"...So fuck the idols. Fuck the icons. Fuck all heroes. Fuck the squares. Fuck the hipper-than-thou. Fuck the naive kids we used to be and fuck the bloated old bastards we will one day become. Matter of fact; fuck the surly twenty-some things we are right now. Fuck the dominant culture. Fuck the subculture. Fuck every rule of every scene. Fuck the poor unlucky billions whose mandate is to march lockstep to their graves, we are THE UNLUCKY FEW whose mandate is to play rock n`roll, regardless of what and who supports this crusade. Middle fingers to everyone, fuck their world, because nothing means anything but this shitty music, cause this noisy shitty music means everything."
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The Unlucky Goons.
First of all: what is irony for you guys? As the passage above is from the band bio on your website...
The irony for us relates to the laws of nature governing music cycles. Today's new sound is tomorrow's cliche. Today's newcomer is tomorrow's old scene fart. So no matter how hard you hit at the beginning of the cycle, you are destined to be at the ass end of it one day. And this is the best case scenario. The worst is that no one has ever even heard of you. Yet for some reason we still feel compelled to waste untold time and money on the foolish pursuit of rock n`roll glory.
Ok please introduce yourself and the current line-up of THE UNLUCKY FEW!
Gary Zito - bass, Fester - guitars, Mike - drums, Matt - vocals
You`re from Connecticut....what is your musical backround...played in other Connecticut bands before?
Yes.
Fine hahaha...anyways you`ve got your demo CD out...are you guys in need of a record deal?
Yes, if it's the right one.
I highly recommend your CD to everyone out there...it`s definetely pretty cool stuff,how would you describe the sound of THE UNLUCKY FEW?
The sound isn't typical hardcore. It's a progression of everyone's influences from punk, metal, hardcore, even rock. Because after all, it's all rock and roll. We all try to play to our potential so there are a lot of different sounds and beats, not the same mosh part repeated 16 times. We have made no effort to fit into any generic subcategory. Everyone has their own playing and writing style, so the collective result of that is THE UNLUCKY FEW. Obviously this is what lots of generic bands say anyway, but listen and see for yourself.
Where is the demo available? How can the kids pick it up?
Currently it is available through the website or from us at shows. We are repackaging and the cd should be available through distro chains by the end of April.
Any recording or touring plans?
We're writing new songs and may record in the summer, but right now our priority is to get this cd heard and play as many shows as possible. Anyone who wants to put on a show or swap shows feel free to contact us at theunluckyfew@hotmail.com.
What do you guys consider the most rewarding aspect of being in a band?
Playing.
And the most frustrating?
A recent example: Driving 10 hours for a show with 15 kids in the audience and sharing the bill with the worst talking heads cover band in the history of time. Speaking of time, they played for an hour and 45 minutes before they would let us get on the stage. Which actually wasn't a stage but the floor of a roller skating rink in the middle of fucking nowhere. Not to meantion the arrests, fines, damaged equipment, and injuries (self-inflicted). And the smell.
What are your musical, as well as lyrical, inspirations and influences? Do they affect the way you guys write songs?
Rather than listing a bunch of bands we'll just say that the four of us have widely varying influences and backgrounds with some elements in common, but none of these influences alone has provided a blueprint for our style.
What artists have you been listening to a lot recently?
Clutch,
Les Savy Fav, any Mike Patton projects, Nomeanso, Milligram, Dissolve,
Refused, the Who, Lifetime, At
The Drive In and Matt has been listening to Killing Time "Brightside"
again lately.
What do you know/think about European hardcore, rock`n roll or whatever...?
As far as we can tell, the scene over there seems a lot more diverse and appreciative, and maybe even less trend-oriented than the U.S. Of course this is from an outside perspective. Plus the European music scene spawned Refused's "The Shape of Punk to Come", possibly the first succesful documentation of hardcore as a fully-produced, fully realized form of rock and roll.
What kind of things do you guys do besides the band.....I mean when you aren`t involved in playing music?
Skating, smoking, other bands, computer music, graphic design, high quality embroidery and carpentry. Plus Gary likes playing with his lizard "the predator".
My all time questions: what makes you happy? You know I can`t really say it...
Playing shows, going to shows, recording, writing, jamming, listening. Family, friends. Good food, good drinks, good pot.
And what is your greatest concern about the world right know?
Either imminent global warfare and mass extinction or the disturbing proliferation of 'Nu-metal'.
Alright, thanks for sending me your CD and doing the interview... Is there anything else you`d like to add?
Thanks
for a good interview and for taking an interest. We can't wait to get
to Europe. Anyone who wants to pay for our tickets e-mail us. Big up
Amsterdam!! Thanks -- The Unlucky Few.
Interview conducted by Magnus Jaschke in February 2002.
