Introduce yourself…
I’m Blag the Ripper, Rock Legend.
How did the band start?
Juvenile delinquents from Illinois making rock. We figured the girls in California might be better looking than the midwest variety. Too bad we wound up in Northern California.
How did you come up with the name?
It was either that or Puss Antlers.
Who would you say are your influences?
Everything good, from Negro field hollers to psychedelic surf to two step garage techno. If you do it well we wanna hear it and then do it better than you.
What was the punk scene like in the mid-1980s?
Really unattractive people screaming about Ronald Reagan.
How do you feel it has changed?
People were looser fitting pants now and listen to music with tiny little earphones. It sucks!
What is the song writing process?
The songs are out there, you just have to find them. Right now someone is saying something that should be a song title, but you’re ignoring it because you’re getting on the bus or having your haircut.
In 1986, you released your first album, ‘Horror Stories’, tell us about the album…
60s garage music for angry punkers that love rockabilly and disco records.
You second album ‘Toolin’ for a Warm Teabag’, seems to be where the band acquired your style, tell us about the album…
We hung out with GG Allin in jail and so we figured we could rip him off without anybody noticing.
Your next 3 albums appeared on Seattle’s Subpop label, what was it like working with Subpop?
Like starving to death in a really nice suit.
What you feel caused the band to break up after this?
We never broke up, we broke free of Sub/Pop. Now we get paid to play music!
In 1997, the band reformed and for some reason created a big fan base from Subpop artists of this time, what inspired you to reform the band?
We made another record right when people starting like punk records again. SubPop was oput of the picture by then, but Recess Records and Theologian put out Young and Good Looking and it did so well Epitaph wound up licensing it, too. Y and GL was the best of the pop punk records of the era.
You then released ‘the Dwarves are Young and Good Looking’, tell us about the album…
I just did.
In 2000, you released your first album on Epitaph, ‘the Dwarves Come Clean’, tell us about the album…
Our second pitaph recod found our producer Eric Valentine at the height of his creative powers and now that I was rich I started getting laid all the time. We sequenced drums on that record, something no punk band had done yet. We were expanding outward, but retaining our classic punk roots in songs like Want U To Die and River City Rapist.
How do you feel ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ differed?
That was a quickie to get the rights to some Sub/Pop stuff. It was a pretty good record though, some versions are better than the originals. Look for that record reprinted soon as part of the rerelease of Y and GL.
An even more interesting question is have you actually read the book?
We lived it.
Your last album was ‘the Dwarves Must Die’, tell us about the album…
Our best one ever. Each style from hip/hop to surf to garage to hardcore to death rock is all there on that record. The best rock record ever, hands down.
How will ‘the Dwarves are Born Again’ differ from your other albums?
It’s like Must Die part 2, but without the dancey stuff and with more garage influence like our first couple records. Everything coems around eventually. Like yer mom!
You guys have appeared in different Movies, ‘Pot Zombies’ and ‘Loren Cass’, tell us about the movies…
I like cheap movies, you can smoke pot on set.
Tell us about the current lineup…
I am a rock legend. The Fresh Prince of Darkness, Clint Torres, Chip Fracture, Gregory Pecker, Dutch Ovens, Rex Everything, the list goes on. Insanely talented nincompoops, every last one!
Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
Check the poster gallery on our site. That’s about 10% of them. We used to play with everybody, but then we wanted to get paid so now we play with bands so bad they can’t ask for any money.
Do you prefer to do shows at large venues or small clubs?
If there are vaginas there, that’s all that counts.
Where have you toured?
Everywhere.
Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
The Dwarves!
Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
Big cities are always good. London, NY, LA- we’re big timers!
What do you see a future of the Dwarves?
No.
How can people contact the band?
Go to our website
Thedwarves.com
Tons of dirty photos, free songs, videos and all the insanity that’s made us the best band ever for over 2 decades. Check out our new full length cd The Dwarves Are Born Again on Greedy Records coming May 10. And check out our radio show- Radiolikeyouwant.com
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