The Fest 8:
SPB Interviews
Scene Point Blank: Off with Their Heads is off the road less than they're on it, what is it like always moving, rarely staying in the same place for more than a night. How do you maintain such a rigorous schedule?
Off With Their Heads: At first, it was a little hard to adjust to, but after a couple months, it became harder to be off the road. It's definitely not for everyone, and its not always a party. I wouldn't take it back for anything though. The key to maintaining is to make sure to pace yourself and not stay up partying until the sun comes up every night.
Scene Point Blank: Do you book future tours while on the road? If so, does it ever get hard to remember where the band is supposed to be on any given day?
Off With Their Heads: Up until August, I booked all the shows for the band. We recently started working with a booking agent. It's been cool so far, but I do miss taking care of everything. It's always been cool to me to be able to take care of us all on our own. It's good to know that no matter what happens, we can always go back to doing everything by ourselves.
Scene Point Blank: Now that Off With Their Heads is on the road pretty much all the time, has the line-up become a little more solid?
Off With Their Heads: We've come to the conclusion that there are about six or seven people that are always going to be in the band, with only four playing at any given time. Zack and I are the only two that do everything.
Scene Point Blank: Off With Their Heads and Dear Landlord play a similar style of punk, where the tone of the music is poppy and upbeat whereas the lyrics are gloomy and depressing to both those who have and have not lived the kind of life presented in the songs? Is there a consciousness to the discord between sound and content?
Off With Their Heads: I invented this shit. Dear Landlord just ripped me off. Hahaha. No. Those guys' previous band Rivethead was a big influence on a lot of the Off With Their Heads stuff. Yes it's conscious.
Scene Point Blank: In another interview Off With Their Heads mentioned that they prefer to try different musical styles and that future releases will be less straight-forward punk, maybe even re-incorporating keyboards like your early days. Do you still feel that way?
Off With Their Heads: Totally. Not sure when I'll have the studio time to be able to do that kind of stuff, but I really hope to not make the same record over and over. That's what I always like about Against Me!. Love them or hate them, none of their records really sound the same.
Scene Point Blank: Last year you played your Fest set to close to two-thousand people, probably a similar nightly draw when you opened for Against Me!; how do those setting compare to shows at smaller venues and basements in terms of atmosphere and the amount of bullshit you have to deal with?
Off With Their Heads: That Against Me! tour was a small venue tour. I think the biggest place was four-hundred people, so it wasn't really that much different as far a size. We play the same places, just to a fraction of the people. I like opening for other bands. It's funny when people hate you because they don't know who you are.
Scene Point Blank: Ryan tends to talk much less at recent shows than earlier, drunken ones. Did you make a decision to do a Ramones-style nonstop show, or did you just get tired of talking on stage? Ever said something he later regretted?
Off With Their Heads: I regret just about everything I do in life, so yeah. We just started doing it like that so we can play an entire set in twenty minutes. I hate opening bands that play super long. In and out, that's us.
Scene Point Blank: He also wears the same Dwarves shirt at every performance. It is superstition, homage, or showmanship? Perhaps a serious lack of clean clothes or no frills packing; van space is tight.
Off With Their Heads: I don't wear that shirt every night. You've probably just seen us a couple times. Coincidence.
Scene Point Blank: How many times has Off With Their Heads played the Fest? What are some high and low points of previous Fests?
Off With Their Heads: I don't even remember, maybe three or four? I'm not really a big Fest guy. It is what it is, but I don't really like giant pools of people. You would probably find me at a bar with no bands.
Scene Point Blank: What advice do you have for first time festers: bands to see, places to eat, things NOT to do?
Off With Their Heads: Go see bands you've never heard of. See the ones you want to, but mix it up. I started doing that, and it was pretty fun. Who knows? You might find your new favorite and party with them. I don't remember eating much. There is a Checkers. Big Buford's. Hell yeah.
Words: Scottie | Graphics: Matt
- Off With Their Heads: http://www.myspace.com/offwiththeirheads
- No Idea Records: http://www.noidearecords.com/
