1. So at first classic one, try to introduce the band to us and our readers, tell us something about your history and how did you met each other?
Smurf plays drums, Fernz plays bass, Davo guitar and me Gazz vocals, We have all been around Australia's punk/oi scenes for over 25 years, we have all played in a host of bands and known each other a long time but never been in bands together until RUST formed in 2005, except for Dave he joined around 2007. I met Smurf in the 80s at Ska shows and we worked together for a while, we had a jam together with his old band Bezerk but I was a crap singer then.
2) When and why came decission to start the band and why the name Rust? Did any of your members play in any band before the Rust? And it is Rust your only band now?
I had been sacked from RULE 303 2005 and were not
doing anything and there was some talk with Fernz and our old guitarist
Chuckles to get something going, maybe do Ramones and Motorhead covers and I
got a call one afternoon, I can´t remember who contacted Smurf but our first
rehearsal went well and RUST was formed, I played in Crucified Venus and Rule
303,Smurf Bezerk,World War 24,Crankcase,Fernz Bunt, Teenage Hookers For Christ
and Nude Sunday, Davo played in Black Rose, Growling Frenzy Vicious Thrush and
Blaggard, none of us play in other bands at the moment.
3) What is your musical inspiration? I heard also influences from Aussie rock
bands like AC DC, Rose Tattoo or The Angels...
Yes you are right about The Angels, Rose Tattoo and
AC/DC. We probably lean a lot to The 4 Skins and The Last Resort and Motorhead
as well as our peers like The Corps,THUG and Mouthguard but we do have an
element of hardcore as well, I mean it´s up to what we are listening to on the
day, anything could inspire an idea.
4) Who is responsible for writing lyrics and music...?
I write all the lyrics and its quite mixed on who write the music, one
member will have an idea and they just work on it as a team and if I can ill
drop the words on top, sometimes I might hum something to Davo or Fernz and
they translate it to music.
5) Tell us something about your
discography...I know just the Lean Mean Street Machine CD...? Have you got some
other albums? And what about some new songs...? Do you prefer cd or vinyl?
We have 2 other discs, albums I guess. They have 8 songs on each, R*U*S*T
and Black Rats and a Vinyl 7" split with Swedish band On The Job. Lean
Mean Street Machine is the strongest release with our current line up. We have
a few things here and there on comps like The Backstreet Yobs comp, we have a
few new songs we are working on and a new live album that is being released
thru Anti Hippie and STP records
6) I know many good bands from your country like Plan of Attack, The Corps, THUG, Bulldog Spirit, Marching Orders..etc...can you describe some new breed bands from your area and tell us also about the Aussie scene in general..I know labels like Pug Music and website Aussie Skins...
Yeah you have mentioned some great bands , we have played
with all of them,The Corps, THUG, Plan of Attack and Mouthguard we are quite
close and have done loads of shows together, there are loads of older
bands that are great but there´s not really anything new that grabs me by the
throat except maybe DSMB Dingo Stole My Baby, our scene is great at the moment
and is becoming more and more united the way it should be.
7) Some Aussie bands also successfully toured Europe so what about your band
are you preparing to hit the old Europe with your sound?
Europe is something we really want to do but it´s hard
to crack into with our label support, we did the UK 2008 and got a great
response from Europeans at Rebellion Festival, but unlike our friends The
Corps no European labels have had any interest in us, one label saying we were
too streetpunk, one saying we were too heavy…Fuck that we are a streetpunk band
that are doing pretty well being ourselves we don't want to sound like another
generic Oi! band. There is some promising news about a Euro tour in July/Aug, we
will be back in the UK at that time to do Rebellion again and a possible side
shows with Section 5 and The Drongo's for Europe, so if all goes well you will
be seeing us.
8) What about some sport…in Europe is popular to watch football (soccer)...are
is something similar to this in your country?
We have Rugby league and Rugby Union and Aussie Rules. I don't follow any of it but other members of RUST do. Its nowhere on the same scale as your football we just don't have the population down here.
9) Are you interested in listening Europe bands and do you know anything about
Czech republic?
Yeah i have a bit of Euro stuff but I'm pretty
limited, I have The Agitators, Razorblade, Bloodline, Discipline, Oxymoron
would be my favorite for sure. I know nothing about Czech republic except my
mate Victor Mouthguard comes from there and you eat a lot of meat, Vic took us
to a Czech restaurant in Sydney's Kings Cross for my 40th birthday a few years
back - it was great.
10) Where can we order your stuff like CD´s or T-shirts...?
Thru www.pugmusic.com or STP in the UK.
11) Plans for the future...
We have a New Zealand Tour in March and shows in
Melbourne with Slick 46 for their album launch, Get this live album out in time
for our UK/Euro tour, and we are doing a 7' Split with Keyside Strike for Anti
Hippie.
12) Last words?
Thanks for your time and effort keeping the world wide scene going, Hope to meet you at a show some time, all the best Gazz (vocals of RUST).