Well, well, less than 3 months for the beginning of Punk Rock Hiloday 1.8, so let's wait reading this good interview with Denis and Dan from 88 Fingers Louie recorded last year.
I: It’s the first time for you here, at Punk Rock Holiday, which in the last years has become one of the most appreciated festivals in Europe. How do you feel?
Dan: I think it’s great, I’ve heard a lot of good things about PRH, I’ve some friends who have played last year here, talked about how great the festival was, and, hearing about the festival and seeing the festival are two completely different things. You can hear a lot of thing but then you say, stop, I’ve to experience this for myself. And we arrived here just a couple of hours ago and we said, oh wow! We’re watching some friends playing at the beach stage and having the river there… I believe that is unusual for most of the festivals, especially for us, in the States, it’s just a big field, there’s nothing apart from grass and few trees.
I: You may have notice that there are no barriers in front of the stage…
Dan: Which is good.
I: Are you happy with that?
Dan: I am!
I: So expect that everyone will jump on..
Dan: Oh yeah, I’m excited.
I: So, it’s almost 20 years now that you are playing together, with a lot of changes, ups and downs, but now your new album has come out recently, so what are the plans for the future? Is everything fine now?
Denis: We are gonna finish our tour this year, two more show, and flying back to Chicago, a couple of festivals, and then we will start to plan 2018 tour and maybe a new record…
I: In this last year do you have find a kind of equilibrium between the members?
Dan: Oh yeah! It’s easier because everyone has commitments outside the band, jobs, families… I was the first one to have a child, I tried to commit but it’s hard. But everyone now is equally busy, it’s still tough but we try hard.
I: Do you have some kind of preparation before going up on stage? Some crazy things, or you’re like a quiet band…
Denis: I think that everyone of us is doing different things, like, me and John we tried to stretch… we’re getting older… maybe some vocals.. I would like to see the bands that play before us but, you know, you have to say, ok we have to prepare a bit! But nothing outside of ordinary.
We have learnt to… I mean, it’s like eating before swimming, at a certain point you know that you have to stop eating.. So, we concentrate now, more.
I: What is the strangest thing that happened to you on stage?
Denis: Falling down… I mean, it’s just funny… oh I remember! Once in Texas, this guy liked us so much that he decided to celebrate us spraying his beer holding his finger over it… he thought it was great but he ruined my speaker! Not so great at all!
We talked about this when we started to play again together, you’ve always met some people that jump up on stage, but there’s also who grab some member of the band and you wanna say, oh let him go! We have to finish to play!
Dan: Oh, there’s a story! First time in Europe, in Belgium, I think they grab Denis first, and they picked him up, then they did it with Joe and then with me, and I was stiffed there, continuing to play, and it was great! Keep the song going!
I: Do you prefer to play in big festivals or some more intimate venue?
Dan: I like both. I prefer big festivals because you meet friends, like Chixdiggit today, it’s one big social gathering. When we get to play an intimate show, I don’t wan to say that is more serious than a festival, but a club show you are the main act, one purpose, no nonsense. In big festivals, you do your job, hoping that people had fun and then… you get fun! But in small show, the energy is amazing, people is there for you, they’re your fan.
I: Which band is your favourite? To see on stage, on the backstage…
Dan: I love hanging out with Chixdiggit, because they’re cool. Good Riddance are great! Back home we have some friends… We were lucky enough to play with The Descendents, Dog Nasty… They dedicated a song to us, and even if I’m 44 years old I wanted to start crying!
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