the Snallygasters ***New Interview***

the Snallygasters are yet another amazing punk band out of Baltimore. They have an amazing live set, they really do blow up the stage and have shared it with a huge list legendary punk bands. I also have an awesome EP out. I got the band to tell their story...

Introduce yourself…
(the Fabulous) Dave Worthless - vocals
Mikey Stilts - guitar
Roger Sanchez - bass
His Holiness, Kevin Pope - drums

How did the band start?
A guy called Brandon, who was our first singer, got us all together in late 2008 with a vision for a "dangerous" punk band complete with a campy visual horror element that wasn't the cliche Misfits ripoff.  The rest of the band soon grew out of that, mostly, and parted ways with him and, after some shakeups, we finally have a stable line up, although now that's been put that out there in writing, someone's probably going to leave.

How did you come up with the name?
The Snallygaster is Maryland's answer to the Jersey Devil and Bigfoot.  It's a mythical creature that lived in western Maryland that looked like a cross between an eagle and dragon with tentacles like a squid.  It stole cattle and was kind of a boogeyman for the youngins out that way.  The Smithsonian apparently even sent a team to investigate claims at the turn of the 20th century.  The septagram that we use as a logo was put up on barns to keep the Snallygaster at bay.  When we were looking for a name and couldn't come up with one, Stilts went on a vision quest and came back with the name, only we ended up tacking on an "-s" at the end like the Lone Rangers from "Airheads" because that's just how we roll.

Who would you say are your influences?
Pretty disparate, actually.  Dave's a huge mark for the Clash and Rancid.  Roger has not only a Thin Lizzy logo but actually the face of Phil Lynott tattooed on his body.  Kevin's an old rocker with a penchant for Y&T, although he does like the Clash.  Stilts lists Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and the Who as his favorite bands.
Somehow we manage to meet in the middle somewhere.  People have heard the likes of US Bombs, the Cockney Rejects, the Sex Pistols, Blanks 77, and the Templars in our music, which I suppose all influenced us one way or the other in addition to the other bands listed above.

What is the punk scene like in Maryland?
I can't speak for the rest of Maryland, but Baltimore is hit or miss. Some shows will be packed and you can't explain why but then a national act will roll through town and there will literally be 7 paying people. However, places like the venerable Sidebar still put on shows. Great DIY spaces like the Charm City Art Space and houses like the Barclay House also keep the scene going.  Honestly, we've had better experiences in general (in this band and others) with playing shows in the rest of Maryland.  Frostburg out in western Maryland has a great little joint called Duncan's.  The DC suburb of Silver Spring boasts the Quarry House Tavern which has been putting on Sunday matinee shows for quite some time that are always a blast.

Describe the song writing process...
More often than not, Stilts will write the music first.  It may come up while noodling around at practice, hitting on a riff that the whole band will then pick up on and go through.  He'll then take that idea home and demo the whole song using a drum machine and his computer.  That will get passed on to Dave who will then write lyrics (if Stilts hasn't come up with something already).  Lately, Roger has been having more input on things, both musically and lyrically.  All songs, however, no matter who writes them, end up as a pretty polished demo because Stilts has OCD and won't rest until the thing is more or less set down in stone.

What have you released?
So far, we've released the Black Aggie EP (available from interpunk and at thesnallygasters.bandcamp.com as well as via iTunes, Amazon, and other online mp3 retailers) which has five songs, two of which were written specifically for this record and then the three original demo songs the band did when it first got together.

Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
TSOL, Shot Baker, Supreme Commander, Daycare Swindlers, the Queers, Common Enemy, Sonic Negroes, Luxury Pushers, the Cheats, Old Man Markley, Burning Streets, Copstabber

Have you toured?
Not really.  At this point, we have a 4 hour circle around Baltimore that we'll play in, but as for a real tour, no.

Do you prefer small clubs or large venues?
The sound is more important than the size of the venue, although the intimacy of a small venue is always a plus.  It's a lot easier to get into the music when you can actually reach out and touch someone, if you want, and that goes for the band as well as the audience.  While it's certainly nice to have the room on a big stage in a large hall, punk rock loses some of it's vigor when there's that separation.  Growing up, I (Stilts) always went to small places, be they lecture halls at the University of Pittsburgh, house shows, or the backroom of a bar.  I remember seeing videos of some of the English bands I really liked, such as Conflict and Discharge, where they're playing these huge rooms and there's this literal barrier between the band and the crowd.  Sure, some kids hop up onstage and dance around for a bit before going back, but there always seemed to be something missing.  Now that I'm in a band of my own, while I certainly have a strong sense of personal space and tend to let people know it (the guitar is a weapon!), I like the intimacy that comes with playing in a small club or house show.  It's more fun for me that way.  Even Dave, who is our general misanthrope who would live as a hermit if we let him, enjoys playing when people are right in his face.  It's punk rock, you know?

Is there a favorite band you like to do shows with?
Playing with Copstabber, Supreme Commander and the Screws from DC are always a good time.  It's always a pleasure to play with our friends from Stillborn and Dead End Lane up in Baltimore, too.

Is there a favorite place you like to do shows at?
Hands down, the Sidebar Tavern.  Outside of Baltimore, it's a toss up between Duncan's in Frostburg and the Quarry House Tavern down in Silver Spring, MD.

What do you see is the future of Snallygasters?
We're finishing up recording some songs for a 7" that we'll be releasing in Spring 2012 and an upcoming compilation being put together by our friend Drew from Stillborn.  We're taking a bit of a break until February or March of 2012, then we're storming back into the trenches, so to speak, with a whole new set.  We'd definitely like to play out of town a bit more in 2012.

How can people contact the band?
thesnallygasters@gmail.com
thesnallygasters.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/thesnallygasters