By Spoiled Rotten For many rock and roll fans, Rancid have come to symbolize
the true spirit of punk rock. They're a band that, in sharp contrast to the
pop/punk styling of Green Day and the Offspring, represent all the aggression,
anger, and energy that punk has long stood for. But make sure you understand
that Tim Armstrong, Matt Freeman, Brett Reed, and Lars Frederiksen are much
more than some misguided "retro rock" punk poseurs. Since they were in their
teens, these Northern California rockers have lived the punk lifestyle...
and barely managed to survive to tell about it. But now with their latest
album, "...and Out Come the Wolves" nearing platinum certification, and the
band winding up a sold out American tour, it seems that their days of living
in the street and battling merely to make it through the morning are now
long in their past. Recently we talked with Armstrong about what it's been
like growing up a street savvy punk who now finds himself on the verge of
becoming a millionaire.
HIT PARADER: How surprised have you been by Rancid's success?
TIM ARMSTRONG: I am surprised, but it's not something I really think about
that much. I've been playing music for so long that commercial success was
something I more or less never considered. When my first band, Operation
Ivy, started playing in San Francisco back in 1985, punk was really something
only a few people said they liked. Most rock fans were into the heavy metal
stuff that was coming out of L.A. at that point, and to most of them punk
was just a hold-over from the bands who played it in the late '70's.
HP: What made you believe that punk could make a comeback?
TA: As far as I was concerned it had never been away. The people I associated
with, the guys who ran the clubs we played in, and the musicians I hung out
with listened to punk and played it. There were bands back then like Black
Flag that had kept a lot of punk's attitude alive. It wasn't any conscious
decision on my part to be in a punk rock band. It was just the natural thing
for me to do.
HP: When people compare today's punk bands with the bands of an earlier era,
like the Ramones or the Clash, do you take that as a compliment?
TA: Any time a band I'm in gets compared to the Clash, I'm happy. They were
my biggest influence, and I'm still totally in love with their music. I know
every one of their songs by heart, and I still think they made some of the
greatest albums in rock history. It's sad that they weren't able to stay
together for a longer period of time than they did. But while they were a
big influence, I don't know if Rancid's music is really comparable to the
Clash. I think we play a lot of faster, quicker songs, which is kind of a
California thing.
HP: How do you react when you hear that the Clash may reform?
TA: Obviously I'd love to see it happen. I think they were planning on getting
together for Lollapalooza last year, but it never happened. They're a very
unpredictable band, which is perhaps one of the reasons they were so great.
But I think it would be great if they'd come back. I know that their drummer
had a bit of a drug problem recently, but that he straightened out. But the
other guys have stayed fairly active over the years. I think they would make
some great new music in the '90's.
HP: Would you find it ironic that the Clash would reunite to take advantage
of the punk renaissance that you helped create?
TA: All I know is that without the Clash, few if any of today's punk bands
would exist. They were to punk rock what R&B was to early rock and roll:
the seminal force that got the whole thing rolling along. I certainly don't
want to take any credit for getting them back together again, but if they
do get together, I know I'll be the first guy in line to buy their record
or to see them play live. They still have that magic for me.
HP: So many people seem to view Rancid along with Green Day's some sort of
contrived punk unit conceived just to sell millions of records.
TA: (Laughing) Yeah, that's why for ten years we struggled to survive, and
I spent half my time living in shelters and detox centers. Anyone who thinks
we planned this to happen must work for a big record label! Those are the
guys who come running around now offering us a million dollars to sign with
them. Where were they five, ten years ago? Now we don't need them. Then,
we did.
HP: Some people might think that the reports of you living on the street
just a few years ago are just part of a good story. Is it really true?
TA: It's the truth. When I was about 25, I was pretty messed up up. I had
a bad drug problem mostly with pills and I ended up OD'ing on three different
occasions. I always ended up in a detox facility in a pretty crappy neighborhood-
the fact is that they tend not to put detox centers in good neighborhoods
for obvious reasons. I also would go to Salvation Army shelters just to get
off the street for a night or two. That usually happened at the end of the
month when whatever money I had was gone and I couldn't afford my rent or
to buy a meal. It was a tough time in my life.
HP: How did you overcome those problems and get your life straightened out?
TA: I haven't had a drink or taken drugs for four years now, and I'm very
proud of that. Rancid saved my life. There's no question in my mind about
that. It wasn't the band's success that did it- it was just having the band
to rely on. Back around 1990, when I was really down, my life was very bleak.
My parents had basically given up on me, and my music seemed to be going
nowhere. I had no place to live, and no music coming in. But when I got out
of the shelter for the last time, I just told Matt that this time the band
was going to make it. I was determined to see it through. There is no question
that punk rock, and Rancid, saved my life.