The Queers,
Forte Prenestino (Roma)
23
jan 1999
It changed the Queers
line up but Joe Queer (after the show we came to know why.....) and
also the label, passing from the Lookout to the Hopeless records,
finally after 2 years here were again the Queers at Forte Prenestino (a
social center in Roma).
Before the Queers,
as guest, has played a good punk-rock band from Genova (Italy), The
Furies, from the Refridge Records (which produces and delivers a
lot of Lookout and other punk-rock and surf groups in Italy).
It was very cold so
Joe Queer came on stage totally enveloped in 2 sweat-shirts inflating and
warming immediately all the people that at midnight were reduced as pure
ice waiting for his performance. The Queers played songs from the
new album (Punk Rock Confidential) and old tracks from the early
works, raising back to the years of the hard punk. Tell the several
and original ways the people jumped from the stage, making stage diving
and crowd surfing, falling with the back on the cold little stoned floor
of the Forte Prenestino, is impossible: no kind of powerfull expressions
could describe the pain of the hit on the ground...not but the
involved ones ... The pogo has been violent and constant for the whole
concert. The best songs played, in my own opinion, have been "This way
sucks", "Punk Rock girls", "No tits" along with the wonderful covers of
"Rockaway beach" from Ramones and "Louie Louie" from Chuck Berry.
A few minutes after the gig, thanks to the Refridge Records and Giordano,
we had a short interview for our trasmission, hiding from the cold night
with Joe Queer in a Forte's room where the band was hosted.
Pogopop:
"Hello! here we are with the Queers, exactly with Joe Queer: ciao! Joe
how it was the tonight concert here in Roma?".
Joe Queer:
" Wonderful!!! It was very funny, I think it has been the best gig in Italy
for this year!!! we've played in Vicenza and Milano, where we have had
fun, but tonight it was absolutely the best gig!!!".
Pogopop:
"How is going on the tour in Europe?".
Joe Queer:
"Very well, we're in Europe since two weeks, but this tour is going on
much better that 2 years ago. We stay very well together...you know, our
old drummer, Huge, passed by two days ago...and tomorrow I'll come back
home... he'had a brain tumor...tomorrow I'll go back home for his
funeral...we cancelled 2 gigs, in Voghera and Genova ... but it's OK, the
tour is going very well". We remained very sorry for this...we didn't know
before.
Pogopop:
" What about the new album (Punk Rock Confidential), Joe?"
Joe Queer:
"Well, the new album is "Punk rock confidential"...we changed the
label, we left Lookout and now we are at Hopeless records and we
also changed the line up. Huge passed by 2 days ago.. and B-Face
is now with the Groovie Ghoolies, so we've now a new line up and a new
label....this record is cool, is nice, I like it, is more pop than the
others, is cool! It's selling good and we're happy, it's very good
...is not the best we've done but I like it because it's funny. I know
that a lot of kids will say that's not so punk as in the past, but the
next album will be more punk!". It looks like a promise.
Pogopop:
"Which is the difference between the american and the european audience?
Joe Queer:
"I don't know...we're bigger in USA, but I don't know...in Europe the kids
dance in a more punky way, in USA they do more slam- dancing...they jump
a lot....The kids are very similar everywhere, they have the same reaction
in Europe as in USA as in Japan. Who listens to the Queers, generally,
listens also to the Green Day, to the MrT Experience and Screeeching Weasel
and even if they speak different languages, the kids behave very similar
everywhere".
Pogopop:
"Which is the club or the venue where you have had more fun in all these
years?"
Joe Queer:
" The funniest gig?....you know, we have played with the Dickies and the
Ramones, but, yeah, maybe it was in Portland with Dick Tail, he plays
surf guitar, yes, we had a lot of fun with him.... but also here in Roma
...Forza Roma!! ".
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