After hearing all the problems about the Arena and the fucked up governmental system in Vienna that makes the life of real hard workers and punk rockers miserable, I decided to post this interview with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones made at The Arena to relax a bit. Ladies and Gentlemen with you Dicky Barrett and Tim Burton.
When was the last time that you were in Europe and how does it feel to be back in Austria?
Dicky: I think we were in Europe about 2 years ago. We were in Belgium. The last time we were here in Austria I believe it was in 2003. It´s been a long time.
I read that you will start to work in a new CD tell us something about this release.
Dicky: It´s a brand new CD and is gonna come out around November (or around that time this year) and is gonna be called “The Magic of Youth”.
When was the time in your life when you decided to be a musician and what inspired you to do it?
Dicky: Tim has to reply that I still haven´t decided. Tim is actually a musician.
Tim: I started to play saxophone when I was a little kid. Music chooses you I think.
Do you think that the technology affected or is a good help for the music world?
Dicky: I think it is definitely affected, there is no question about that. And I think in a lot of ways it changed the music world. We were able to create our records without using much technology. I mean, like right now you are recording this interview with your I-phone, you know? And you didn´t call us. I mean with this it is a phone, but not really a phone. Back in the day you had to call us but, well that´s back in the day. Well it´s hard to explain but that kind of technology, like a recording device in your phone, is really impressive and that you are able to email, jpeg and all that stuff. Don´t ask, don´t ask! Its impressive how technology works today.
Tim: Also on the positive side, technology is taking the middle men out a lot. You know, like people at radio stations, people at record labels… They don´t decide as much anymore who is going to be heard. Now you can go directly to the audience and to the people.
Dicky: It´s fantastic it takes a lot of idiots out of the equation.
Tim: But allows bringing a lot of musical idiots back to the equation too.
Dicky: But also allows you to decide who is an idiot and who is not.
Tim: Well that´s what punk rock is all about, like trying to get more to the people .
Dicky: Now there are no persons blocking you, now you go out to the people that you want to entertain.
A lot has been said about the different ska waves, 1st, 2nd and 3rd; Do you think that now we are riding a 4th ska wave depending on new bands adding a lot of different musical elements to the ska music?
Dicky: I think that anybody who is influenced, loved, and inspired by ska music and has faith in this kind of music is what really makes you create this sound like the one we do so then go for it. But if there is another wave then well, its still ok.
Tim: The waves are like really blurred now. It’s just a tide of action. They are hitting the beach kind of hahaha!
Dicky: Now they have no intensity.
Why do you think that so many ska/punk/hardcore 
bands record 1 or 2 CDs for a multinational and a few years after they go back to independent?
Dicky: That´s interesting! I don´t know, it´s like the multinationals come to you and tell you that they want to record from your band and bring it to so many people and you say yes and then when those companies failed on the promises they make, they say “ok we will put them out the company ourselves.”
Tim: There is no difference to be a punk or ska band. To any other rock and roll band, it happens too.
Dicky: The difference is that back in the day if the record label left you, your career was over. But now it’s way different than before. Now we can just say “ok we will record it by ourselves. We have a lot of options now.”
Are you excited to play with your friends the Dropkick Murphy´s at the Fenway park in Boston? I think those will be 2 huge shows.
Dicky: Oh my god yes absolutely! 2 days at Fenway park, that´s a dream come true to tell you the truth. We grew up in Boston and the Red Sox are our team so we are very excited to be playing in the most historical baseball park in the history of this sport. So the answer for the question is YES!!.
Tim: Strong yes!!
Any plan to tour Latin America?
Dicky: We really need to. After almost 30 years playing, we have to.
Tim: We have never been able to do that. We have being trying, trying and trying.
Dicky: Mostly we are scared. I think we are afraid.
Tim: We know we have a lot of fans in South America and the whole Latin America. We know we have to go and we will. We just haven’t had the chance to pull it off.
Dicky: Maybe a Mexican tour we would be able to pull off. We are just afraid of the cartels and all the shit going on there at the moment.
Something you would like to add?
Dicky: Si!! Hola, Hola Raúl, Hola!!
By: Miguel Guinness.
Join us on Facebook: Hearingthevoice
Support the ARENA there are not so many places like that in the world more info here: Die Arena darf nicht sterben
Or join the Facebook group here: Die Arena darf nicht sterben Facebook group
