Where did you get the name?
We got the name while playing Road Rash on Sega Genesis. Mike and Rich came up with it before we even had the band. It means absolutely nothing...no one in the band is named Rob.
How & when did the band form?
The band formed way back in the summer of 1995 in Richie Holes' basement (back then he was less formal and was just plain Richie). Nothing major really started happening until 1998 when Vic and Frank joined. It's been the same lineup since and will continue to be.
Is every in the band from New York?
Yea, we're all from Staten Island, NY. Mike, Rich and Frank have known each other since 2nd grade and we all met Vic in High School.
Describe the Robweoza sound.
Fast, old school style punk rock, (aggressive, yet passive) with lyrics about things that most people our age (early 20s) can relate too. If I had to pick bands we sounded similar to I'd say Minor Threat and Bad Religion. However, we've also been compared to Screeching Weasel and the Ramones...so I guess there is a lotta influences in our sound.
Can you tell us about the first tape you released?
The first tape, called "Hepped Up On Goof Balls" was an extremely low quality tape that contained 15 songs and was recorded with the group's original lineup. It was recorded on a reel to reel 4 track and sounded pretty shitty. It wasn't widely distributed, but did get the band several compliments. Several of the songs on it ended up being re-recorded for our 2nd demo and then finally re-re-recorded for our debut full length.
Can you tell us about the self-titled tape you released?
The self titled demo was the first recording to feature our current lineup. Recorded in Feburary 1999, it was engineered by the Legendary Jerkface. It contained redone versions of 4 songs off the first demo plus the first 2 songs we wrote with the new lineup: "I Don't Get It" and "State Of The Union". Lots of copies were produced and given out to help spread the band's name and it worked. We started playing more and more shows and traveling out of our hometown.
Can you describe the song writing process?
Probably 90% of the music if written by Mike (guitarist). However, at some point, all of us have contributed musically to some songs. Rich likes to joke that he's not very involved in the writing, but the fact is that him and Mike are on the same level musically so much that it's scary sometimes.
Mike will start making up a song on the spot and Rich knows exactly where he's going with it. I guess that just comes from years of the two of them playing together.
Lyrically we're a lot more diverse. It's not uncommon for a set of lyrics to be written by one member, only to have stuff added/subtrated from by the other members before the final product is produced. Overall, I think our songwriting process is way more "group oriented" than most bands.
Although it's happened a few times, it's pretty rare for one of us to just come to the group and say "I have a complete song written". Usually a song starts with something pretty basic and we all build on it from there.
Describe the new cd.
The new CD (Get Confident Stupid!) isn't really that new anymore, as it's been out for over a year and. This CD is the best thing we've released so far. Overall it's a nice mix of heavy and pop punk.
It's a very rough sounding album, since it was recorded in a basement.
In a way though, I think the rawness of the CD is a good thing, because we are in no way a polished band. While it does have somewhat of a "set sound" it is still very diverse. That's because the songs were written over a 5 year period and also because we listen to so many different bands and our influences are very wide and diverse.
Have you toured?
Yes, last summer we did a brief tour of New England. It was a lot of fun and we can't wait to do it again.
Where have you played what are some of the bands you have played with?
We've played all over, including Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, New Jersey, Vermont and New Hampshire. As far as big name bands, we've played with the Huntingtons, MDC (Millions of Dead Cops), Kill Your Idols and of course Joey Ramone. We also regularly play with some great local bands, like Yellow Teeth, Darien and Big Wheel.
The show at ABC No Rio with MDC and Kill Your Idols was a blast. It was pretty packed in there and we got Rich to get out front and sing a Minor Threat song...everyone seemed to love it.
What was it like to open for Joey Ramone at the CBGB?
Opening for Joey Ramone was without a doubt the highlight of our career thus far, and will probably remain it for some time. Joey and the Ramones are such a huge influence on us and punk rock in general that it's hard to put into words how much of a big deal it was for us. To be up on stage at CBGBs, where the Ramones started punk rock in 74 and to be on the same bill of the man who started it all was just unreal. The place was pack to the brim and everyone was having a great time. It was a dream come true for all of us.
What is the scene like in Staten Island?
Staten Island has a lot of great bands, however the scene itself is plagued by venues that constantly get shut down by the cops and by lack of support from people other than those in bands. When one of the bands from here finally breaks out and gets some recognition, I think a lot of the other bands from the area will get their break too, because there are some really talented bands here. It's just a matter of time before someone notices them.
What would you say is the future of Robweoza?
The very immediate future is T shirts.
Also, right now, we're in the process of writing a new album. So far the songs are sounding great and I think it'll be a pretty good release. It'll sound a lot better than our last CD quality wise, but the songs themselves will still maintain that rough, raw sound that previous releases have had, because that's who we are. After that we'll probably tour again, this time hopefully a lot more extensively. We'd like to become a success with our band, but at the same time we know that our style of music isn't mainstream stuff at all.
At this point the band's been going on for over 6 years with little help from anyone except ourselves. We don't have many connections or "friends in the business" so everything we've accomplished has been because of our own hard work. We'll keep sticking it out and doing what we do, because we truly love it.
Robweoza
PO Box 1036
Staten Island, NY 10306
www.robweoza.com
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