Bowling For Soup [Interview]
If you’re trying to get the Girl All The Bad Guys Want, hung up on a Bitch, or suffering from mixed feelings about a girl named Emily, Bowling For Soup have not only felt your pain, but also written a song about it. These guys are pop-punk legends, and are set to return to British shores in February 2016 for their “How About Another Round?” tour. With live shows, longevity, and drinking in mind, TMMP wound up talking strip clubs, jail, nutsack uppercuts, and the Grammys with BFS bassist Erik Chandler…
You’re set to hit the UK next year for your “How About Another Round?” tour. On the topic of drinking, what were the contents of the most expensive round you’ve ever bought?
I can’t say that we actually “paid” for it, but this tab went to the record label and was eventually charged back to us. So, in the long run, we paid for it.
There is a legendary “gentleman’s club” in Atlanta, Georgia, called Tattle Tales, made famous by getting a name check in Motley Crue’s Girls Girls Girls – and I believe the tab was about $8000. That’s roughly £5100. It was a good night, and only one person went to jail – and he was not a member of BFS.
Which are better – American bars, or British pubs?
We, as a band, are a fan of the dive bars. So if you’re talking a straight up British pub, I have to go American bar. That being said, my favourite bar in the world is Big Hands in Manchester.
You’re returning to the UK after taking a break from touring over here. What’s the toughest thing about touring?
Honestly, it’s the being away from home factor. And, when touring in another country, being so removed from home is difficult. Being away from normal day to day life will take a toll.
Aside from touring, what’s the most difficult thing about being in a band? What’s kept you going?
That’s a hard one to answer.
We got through all of the difficult stuff early on. I think it was figuring out how to get along with everyone. Allowing people space when they need it, or figuring out how to get your own private time when you need it. We’re all very respectful of the band and crew’s need for that.
What’s the absolute most batshit crazy thing that’s ever happened during a BFS set?
We went through a period where Jaret would invite people onto the stage to either punch me or kick me in the nuts. So to me personally, that would be it.
I’m not a fan of that, but we were doing tons of Jackass stuff with each other – beatings, slaps, randomly fucking each other up. So for me personally, that’s the most crazy thing. I’ve actually become great friends with the first person that was pulled up on stage to punch me, so I guess I’m kind of OK with it.
You’ve been around for over two decades. If you had to pick just three moments as all-time career highlights, which would they be and why?
In no order at all:
Our very first shows in the UK were at the Reading and Leeds festivals. We met an amazing friend by the name of Steve Homer who brought us over for these shows after seeing us play in a small club in Dallas, Texas. 15 years later, we still work with him on our UK tours.
Being nominated for a Grammy in 2003 is an honour that not many people get to experience. The fact that it gets voted on by your peers is the greatest compliment. We didn’t win, but to be nominated and be there and be recognized is amazing.
There are several things I’d like to mention in number 3, but I have to say that making it to our 20th anniversary as a band was a very big deal for me, personally. Of all the bands that have been around, how many get to say that they have been around for 20, and now 21, years? That’s an accomplishment.
What items are left on your personal bucket list?
I don’t keep a bucket list, because I have been through so many unexpected situations in this life that I’ve been allowed to live that I couldn’t say what must come next. I like to live it one day at a time and enjoy every moment, as it could be the last.
Links
For more Bowling For Soup tour info, head to the band’s official website.
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