Hailing from Amsterdam, Netherlands - The Anomalys have almost been together for 20 years!
Not mellowing with age (it’s not in the formula), they continue to ply their trade of high-energy rock and roll: burning up stages and leaving supporting bands and fans in limpid pools of blubbering, drooling, melted flesh. They drank the rock ‘n’ roll purple Kool-Aid and continued on the journey to enlightenment. Get on the Dutch Magic Bus and feel the contact high…
I had the opportunity to ask Bone a few questions. He has fulfilled my thought-provoking questions on life and human existence with his known teachings and philosophy. The Nietzsche of Rock ‘n’ Roll has risen. Read on brothers and sisters. “I wanna see a sea of hands out there. Let me see a sea of hands. I want everybody to kick up some noise”.
Scene Point Blank: In an earlier interview, I read that your first band, The Bones, wore red and white clothes and had red and white instruments. I wonder if anyone could have taken that formula and found any degree of success with it. [Laughs].
Bone: Yes, that was a peculiar situation. It was either a quantum physical freak accident or maybe a trendspotter who came to Amsterdam in the ‘90s and thought it was a marketable idea!
Scene Point Blank: You were a big fan of the early Detroit rock ‘n’ roll garage, The Gories being one of your first loves. Were there any other bands that influenced you from that scene and still sound fresh today and are in high rotation in your household?
Bone: Big influences that still hold today are definitely The Bassholes. Very underrated band in my opinion. Then there was Gallon Drunk, that nobody seems to remember. I think I saw Dead Moon a million times. There was the absolutely life-changing gig of The Mummies. And then there is the guitar sound of Darin Lin Wood that I really like in any band he played in.
Scene Point Blank: Did bands like B.G.K., The Ex, and Ivy Green influence you in any way?
Bone: For B.G.K., I’m a bit too young, but I saw The Nitwitz a lot. The Ex I’ve seen even more because I was quite active in the squat scene in Amsterdam for many years. They always came up with the most unlikely collaborations -- very inspiring. The first Ivy Green record is of course the best punk to come out of Holland.
Scene Point Blank: I understand that the subculture music scene in The Netherlands is quite small and contained. Does this contribute to making it difficult to break outside of Europe?
Bone: No, not really. You can break stuff anywhere.
Scene Point Blank: Do you practice water conservation by urinating in the shower?
Bone: If you’re referring to the Piss In Your Sink debacle… No, not really. But I can’t tell you much more about it to protect the guilty!
Scene Point Blank: Were you informed that Pete Slovenly is releasing a Slovenly Swimsuit calendar? Which month would you like to represent and why?
Bone: No, I wasn’t, but I’ll go with January if it’s still available. Because here at the coast we do the infamous New Year’s dive on the first of January. It’s awesome if you like to freeze your balls off!
Scene Point Blank: If they were to erect a statue of you in your hometown in The Netherlands what body part do you think tourists would touch for good luck?
Bone: Well, according to Pete Slovenly, I stem from a long line of men with no butt. So that won’t be it.
Scene Point Blank: Any desire to play Canada? Are you familiar with Deja Voodoo, The Gruesomes, or The Leather Uppers to name a few Canadian staples (not to be confused with staples in navels in the Slovenly swimsuit calendars)?
Bone: I would like that, yeah. I did a little Canadian tour with my other band The Sex Organs. Was fun! I have almost all the Deja Voodoo albums. Love it! The Gruesomes are nice but I have to say that my introduction to the ‘60s-‘80s came later in life. I’m also well acquainted with The Sadies who are an amazing band.
Scene Point Blank: Visa fees for international artists to tour in the USA have skyrocketed. How sustainable is it for a band to tour the USA and come out with some coin in your pocket?
Bone: It's impossible, what a drag. The only time I came home with some coin from the Americas was when we toured South America. Go figure!
Scene Point Blank: It appears that bands don’t largely make money off their music anymore and have to resort to merch and live gigs. I understand that you are a man of many hats. How do you make music, follow your passion, and still survive in the current climate?
Bone: Do everything you know which surrounds it: DJ music, book music, draw for music, make your own music merch, eat music, drink music, dream music, etc. Shall I go on?
Scene Point Blank: Is the glow in the dark penis snorter sold out?
Bone: There’s more where that came from… ;))!
Scene Point Blank: How do you approach songwriting? Lyrics first then the music, or the flip side of the Dutch Guilder: music first and lyrics after?
Bone: First music. Always. Jam away, find the structure, add lyrics and voila.
Scene Point Blank: An anomaly is something different or not normal. Do you prescribe to that notion? Who came up with the clever name?
Bone: Yes, I do and yes, I did. But it was just about the time that you could google a name for the first time. So I did and found out there was a Canadian band called The Anomalies. This pissed me right off so I stuck with the Y. I’m also a big believer in band names with the letter O included.
Scene Point Blank: Having been in the music scene for a good period, what would you say your favourite city or country is to play and why? What are some of your more memorable gigs? Any bizarre fan encounters?
Bone: That would be Spain, it’s the best rock ‘n’ roll country on the planet. Seriously, these people know how to party and that’s no joke. There are so many memorable gigs but I tell you, the ones where you get electrocuted stick out the most. I guess a little jolt sort of burns in the memory or something. Bizarre fan encounters….well you had to be there to believe it!
Scene Point Blank: Did you realize that Reverend Beat-Man is a 1,000 year-old vampire? Please be careful when eating Dutch Garlic Sauce before meeting up with him. It does him a disservice and puts a cramp on getting anything successful done with him.
Bone: Really?! Well, that explains a lot, thanks for enlightening me.
Scene Point Blank: if you were asked to play a gig on Mars, what would be the first thing you would want to explore? I heard probing is rather evasive.
Bone: Well, the record stores of course!
Scene Point Blank: How does the current release, Down The Hole, differ from Glitch? More Gitch than Glitch?
Bone: “More Gitch than Glitch? What the hell does that mean?
(Editor’s note: The AI bot says that gitch is “Canadian slang for underwear.”)
Scene Point Blank: Can we expect more music on the heels of this release? Have you written any new tunes?
Bone: New and old. Since The Anomalys turn 20 next year we got some surprises up our sleeves. Also, new recordings will be made in December.
Scene Point Blank: Parting thoughts, observations or general rants? See aa in the pit!
Bone: In the ‘60s, here in Amsterdam, the Provo’s threatened the government to drop LSD in the drinking water. I think we should actually do it now.
Thanks for the interview and don’t forget to rock ‘n’ roll.
Grab a copy of Down The Hole from Slovenly Recordings and catch The Anomalys at Funtastic Dracula Carnival in Benidorm, Spain on October 31 alongside Redd Kross, Cosmic Psychos, Man or Astroman?, The Marked Men, and many more. Northern European tour dates coming in February 2025
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- https://www.slovenly.com/artist/the-anomalys/
- https://www.facebook.com/The.Anomalys/
- https://theanomalys.bandcamp.com/music
- https://www.instagram.com/theanomalys_official/
- https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ATUW8SL7jehlE6sDH7kCZ
- https://www.slovenly.com/
Down The Hole was released Sept 6/24
