Interviews: Less Than Jake
Smother: State your name for the record.
Vinnie: Vinnie (the drummer/lyric writer)
Smother: What have been your favorite bands to play with?
Vinnie: Playing with the Descendents is the best. They're legends! They're really great guys and they really care about people and what's going on.
Smother: What's your favorite song of your own?
Vinnie: Shindoh- It's a lot of fun to play, and it really means a lot, ya know?
Smother: Are you planning on playing any Slayer covers this tour?
Vinnie: No. We do play it out, but not tonight.
Smother: What would you do if you met a guy named CaRBoMB?
Vinnie: I already know a kid named CaRBoMB, and I like him.
Smother: So, you know who Bruce Campbell is?
Vinnie: Oh yeah. We love his stuff. You can't beat Evil Dead.
Smother: What are some of the weirdest things you've hit on tour?
Vinnie: 6 ft. Transvestite, we almost got stuck in a Hurricane, we were in the middle of a blackout, we sang Happy Birthday to a homeless guy on stage once, maniacal vegan sxe kids, I could go on forever, ya know, bro?
Smother: Did anyone in the band have lessons?
Vinnie: Roger (bass) did.
Smother: What kind of equipment do you use?
Vinnie: Chris (guitar/vocals) uses Telecasters and Marshalls. Roger (bass/vocals) uses Ibanez basses and Ampeg amps. I'm using Premier drums on this tour. I usually use Yamaha, though. Next tour, I'll be using Drum Workshop stuff.
Smother: How do you like the tour so far?
Vinnie: We've known the bands on this tour forever. It's like a big family get together. We've none the Blue Meanies for 5 years and Musterd Plug for 5 years, too. We hadn't had the chance to meet The Toasters until this tour, but they're rad people.
Smother: How do you respond to people calling you sell-outs after releasing Losing Streak on a major label?
Vinnie: I think they're full of shit. Here's a prime example. We have stuff out on a major label. A lot of the other bands who have all their stuff out on indy labels like to call us sell-outs, but you know what, our shows and our records are much cheaper than theirs. We have the freedom to put stuff out on any record companies we want to.
Smother: Do you have any weird habits?
Vinnie: We don't get to change our underwear much, but that's not by choice.
Smother: So you have a new album coming out?
Vinnie: Yeah, it's due out in August. It's called "Hello Rockview." We've got 11 songs for it now, and we're going to put another 6 more or so. It's a real eclectic mix of styles. It's got a lifetime-esque pace to it. There's no "Dopeman" on this album.
Smother: Are you looking forward to Warped Tour this year?
Vinnie: Yeah. We get to play about 3/4 of it. We're not going to do the East Coast, though.