1. Hi so at first can you introduce your band, members and tell us how you met each other?
We are The Broadsiders from Dallas, TX. Dan the lead guitar player and I, along with a few friends, decided to start a skinhead band that did a little more than the standard Oi! band. A little more guitar work, a little more thought in the lyrics, a little more country and Southern rock 'n' roll influence. Then we went through a bunch of band members until Trey, a longtime friend, was available and could play drums for us. Collin has been around the Dallas scene for about 40 years, and of course playing bass for so long, he's an excellent bass player.2. When and why came decision to start The Broadsiders and why that name? Have your members any experience with playing in other bands and is The Broadsiders only band which they play in?
We really love this style of music, and love to make it. Like I said, we started this to do a little more than what the average was. And we love bands outside of the standard influences, from Ernest Tubb to Motley Crue. We wanted to inject all of these influences into Oi! music, and thought that maybe we could create something unique. The Broadsiders is just a name for surprising someone by force, nothing too dramatic there haha. We have all played in numerous bands, none of which you would know haha.
3. You have some albums out on different labels...can you tell us something to your discography and cooperation with the labels?
The first two, "Take Back the Streets" and "Against the World" we released ourselves, you have to start somewhere right? Then, Longshot released a 7" split with Aires & Graces (matt from NOI!SE's old band), and then a 10" with Contra Records called "Pressed to Kill." Longshot and Contra have been amazing, any band that gets with them has it made.
4. You are planning 4 way split with Noise, Razors in the Night and Sydney Ducks, can you tell us anything about that album?It's going to be excellent. Like fried butter.
We would love a tour of Europe if she'll have us. We have planned on it a few times but it never got anywhere. I think NOI!SE is planning on heading over there soon, too, as is DOG COMPANY. Lucky bastards.
6. Can you describe your sound...and told us which bands influence your band?RockacountrOi!nRoll? Bands like AC/DC, TEMPLARS, MOLLY HATCHETT have influenced us in the past. But that always changes - sometimes it's CLICHES and VEROS and other days it's MERLE HAGGARD and DALE WATSON (I'm listening to "Whiskey or God" right now, actually). Sometimes it's IRON MAIDEN and DIO. But it is NEVER Jimmy Buffett. Fuck Jimmy Buffett.
7. What about the laws in US? It is so strict like no smoking in bars, no drinking on the steets? And it is difficult for Oi! bands to find a place for playing?Every state in the US has different laws (and it even varies from city to city). Thanks to PC dickheads, Dallas passed the no smoking in bars a few years back. I think most of the North has the same bans on smoking, along with California. But a lot of the South lets you smoke in bars. Hell, in Oklahoma they still have ashtrays right next to the urinals! Just in case you want to piss and smoke at the same time. But Oklahoma is about 20 years behind the rest of the country in just about every way. They still think Bush Senior is president.
There are a few places that let Oi! bands play, but everyone is a little cautious when they hear that skinheads will be putting on a show.
8. You came from Dallas which is famous here thanks to soap opera from the 80´s....can you still feel the spirit of J.R. and Bobby Ewing and Suffolk Ranch in your city :)?We can. Every one of us has a ranch about that same size, with our own oil reserves, so we connect with JR. It's spelled Southfork Ranch, by the way. The TV channel TNT has announced there will be an updated Dallas series, so we are all ultra excited about it! Also, interesting fact, I'm distantly related to Victoria Principal (who played Pamela). Or at least that's the family rumor.
In Dallas, there's our brothers DOG COMPANY, a great band with a lot of the same rock and country influences. Then there's a great ska band called RUDE KING that gives us our ska and reggae fix when we need it. Down in Austin, there's BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, a badass hardcore band, and BORN TO LOSE and SORE LOSERS, equally badass punk rock bands. In Corpus Christi, there's THE BOOKED, who have been around for as long as I can remember and have always been awesome. We are playing with them in a couple of weeks, really excited about that. In Houston, there's ROOTS OF EXHILE, fellow soccer enthusiasts although on the side of the evil Orange.
10. You have song dedicated to Dallas FC...so you prefer football (soccer as you said) instead of basketball, baseball, American football or hockey? And is there some casual culture on US terraces?Yeah, we prefer soccer over other sports, although when soccer season is over we still love us some Cowboys (football), Mavericks (basketball), Rangers (baseball), and Stars (hockey). Soccer, though, has always been a big part of my life (yes, an American saying that!) and FC Dallas, or the Burn as I grew up with, has been integral to the way I was raised. We really don't have terraces, haha, but there has been some trouble, if that is what you are asking. Though I think it would be better if I didn't talk about that.
11. Do you know anything about Czech republic and our bands?Don't know much about the country - but there is a Czech population in West, Texas that have a lot of Czech bakeries and restaurants. Every time we play down in Austin, we stop at the Czech bakery and load up! So if it is anything like that, I would enjoy the Czech Republic very much.
As far as bands, I've heard of PILSNER OIQUELL (whose Svata Pravda video is awesome!) and your band DISDAINFUL (who has some sweet metal licks!). Any others we should know about?
12. Plans for the future...We are in the middle of writing/recording our next album (three of the songs you can hear on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thebroadsiders - go check 'em out!). We have the Noi!se/Razors in the Night/Sydney Ducks/Broadsiders split coming up soon, and we have songs coming out on a couple of compilations.
13. Last words for our readers....Last words are meant for dying men.