Sometimes it seems like there are more punkrock´n´roll bands in Sweden than there are marshmallows in USA, but a lot of them are young kids who in a couple of years will change their style, attitude and name. All depending on what is in with the "out-crowd."

These three bands will probably never change, as they have been here a couple of years and they are here to stay. They know what punkrock is about and we thought we´d give them some space to spill their guts...

Could you please introduce the band and a brief history?

Bones: Jonas Andersén: Vocals & Guitars
Marcus Peterson: Guitars & Vocals
Hannes Norda: Bass & Backup Vocals
Fredrik Andersén: Drums & Backup Vocals
We played in different bands for many years, and eventually this line-up started out back in the fall of '95. Back then we trashed the local joints for a couple of years, before the release of our debut-MCD "the Horrorway E.P." This summer we signed a deal with the german label "I Used To Fuck People Like You In Prison Records" or in short "People Like You." We've just released a 10"/MCD called "Six Feet Down And Two Fingers Up" and in February next year a full length album titled "Screwed, Blued & Tattooed" will be released.
C-Men: Rolle: Drums, cowbell & Queerchoir.
Mathias: Guitar, back vox & posing.
Björn: Guitar, tremolo & Wah.
David: Bass & backing vox.
Honk: Vocals & obscene phone calls
Est. November '97. Been rockin' since then. Ahua!Wrecks: Wrecks are Johan Bååth - Vocals & Guitar, Robert Grandelius - Drums, Peter Hellström - Bass & Måns P. Månsson - Lead Guitar.
We started out in '98 and after a couple of months of rehearsing we went to the Sunlight studio in Stockholm to record three tracks together with Tomas Skogsberg. One of the tracks, "Break Me Down", is included on the compilation CD "Swedish Sins - 99" (White Jazz). After that we've released two 45's, "Alright / Demon Trip" (Uranus) and "Gimme Hell / Rock'n'Roll Man" (Zorch) and gigged quite a lot in Sweden and some in Norway...

Describe your sound. Which band got you playing?

Bones: We're harder than a cross-check, greasier than motor-oil and heavier than a Chevy '57. Bands like Ramones and the Misfits got us started in the first place.
C-Men: Motherfuckin' rocksound.David: I was drunk and accidentally joined "Sixpack"Mathias: Mora Träsk & Aristocats.
Rolle: Don't remember, it's been to fucking long. The Jam? Björn: Hanoi Rocks.
Honk: Pick any punkband. Good or bad.
Wrecks: Imagine Black Sabbath coming from Ann Arbor, infected with a severe boogie disease, and some of Hawkwinds bad acid... trying to sound like early Flamin Groovies - in the best of worlds that would be Wrecks. Which band got us playing? It's almost impossible for anyone of us to pick out a single band or two. Rock'n'roll got us playing. Rock'n'roll and getting girls.

All of you have been playing this kind of music a long time, almost all of you have been in it for 10 years. Never got tired of the vans, minimum pay and small crowds? Or, is that the charm with playing in a punkrock band?

Bones: No & yes.
C-Men: Vans? To dumb to quit. There's no charm in being broke.
Wrecks: The vans are usually fun, but of course minimum pay sucks big time. Small crowds? A small crowd is still a crowd, and we're always doing our best to kick ass.

Can you do "too much" in order to be a rockstar?! Is there such a thing as selling yourself? Tv-shows, commercials, publicity-stunts, dress codes etc? Or is any way you can, the way?! What would that be in your case?

Bones: Of course you have to make some money every once in a while if you try to make a living as a punkrocker. There is a fine line between being a rock'n'roll prostitute and a rock'n'roll star, what you are is what you get.
C-Men: Besides the dress code - or appearing in an R.E.M video - we can't wait to sell out.
Wrecks: No, not really. Anything you can get away with is alright, and if you don't get away with stuff, and suddenly come across as a fool, you're most probably a fool to begin with. In our case... give us some weird suggestions and a $ 1 000 000 and we'll see...

Big record labels or small ones? What would be the ultimate record label to sign with?

Bones: Better being big on a small label than being small on a big one. Looks like we're on a good one. The ultimate label would be.... Frilly Pink.
C-Men: Any label! Just call us. We'll even do your lawn. And your wife. Or anybody else who might be at home. Honk: The dog? Ok.
Wrecks: We'll have to say good ones. But rather a small label who knows its way around and is working hard for their bands than a big one who doesn't know rock'n'roll and doesn't give a shit. But the ultimate would of course be a big label working really hard for us. Visually the ultimate would be to release the vinyl on Vertigo, with their old swirl label.

It seems a lot easier getting a deal in foreign countries or getting a track on a foreign label´s compilation. But, then Sweden is one of the countries that seems to break new punkrockbands every other minute...? Have the punkrock´n´roll boom with Hellacopters and Puffball made it easier or harder to break here?!

Bones: Sweden makes quality music. But sometimes you get the feeling that the crowd and the labels just don't get what it's all about, some exceptions of course...
C-Men: Same shit different haircuts.
Wrecks: Puffball?? Eh, anyway, the Hellacopters thing has probably made it easier to get deals with smaller labels, and the release rate of vinyl 45's has skyrocketed, which is great! You don't have to buy CD's nowadays, cause everything (well, almost...) comes out on vinyl as well, and that's partly thanks to this "boom". It's also a bit easier to get gigs, as more people are tuned in. But it's still hard to break, no real change there.

Favorite band to play/tour with? A big band gets you the attention than a more unknown band..or just play whatever and wherever you get?

Bones: Of course it would be cool to play with some old heroes of ours, but we have just as much fun playing with ourselves...
C-Men: David & Rolle: Madonna.
Mathias: Just as a dick, the bigger the better.
Björn: LaDonnas (quality) & Rolling Stones (size).
Honk: That guy from the Ipren commercial. Size does matter but it would be cool if they don't suck.
Wrecks: Kinda the same question as the big v/s small label one... and kinda the same answer - a good, well known band with cool people who are fun to hang out with would be the ultimate of course. Never really thought about it actually. Would be something to accompany Roky Erickson though, in a 50/50 set of 'Elevators stuff and his solo work.

Do you have any advice for young bands, wanting to break?

Bones: Play your own stuff, play it alot, drink beer, get tattooed and get lucky.
C-Men: May we remind you who you're asking. We're broke & everybody hates us.
Wrecks: Eh... how about Don't copy! Just turn it up and bang away! If you have it in you, and it's not just a pose, then it might work out in some way. Or, get a job and a haircut.

What is in the future for your band? The next move?

Bones: World tours and all-day drinking
C-Men: To sell as many records as the Rolling Stones. We'd be as rich as them if we did ya'know? Well, we have some stuff that will be released Safety Pin (Spain), Pure Vinyl (Austria) and another record in Canada. And then of course we've got a couple of things happening back home. Other than that? Rockin', rollin' & what not!!! Wrecks: For the moment we're at the Sunlight studio recording a full length album together with Tomas Skogsberg and Alex Hellid from Entombed, who is setting up a production company. The idea is to make a great record, cover etc, and then lease it to some label for the release. We're only kinda halfway there, so that's as much as we can say for the moment. And when we've finished recording we'll of course try and get out to play as much as possible.
-Lisa Darling
All pictures (c) the Bones/C-Men/Wrecks