Interview with Kevin and Dennis

TEN FOOT POLE are back. They have had difficult times in the past due to line-up changes, personal things and bad luck, but they are back at the top. They went on a European tour in January - February 2003. This is what they think of their venue in Belgium:

Q>> It's not the first time you come to this club (Lintfabriek). You've played here about 7 years ago, with Hi-Standard, and 9 years ago with Lag wagon. Do you remember?
A>> Dennis: Yes, the first time we played here was almost 10 years ago, with Lag wagon. I remember the Lintfabriek for a lot of reasons. One, is that hey always have good food, of course. Two, the kids have always been real nice and have always supported us by helping us, buying our shirts and things. Belgium is such a nice place; people have always taken care of us. Some of our first shows in Europe that were here were successful and we met very nice people. The first time we played in Belgium we stayed at the promoter's house, with his parents, his name was Johan. That was cool. He actually came and stayed at my place before in California. He was on a cruise ship for a while, liked snowboarding and stuff like that. Last time I saw him, he and a friend bought a van in California. He cooked food all the time, because he was a chef. That and snowboarding was his whole life.

Q>> You've also played at the Groezrock festival in 1999, in the blue-yellow tent. Do you remember that?
A>> Dennis: With No Fun At All, right! They're an amazing band. Was that in '98 or in '99? I don't remember quite well. But that festival was great. No Fun At All is one of my all times favorite bands. I'm sorry they don't play anymore. They were just so good. Great melodies.

Q>> What do you think of the European scene, in general, when you compare it to the American scene?
A>> Kevin: For us it's great. I mean: I know what happens in Europe. It seems to me from my experience - and I don't want to generalize this - that people are more enthusiastic and more interested in going to see the band. When they're at the show, they express themselves and sing along. For us it makes it all a lot more fun. So, except for that, I don't really know what that means about the scene in different areas. We're definitely having a blast in Europe. It's a lot of fun.

Q>> How's the tour so far?
A>> Kevin: Absolutely great. Actually, the tour we did previously was great as well, with the new members in the band. There's such a great energy and atmosphere and vibe. We're really having fun. You know, it's just a lot more exciting right now. This tour also started off very nice. We had great shows like in London, Cardiff and Amsterdam - that's where we played last night. So, it's been all right. And I'm really looking forward to the other places that we are going to for this tour as well. Tonight, obviously, it's going to be a great show. Nice and cozy, right? It's going to be really warm in here isn't it? But it's better than being cold in my opinion. Today it's so cold here.

Q>> Welcome to Belgium, I'd say. But I see you're drinking some Belgian kick ass beer?
A>> Kevin: Yeah! Is this the good one? You know, Belgian beer is my favorite beer. I went to the supermarket today and I bought 'Leffe', 'Chimay', 'Kwak', … I just love that stuff. The triples in particular. So you know what we'll be doing the next couple of days: Driiiiinnnk! And you wonder why we like to come to Belgium!

Q>> Ten Foot Pole exists for about 10 years now and it's been hard sometimes during all those years: line-up changes, personal things (sudden death of Leigh Lawson), and bad luck on tours… It looks like things are going very well now, isn't it?
A>> Kevin: Yeah, and there have certainly been happening a lot of things to the band, you know, line-up changes and obviously the most dramatic thing was the passing away of Leigh. But you know; it's like anything else in life. There are always going to be tough days, disappointments and that sort of things. It's sad but if you keep believing and keep plugging along, as long as you are having fun in what you want to do, then it's worth it. Which is kind of how we feel. So I mean, and I can speak for myself, I'm really happy to be in the band right now. I'm really looking forward to the future.

Q>> Is that the reason why we had to wait 4 year for a new album?
A>> Kevin: Yeah, due to the line-up changes and then more particularly, Leigh's passing away. Unexpectedly. That's been the biggest step back. Because at that point Dennis and Steve took some time off. Just to reconsider things and to decide for themselves if this is what they wanted to do, and the answer after a couple of months was: yeah! Let's do it, let's keep it alive.

Q>> Who is Sarah Jones? In what way is she related to Leigh?
A>> Kevin: She actually is an activist. Dennis saw her, during his side job and he saw her speak during a speech. You'll probably find some more information on her website. But I don't really know much about her.

Q>> Your new album sounds a little different compared to the other ones. The other ones were fast, which I like very much, and the new one is different, has got more variety, which I also like. Is that an evolution?
A>> Kevin: I think it was intentional. It's probably a lot of things. It certainly has something to do with me in the band. I brought some new ideas to the table. It was intentional in our part, especially when we were choosing songs. We wanted variety. We had like over 40 songs. Not necessarily all complete, but we had more than 50 ideas. Yeah, that was very much part of the plan: let's keep this as interesting as possible, let's not have every song be at 1000 miles per hour, have some slow songs, have the dorky drummer sing a song and break everybody's eardrums. Stuff like that. Just keeping things interesting.

Q>> Young Punk Rock bands start playing fast music and when the years pass by, they start playing less and less fast. Do you think that's a general thing? Is it a part of "growing old"?
A>> Kevin: I don't really know. There certainly are exceptions to that. Sometimes people experience different stuff, for an album or two, and then sometimes come back to what they were doing before, like Bad Religion. I'm kind of proud that on the new album we have songs that are still rocking and you know, we're not slowing down one bit. But at the same time there's maturity, we are trying out a different type of rhythms and I think that's something that will happen more too. But we're trying to keep everything in balance. I like the energetic and fast stuff, that's fun.
Dennis: it gets boring if it is all just fast; it gets boring to listen to. If I hear an album that's all fast, after about 5 or 6 songs I get tired. But I'm glad that on the new album, even on the fast songs, we always have slow parts in the middle, something that just changes it up. We just like the variety.

Q>> Who came up with the title of the new album "Bad Mother Trucker"? I think it's very original. Play with words…
A>> Dennis: We just chose it because we wanted something people would remember. And whenever we say that, people remember. "Bad Mother Trucker"! It sounds kind of tough and edgy, but it makes me laugh, so maybe that's a good thing.

Q>> How come you signed on Victory Records? They are really doing well signing up bands like yours, like Voodoo Glow Skulls…
A>> Dennis: Because they are really nice, they take a lot of pride in their label and they were pretty excited about us. They wanted to work with us, and we want somebody to help us to get our music out.
Kevin: That was the biggest thing about it: they really, really wanted to do it. That's very important for us. They really appreciate what we're doing and are behind it in that way.
Dennis: it's really interesting to see where we are. It's cool to be on a label where all the other bands are like us. Most of the bands are Hardcore. We're like the black sheep of the label, in the positive sense of the word. They've also got Catch 22, and we are, well, different. But we kind of fill that spot and we are not one of 10 bands that sound like that on the label. That's kind of cool.

Q>> What's your definition of Punk? Is it just about music or is it more of an attitude?
A>> Dennis: I actually took a class in Berkley once that was about Punk Rock and the whole semester they tried to define what was Punk. There was no final result. Everybody has got an opinion about it. And maybe that's what it is: that everybody has got an opinion about it. To me, it's just basically a way of saying: these are bands that are doing their own thing, who aren't just chasing money and who aren't so worried about fashion. But the thing about Punk bands is that they worry about fashion: they worry about Punk fashion. For me it's always been something like doing your own thing and making your own rules. My own rules are high standards. I have principles that I'm proud of. I think that it is Punk to live up to a high standard. The kind of Punk that I enjoy is Punk as from 7 Seconds, Minor Threat and bands that inspire somebody, that I admire, that I look up to, that I have high principles for.
Kevin: to answer your question directly: I think it's more about attitude than anything else. You have got to do what you believe is right, regardless what other people say. You have got to do it your own way; musically speaking, being able to work with a label like Victory that allow us to do it.
Dennis: There's definitely an ugly side of Punk that I don't like. It's still considered Punk - but it's not my theory - and that's the fact that people get drunk, smash bottles everywhere; that's ugly. And that is quote Punk and it's true if you say that's how it rather was 20 years ago, but it still happens now, like on a Punk Rock bowling tournament. You'll see the worst part of Punk: people cooperating, working together, and be aggressive and shout "fuck you, fuck you! Mother fucker!" That's not the punk I enjoy. I don't want to be associated with that. And of course, as you say, you'll find those types of people everywhere but, to them, that's what Punk is. And if that's what Punk is, then I'm not Punk, you know.

Q>> 5 Days Off is playing right now. They're the best Belgian band in my opinion. What do you think of them?
A>> Kevin: Listen: they are covering 7 Seconds right now…
Dennis: "I'm gonna stay young, 'till I die…"
Kevin: They sounded really good. We arrived earlier and heard them play one of their songs. It sounded awesome.
Dennis: Best Belgian band besides K's Choice you mean? O yeah, they're not Punk!

Q>> Do you think music in general can have such an impact on people that they change the way they think or behave?
A>> Kevin: In a kind of way. Music has been a big influence in my life. It has been more of an inspiration, but I don't think it's an end in itself. It's not that you listen to a song and you transform in a new person saying: "I'm gonna save the world!" but it can lead you to things. To give you an example: I've been a vegetarian for 7 years now, and it was influenced by certain bands, by picking up things at shows.
Dennis: Music strengthens the bond that we have with other people who think similarly. It's nice to know that you're not alone, that you're not the only vegetarian because you hear Propagandhi sing about it, and people like Propagandhi, so you think that maybe you're not the only one out there. And I think music in general does that. You share certain ways and emotions. Sometimes emotions are political or specific, but sometimes they're just basic emotions, like in love songs, rejection... Those songs touch somebody. And to me that's what's great about it. I think that's why I keep doing this. The performance is great, so is the energy, but for me it's also the connection between the lyrics and the crowd, like we're connecting, when you see the people singing the songs. It makes me feel like I'm part of the community. Like I'm part of a crew, the people who are sharing that bond at that moment. It's not something that's going to change the world, but it's nice to feel that connection sometimes with people.

Q>> Now I'm going to ask a bunch of stupid questions: Do you guys wear white socks? You know what that means…
A>> Kevin: Yes, I do wear white socks!
Dennis: Yeah! Me too…Is that a bad thing here in Belgium? It's rather cool in the black lights, you know. Do you want to know why we wear white socks? It's because dark socks make your feet warmer and white socks make your feet sweat less, when we are performing. When you wear black, your body radiates more heat. So white keeps you cool. There you go: you learned something today!

Q>> Do you guys have pets at home? If you could choose any animal to keep as a pet, which one would it be?
A>> Dennis: That makes me sad if I think of the pets that are gone, to the great pet cemetery. Hmmm … I'm expecting a child!
Kevin: That's a horrible association dude! I don't think your wife will appreciate that!
Dennis: Well see, here's the thing: I was going to get a dog, but then when I found out I was expecting a child, I decided that it would be too much responsibility to have both.
Kevin: Dude, you're making things worse!
Dennis: It took me a few years of getting used to being married and having a wife. And we were ready to have a child. And now that I have a child, well, I don't have it yet, but … I really want a dog and the thing is, I don't have enough money to have a place big enough. Because I want a big dog. My family used to have a dog, and I was very sad when it passed away. I want a big dog; when they are happy to see you, they knock you over. I love dogs. Cats are all right. I guess my family has got something for cats. I never used to like cats until one adopted me. In my parents' house, when I came home from high school, I couldn't stand the noise all the kids made, so I built a room in the garage. In the summer it got so hot there, I left the door open, and so this cat adopted me and started coming in and sleeping next to me in bed. I used to hate cats. I sprayed water on them when I was a kid. But then cats and me made friends, so now I like them. So I would get a dog. My last dog was a cross between a Labrador retriever and a Rottweiler…
Kevin: Enouuuggggghhhhhhh!!! I would like to have an elephant as a pet. Stampy! Like in the Simpsons.

Q>> If you guys come back in another/next life, as what would you come back? It can be an animal, an object, an entity…
A>> Dennis: A lion. I'm definitely a Leo. Lay back all day, hunt… actually, isn't it the female that does all the hunting? The guy just sits around whole day. He protects the kids from danger; he gets up and shows his teeth and she goes out for food. I like it! So I would be very lazy. But actually, I'm a workaholic, I can't do that. I'll probably be happier being a bee. Just working all the time.
Kevin: I would be a tree, kind of like the one in "Two Towers". They're pretty cool, they can walk and shit. That's why I would like to be like them.
Dennis: No, then it would be better if you were a bird. You get to fly around.
Dennis: Or a mastodon!
Kevin: I guess I just want to creep people out. (Kevin makes a very funny, but very realistic seabird sound!!!)

Q>> What would you do if you won the lottery?
A>> Dennis: I'd be the singer of a Punk band, you know. Sounds familiar? No, I'd buy a bunch of motorcycles too and do that for the rest of my spare time.
Kevin: the first thing I would like to invest in is a music studio. And then I'd probably buy some nice things with the money as well.
Dennis: Like a bunch of snowboards… Let's buy a mountain! So we'll have our own place to snowboard on and let's put your recording studio on top. So we can provoke avalanches.

Q>> Heaven or hell?
A>> Dennis: "I'm on a highway to hell…"
Kevin: It's better to be a master in hell than a slave in heaven!

Q>> Eastside or Westside?
A>> Kevin: I kind of have a bipolar life right now. Because I'm originally from the east coast of the United States and now I live on the west side. It's very strange.
Dennis: He lives on the beach on the west coast. But he's from Philadelphia.
Kevin: I think it's like anything else in life. It's all about balance.
Dennis: I like the weather in California and I like that you can go snowboarding, you can ride motorcycles almost the whole year… But what I really like about the east coast is that the people, the politicians, they are more into like "what's going on in the world?". People are more about having fun on the west coast, on the east coast people think more, probably because they're snowed in, and they don't have anything better to do. But in California, if you can choose between doing intellectual stuff or going to the beach, I think it's pretty obvious. In California it is easy to ignore politics, because there are so many other things to do. It's cool to have guys that are interested in what's going on around them and who are willing to make sacrifices in their life to make the world a better place. But they all failed miserably!!! But at least they tried!

Q>> Baseball or American football?
A>> Kevin: Baseball, I hate football.
Dennis: Hockey!
Kevin: But he just gave you 2 choices!
Dennis: Well, that's my answer! Hockey! It's the best sport ever because you get to skate, shoot and you get the joy of hitting someone with the stick and also skating backwards... then I'll probably get my ass kicked, but that's just part of the game. If somebody comes near you, you can slam him into the board. That's fun! I love it! It's the best sport ever: it's got everything! It's like all the other sports, except that you are on skates, so you go fast. Maybe polo would be good. Maybe I'd like that if I knew how to ride a horse. Or playing polo on a motorcycle! That would be cool.
Kevin: I think we should have baseball in a Bush sort of style: place landmines in the outfield and stuff. That would make it way more interesting. It's just a boring game you know. I don't like watching sports at all. I'm not a spectator. Mike really enjoys sports in general; he used to play football. We'd rather be active instead of sitting all night watching sports on television, or wasting the whole day away, getting fat, eating food all day… So many people really do that. That's boring!
Dennis: Some sports are OK to watch… like hockey. But still, I'd rather play. I'd rather go to my front yard and play basketball than watch a game.

Q>> What can we expect of Ten Foot Pole in the next couple of years?
A>> Kevin: We're definitely going to keep on touring. I think one of our new goals is to get a new album out as soon as we can. We all are really, really excited about the new Ten Foot Pole; getting new ideas, getting an new album out, keeping on working with Victory. Now we want to keep that going.

Q>> Do you have any last famous words? Anything we should know?
A>> Dennis: Yeah, you should go and check out www.tenfootpole.com and apply to our tour letter. So that we can send a newsletter from time to time through e-mail. That's very good for the promotional thing. We like to have feedback from the people. We had a T-shirt contest, we have responses… We'll put the new songs on it and let the people vote.
Kevin: I love Chimay! Don't we all?

I would like to thank our almighty RNO, and Mike from Hard Life Promotion for setting up this interview. I'd also like to thank Kevin and Dennis for being so nice and for doing this interview, it was really fun and I laughed a lot. Thanks also to the band Ten Foot Pole for the great gig. And last but not least, I'd like to thank Eve for her additional questions and her inspiration.

Yves

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