Ελληνικά
llo, this is Elpida and I welcome you to Metal Invader! Thanks for joining us! We’re people, so I’ll start with the easy ones first; are you alright? Is everybody well? How’s life treating you lately?
Hi Elpida. Everything is hunky dory in Toasterville and we are looking forward to coming back to Greece as part of the 2018 world tour!
In less than a month The Toasters will be visiting Thessaloniki once again, for a show we well know that’ll kick ass! Are you ready for us? What should we expect from The Toasters?
We will be playing a selection of tunes from across the back catalogue. I have a band comprised of five nationalities and we aim to get the crowd going and have a good night. The more feedback we get from the crowd the better we play!
It seems you’re sharing a special bond with your fans here in Greece. We’ve always shown you love. What do you think is that special feature that bonds The Toasters with their fans (generally speaking)?
I wish it was easier for us to get down to Greece as the shows there are always great. Touring through the Balkans is quite an expedition. So we are only able to come down every 2-3 years which makes it a long time between visits. The SKA scene is a big family and so it’s always a pleasure to come down and see you guys
You’ve been around for almost 40 years, despite the lineup changes. What keeps The Toasters alive and kicking still? What’s your driving force?
Ask me again when I get my last 2 daughters finished with college! Seriously though it’s a pleasure to be able to continuing to play in front of audiences across the globe 36 years and 6000 concerts after the band kicked off in 1981. Without the fans this would not be possible, so it’s a tribute to you really.
When you come to think about that, The Toaster’s career span is someone’s whole lifetime. Did you ever anticipate all this crowd’s embrace and the existence of such loyal fans after all these years when you initially formed the band?
Not at all. In fact if you had told me then at the beginning that we would still be out on the road playing shows 35+ years later then I would have probably thought you were mad but then here we are so I guess I am the crazy one
What were your goals when you firstly formed the band? Do you think you’ve achieved them all?
There were no goals really. Primarily it was to put a band together to have some fun and have something creative to do after work. It became a giant snowball that ran down the mountainside with me inside it. So the project has gone way further than ever had been imagined.
What led to the constant lineup changes? I know each time things were different, though is there a reason why musicians came and went all these years?
In NYC it’s difficult to keep a solid line up together as people are constantly moving in and out. Plus with the Toasters playing 200+ shows a year globally not all people can commit to that. We have lost members due to death, marriage, job constraints and a myriad of other reasons. These days with the music biz being in such collapse the current model is to hire local musicians instead of just funneling all the tour proceeds to the airlines.
No one can deny the influence The Toasters’ have applied on various bands of the genre. You’ve been wildly mentioned as one of the most influential bands in SKA. Isn’t that wonderful? My guess is you’re proud of how things turned out!
Well I don’t really take that into account. I see all kinds of people taking credit for things that they really shouldn’t. I think it’s important to realize that we are all part of a greater family and movement which stretches in a continuum 50 years and is still progressing. I am happy to have been a part of this great project. Many bands and the people in them have very big heads and I don’t respect that.
Considering you moved to Spain in 2004 to make a new start and reflecting on that decision now in 2018, would you say you actually made the right choice? What differences have spotted about how things are working?
Spain was great. My family was very lucky to have had that opportunity and I feel we all benefitted from it greatly. Unfortunately , after 11 years there, we have had to move back to the USA where we have been the last 2 years so that my youngest daughter can finish her college education in Texas. Just in time for Donald Trump – awesome.
When asked about your change of base somewhere in the past, you mentioned that your decision was taken due to the fact that “NYC had ceased being a place which encouraged an indie music scene”. Do you still hold onto that? Is still NYC a victim of stagnation in your opinion?
Yep the music scene in NYC has died a death in my view compared with how vibrant it was in the 80’s. I attribute that to a squeeze on artists due to the cost of living in the city, a dwindling amount of decent venues to put on live shows and a failure on the part of the city to support the arts and pop culture. There is plenty of money for high brow museums etc but nothing to neither support nor attract struggling artists. So the city has bought it on its self. The closing of CBGB’s is a prime example of what I am talking about
Labels, consulting companies for helping bands and labels with bookings and touring, The Toasters and so on… Quite a busy man! How did you / are you handling everything? Is your life hectic or have you found the balance between everything?
I am a pretty organized guy so it’s not hard to juggle all these hats. Having said that the record label is on the back burner now as it is a terrible environment for labels right now. I have never had what most people would consider a job so I have to work hard to support my family. But I don’t mind doing that at all. At this point I am mainly working with partners whom I have been in contact with for years so it’s a well oiled machine and I enjoy what I do
Keeping in mind the aforementioned and holding on to the fact that you’ve had your share with labels, would you say that technology has badly affected the music industry or has it worked towards its growth in way that’s clearly different from the past?
Tech has killed the music business. Live streaming is now 50% of the whole industry and is choking the life out of most musicians who are not being fairly compensated for their art in my view. Their product is being exploited and the business model of companies like Spotify is not fair. Rather these people are crooks and pirates who are being enabled by the RIAA of course it is different. But not at all in a good way. Music has been trivialized and is now a throw away product. Terrible.
Comparing your first steps in the scene with everything that’s going on in 2018, what would you say is the most striking difference and loud similarity between the two eras?
There is hardly any independent scene left. That’s the main difference. Gone are the days when bands could really self promote by creating a product. Now it’s all bogus on line self-promo with dubious crowd-funding campaigns which further dilute the market. Pretty shitty really. I feel sorry for bands that are just starting out because they have a very steep hill to climb
What’s your next goals both as an individual and as a band (taking ‘bout The Toasters)?
Nothing in particular. I would like to visit a load more countries that I have not been to yet. I would like to get some time to put a big vegetable garden in at my house. I miss that. This summer I am going to Hong Kong and Taiwan so excited to see those places for the first time.
Alright, I think that’s all for now. Can’t wait to share a beer a two in Thessaloniki! The last words are yours! Care to send a message to our readers?
Please support your local scene and the touring bands. It’s more important than ever to keep the grass roots networks going! See you in Thessaloniki, and yes, a beer sounds great!
