What is the name of your group?
Save Ferris
Where are you from?
Orange County, California
California, same as Hepcat!
Yes..actually we know them…
How long have you guys been playing Ska?
Well, we have been togheter for three years now, although we all came from
different bands, where each of us already played for many years.
Which are your influences and musical roots?
Many…such as Swing, Punk, Jazz, Reggae and Ska of course. It’s kind of a
combination coming from different elements were we managed to not make it ripetitive.
We all know about New York Ska (Toasters, Scofflaw, Slackers) known as a central point
for Ska in America..but what about the California Ska scene?
California has heard Ska music for 10 years know…eventhough it’s
continuosly evolving overtime. Many fresh new bands are coming out…they are mostly
influenced by the Punk scene. Punk & Ska are being blended togheter expecially in
California because the Punk scenary has a leading role.
Rockabilly blends everything togheter and that’s why it’s got a certain
California style.
Yeah…The English Two-Tone movement had greatly influenced New York and
Boston…and the Punk side has always influenced California. We are not about the
Two-tone clothing style, no set rules, like in New York. We are alloud to do
free-style….Swing Ska!
Yesterday Smash Mouth had a gig right in Milan…some people consider Smash Mouth
Ska..some others think they are "sell outs"…what do you think about it?
What about No Doubt?
Nowadays there’s plenty of Ska coming from America…with those bands people has
different opinions…some of them think those bands (i.e. Smash Mouth) introduce people
to Ska, while others think those bands fool people…
There are many kinds of Ska…traditional, Two-Tone, third-wave and so on….the
main characteristic is the up-beat sound, than some bands tend to be Pop or more
traditional…writing music that you like is cool, but selling out is changing music
according to what business demands.
Some people think that No Doubt has become a sell out, altought they have always
progressed with their own taste in music.
What about your productions?
Well….we self-made a kind of a demo-tape, we actually paid for that…the
record label was "Starpool Records". Then we came out with a CD. Surprisingly we
sold quite a bit, for being an unknown band, the CD was composed of old songs that we
remade.
Now Sony/Epic is sponsoring our little tour in Europe to publicise our new CD whic
should come out anytime now.
Is it your first time in Italy?
Yeah..today..just a gig here in Milan, in a couple of minute we are off to Paris.
We have already being in Norway, Denmark, Germany…but we are coming back in
September, hopefully better organised and we will be playing with other bands.
When you think of Ska in America, you think of Moon Ska. Hare you in contact with the
guys of Moon Ska?
Moon Ska in America had a lot of success..expecially in the East Cost, while in the
West there has being other labels. We had being on a Moon Ska sampler called
"California Ska Quake 2"...that was the first time we had the opportunity to
being distributed worldwide, which gave us an opportunity for exposure.
Recently I have read about Skatalites will to stop playing live…What’s your
opinion on Skatalites..are they just left in history or they can still give us the Ska
groove?
We played with Skatalites, in fact we opened for them in California…I notice
they were quite slow on playing…but of course they always remain great. It really
umbelievable that this people still go on playing the way they do. Anyway, as a young
musician I can understand the passion they hold for this type music…wheter they keep
on playing or stop they still remain the Greatests.
Those months we are suffering from Judge Dread departure…isn’t it?
He was the Man…the Judge.
The guys are really kind and nice and we spend some time talking. One of them sing
for us in Italian!
Then we hear the coach to come on...we greet and thank Brian and the others Save Ferris
still awake: goodnight and that's the end of that.
Ahh..I forgot asking why the bass player wore for the concert kind of a Winny The
Poo-hat!
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