singer, thats all correct.

DOUG Riiiight.... got it…You played at the Atlanta Oi!Fest right?

GIBBY Yep. That was a fucking weekend that was.

DOUG Now tell me... was that good?

GIBBY I had fun... I drank like a fish.

DOUG Yeah I saw photos hahaha….

GIBBY Did you!? Oh on workingclass?

DOUG Yep.

GIBBY Hahaha

GIBBY Oh my shag is cut off now, I've got a smart short cut now...

DOUG Good to hear, what about the bands?

GIBBY Uhmmm... bands were good… dunno I was wasted hahahah. I was backstage drinking the complimentary booze, but Mark Noah/Antiheros was a tremendous host.

DOUG Man there are some really shit American Oi bands I gotta tell you.

GIBBY Yeah I know, nothing compared to Fortress…HAHAHAHA

DOUG HAhahahahahaah

GIBBY HAHAHA

DOUG I hate commie scum!

GIBBY "I can see the phoenix RiiiIIIISssSIINNNNNNNNNNGGG"

DOUG Hahahaaa

GIBBY They were tough.

DOUG They still are…

GIBBY Yeah..."Bonded by our blood' that song is the balls.

DOUG Very Rose Tattoo influenced… They play here in Melbourne about 4 times a year

GIBBY Really... a lot of trouble? Politically ?

DOUG Umm no, they only get about 50 people to a show.

GIBBY Ah. I'm not into any of that but its very self-supportive... kind of admirable.

DOUG Like staying on a sinking ship… Do you like rose tattoo at all?

GIBBY Rose Tattoo yeah! FUCK YEAH!

GIBBY "Im not a nice boy, and I never was........"

DOUG Saw Rosey Tatts a coupla months ago at a reunion show.

GIBBY Fucking a.

DOUG Pete Wells tattoos down here

GIBBY Ah, that's the one from Mad Max?

DOUG No that's Angry Anderson, he's a mainstream media nicey boy celebrity now, that all the grannies love.

GIBBY Hahaha

DOUG Pete Wells is the slide guitar player, he's still a badass.

GIBBY Well hey its nearly 9, and I gotta rent "city of angels" before my girlfriend gets home to watch.... HAHA SHHH DONT PRINT THAT MESS!!

DOUG okeydoke

GIBBY take it easy DOUG SKIN.