This was a last minute interview with Brent from the top Canadian hardcore outfit SNFU. The interview took place over the phone on 25th September 1996 at 7.30pm.
SNFU have been treading the boards for a fair few years, can you give a brief history of the band and what's the present line up is?
OK, present line up first as that is easier. You got Chi sings, Muck plays guitar, I play guitar and Robert Johnson plays bass and Dave Reece plays drums. Actually this is one has probably the longest line up, this is like the same line up that we've had for the longest stretch of time which has been 3 or 4 years now. 3 albums now! We've never done two albums in a row with the same line up.
So that's been since Something Green and Leafy then ?
Yeah, since we started with Epitaph. We've done how many albums... about 6 albums, well this album is our seventh but the fourth one was kind of a singles comp of stuff so it's our six and a half album. What ever, we've been around as long as I can remember it's the only thing I know.
So where you in the original line up ?
Yeah, I've been through it all. It started around '82 and our first album was in '85, it started pretty small really just like sitting around on the weekends in the garage and things.
Do you tour alot now ?
Yeah, we had a break since... our new album came out yesterday so...
That's Fyu Laba (tentatively getting to grips with the phonetics of the word)?
Fyu laba, yeah.
I thought it was really good, very up front and it really stands out.
Yeah, I'm really happy with it, I wasn't sure half way through the recording process I was like "Oh gee, maybe we should like do this and write some more on that and.." but I think the songs on this are much better than the previous album and compared to the first album.
Yeah, it does sound alot more mature now than the previous albums and with the additional instruments and nice backing vocals it just really seems to gel together, so what does Fyu Laba mean then ?
Fyu Laba ? It's Fuck You Up Like A Bad Accident!
Hey, I like that.
We decided to go with the short title instead.
Instead of 7 long words sort of thing ?
Yes, 'cos every album has a seven word title.
Yeah, that's right.
So this one sort of does and it's our seventh album, so we thought seventh album...
Seven letters...
Yeah.
The last time I saw you was about a year ago in Leicester and you were as energetic as when I first saw you nearly ten years ago, is energy a driving force for the band ?
Erm, well I guess it gives you something to do on tour. Yeah, I don't know I guess it's just what we do, what we play.
You always seem to be enjoying yourselves with water pistols and stuff like that the energy sort just comes of you.
Yeah, I don't worry about the props, I don't really pay attention to what the signer-guy does. (laughs) we like do our own thing.
Is that part of what you are as individuals or ?
Err, I don't think it's what we are as individuals. If we were like that in real life all the time you know you wouldn't be sitting still for more than like 5 seconds. I think we're a little more casual than that, maybe that's why we like let it all out on stage.
So it's not your alter egos coming out then ?
Oh it probably would be more so.
You've just been touring, where have you been in the States and Canada ?
I didn't just tour with SNFU, me and Muck and Rob have another band that we're in called the Weechies (!!??)So that album came out finally so we just toured most of Canada and then like a few shows in the States and we just got back a week ago. SNFU is leaving on our North American tour in three weeks from now and I'm not sure when we're going to Europe but we're gonna go to Europe sometime.
So is this a side band or something you've done for a long time ?
Yeah, well SNFU broke up for a couple of years a long time ago, 5 years ago and we started that band at that point as a kind of reaction to SNFU, I guess. It was alright and we had a pretty good time so we kept it going, you know. So our first albums just come out which was like recorded 4 years ago.
So how does it differ from SNFU ?
Oh it's poppier, it's less frantic and more melodic. It's a pop band - our version of pop.
That sounds interesting. The fact that you've been around for such a long time is a testament to the strength of the band, what factor would make you call it a day ?
Well we actually did break up. (Laughter)
So what was the factor, personal differences ?
Yeah it was like we'd just finished a North American tour and it was like it was becoming a bit redundant, like playing the same places and to what ever, a bunch of people who were doing the same sort of thing. At that point writing new material was like becoming painfully slow and we'd had an album out a year and we'd like written two songs. We just felt we wanted a change.
Who does the bulk of the writing then ?
Well Chi does all the lyrics and then we all do the music, well Muck does most of the music.
Is that your brother?
Yes.
So what's it like being having your brother in the band?
I don't know, It's all I've ever known! (Laughter) Every band I've played in has been with him so...
You get on together, you don't fall out ?
Oh yeah we're not like those Oasis guys (more laughter) but we might try that to get some good press (more laughter) Nobody likes to see two guys hanging out and having a amicable time.
Yeah, it's wrong really.
Yeah it's boring, not wrong just boring you can go to the park anyday and see that.
So what one factor has kept the band together except for the split of course ?
Erm, our belief in the power of rock n roll! Erm No. I guess I don't know. I think nobody's over bearing on each other we basically have known each other long enough to know when to back off and when to push people, we just know how to deal with each other and there's no big egos involved which I thing is a big factor and a reason why alot of bands split up. Originally when we lived in Edmunton there was nothing else to do and no other bands to join.
So you were forced together ?
Yeah, so it was like quit the band and do what?
On the new album you have a song about John Wayne Bobbit, on And No-one else wanted to play you had "Plastic Surgery Kept her beautiful", on If you swear.. you had "Where's my legs" Have you got a bit of an obsession about amputees and disfigurements or do you just like black humour?
Well it would be I guess the black humour first and the amputee second, one sort of comes from the other.
Chi obviously writes the lyrics so is it more his obsession or what ?
It comes more from his brain than a statement of the five of us but of course it comes from us too. But it all comes out of his brain. I never wanted to write a song about John Wayne Bobbit in fact I was sick of hearing about that guy.
Yeah it was heavily publicised.
It was ridiculous.
One thing that always interested me about SNFU is that you write alot of songs about the sort of things many bands don't, do you purposely steer clear of political comment ?
For Chi it's just not an interest of his really, he probably doesn't know who our Prime Minister is at the moment! Right and it comes across sounding preaching and stuff you know and then becomes self-righteous and then somewhere down the line you end up looking like an idiot. The Clash did a good job at it and I thought the Clash were geniuses but it's just they could do it. I think there's alot of bands that did that kind of thing because they liked the Clash so much but you just have to be really sincerely believing it because there's alot of bands try to do it and it just like they think it's cool.
Yeah but they don't actually live it and end up being an hypocrisy.
Yes, Chi has no interest in that. I have some interest in that and stuff.
With alot of punk bands it's kind of expected that they write political lyrics.
Yeah, but basically there's some kind of social commentary in most of our songs. There are alot of songs that have nothing, just a stupid song about a stupid person. Just from the point of you can tell where a person is coming from and what their certain beliefs are in certain areas.
I mean all social commentary has some form of politics within it.
As much as Ken would say or Chi would say that he is completely A-political but I would say well no there's some leanings in there. I think there's alot of being responsible for your actions kind of thing in your lyrics if you fuck up you pay the price.
I think that is really like life you know you have to be responsible for your own actions and when you aren't responsible there is like no excuse. You are responsible for what ever you do.
Yeah, it's like you should go out and have a good time but be aware of who you're smacking your elbows into. when you're walking in the street.
So have you any idea of when you'll be coming to the UK ?
I have no idea, we've been trying to get hold of our agent but to no avail but Spring I should think is when we'll be in the UK.
With you being around for a while and you've obviously seen alot of things come and go how do you see the whole music scene ahs changed ?
Err I don't know, well punk rock is definitely way more mainstream than it ever was and it is way more accepted. Like when I went to High School there was like 2,OOO people there and like 8 punk rockers and we pretty much all new each other and now it's just another form of pop music, right? But I think some of the ideals are carried through but they're kind of watered down but I think some of the ideas are caring through, which I guess is better than the way things were in general. Musically I think the musicians in punk bands are more musician like but you know the whole thing about when punk rock started was that any one can do that and anyone could just walk on stage and play but that kind of thing has gone which I think is too bad, so it was more attitude than proficiency.
Yes certainly I know what you're saying.
And some of the political sentiments have gotten watered down.
Because it is musicians playing punk...
Yeah, and because it's more entertainment than anything else, but better entertainment than it was.
Do you actually make a living from SNFU now ?
Barely.
Ok, finally, if you could remove one human trait from all humans what would it be ?
Fhh, err... the fact that you have to take a shit each day!
Its been great speaking to you thanks for ringing.
Where abouts are you ?
We're in Hull, it's in the North, just down the motorway from Leeds.
Oh right I got ya now. Take it easy, cheers.
It was great speaking to Brent and he's a real nice guy, and thanks to Chrissie for arranging the interview at such short notice. SNFU's new album is out on Epitaph and is damn fine and hopefully we'll be treated to them touring in the Spring.
SNFU
PO BOX 1O6
1184 Denman Street
Vancouver BC
V6 E2M9
Canada.