Skankin' Pigeons
The interview took place during June 1999 by email.
Interviewee: Alex Copeland
Interviewer: Rick Happy
Let's start with the obligatory opening question to get things rolling. Who are spunge (name, age, instrument, favourite drink, etc.) ?
Spunge are:
Alex Copeland - Lead Vocals - 25
Damon Robins - Lead Guitar - 26
Paul Gurney - Rhythm Guitar - 26
Martin Holt - Bass Guitar - 30
Jerry King - Drums - 25
Drinks:
Alex - Tequila
Damon - Stella Artois
Paul - Stella Artois
Martin - Fine Whiskey (Got to be expensive!)
Jerry - Coke (Can't handle beer!)
Other favourite stuff:
Alex - Skater Chicks, skateboarding, drawing.
Damon - Women, tattoos.
Paul - Easy women, scooters.
Martin - Skateboarding, old punk bands.
Jerry - Taking things apart to see how they work, complaining.
How did you get together and what is the name "[spunge ]" all about and why the maths brackets around it ?
We had all spent out on an instrument of one sort or another and didn't want to have wasted our money, so we were all looking to do something with them. We ended up together because that isn't a lot to do in a place like Tewkesbury. We are the only 5 that live there that aren't scared if we can't see the Abbey tower any more!
When we first started out, we weren't called [spunge], and without saying the name we were (bit embarrassing now!), the old name had the initials S and P. We had a load of T-shirts done with SP on them, and then we decided to change our name. Instead of wasting the shirts we had just paid for we decided to choose a name beginning with SP. [spunge] was the one that we all liked.
The brackets around it came about because we had a name, but we wanted a logo that would be recognised. When we did our self financed EP "Kicking Pigeons", we came up with a sort of lozenge shape around our name. Then we realised that a lot of bands had this (Oasis, Prodigy ....) so we just knocked the top and bottom off. When people started writing about us, they started using the two end pieces as brackets every time they typed our name. We didn't think of this to start with, but it just stuck and we like it, it makes the name stand out on a page full of names!
You have a new album out on Moon Ska, what kind of response have you had to the album and what made you decide on including a freebie CD of live tracks ?
The response has been great, although the distributors got it into the shops a month late so we did lose out on some initial sales, but it seems fine now. I don't know an exact figure of how many we have sold, but everyone we met who has it say they love it. We include the free live CD because we know that we are at our best live, and although it can't capture the whole feeling of one our gigs, we wanted to put a bit of what we believe [spunge] is really about, with the album. To witness [spunge] at their best, you really do have to go see them live though!
Your song "Lyrical Content" which appears on the album "Pedigree Chump" seems to be directed at defending the right to write (lyrically) whatever the hell you like. Do you feel that politics shouldn't be a part of music and what do you feel is more important in a song the music or lyrics ?
I think that everyone is free to sing or say what they like (within reason) but I don't need it rammed down my throat. All I'm trying to say with this song is I'm not pretending to know any better than the next guy about any subject, I'm just writing music because I enjoy it! Most of our songs have a harmless little story to them, but they are never deep, meaningful subjects with hidden meanings, there's enough shit in the world without someone telling you about it all the time. Music is there to enjoy, not to tell you how shit the world is!
I thing a song is a combination of both music and lyrics and you can't have one without the other. Without music it becomes a poem, and without lyrics it becomes an instrumental! Having said that lyrics identify the song for the listeners, so they are important in giving the song its identity. Then again, I would say that, I'm the lyric writer!!
There seems to be a massive new interest in ska, who would you cite as your main influences (music or other) and what do you think about this new wave of ska revivalism ?
Our main influences are a mix of old and new as far as the music goes. Obvious ones such as The Specials, Madness etc.. and a lot of American bands, NOFX, Green day, SmashMouth, Sublime.... lots more besides. As far as a personal influence Brad Nowell (deceased), the lead singer/song writer from Sublime is my (Alex) main inspiration, just for the pure energy and feeling he put into everything to do with his band.
The ska revival has got to be a good thing, although we aren't traditional ska so even if there wasn't a revival we would have enough of an appeal to people to carry on regardless.
I believe that when you first started out that you were a covers band, was this your learning ground for live performance and what would you say was your favourite cover version ?
We weren't so much a covers band as a band that played a lot of covers! We did this so we could learn how to play as a unit before having to worry about writing tunes as well. The covers we did were pretty embarrassing when we think about them now, luckily we didn't gig much back then! Our favourite cover is one we do now which is 'Santeria' by Sublime, we love playing that one!
Playing live seems to be your main thrust, what plans have you got for the remainder of this year ?
Playing for a crowd is what we live for! The remainder of this year we are doing a short tour in July (8th to 21st) around the UK, then recording either a single or a new album (hush hush at the moment!) over the summer. At the end of September we are going to be playing in Ireland for a few weeks and then back out in the UK for October/November. After that we haven't got any plans yet but I'm sure they will involve a hell of a lot of gigs!
What makes you all:
a) Happy ?
Sorry, only me here today. Hearing a tune being written and just knowing it's gonna be another [spunge] smiler.
b) Sad ?
Every time we have to stop touring I get a little bit down, but nothing is worth ruining a day for!
c) Horny ?
Skater Chicks. Man, they should be made illegal! (Only kidding, the more the merrier!)
d) Shit yourself ?
Wol's (Paul) driving when I'm in the back of the van!!!
If you could meet and talk with anyone living or dead who would it be and what would you talk about ?
It has to be good old Brad Nowell from Sublime again. I'd just want to chill with the guy and ask him if he felt the same way about being in a band as I do. It just tends to take you over if you really want it, and I think that is the way it got him too. I'd also have to tell him not to take that last bit of heroin that killed him! Maybe then we could of toured together!
What will you be up to at the turn of the millennium ?
If it's anything like normal then we will be gigging! I would've thought we will be having one hell of a party whatever happens, but as far as the band goes, we ain't stopping yet!
Perhaps we will break into the Millennium Dome and stage a gig on one of the exhibits! Keep your eye on the papers for any arrests made around then!
Thanks for your time, anything else you'd like to say ?
No problem. Just look out for us all the time and thanks to everyone for the support, we appreciate it. Also, we are recording this summer so make sure you buy the new release when it comes out in Sept/October, and watch out for us live around then as well when we go to Ireland and then back out round the UK for a couple of months to promote it! Busy, busy, busy! But we love it!
[spunge], PO Box 7547, Alcester, B49 5RD, UK