G.B.H.
The Tom Around the World Interview
(...at least what's left of it...)


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I sat down with Colin Abrahall of G.B.H. and some guy named Danny (I am not sure who he is...) and did a short interview. It was about noon when we started the interview and it was nearly 100 degrees. Too hot to be sitting in the hot press tent.
Due to some problems with the sound levels on the video, some parts of the interview were lost. Sorry...
What you will read here is the remainder of the salvaged interview. It is still interesting. I hope to get another interview on the East Coast leg of the 2003 US tour.

Tom: How have you guys been lately?
Colin: Good.
Tom: How did the Holiday in the Sun show go in NJ?
Colin: It was great.
Tom: Crazy crowd?
Colin: Oh yeah. Great.
Tom: You guys released your newest album "Ha Ha" in July. How are the sales going?
Colin: It's doing great so far.
Tom: Are you seeing mostly old school punks at the shows or are you seeing the newer young kids?
Colin: It's a mix.
Tom: You guys have been a huge influence of the Punk scene. Did you expect to last so long and have such an important role in the development of the Punk thoughts and Punk Rock?
Colin: Not when we first started.

Tom: Which of your records do you consider to be the best representation of G.B.H. and why?
Colin: City Baby Attacked by Rats 'cause it was the first one… and the new one.
Tom: What is your take on the current state of punk rock?

Colin: Don't even have one…
Tom: It is quite widely known that you guys liked to booze it up…
Danny: That's just rumors.
Colin: I'm drinking water. (Holds up a bottle of some type of cloudy liquid.)
Tom: Water's not that color. (Laughter) But considering that a lot of the old-schoolers (such as Jack Grisham of TSOL) have sworn off the juice and the drugs, do you still drink as hard as you did when you were younger?
Colin: About the same, but different timing.
Tom: What's your favorite drink?
Colin: I drink wine.
Danny: And chocolate éclair vodka.
Colin: Chocolate éclair vodka!
Tom: You list the Sex Pistols and the Damned as some of your influences. How do you feel about getting to play with them, especially the Pistols, since it was reported that this would be their last performance?
Colin: I never thought, ever, that we'd get to play the Sex Pistols. Part of me still doesn't believe it's gonna happen.
Tom: Yeah, I saw their website, everything could go tits up, even today. Do you keep the same ideals you had in early times?
Colin: Yeah.
Tom: Do you think that it is a bit contradictory to the punk ideal to be playing at a huge festival sponsored by a corporate entity such as Levi's?
Colin: If Levi's hadn't done it, someone else would have. We're not corporate whores…
Tom: I'm not saying that...
Colin: You can't help being part of corporate things, one way or another unless we all lived in caves, and made our own clothes. I don't lose any sleep over it. It can't be helped.
Tom: After this US show and then what…have you got more shows in the US?
Colin: Nothing till next year. We're going back to Europe. Then we're coming back in January and February of next year.
Tom: You guys are taking some time off?
Colin: No, no, we're touring this month. You gotta give it a couple months after the release before you tour. (Pointing to Tom's "France" tattoo) Oh, that's really quite nice.
Tom: Thanks. I just spent ten days over there.
Colin: Where were you?
Tom: We were all over the place, the Mont St. Michel, the Normandy invasion beaches, the Chartres, and LeMons…
Colin: That's the symbol of the wheel of life?
Tom: Uh, Safe journeys and returns. So, any final words?
Colin: Have fun.
Danny: Don't get too hot.

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