Joe Queer (The Queers)

Nu kommer vi till ett band som har varit med i svängen riktigt länge, närmare bestämt punkbandet The Queers som startade upp redan 1981. Vi på T.C redaktionen upptäckte dem först i slutet av 90-talet då de i våra ögon släppte sina bästa alster ”Don’t Back Down” samt ”Punk Rock Confidential”. Om jag inte minns helt fel så repade vi t.o.m in någon Queers dänga i T.C studion runt millenieskiftet och då kunde vi knappast föreställa oss att vi i T.C Crew ca 20 år senare skulle ställa den karismatiske originalmedlemmen Joe Queer mot väggen i en intervju.. men så blev det!

What are you up to right now? Does the music take all your time or do you also have a "normal" job?
We are on tour with Reel Big Fish. I'm in Corpus Christi tonight. Music is all I do. I don't have another job-too busy playing music.
 
Any news about the Queers? Can we expect some new record any time soon? How's it going with your autobiography?
My book is coming slowly cos I am so busy but hope to finish it this winter.
 
My favourite Queers records is "Don't back down" and "Punk Rock Confidential". I really like the combination between the 60's Sound and the Ramones. Of course, this could also be heard on some of your other records but i think you really got it to perfection here. What's your own opinion about these two records?
Oh yeah I really like those 2 albums. I think they're both great. We re-recorded Punk Rock Confidential in the studio live. We will release it on Asian Man Records in 6 months. We haven't made money from Hopeless Records in 20 years-the deal we signed was horrible. So we make no money off Punk Rock Confidential. So we figured we'd do a new version of it and finally make a few bucks off it. It came out better than the original in a lot of ways. I was able to add many other vocal parts we didn't do on the original. So keep an eye out for it. It's great!
 
What's your best and worst tour memory?
Eh we have great shows and tours every time we go out. The worst experience was probably going to Russia and our visas ran out. Wintertime and we were wandering around Moscow trying to find the visa office so we could get new visas and fly to the UK. We ended up doing it that day but it was scary.
 
Have you ever encountered some problems regarding your songs? For the sensitive one i guess songs like "Queerbait", "Ursula finally got tits", & "Stupid fucking vegan" could be percieved as offensive?
No-nowadays with these foolish ultra liberal PC morons we probably would but we never got too much crap. I mean we're in a band called The Queers-how can you take us seriously anyway? The problem these days is these idiots take shit literally. They don't get the joke. So they act all high and mighty like they're all offended by some stupid song or lyric when it's obvious satire anyway. Liberalism has even infested the punk rock scene. It's horrible. These people act like they're on some higher moral plane than we all are even though most musicians I know have had tons of life experiences through traveling and seeing the world and are the most open minded smart intelligent people around. But sing the wrong lyric or song and all of a sudden the PC brigade acts as if you're a child molester. It's fucking retarded. I hate all those self righteous pompous assholes.

What's your personal favourite Queers record? Any favourite song?
Eh I love  most of them. Love Songs for the Retarded. Grow Up. Pleasant Screams. Don't Back Down. Punk Rock Confidential. Munki Brain-love all of them. My favorite songs are I Think She's Starting to Like Me and Kicked Out Of The Webelos.
 
Do you got some especially funny story to tell us after all the years with the Queers?
Honestly I have tons but you'd have to be here in person for me to tell them and make them funny. Writing them down doesn't capture what really happens.
 
What's your favourite band/artist?
Black Flag. Ramones. Beach Boys. Jesus and Mary Chain. The Muffs. Screeching Weasel. The Dickies. Descendents. Helen Love. CJ Ramone. Richie Ramone-their solo stuff is great-both of them.
 
Together with punk i'm also quite fond of hardrock/heavy metal bands like KISS, Mötley Crue & Iron Maiden. What's your thoughts about heavy metal? Any favourite bands?
No a lot of my bandmates like metal but I always hated it. Just because I was into punk by the time metal started up so I had no time for most metal other than Motorhead or Metallica.
 
Since i am from Sweden i'm also curious to know if you heard of or listened to any Swedish Death Metal bands like Entombed, At the Gates & In Flames?
I have heard of them but don't know anything about either of them.

More Sweden related - Have you ever heard of the "swedish Ramones" Hymans? If not, i would recommend that you'll give them a try!
Yes I know the Hymans. Great band. Tell them hello for me if you speak to them.
 
Regarding your song "I only drink Bud" -  with lines like "Heinekin is skunk piss dude, and Miller sucks so bad".. Was/is it true that you only drink Bud? Or was it just a cool song?
Yes we only drank Bud. I've been sober many years now though.

What's your favorite movies?
Road Warrior. To Be Or Not To Be staring Carol Lombard. Most of my movies are old ones I like. I don't go to see new movies much-I would rather read a book.
 
Do you have any favorite books / authors?
PG Wodehouse. Alexandre Dumas. William Hickey's memoirs. Diary of Samuael Pepys. I like a lot of old English writers

Do you have any favorite TV series? *Have you for example seen some of my favorites The Walking Dead and / or Dexter? Or maybe "Game of Thrones" with my favorite Joffrey is something that you enjoy?
Oh no-I don't watch tv at all. I haven't in years. I watch some stuff online but that is rare. New tv shows I don't watch. I feel insulted by the commercials and how dumb the shows are. So no I don't watch any. We have cable but my wife and I haven't even hooked up our tv.
 
Do you have time to check out some movies in your busy schedule? If so,it would be interesting to know if you have seen and like Birdman, Royal Tennenbaums or punch drunk love?
No. Don't know anything about them.

Are you like many other punk rockers a big record collector? If so, it would be interesting to know how big your collection are and if you have any holy grail in the collection?
No I gave all my vinyl to people who asked for them. It made me happier to give the stuff away than to keep it.
 
What's your favourite beverage? Is it the just mentioned Bud? Have you tried the Thai Whiskey "Mekong", or Mummelman (refined variant of Jägermeister)?
Again I don't drink. I like Boost and lime seltzer water.

In Sweden, we have got musicians like ABBA, Roxette and Europe to be proud of. Are these artists something you also can enjoy?
ABBA or course. Love their songwriting. Very talented. Their story is very interesting. The others I don't know.