HEY THERE CHECK THIS OUT!!!
Here's the interview from Lars!
First off, can you give us a brief history of the band
And who is in the line up?
Lars Frederiksen- guitar & vocals
Casey Watson- bass & vocals
Paul Rivas- Drums & vocals
A: We started off in early October of 2010. I knew Casey from around the scene for a couple of years and when he started hanging around with us in the whole D.M.S Family, it was kind of no brainer to call him. i knew he had been in a lot of hardcore bands like "never healed", "look back and laugh" and that he was a musician. We were talking one night and through the conversation we clicked about a lot of the same bands. He was into a lot of the oi! stuff that i was into and a lot of the same punk and hardcore stuff i should add. I told him about my idea for a new band and he was down from the get go. Casey is actually a good guitar player and thats what he did besides sing in his other bands. I wanted to keep it a 3 piece band so i asked him if he would be interested in playing bass. He said he was so he became the bass player. All we needed now was a drummer and i asked Casey if he knew anybody with the same likes in music and who would understand what we are trying to do. He said the old drummer Paul from "Never Healed" was into the same shit, so i told him to give him a ring. Casey called Paul and told him about the idea and Paul was into it. I called Paul a day later and we talked for an hour and the band was basically formed when we all met up at a club the next night where myself and some of my D.M.S family were spinning records.
As a band, who/what are your influences? And why you interest to make this band project?
A: Well a lot of bands really. The bands that come to mind are some bands like The Last Resort, Combat 84, Cock Sparrer, Bad Vultures, Cracker Jacks, Evil Conduct, The Bruisers, Agnostic Front, Booze & Glory, The Templars, Madball, Pressure Point, Murphy's Law, Perkele, Stomper 98 to name a few. As far as the other half of the question, I have wanted to do a band like this for a very long time. Although, everything i have ever contributed to either with Rancid or the Bastards I have always felt was my version of Oi!. Rancid was shouting Oi! in our songs back in 95. We were writing songs about punx and skinheads and hooligans the whole time we have been a band. The first bastards record was a straight up Oi! record from start to finish. So many people told me that and i fully 100% agree. This music was the first real punk i ever heard besides the Ramones. It's really no stretch from what i have been doing for the last 25 years making music to me.
Does the band's name have a meaning?
A: The First name of the band was "The Old Firm" but there was a few bands out there with the same name so we changed it to "The Old Firm Casuals". When I came up with the name "The Old Firm" it was more in homage to my D.M.S family. D.M.S was one of the original skinhead firms in the U.S. it stood for DOC MARTEN SKINS. I have had My D.M.S tattoo and been in the Family for many years now. That's actually were the name came from. As far as adding the Casuals to it- well Casey and Paul looked like and dressed like all the football Casuals i know back in the Uk. Also it sounds cool and all in all its only a band name.
So Lars, are you skinhead now? And do you leave RANCID ad LARS FREDERIKSEN AND THE BASTARD?
A: Yes. I have been heading this way for many years. Actually most of my friends were surprised i didn't do it a long time ago. As far as Rancid goes i'm 100% still in the band. Bastards was fun while it lasted but i am on to The Old Firm Casuals now.
Most of your songs are about what?
A: Whatever comes to mind really. a lot of real life experience i will say. We write the songs together as a band most of the time. It's just better that way. The subjects range from the dumbing down of america by reality tv to the violence thats on the streets. It's very personally political and reality driven. As a band we all come from the san francisco bay area which is probably the last union town on the west coast. when you grow up in that environment there's always gonna be that street working class point of view. I personally grew up in project housing and was very poor the majority of my life. Casey,Paul and I are individuals and we all have different opinions and ideas but we make them gel together because we all idealistically come from the same place. Nowhere's-ville HAHAHAHAHA
How you can work together with Oi! The boat records?
A: I still am a record collector and I am always on the hunt for new stuff at my local record store. Sometimes they don't carry what I like so I have to venture online and order records there. I bought a few records from Oi! the Boat and one time I got a note back from Max and Joe who do the label saying, basically, thanks for all the years of music that I have made with Rancid & the Bastards and if I ever wanted to do a 7 inch let them know. I told casey and Paul about it and i told them to check em out. They both knew of the label and we decided to give em a call. I called them and we Immediately hit it off and I realized that this was the label for us.
Max and Joe have the same passion about this music as we do and they work hard. They are some of the best guys I have ever dealt with and they are solid motherfuckers who just love music. I'm glad we found a home with them.
What do you think about skinhead scene in usa?
A: The streetpunk & oi! Scene is great. There's a lot of great newer and not so new bands out there right now. The bands from my area like the Harrington saints, Sydney ducks, hounds and harlots,pressure point,and the forgotten to name a few are Amazing. Then there's bands like Noi!se, the Toughskins, armed suspects, the yellow stitches, Fear City, the Gestalts, etc that are just as good. As long as music is made in the USA there will always be this style.
Do you have any plans to play in Asia, or Indonesia especially?
A: No plans as of yet but I would never rule it out. I would love to come over and play at some point and I'm sure we will someday.
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