G.a.s. Drummers interview

Ok lets start with a nice warm up question... G.A.S. Drummers incorporate many different styles into their music; how would you describe it, and who would you say you are influenced by? What does your name mean /stand for?

Well, I don't know how to describe our music, a lot of things have been said about us, hardcore punk, punk rock, or even "furious pop quartet"... All I can say is that we are basically influenced by different bands as The Clash, Bad Religion, Husker Du, Propagandhi, Descendents, AC/DC, Fugazi, and many many others... I don't know if these influences are just visible in our music but they give us a discoursive influence in any sense. Well, Our name is a joke, because Pako and I used to play together in a couple of bands before G.a.s. drummers and they broke up because the drummers went out of the bands to spend more time with their lovers... So, once Pako said the next band we play will be named "Go Ahead Single Drummers", and so on... We decided it was funny enough and we made the short G.A.S Drummers.

Are you straight edge? What is you opinion of straight edge?

I'm not straight edge even though I don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs and don't eat meat... You would ask me, why then? Well, I think these kind of movements are part of a paradigm of fragmentation, basically united to the americanized discourse of dividing into new groups and trends. Straight Edge is a hardcore thing, but I'm not interested in a movement which is related with just one aspect of modern culture, let's say music. I care about cultural movements, if we label us just as punks, rockers, or even anarchists or reds we would be quickly devoured by this unlocated post-modern machine.
Anyway it is a possitive action in your everyday environment, but you always need to understand it is a personal choice, you have to give respect to the people that drink, do drugs, smoke or eat meat... In our band, all the other guys are omnivore, one of them smoke and all of them drink alcohol at certain times...

It says on your website that you are supporting world terrorism; terrorists
undoubtably have a just cause, but how do you justify the loss of innocent
civilian life? What are your other political views?

We have never supported religious, nationalist, or even never supported any innocent-killing cause. And we will never do. You need to read each thing in its context, beacause if we support any kind of terrorism, that's cultural terrorism... Cultural terrorism is the most dangerous, and you don't need to kill anybody. It's a matter of creating situations against the imperial culture. There are a lot of film makers, writers, painters, singers, bands worldwide that represent a resistance to this kind of imposed culture.

Who is your favourite band to have toured with?

It was a great time inour first UK Tour with our elder brothers PPM, with Adhesive (RIP) from Sweden, also with our English buddies Twofold, with our spanish friends Noways and Nochildren. With GFK and Eachonset in Canada, also with Free Living Insanity in Germany and with Aside and Easyway in Portugal.

The split with Twofold was great! how did you become friends with Twofold, do you still meet up? Could there be another Twofold/G.a.s. Drummers split?

We played together a couple of shows in our first UK tour, and after that we decided to release a split cd... Then, we toured 10 days in the UK which was such a great experience... Those boys are just great, we love them. We still have some communication, I try to talk to Danny sometimes. I think they're becoming one of the most outstanding hardcore punk bands in the British islands, they are drawing their own style, and we just love it... We would like to play a few shows together in our next UK tour and when they come down to Spain... Sure, that'd be a pleasure to split another album with the Foldies, but I rather pressure them to record their own full-length soon!

How did you feel about the outcome of the new album?

I think the critiques have been great, and we're so happy with the results so far, it's gonna be released in such different countries as Japan, Germany and Brazil... But also we have had a lot of bad luck with it. In Spain we have had loads of trouble with the factory, the distribution company and everything. So all the promotion has been mostly useless, 'cause you can hardly find the album at shops... That sucks! It's a shame because we have put a lot of effort into the album, and we're a little frustrated, in the sense of dilusioned. But let's see if these editions abroad can make the album available worlwide... Any label in the UK interested in a UK release? hehe.

What are the plans for the future for G.a.s. Drummers? A tour of England would be very nice...

There have been changes in our views, right now we want some introspective time. This year has been really hectic for us, we have toured in both continents and we have done mostly all the work, so now on we would like to start working on some new stuff. We have a few great new songs, we plan to work on that now. Some break to tour and yes, we would love to hit the UK roads sooooo soon!

What is 'The Agony Of Crusty Men' about?!

There are some environments that can drown people. Imagine an homosexual forced to behave as an heterosexual in the public spaces. In some villages, cultures, and countries, your only option is to runaway. I think it's a song that talks about people forced to exile. When you have to hide or to escape to survive. Think of sexual, political or gender discrimination.

Your style seems to have changed since 'Proud To Be Nothing' , was this
intentional, or was it the natural evolution of the G.a.s. Drummers sound?

I think this has been totally natural... And the thing keeps going on at its own rythm.

Does anyone in G.a.s. Drummers have crazy hobbies?

Well, Rafa, our drummer likes climbing but that's not really crazy... Pako loves motorbikes a lot, that's why he is Pakomoto, Pablo likes mixing cocacola with whiskey and I... I'm always talking about films, how boring!!!

If you could be in any other band, who would it be? Who would G.a.s.
Drummers most like to do a split CD with?

I have never thought of that! But I guess we all love to do a split with the Sex Pistols! So, are we already Blacklisted?