Interview with Bishops Green
Chat with street punk band Bishops Green from Vancouver
Canadian band Bishops Green recently released their new EP ‘Black Skies’ and toured Europe, with dates in Italy as well. Impressed by their live show in Bologna with Plizzken and Zeman, we decided to interview the Canadian street punk band. Their unmistakable style and energy have been delighting the ears of skins and punks since 2011, and to say they are devastating is an understatement. Let’s start the interview, we are full of curiosity!
Radio Punk: Hi guys and welcome to our webzine. For those who don’t know you, tell us a bit about yourselves. When did you form and in what historical context and how did you meet each other? What other bands or projects did you play in before Bishops Green?
Bishops Green – Greg: Since Evan and I had played together previously in The Lancasters I decided in 2011 to ask him if he wanted to start something up and Bishops Green began. Bands I have been involved with over the years were The Glorystompers, The Subway Thugs, The Lancasters, and Alternate Action. Evan was also in The Authorities.
Radio Punk: What is the skinhead and punk scene like in Vancouver? And how is it in the rest of Canada? What is it like to be a skinhead and punk in your neck of the woods? Are there gathering places, places where you have gigs, do you hang out somewhere in the city or are you a bit isolated?
Bishops Green: The scene is small but very tight and everyone knows each other. Canada is very spread out as it’s a big place, it takes 4 – 5 days to drive across. That being said, touring across Canada is not for the faint of heart, lol. When there is a show, everyone comes out and it’s a good time.
Radio Punk: Sticking with the city scene, how is the interaction between different subcultures? Are you united among punks, skinheads, hardcore kids, and metalheads or does everyone mind their own business and organize concerts divided by different sub-genres?
Bishops Green: Because of the smaller scene here, everyone gets along and for the most part are friends. It’s a pretty united scene and the subcultures get along.
Radio Punk: You recently released ‘Black Skies’, a 7-track work released on vinyl by Pirates Press. Your style is unique and highly original, you can be recognized from the first note. What do you think this new work has added to your discography? Do you feel you have expressed something that you didn’t say in your previous works?
Bishops Green – Greg: when COVID hit, it set a certain mood for writing songs. I found myself going into the rehearsal space and spending hours at a time writing songs. The mood was dark and that set the tone both musically and lyrically. I felt the music captured the sign of the times.
Radio Punk: Your themes often deal with social issues and criticism of the system. What struggles and topics do you particularly care about?
Bishops Green: For instance one line in the song “Last Minute Warning” is ‘take a look at your system, tell me what you see’ The system is full of holes and uncertainty which makes one on edge and uncomfortable. ‘Too many faces, what about them now’: it’s like we’re just a number and at the drop of a hat you’re replaced.
Radio Punk: Remaining on the social and political theme, in Italy skins and punks tend to have an anti-fascist, anti-racist and anti-capitalist connotation and care a lot about the DIY aspect. How important are these aspects to you? In Vancouver and Canada in general, how do you experience the ‘street’? Are there problems with Nazis or the police for example?
Bishops Green: DIY is very important in our subculture, it unites and keeps the scene going through connections and labels etc. Having an anti-racist, anti-fascist stance not only in our subculture, but in daily life. There is no room/tolerance in the scene for it. Years ago we used to have problems, but rarely do we have to deal with this issue. The police here for the most part leave us alone besides the odd shutting down of DIY venues. They do make me nervous though. It was very different growing up in Edmonton, Alberta–totally different experience with the police, VERY difficult.
Radio Punk: To create such a unique sound I imagine you listen to a lot of different music. What are your favorite bands/artists and what do you generally listen to at home, in the car, or on your headphones?
Bishops Green – Greg: I listen to a lot of different genres from UK82, 77 style, early 80’s New Wave, Hardcore, it’s very hard to pinpoint specific bands/artists. But for the most part I get a lot of influence from early 80’s streetpunk/Oi! UK82 and add a bit of my own taste with some melody.
Radio Punk: Tell us a bit about yourselves, do you have any other bands or projects at the moment? Would you like to form more? Do you work other jobs or make a living from music? What hobbies and passions do you have besides punk?
Bishops Green – Greg: Speaking for myself, I also play in Alternate Action – we were in Europe in 2019. I enjoy writing songs and coming up with melodies that have that ‘feel’. Yes, we all work – but have flexibility with our jobs. We have to work, but hopefully will be touring more and more in the future! Life is short. I’m also into Vespa and Lambretta scooters, I also fix up motorcycles for a hobby. Keeps me out of trouble! lol
Radio Punk: Having played in so many different places and countries, which are your favorites? What differences have you noticed between the Canadian scene and those in other countries?
Bishops Green – Greg: It’s really hard to pinpoint one specific place as there are good scenes and great people all over. I enjoy meeting everyone and making new friends. I find that the scenes in different countries share similar ideals and beliefs despite the difference in languages and life experiences. Meeting people who share your subculture and are passionate about the same music/bands scales the language barrier!
Radio Punk: What do you think about streaming platforms like Spotify? Do you think they can be useful in bringing new generations closer to our subculture?
Bishops Green – Greg: Spotify is good and bad. For instance, we would have never reached the audiences we have without it, in so many countries around the globe – its amazing the reach it’s given bands. Obviously it would be nice to get a kick back for our music.
Radio Punk: We thank you very much, we would like to continue to fill you with questions, but maybe next time you come back to Italy we will do it over several beers! We close with a classic question for Punk Radio readers. Tell us about the best and most grotesque moments you experienced on tour!
Bishops Green: Hahahaha, I could write a novel… lol. We took our friend Igor on our first tour over to Europe in 2014 and we were playing ‘Oi! This is Tegelen’. We’re walking up the stairs and he was ahead of me and released the big bean bags that hang on curtains attached to a rope overhead and let it swing directly into my crotch! I flew up in the air (super heavy, like a wrecking ball) and landed on my wrists! Luckily nothing broke but my pride, hahahaha!
Credit photo: Kuckuck Artworks
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