answers by Domas
Please introduce your band. History, members, other activities?
our band was formed in 1996, when punk band WC NEWS splitted-up. Mindas (guitar,vox) and me (vox) didn't want to quit playing. Ve (bass) came from then famous pop-punk band TURBOREANIMACIJA, Saragosa (drums) - from freak d.i.y. punk act VARNU VEJAS. dr.GREEN came on a stage for the first time during the punk festival "Durniu Laivas". later we have recorded few demo songs and went on the first tour to St.Petersburg (Russia) and Minsk (Byellorussia).in 1997 our alto sax player Gedutis was found on a street, playing soulful tunes to get some cash. soon after that dr.GREEN have recorded the first album "Ska'n'go" (6 songs were released as "He Perdido?!" EP by Brew rec. in Finland, songs from the album were included in few compilations). some time later we have invited Konanas, who used to blow his tenor sax with ska-rock act TAI KA? We went on a road to play in Poland and Austria.
in the end of 1999 we have recorded our second album "The Sounds of Black & White Radio". The album was re-released in Poland by Rock'n'Roller and in Finland by Brew rec., also distributed in the USA, England, Latvia. in 2000 we hitted a road twice and played in Poland, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Czech, Slovak, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, France. summer 2000 we took part in underground festivals "Kulturschock" in Berlin and played with POST REGIMENT, GUTS PIE EARSHOT, HARUM SCARUM, LOST WORLD, etc. and "Tabuns" in Kuldiga with J.M.K.E., INOKENTIJS MARPLS, CITTA ATTIEKSME, SIRKE, etc.
we run illegal d.i.y. so-called Green club for few years already. it became especially active in 2001 and almost every weekend there are bands or dj's and 150-200 crowd. at the moment it's probably the only underground or at least alternative club in Lithuania.
every summer sunday we do vegan cafe with nice music, small library and table tennis. Mindas is going to open a small record/info shop. I write stuff for local "Kablys" zine and sometimes for local monthly "Ore".
October 2001 we are going to go on euro-tour again for a month.
I heared that you got tired from sticking "ska" label (why?) and will play more into ska punk is it truth? How are texts important for you?
first, we have never played pure ska, second, we don't want to see violent and aggressive skinheads in our gigs (it did happened in few gigs in Poland and Czech). ska is just one part of our music and punk isn't the smaller one. then we have ska/punk - the fashionable term which take smash mouth or goldfinger on your mind. the best way is to avoid sticking labels, but, of course, zinemakers and promoters have to describe bands somehow. our new songs are really more into punk, but then again, punk is a very wide and it's not only distorted guitar. lyrics go along with music. these are two equal parts. i always try to be honest writing lyrics, i mean i couldn't sing about things that i don't believe. the main message for our listeners is "think yourself".
Do you take hemp often? What about legalisation of hemp, what are the perspectives of hemp legalisation in Lithuania? Can all the drugs be legalised, so you could choose which to use?
it's very complicated question. we all use to smoke quite often (where do you think our band name came from? :), but later some of us stopped, while some continue to smoke.
i'm not sure about public and legal pot selling - our society isn't ready for that. but for sure you shouldn't be punished or even thrown to jail for growing few plants or having few grams of weed in your pocket. it's quite strange "democracy" - legal and even supported alcohol and
tobacco drugs selling and forbidden natural plant - cannabis.
about other drugs. you can choose what to use, can't you? of course you should know right people and black market prices. you can buy everything today in Lithuania from amphetamine to LSD. now you pay your money for drug-bosses, when it's legalised - you pay for your government. who's better? i guess no one... drugs kill :(
Tell us how you first into punk? and how it has changed since that time?
once my brother came home with SEX PISTOLS LP "Flogging A Dead Horse", later i've heard DEAD KENNEDYS "Fresh Fruits..." and "Back Stage Pass" compilation. it was sometime in 1991. the first punk gigs brought an idea to form a band and make a fanzine.
some things has changed. first of all underground scene got a bit older. more and more people stay in scene after their "teenage riot" period. because of possiblity to go abroad and to get more information, scene is more educated and knows not only SEX PISTOLS or THE EXPLOITED. even talking about "punk fashions", people's fantasy goes further than a mohawk and leather jacket. more and more people are interested in animal and eco issues.
talking about bands, they play more interesting and professional. maybe there are less bands, but almost all of them are on quite high level.
unfortunately zine scene is a bit poor. five years ago zines were published on every corner. now we have only few left...
in general i see progress in Lithuanian underground scene. i really like it.
Vegetarian/vegan propaganda through music is ok (as Bramborak do) but why there arent any other propaganda/actions, etc? What do you think about direct action, animal liberation?
most people still think that underground is only about music. movements like direct action or animal liberation is a new thing. it comes with years. i think we will have something like that in few years.
Have you got any suggestion to release any record under big label such as Moon ska, Jump up, Pork pie and so on? or however you want to stay diy and those labels doesnt interest ? How is DIY ethics important for you? How was your last release distributed in all over the world?
no, we did not receive any suggestions from "big labels", as you said.by the way, labels you mentioned are fully independent and have nothing
to do with major labels. Moon Ska run out of money and was closed last year. these labels are ska devoted so their ethics/esthetics a bit differ from punk. in my view, it's no sin to release your record on a label like these: you get promotion and distribution you can't afford, you can make better quality reocrd. of course it's good untill you have freedom to play what you want.
it is important that you can control everything on the way from your mind to a listener, but sometimes you don't know how to or can't because of various reasons. sometimes other people can do one part better and you just cooperate with them. we have recorded our album for our money, it was produced mainly by Ve and released by our friend from d.i.y. label Kablio Muzika. Cover/photos were made by Saragosa's brother. album was re-released by Rock'n'roller in Poland and by Brew rec. in Finland. Polish paid us some money, Finnish gave some free copies. also "The Sounds..." are distributed in Latvia, Russia, England, USA. some copies were treded to various distros on our tours. in general, there are something like over 1000 copies distributed worldwide.
What are your favourite bands? Why we ( lithuanian scene) havent any grind/mince core bands abd those who play it (?) are non active and texts are bullshit( I mean no social/political texts). It seems that grindcore hasnt any perspectives in Lithuania now, but that isnt so with ska, yeah?
grind is much more radical music than ska. and radical music has it's listeners, say, 5 from 100, while ska gets something like 50 from 100. you need to have much bigger scene, then there are musicians and listeners for every style. maybe Lithuanian is too mild for grind? :) i don't know, it's not my favourite music for sure. at the moment i listen to: LONG BEACH DUB ALLSTARS, PROPAGANDHI, NOMEANSNO, Fela KUTI, GUTS PIE EARSHOT, TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA, ARMATURA, SIRKE, KRUDER & DORFMEISTER, Freddy FRESH, EJECTES, ZION TRAIN, lots of dub/reggae/ska/easy listening.
Could you say that our scene is enough political?
no, i couldn't. could be more.
Please describe theese things:
1.Chumbawamba - pop anarchists
2.GMO food - ???
3.Internet - ideal to get/spread information
4.Pornography - heroin of sex
5.Battles in Praha - right ideas, wrong action
We have very bad economical/political situation in lithuania, so some people begin to looking for "strict hand", so they come in contact with nazis (their parties) It seems that there gonna be big changes, so what are the most effective ways to fight nazism in lithuania? Is revolution possible now in Lithuania?
economic/political situation is getting better and it gives less chances for right wing. as we see they do not receive serious support and are rather comics heroes. i hope Lithuanians won't repeat other East Europe nations' mistakes.
What are your favourite zines? Best books? Bakunin/Kropotkin?
Punk Planet, Do The Dog skazine, Nozhi i Vilki / unfortunately i have no time to read lately. my best books are "Clockwork Orange", "Chiapajev i Pustota", "Twelve Piligrims", "Alchemic", "1984", books by J.Fowles, K.Vonnegut. i didn't have chances to read Bakunin/Kropotkin so far.
What about multinationals? Do you think that boyccot helps? Some people say that its better if children work (for Nike for example) than pulling in the streets? Your opinion?
the main thing is to make people think, not to be just dumb consumers. lots of people just don't know about multinationals causing problems. they just see a trademark and something to buy behind it. giving them information is the main aim.
children shouldn't work at all in an ideal society. they should enjoy their childhood, educate themselves, travel. unfortunately reality is much darker.
Dr.Green plans for future? New releases, instruments?
it seems that new songs will be recorded by ourselves. it's much cheaper and you spend more time on it, because every hour counts in a studio. hopefully we will record it during the summer. and i hope we continue cooperation with Kablio muzika.
we plan one month tour in October. if everything goes ok, we want to play in Spain.
new instruments? trumper or trombone would be nice, but...
Ok, so thanks for interview, i wish you all the best with Dr. Green, stay as strong as you are, oh and more gigs please (he he he). So there is some space for your last words in that interview!
thank you for supporting our band. you keep us on doing the thing.
