1. So at first classic one, can you introduce your band, members, their age, hobbies, work and tell us how you met each other?

Oi!Oi!Oi! First of all, thanks for the opportunity and for the time you have spent with us.
Asas da Vingança is a Portuguese non-political Oi! band formed by: Pedro Bica on the bass, 32 years of age, natural born scooter boy, that normally works as a distributor but at this time is unemployed; Hélio Pires on the guitar, 32 years of age, works as hotel receptionist, André skinner Alves on vocals, 26 years of age, works as a security guard; João Velez on drums, at the time he is working at a factory that builds car parts. We can say that we have met in the streets, concerts, in the skinhead Portuguese scene.

2. When and why you came with idea to start the band and why the name Asas da Vinganca Is it inspired by the track from Ratos de Porao?

We can say that the band was formed in 2012 because it was when we first had the chance to rehearse, but the idea first came to us in 2010 after a IBERIAN Oi!/CORE FEST in Faro with the bands, JOIN THE REJECTS (with elements of GLORY BOYS), MERCANCIAS, FACÇÃO OPPOSTA and BETÃO ARMADO (band from Faro that had Pedro on the bass and that have recorded “Expulsos do Bar” for a compilation of the mythical Portuguese streetpunk band MATA-RATOS), and Pedro and João, in a conversation, with thoughts of doing a different band in the Portuguese Oi! Scene, have combined their efforts to put together a band. Pedro and Helio have played together for a decade in KONTRATTACK (Faro hardcore band, both of them founding members since 1998/99), and for years we had the desire of coming up with a streetpunk band with the name of Asas da Vingança, so we have talked with André that was always around in gigs and in the scene and we came up with the band.

The name Asas da Vingança, is a double-edged sword, because is always associated to Ratos de Porão cause they have a song with that name.. But in the other hand it is a verse from the music “Hino ao Combate” from the Portuguese Oi! band GUARDA DE FERRO, one of the first skinhead bands in our country. In the end…“Asas da Vingança/Wings of Revenge” Really expresses the rage that we feel towards the economic and social situation that we are living in Portugal and Europe, and also to the all the media crap that crucifies and passes a distorted idea of what the skinhead scene is all about.

3. Faccao Opposta where your drummer sings come from the capital city Lisboa and your band from the city of Fero…how it is with the rehearsals (280 km)?

We rehearse once or twice in a period of 2 month, normally, if we have a gig, we try to set the rehearsals to the days before the gig so we can prepare the set list better. Or when we have to record, Helio records the guitar lines and send it to João, so that he can practice then when we arrives to Faro we practice for a few times then go to studio. Nowadays, we work a lot with tracks recorded on computer, if you have a new song, you record and send it to the rest of the band, that way we can make the best of with the short time that we have to rehearse.

4. You released your debut EP on Bigorna Records, can you told us a few words about cooperation with the label?

Sandro from Bigorna Recs was a great friend of João, and he has become a great friend of all of us. As you know he had released FACÇAO OPPOSTA, and the minute he heard some of our songs, from day one he offered to release and EP. We can say that Sandro is the real deal, he has that unstoppable force to combine efforts and help the Portuguese scene. All we can say is that this was like a good marriage (if that exists…hahaha), he conceived all of the artwork, but we were always talking and debating ideas until the last minute. We think that the final piece is like we say in the promo action “this is one for the vinyl junkies” ‘cause the quality is really good. Big thanks to Sandro at Bigorna Recs for the time and support.

5. What are you musical influences (I hear some HC tunes in your songs, especially in Skinhead Attitude)? And do you prefer older or new breed bands?

We listen a lot to new oi! Bands, and of course that they have a huge impact in our music, but the main influences are 80´s British and French Oi!, Old School American Hardcore and Oi!, Portuguese Oi!, just to quote some bands like: 4 SKINS, COCKNEY REJECTS, COCK SPARRER, CONDEMNED 84, COMBAT 84, RETALIATOR, LAST RESORT, CLOSE SHAVE, Early SKREWDRIVER, SNIX , TOLBIAC TOADS, WEST SIDE BOYS, KOMINTERN SECT, CAMERA SILENS, IRON CROSS, OXBLOOD, THE TEMPLARS , STARS AND STRIPES, YOUTH DEFENCE LEAGUE, WARZONE, NEGATIVE APPROACH, SLAPSHOT, early AGNOSTIC FRONT and of course Portugal classic bands like MATA RATOS and GRITO FINAL.

6. Why do you choose vinyl for your debut instead of CD? Do you prefer vinyl?

Vinyl was an easy choice, because nobody buys Cd´s nowadays. Even us, we prefer to buy vinyl, it’s a sacred record, it not a piece of plastic that later 1 year is broken, and trashed to pieces. And it can be collectable, a few years later you have a record that becomes a treasure you know. The entire act, unfolding the record, putting the needle set to play, is a like a ritual.

7. Can you told us anything about the city of Faro? And also about the scene there?

Faro is a little city comparing to Lisbon or Oporto, it is the capital of our region (Algarve), but always had a punkhardcore underground scene and ultra-culture with the South Side Boys ultras that support our city football club “SPORTING CLUBE FARENSE”. Around 1994, due what was happening around Portugal and all Europe, the ultra-movement was getting stronger and there were some skinheads at that time in Faro. But there was that stigma that all of the skins were right wing.

At that time, influence by the punkhardcore scene, side by side with the football ultras, there was the first Oi! Band in Faro, ATTITUDES (later they became PUNK-KECAS) and QUEBRA DE TENSÃO (Pedro Bica was in this band), but it was only for a short period of time. But we can say that the skinhead Oi! culture in our hometown as started at that point.

8. Can you told us few words about the new breed bands from Portugal?

From a few years ago till now we have seen new blood coming up in the Oi! Scene in Portugal, bands like, FACÇÃO OPPOSTA, GUME, ASAS DA VINGANÇA, and CLOCKWORK BOYS that even being a Punk-rock to the bones band, they came from the Oi! School back in 2004-2007 (their first Demo have the name “Skins de Lisboa”( it was João the first drummer of the band), also a new band from Porto… GRITO, which also has members playing in MANCHA NEGRA. By the way, we heard about a band from Lisbon called OIFENSIVA That were playing in the RAC gig in Lisbon with BRASSIC from USA and Holland THE FIRM from a few days ago.

9. What about playing gigs, do you like it and can you describe your best and worst gig? And is it difficult for skinhead band to find place for playing in Portugal?

We haven´t much to talk about, because we only played a few gigs, but we think the worst gig, was the first one, cause we only had a couple of minutes to rehearse, João arrived in Faro in the morning (we hadn’t rehearsed for 1 month), and in the late afternoon we found some time to rehearse, and after that we were playing for 50 people in a biker party in our hometown. 
The best one we believe it was in Oporto at INVICTOI FEST, the place was nice, it was crowded with punks and skins and all of the people were having a good time drinking and singing. 
It’s not easy to arrange places to play due to the impact that the “skinhead” term as in society.
Many doors are closed and few of them open, this is the cross that we carry, here in Portugal we definitely know what is to be crucified by others sins. And worst then to be crucified by the media is to be put aside by the underground scene, cause we are an assumed Oi! Band but we do not assume a politic faction neither left nor right. So we are aside to that circuit and we´re not a part, and do not want be a part of that political scene. And you know, that apart from that, there is not much concerts to play, so the invitations are none. The few concerts and organized shows, the people who organize are always afraid to suffer some kind of retaliation from those political factions, from the skinhead scene or not. We are making our own path through this rottenness, against everything and everybody.

In the end, the situation in Portugal we believe is equal around Europe, it’s always difficult to find places to play, but if you want to do it with no one telling you what to or what to play you got to go DIY, and since we always were outcasts for playing with hardcore bands, we know where we can make a gig happen, not a lot of places to do that, but we have managed until now.

10. Where can we order your stuff like your EP or t-shirts if you have any?

To order our stuff, the best thing to do is get in touch with Bigorna Recs at http://www.myspace.com/bigornarecords or the email bigorna.recs@gmail.com.
You can also get in touch and be updated about our releases on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Asas-da-Vingança or our email asasdvoi@gmail.com.
At the time we only have the EP, but we are planning to have some t-shirts soon, check us on facebook.

11. Do you know anything about Czech republic in general or in skinhead point of view?

Keep up the good work talking about new bands from where ever they are, not going the easy way of talking mainly about mainstream bands that everybody know about. We truly believe that Oi! Music as a lot to give . It is with a great satisfaction that we give you our first interview, and you can count that you will receive our next moves in first hand.

12. Plans for the future…

At the time we are still enjoying the EP release, and looking forward for some gigs here in Portugal and maybe south of Spain. We can tell you that we have also start working in some new songs, maybe for a long play, let us see how it goes.

13. Last words…

We leave here the invitation for everyone that wants to come and get to know Portugal mainly our region Algarve in the south, we have Faro airport that as some low cost airlines, making an accessible journey. You won’t regret it, because it’s not only good Oi!, we also have great wine, great beer and really nice gastronomy.

Keep politics out of Oi!, stay true, don’t let the beer get warm, fuck modern football, fuck Platini. 

See you soon.

Cheers and Beers.

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