Both loved and hated within the Oi! scene, then again, what Oi! band isn't? I personally like everything that has involved Lars Frederiksen in both the past and present with Rancid having a solid place in my top 10 list of all-time favorite bands. But I was also really into The Bastards in the early 2000's and also his latest band The Old Firm Casuals had a ton of solid releases over the past two years. Between touring with Rancid Lars found the time to answer a few of my questions about the Casuals!
You are currently on the 2nd leg of your tour with Rancid, so first of all thanks a lot for you taking the time to answer these questions! How is the tour going so far?
A: Really good. I'm just happy to be playing with these guys. It's nice to get out on tour and see allot of your friends. I was really excited that we got to play with great bands like Bricktop, NOi!se, Toughskins, and the Harrington Saints on this run. Those have been the highlights for me personally so far. Hanging out and doing a BBQ with the Bishops Green boys was a great time as well.
The interview is about the Old Firm Casuals (though the Rancid subject might come back here and there for obvious reasons), so let’s flashback to the self-titled debut 7” EP first. When you released this EP back then was it your intention for the Old Firm Casuals to basically become a ‘full-time band’ as well?
A: It's always been about having fun and playing the style of music that we all love. The band took on a life of its own to be honest. I think we are just open to where this takes us. At this point its 100% a full time band and when i say that i mean we will continue to play shows and make records until one of us gets bored i suppose hahaha. I have and will continue to make this kind of music for the rest of my life. Being in bands for the last 25 plus years I figured out this was the only thing i ever really wanted to do.
I’ll be honest, when I first heard some of the mp3’s from your first EP I was kind of shocked because of the low recording quality compared to your (previous) work with Rancid and The Bastards. Why did you choose to record these songs at someone’s house instead of a regular studio?
A: We had only been a band at that point for about 4-5 months. we didn't know what we where gonna do so we just decided to get those songs down so we had something to remember it if the band didn't last. We looked at it as a demo or a memento or something like that. We had a friend named Andrew with a 4-track machine and asked him if he would record us. He was stoked to do it so we set up in a band practice spot in San Francisco and tracked it. Then he mixed it at his house. Its funny to remember back cause there were bands playing on each side of us while we where recording. We would have to wait to track when both the bands stopped playing. by the time we got the song tracked the bands were playing again. It was the fly by the seat of your pants approach. We all dug the sound of it and thought the songs were good so we decided, Fuck It lets just put it out on a 7 inch.
It’s funny because when I got the EP itself that raw sound started to grew on me and now it’s actually one of my favorites. Still I wonder how these tracks would sound when recorded in a studio. Is it a possibility that these songs will ever be re-recorded?
A: I think it's raw as fuck. I always loved the sounds of the records i got from bands like Combat 84, Last Resort, Condemned 84, GBH, Anti Heroes, The Oppressed, Templars, Snix, Komintern Sect to name a few. It was just raw and in your face. You could tell they just set up and played. Theres so many other bands that I don't have time to mention that did the same thing. Thats what i loved about Punk & Oi! music in the first place when I discovered it. Thats what we wanted to do as well. We thought about re-recording them for the "For The Love Of It all" record but we figured that EP was a moment in time so lets just leave it alone. We are excited that The first EP is gonna be released soon on a limited edition CD by Rebellion Records along with the Madball cover we did for the "Respect your roots" comp. ("R.I.P ONNO")
Now the year is 2013 and the Old Firm Casuals have about a dozen releases under their belt. It’s quite an impressive discography for a band who’s been around for about two/three years! Did you ever expect that it would come to this?
A: Yes & No. Yes because of how close we are as friends and how much fun it is to play together. No because we never had a master plan or anything. It could have ended a long time ago.
With all the split EP’s you did with both new and classic Oi! bands, the opening slots at Rancid shows being filled with Oi! bands on a regular base and the Rancid audience, who are not necessary into Oi! or streetpunk music, you reach for being Lars Frederiksen might have introduced (quite a few?) people into this music. Do you ever get reactions like that?
A: A few times I guess. Never really thought about it until now. I just wanna play with and support bands I like. The bands that play with us are happy and thats all that matters to me.
There are also a few people online who very much dislike what you do and think it’s all fake for various reasons (you turning into a skinhead, money etc…), are you aware of this or can’t you be bothered by it?
A: Not bothered at all.
I personally think it’s bullshit, just listen to the ’94 song “The Ballad Of Jimmy & Johnny” where The Last Resort is already in mentioned, that’s almost 20 years ago! You actually build up a good friendship with singer Roi Pearce (The Last Resort) and had the opportunity to do a split double-EP with them and the Old Firm Casuals. Honored?
A: Roi I can say is a really close friend of mine. He's one of the most down to earth people you could ever meet. Anytime I'm in England we make it a point to see each other a few times while I'm there. Gonna see him when I'm over in November and December. To be able to do a split with them was one hell of an honor!! They where one of the first Oi! bands I ever heard and was part of the reason I shaved my head at 11 and became a skinhead the first time around hahaha. I think for all of us in the Casuals that was an honor.
He actually just released a new record with The Last Resort, “This Is My England”, got the chance to hear it yet?
A: Fuck yeah I did!! It's amazing. Every song is good.
With all your bands you had, and still have, the privilege to travel all over the world and play the music you love. What are the big differences between scenes in America and Europe?
A: Politics mostly. It's always been that way though. Don't think that will ever change.
I remember a show you played with The Bastards in Den Bosch, Holland, years ago. I lost the ticket of my jacket so me and my friends had to wait till everyone picked up their and cause of that we missed the last train home only to be stuck there the whole night. We ran into you and your and in a “snackbar” (where you can buy French fries etc…) and a friend of mine introduced you to the “cheesesouffle”. Do you remember “the cheesesouffle”? Haha.
A: Me and Gordy still talk about that shit!!!! That was you and your pal????
I usually round my interviews up with a few quick questions… so here we go!
A: your a cocksucker because some of these are tough to answer. i'm gonna answer them in my own way
- I got introduced to Oi! music by: My Brother
- The first Oi! band I heard was: Cockney Rejects
- My favorite Oi! record is: currently This Is My England by the Last Resort
- My favorite American Oi! band is: at the moment NOi!se
- My favorite European Oi! band is: at the moment Stomper 98
- My all-time top 3 favorite records are:
at the moment
1. Victory "Laced Up" 7"
2. The Fatskins "Young Mans Game"
3. Control "Ballad of a Working Man"
Now that your mind is set on the tour with Rancid and you have a short break with the Old Firm Casuals how do you look back on the past two/three years with OFC? And what do you see the band do the upcoming years?
A: It's been really fun. looking forward to playing more shows. We are recording the new Casuals record at the moment and that should be out early next year.
Okay that’s it! Thanks again. If you have any closing comments, or if there’s anything you’d like to add, feel free to do so!
A: Thanx allot for the interview!!!
