1. The Skanx - please explain all - its birth and growth to date?

Well I met Tina over Myspace, and we decided one day just to meet up and go to the pub. We got drunk and decided "right let's start a band". She already had some people that she was jamming with, and she got me in to originally just play guitar, but the she heard me sing one song and thought I would be good as a front man. We had to get rid of the people who were originally in the band, the main reason for this being lack of committment, then eventually after alot of line-up changes Johnny joined the band on drums, and Tam took the place of our second guitarist and this is probably the best line-up. This one ain't gonna change!

2. Tell us about some of your songs and what issues they deal with? Where do you draw your inspirations from and whats your personal favourite?

When we first started writing songs, the war in Iraq was at the fore-front of all the news coverage, and it was on the front page of like every newspaper so obviously that became a big topic for us to write about. Other subjects of our songs are things such as speaking out when everyone tells you to shut up, struggling to find work. And I've just finished writing a song about going to parties and getting wasted, so I think we cover alot of ground in our songs. The main inspiration for us is things that go on around us in everyday life, and the people in our lives.

3. Jamie Jackanapes of Mafafi Fame has started wearing a bra. Sexual deviant you may think but not in this case? The bra is plastic based and capable of holding several pints of Jack Daniels in each cup. With a drinking straw concealed from the right bra strap the young Scottish drunkard only has to turn his head to taste the golden liquid. He may be accused of transvestism but the drink still flows. Is booze this important and what ideas do you have to keep the alky flowing?

Hahaha, I wouldn't say booze is important but it's definately something that the members of this band enjoy. I think the best way to keep booze flowing is to hope that someone thinks you're cool for being in a band and buy's you drinks, and that is something that has worked for us.

4. Your local scene - describe in all its glory?

The local scene is a small one, but it's a great one too. It's one of those scenes where everybody know's everybody else. It does have a few problems though, the main one being close mindedness from some of the older generation, and that causes divides between people. But it's still a great scene.

5. Tell us a bit about yourself - hobbies, deviancies, criminal record etc. Also inform us about your musical career so far and your ambitions in music and life?

My main hobbies are probably skateboarding, and I really like cars, even thought I can't drive, but I still love them, and motorbikes. I don't think I have a criminal record, and if I do then I was totally framed. My main ambitions in music and life are just to be happy and enjoy what I'm doing for as long as it lasts, hopefully it lasts until I'm an old guy in my 90's, but we'll just have to see.

6. Heroes and zeroes - wankers and skankers - tell us who you loathe and admire?

Musicians I admire would be Mike Ness (Social Distortion), he's one of my biggest musical influences, along with Joe Strummer (The Clash), and John Lennon.
I don't really loathe many people, well except Tom Delonge (Blink 182, Angels and Airwaves) he just annoys the hell outta me.

7. Describe your fellow band members in 5 insulting yet truthful words apiece?

I've got nothing bad to say about any of my band mates, I love them all dearly.

8. Russell Handle is currently the worlds first 'Fumier' dance champion. This involves performing a 3 minute routine on a bed of excrement wearing nothing only a green bow tie. The judges include Nicholas Parsons, Burt Reynolds and the corpse of Heinrich Himler. The creator of this inane event is ex-Miss World organiser Ken Morley a man seemingly obsessed with faecal matter? Is this shit-based sport valid and would you eat crocodile turds for Mongolian currency?

Probably not, well I would if the money was on offer, plus a full crate of budweiser.

9. Best gig you have played as a band and best gig you have attended as a punter?

The best gig I've played would have to be when we played at The Spirit Bar in Glasgow along with a local band called Riot, and a band from Edinburgh called Trailblazer, that was a really good night. The best gig I've attended would either have to be Rancid at the Barrowlands or Dropkick Murphys at The Carling Academy, they were both really amazing gigs.

10. Same question but this time 'The Worst'?

Worst gig I've played would have to be at this place in Livingston called The Nite Spot, I think thats what it was called. It was just very unorganized, plus me and Tam had been drinking the night before and we hadn't slept so we were feeling very rough.
The worst gig I attended was a local bands night in Glasgow, I got thrown out of the venue for drinking.

11. Custard Creams or Fig Rolls - elaborate please on the satanic elements of both biscuits and what elitist deviancy you can achieve with each?

Well I've never had a fig roll, and there's nothing satanic about Custard Creams, they're the biscuit of the gods.

12. Lastly - arouse the readers nipples er sorry I mean curiosity and force them to check out The Skanx real soon.

Yeah check us out, come to our gigs, get drunk and have a good time. If you don't then there will be severe consequences as I will be punished by all other members of the band. And there will be an apocolyptic war of sorts...I think.

 

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