Stormwatch has been dubbed as 'The most controversial band in
the American Oi! movement" because of they aren't afraid to
speak their minds. You've heard of them, now read the
interview done with Jeff, vocalist of Stormwatch to find out
what the band is really about. Interview by Fester.
There has been changes in the lineup, what are they?
Yes, there has been some line up changes. One of our
original guitarists (Don) and our original drummer (Matt) are
no longer with the band. Tim wanted to be the lone guitarist
so we decided not to replace Don on second guitar Matt was
replaced on drums by Don D.K. He is a great drummer who has
contributed a lot. This line up is solid and we have a
chemistry that was lacking with the ex-members. The line up
as it stands now is Jeff (24) on vocals, Tim (19) on guitar,
Lloyd (22) on bass, and Don D.K. (21) on drums.
Do you still keep in contact with ex-members, what led to them
leaving the band?
I still talk to them once in a while. Don is Matt's
older brother. So Matt pretty much follows whatever Don does.
The split was for basic reasons. Musical differences, plus
Don wanted the band to grow out their hair a bit. Stop
singing about Skinheads, and go a little more mainstream. His
dream was to make us a commercial pop-punk "Green Day" type
of band. Needless to say, the rest of us weren't having it.
So now he has his dream. He has his grown out hair and new
musical taste. He along with his brother Matt now play in a
pop-punk band called "Jake and The Stiffs." The split worked
out for the best for everyone.
What types of jobs do you have?
I work in an electronics factory, Tim is an auto mechanic
apprentice, Lloyd works in a mail room and Don D.K. has his
CDL license and works for a moving company.
How about hobbies, spare time activities?
Spare time activities? Drinking beer and lots of it.
Outside of our jobs, the band takes up a lot of time. That I
guess is our main hobby. Did I mention drinking beer? Plus,
we hang out with friends, drink beer, go to gigs, go to
parties, beat people up, drink beer, and start the whole
process over again. Oi! Oi! Oi!
What is the Skinhead scene like in your area?
There's a ton of Skins in this area, but it's far from
united. The scene is like most others. There's nazis,
sharpies, one's that don't give a fuck, etc... There's even a
few black and Japanese nazis around. That always makes for
interesting conversation. Strange world we live in these
days.
Are there any other Skin bands beside you in your area/state
(politics don't matter)?
In this area as a whole, there are a lot of Skin bands.
By this area, I mean Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New
Jersey, etc... As for this state alone, there have been more
bands in the past. Nowadays in Delaware, there is us, an ex-Skinhead Hardcore band called
"Hard Response." A hammerskin
band called "Nordic Thunder." However, we don't associate
with them. There is also a new Skinhead Hardcore band, in
which Lloyd our bassist sings for, they are called "Dead
Wrong." In the past, other Skin bands in Delaware were "Pride
Times Two," "Infection," "New Breed Militia," etc... There
has also been a few Ska bands "Skatatude" and "The Deuces."
Compare Oi! now to Oi! back in the late '80s, are we keeping
it alive?
It's all kind of strange. It seems like there are less
Skinheads around these days. Quality and quantity wise. Yet,
there are more Oi! bands and zines around now than ever
before. So music wise, it's definitely alive and well. Oi!
is at its highest point I can ever remember it being. So I
think we're doing a damn good job of keeping it alive. As for
comparing bands, yesterday and today, I believe that all bands
are unique in their own way. I like a ton of Oi! bands past
and present. Band wise, it's a lot better now than in the
'80s. However, the quality and quantity of Skinheads in
general was better in the '80s than it is now.
Do you feel Oi! is going to get even bigger in America?
Obviously I'd like to see it get bigger. If it will or
not, I cannot foresee. If it is to get bigger, I hope it does
so with its culture and roots intact. I wouldn't want it to
get big on any other terms. An example of what I mean is the
Ska scene. That only got bigger because it became diluted
with culturally ignorant, college trendy, art fag, alternative
types. The types of goofs that like to "most it up" at Ska
shows. It's obvious they have no idea of the music's history
and traditions. So if the Oi! scene is to get bigger, I hope
it does so without appealing to clowns such as these.
Briefly, what is Stormwatch about? Any changes since "At War
With Peace" (attitudes, views)?
There aren't many drastic changes in attitudes and/or
views. What Stormwatch is about and has always been about is
"The Skinhead Movement." Period!
You have a song about Reginald Deny. Has your view of him
changed now that he is trying to sue the state of California
and the police department, and also not wanting to prosecute
his attackers?
When that song was written we had no idea that Denny
would turn out to be such an ass kissing coward. The song was
written with the idea in mind that the attack was symbolic to
the attacks by the rich elite onto the working class. Denny
was used as a metaphor more or less of what we see happening
in American society today. That is, people who bust ass and
do honest work for a living being beat and shit on. So yes,
my views of Denny have changed drastically. He hasn't got a
shred of honor or dignity in him. He proved he is a working
class sellout.
Do you really care if people call you racist and how about
being dubbed as the "most controversial band in the American
Oi! movement"?
Well, from day one we have state that we are not a racist
band. Bottom line is, we just plain don't give a fuck about
racism. For it or against it. If people want to interpret
that as being racist, well, that says something about that
person's intelligence level. So do I care if some uneducated
goof with the IQ of grape slurpee calls me racist? Nope! I
am a grown man living in the real world. I have more
important things to worry about than that kiddy bullshit. As
for being controversial, apparently, we're talking about
things that other people choose to ignore. Or they're just
lazy and don't give a damna bout anything. In other words,
we're controversial because we use our own minds to think
with. We are Skinheads. Fashion and function. A lot of
other "trueeeee Skins" forget about the function part.
Do you think Skins shouldn't waste their time with all this
political bullshit?
I believe that Skins should take a realistic outlook on
politics. The facts are that everyone has their own opinions
on right and wrong. That's realistic.. Being a foot soldier
for some politician is ridiculous. Those people are all
sheep. Sheep have no place in the Skinhead culture.
Political beliefs are one thing, the handling and
exploitation of those beliefs are another. Politics in the
Skin scene are not handled well. Politics should be kept on
a personal level. Beliefs and/or views that one may hold are
natural. However, the Skinhead movement has never been a
political movement, so therefore you should respect your fellow
Skins' opinions even if they differ from your own. Politics
do nothing but further segregate the Skinhead movement.
Anything that divides us is a hindrance and should be smashed.
Don't get me wrong, there are exceptions to every rule. The
same applies to certain people claiming to be Skins. An
example is faggots! That's not a belief, that's a way of
life. So they need to "Stay in the closet!!!"
How do you feel about this "Politically Correct" shit in the
Skinhead culture, and do you think S.H.A.R.P. is just as
fascist as any Neo-Nazi group?
Political correctness is S.H.A.R.P.'s forte. Politically
correct bal people are just hairless products of the Mtv
generation. They want to "Free a mind" that they don't even
possess. Yes, S.H.A.R.P. is living proof that it's okay to
hate. As long as it's the right people you're hating. Just
one more example of the countless double standards our fucked
up leaders promote.
How do you think we can make our cultures (Skinhead and
American) important again?
In my mind, they never stopped being important. I live
each day of my life fulfilled with the glory of culture,
heritage, tradition, etc... We can improve a lot of the
quality aspects. As for Skinheads, we need to start kicking
ass. Too many clueless pussies are filtering in. I would
rather be "the few and the proud" than "the large and the
gutless." As for America, we need a government that puts
America's interests first. Our government in its present
state is just a puppet for special interest groups and this
new world order nonsense. We need to do something with this
liberal media also. We live in a country where the media
makes celebrities out of criminals. The media is the
governments lackey. Or in other words, the governments
appointed thought police. Their duties consist of informing
people what they want them to know. They never tell them all
there is to know.
What does being a Skinhead mean to you?
Skinheads a cohesive unit of brothers and sisters. We
have our own culture and foundations from which we thrive. We
distinguish ourselves by our appearance, but more importantly,
by our hearts and our heads. Our culture stands apart from
the materialistic images of the sheep of society. It's been
said a million times, but it is a way of life. With
tremendous pride in ourselves, our movement, our culture, and
our way of life. We will give and take violence in order for
our traditions to survive.
If there were a big enough Skinhead scene here (in Hawaii)
would you play here?
Well, as long as there is plenty of beer, we'll go just
about anywhere. Hawaii is no exception. Plus, I have a good
number of pen pals there. Congratulations to Melissa (Hawaii)
on the birth of her daughter Emily. Hello to all my other
friends out there. If anything could ever be arranged, sure,
we'll play there.
I see you are gun owners in some pictures. What do you think
of Billy boy trying to ban all assault type weapons?
Hardly no criminals buy guns legally as it is now, so
with this ban, all I can see being accomplished is guns out of
the hands of good hearted citizens. Our constitution
guarantees us the right to bear arms for our own self-defense
and security. With that right taken away, I see crime soaring
even higher. I see it being illegal to defend your own
property. So with our granted freedoms being abolished for
the good of the state, the bureaucrats and their mandates have
found a way that crime will pay.
Do you think he's doing a good job as President?
Well, let me see. He is stealing granted freedoms, his
wife devised a socialist (ie. communist) health care plan, he
is bombarding us with fags on a daily basis, he is a draft
dodger who can so easily risk the lives of U.S. troops by
sending them on pointless missions while he himself never had
the balls to fight. He is a man of little or no moral
conviction or integrity. Yup, sounds like a great leader to
me. Only the one place I see him leading us is on a self-destructive path to ruin. Each day is one
more step towards
communism. I for one would rather be dead than red.
When can we expect the next release from Stormwatch?
Our second LP/CD will be released within the first half
of 1995. However, before that, probably in January or
February we will be releasing a new EP. So expect a lot of
new music in the first half of '95.
Will it be released on Under Siege Records again?
Actually, our first LP/CD/CS was a joint release. DIM
Records (Germany) pressed all the LPS. Under Siege (USA)
handled all the CDS and cassettes. The album in all three
formats is still available. If anyone out there doesn't have
it yet and is interested in purchasing it drop us a line and I
will give you whatever information you seek. To answer your
question, no, we will not be dealing with Under Siege again
this time around. The new EP will be on SPE Records. Our
second LP/CD will more than likely be on DIM again, although
at the moment we are considering a few different offers.
Any closing comments?
Cheers to the whole crew a A.W.O.L. Keep up the good
work. Hello to all our brothers and sisters out there.
Anyone who wishes to write, feel free to do so. We can be
contacted at the address listed below. Drink ridiculous
amounts of beer, have fun and keep the faith. In the spirit,
all of us are as one. Oi!
Contact Stormwatch at:
P.O Box 737
Newark, DE 19715
U.S.A.
(
geocities.com/sunsetstrip)