In an exclusive phone interview, Therese Owen chats to guitarist, Noodles, of the band The Offspring who is to perform in South Africa.
The Offspring, the most successful punk band of the past 20 years, arrive in South Africa at the end of this month to play two gigs as part of their Splinter Tour. 5FM and Edgars have taken the plunge and decided to get behind one of the few big alternative bands to play in South Africa, ever. Their music lives on having survived the early 90s grunge and punk explosion.
No one has died, they have not succumbed to the scourge of drug addiction, dissolved into obscurity and the friendship, which began at school in Orange County in 1984, has survived the pressures of fame and fortune.
Two decades, seven albums and 32 million sales later The Offspring are still treading the fine line between adolescent angst, black humour and socio political statements. Just how have you done it, I ask Noodles
.
"I have flashbacks to my teenage years daily so it's not a problem relating to our audience. Part of the reason that we can still relate to the teenage angst thing is cos we never had to get real jobs. We just go out and play for a living.
What we are serious about is making the live show the best it can be. "Also, when we do write about subjects we feel strongly about, we are serious, there is no humour. But essentially what we do is entertainment. We are not out there trying to save the world."
Your latest album, Splinter is doing well all over the world including here. But initially you were going to call it Chinese Democracy. Is that true
?
Noodles laughs.
"Axl Rose has apparently been working on a new Guns n' Roses CD for years and its titled Chinese Democracy. So we announced that's what we were calling our new album. "I mean, you don't have a trademark on an album you haven't released yet.
"But essentially it didn't make any sense . . . except to piss Axl off. Then we announced that we were giving it a different name because since we called it Chinese Democracy the album production had come to a standstill.
And anyway Splinter worked far better as an album title. But, hey, if Axl had any imagination maybe he could call his album Americana Smash! (Names of two separate Offspring hit albums.)"
You used Brendan O' Brien on your last two albums and he is considered one of the three all powerful hard rock producers along with Andy Wallace and Rick Rubin. What's it like working with him
?
"Brendan has done so many great records and every band that he works with is capable of bringing out the specific sound of that band which is exactly what he did for us. He brings out the best in the band. His knowledge of the studio is excellent and he combines this with good instincts. Also we can sit and argue and discuss things decently if he or the band aren't happy with the way the song is going."
You are currently touring Europe where, from all accounts, there is big anti-American sentiment. Have you experienced any of that
?
"Most people realise that if the US government is doing all these bad things they are not representative of the US people. We are being ruled by a right wing reactionary government that is not representative of the people. However, if George Bush was to be re-elected I don't know what kind of message we would be sending out . . ."
This is the first time you're playing or even visiting South Africa. Do you have any expectations
?
"Obviously your country was in the media because of the struggle and Nelson Mandela. I am also currently reading a book by Ambassador Joseph Wilson who was posted in South Africa.
"But mostly I know about the country through reading surfing mags, about people like Shaun Thomson, Jeffreys Bay and Cape St Francis.
"I am planning to bring my wife and son and go surfing in the J-Bay area a week before the tour."
Aside from your brilliant music and your legendary live shows, why should we go see The Offspring
?
"I promise that one or more of us will be drunk and naked on stage. (Laughs). Umm, I'm not a very good salesperson."
- The band will play at Northgate Dome, Jozi, on September 24 and at the Vellodrome in Cape Town on September 25. Tickets at Computicket.