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The Punkhouse Interviews: Matt (Skull Duggery) |
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The Punkhouse Interviews: Matt (Skull Duggery) |
1.What yo name fool?
Friends call me MATT, others call me "buyer", "A&R person", "shipping manager", etc.
2.How old and wrinkley are you?
Twenty-eight. I still get carded at clubs and the liquor store, so not very wrinkley I guess.
3.How long have you had Clearview/SkullDuggery?
This seems to confuse alot of people, I run Skull Duggery, Todd has Clearview. We've been in bed together so to speak since 1991 or thereabouts. But they're two totally separate record labels in two different states. Skull-Duggery had it's beginnings in 1985 as a fanzine that lasted 13 or 15 issues and eventually mutated into a record label.
4.Why did you decide to start a label?
To quote a famous record label: "It seemed like a good idea at the time." I used to do a fanzine (called Skull-Duggery) and I released a couple cassette compilations. Then I had this idea to include a 7" with the zine so people could hear the bands I interviewed. That's what started it all. You do one record and find out how easy it is and you want to do another. I got tired of doing the zine so instead I just released the records.
5.If you could change one thing about the label, what would it be?
It grows and changes everyday. It has a life of it's own. There's nothing I would like to change in particular.
6.What are some of the bands you would like to have on Skull Duggery?
THE UNDERTONES! Since they broke up so many years ago that's not very realistic. There aren't any bands I really covet and wish were on my label... except for the Toy Dolls maybe, if they would quit doing noodly guitar solos.
7.What do you like most about punk rock today?
Shows at THE MET CAFE.
8.What do you hate most about punk rock today?
The greed.
9.Choose: LP's or C.D.'s (corporate disks)?
For aesthetics, it's got to be LP. CD's are convenient and I play them more than LP's. I might like CD's more if they more creatively packaged. In general they're just so generic. I think NardWuar has the right idea - release an LP in a giant quad-fold sleeve and throw in the CD for FREE.
10.If you had to choose, what are you're five favorite bands?
At this exact moment in time: THE UNDERTONES, MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG, SLF, NAKED RAYGUN, THEE MILKSHAKES.
11.If you had to pick three bands to represent punk rock, who would it be?
On one hand I would say SCREECHING WEASEL, NOFX, and SEX PISTOLS, only because they're in every mall record store. They are the corporate ambassadors. On the other hand, three bands that represent the true punk ethic? DOUBLE NUTHINS (great band from Rhode Island), THE EVAPORATORS and THE SMUGGLERS.
12.What is your favorite RAMONES record?
The first or second album top my charts.
13.Do you have anything that irritates the hell out of you?
Driving around Boston.
14.If you had to choose between having a orgy with the teletubbies or a legion of Furbys...which one would you choose?
Well, those Furbys are sort of like those Gremlins creatures and that would kinda wig me out. And Teletubbies... ummm, geez. Next question.
15.If you were a Smurf, what would your name be?
Death-Smurf.
16.If you could go back in time and do one thing different in your life, what would it be?
Stay and see Husker Du instead of going to high school orientation.
17.If punk was called something else, what would it be?
It would be called "punk" but with heavy-duty encryption, so the major labels would NEVER figure it out. When they did figure it out, it would be called something else.
18.If you were a toy, what would you be?
A paper doll.
19.Your most prized possession?
My collection of Rowan Atkinson tapes.
20.What do you think about Saddam Hussien?
I feel sorry for the people who have to live with the consequences of his decisions.
--Matt
(1/25/99)
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