Interview with This Is A Standoff

 

Let’s meet one of the best bands of Punk Rock Holiday 1.8, who closed the beach stage: This Is A Standoff. Here’s my conversation with Steve, voice and guitar for the band.

 

I: Hello Steve! What’s your impression of the festival?

S: It’s the first time for me here, some of the guys have been here before but this is kind of a next level. I love coming to Europe, because everytime we come here there’s a different kind of vibe, I knew it would look pretty, I saw the pictures, and I have been in Ljubljana a couple of times, but this is awesome. And the whole trip has been ripped heart! And you have a cold water sources just behind the stage so, yeah! We played Brakrock and that was a great festival, small festival but with a lot of people that I saw in the last festivals in a bunch of year and I think it will be the same today. There’s this kind of punk family that’s travelling around Europe for each festival!

 

I: What do you think about the ‘no barriers’ policy?

S: Yeah, I think it’s good. I don’t mind barriers when they make sense, some indoor venues, where it’s a safety thing. But here, where everyone has space to move and make their own decisions, it’s great. I understand barriers when it’s to protect. We have done everything, from big shows to basements shows, I like everything.

 

I: Sometimes here it reminds me of the DIY scene. Talking about that, what’s your opinion on the DIY scene, and on the punk scene in general?

S: I think… well before This Is A Standoff, my other band, Belvedere, we started in 1995, we were used to this kind of basement scene, small cultural places, that was what we knew. Then we started to know bigger shows. For instance, last night we played on the floor in Italy, near the sea, in this venue, and it was so cool! And it reminds you ‘oh, we were used to do it all the time!’. When the crowd in front of you reminds you of what was like, and I personally love the idea of a DIY scene. I continue to do a lot for my band, a lot of the bookings, for both bands, with help from other people. It’s really thriving right now. Well, I think that the DIY scene in Canada is really strong and also in Europe.

 

I: Maybe it’s the historical period that we are living, the social and political situation that we are living, but I think that a lot of punk bands are coming up, or at least a kind of attitude. What do you think about that? Do you think that the state of affairs in the world let people rebel against the system through music?

S: Yeah, I think it’s even more important now for punk bands to use their voice to express themselves because there’s a lot of people that want to repress our ability, our freedom of speaking and thinking against the establishment, so I think it’s time for punk bands to take the lead in music and say ‘this is bullshit, this is not okay’.

 

I: Are there some bands that are you looking forward to see or play with? What’s the relationship with other bands when you are on tour?

S: We got a lot of friends here. We bump in Lagwagon today, we share the room with Adrenalized. I‘ve just seen Adhesive, so… we got history with these bands. We know each other for a long time now. Yeah, it’s really cool, it seems to be back to school, school reunion, this is awesome, showing each other pics of our kids – laughing.

 

I: What’s the best thing that happen to you on stage and the worst one?

S: The best thing… I spent a lot of time with my head down you know, it was just playing playing playing. You’re touring most of the time… now I’m in my 40s, and it’s not a full time thing anymore so I can really appreciate all of this. Sometimes on the nights of the shows, I think that it’s so amazing. I start to play in punk bands when I was 17 years old, and at this age it’s amazing to be able to be fortunate enough to go to places around the world in front of people. So, it’s kind of a daily thing, some nights are better than others, sometimes I can’t believe I’m still doing this. Worst thing… well, it didn’t happen a lot of times.. I had an accident with Belvedere, I remember we were on tour with Rise Against, and I got a terrible cold, and it was the biggest date of the tour, it was in Montreal, and I couldn’t sing. Then it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happen, because our friends, Mute were on tour, luckily for me Étienne knew most of the songs so he was able to sing for me. Four or five songs, and then we had another friend who could sing more, and we pulled up some kids from the audience. Everyone were coming to me, and it was an uplifting moment in my career. I don’t have bad memories of the tours.

 

I: Better like that! Do you have some kind of ritual before going on stage?

S: In the last ten years, it’s most about singing, warming up my voice. And stuff like that. I didn’t really care when I was in my twenties, but now… I’m older! So, yes, I get ready for the show. You know, I don’t want to play the old man, I want to jump around, be active, so I need to be ready, warm up.

 

I: What are the future plans for the band?

S: When the tour is done we will see, maybe some small thing, because we are from different parts of Canada, I’m in Calgary, others are far away. It’s impossible to write new material. But every once in a while when there’s the occasion we will do something. And also with Belvedere, we are somehow still active, and we got some travel plans to South America, and some European stuff. So we are very part time! And maybe next year I will be here with Belvedere!

I wish! And meanwhile, thank you Steve for your time and beautiful words!