What interested the Dead Kennedys in playing the Eco Cup/Harmony Fest?
We haven’t played for a year- I’ve been out of commission with an illness, DH has been out of commission… it may be one of our last shows, we don’t know, but we wanted what might be our last show to be when everybody is healthy. So there’s that, and the other thing is that the Harmony Fest hasn’t been known for having acts such as ours in the past, but they’re having Bad Brains and Cake and it just sounded like good company.
Do you guys have to practice your songs much before you play?
We have practices before tours and stuff because we want to get loose with each other again, but what we find out is that we haven’t forgotten any of it. But it’s fun to play and loosen up together and figure out what the set is gonna be.
Are some of your favorite songs to play also some of the fans’ favorite songs, like Holiday In Camobdia, Moon Over Marin, etc, or do you have different favorites?
Certainly the first album is the one we’re trying to top, so there’s a lot from that, but there’s tons from other albums. We don’t know what we’re going to put into the set list yet. What we did when we first reformed and started touring back in 2001 was at the merch table we’d have a sheet of paper and people could request songs. At the end of the tour we’d look at it and see what people liked most and add things to the set based off that. It makes it have a democratic feel. It’s not just a greatest hits thing though; I like hearing new material from bands and we will be playing some new stuff people haven’t heard yet.
How do you think the ideals of the Dead Kennedys do or don’t mesh with skating and environmental consciousness, as those are the focus of the Eco Cup?
Well we’ve been involved with the skating scene since forever. Environmental consciousness just goes back to some of our songs. One of the most environmentally aware songs is “Moon Over Marin.” It’s also a social commentary. A lot of our songs are about getting inside the head of a politically powerful person or just a normal person who isn’t normal.
Did you guys play much with the Bad Brains in the early days?
Yeah, we played quite a few gigs together. Not constantly or anything, but at least 10 times I’d say.
Who were some of your other favorite bands to play with back then?
Butthole Surfers, DRI, The Minutemen, and The Screamers here in San Francisco.
What is it about the Bay Area that has kept you there all these years?
The general openness of mind and attiutude. It’s a little dot of intellect on the map.
What bands are you listening to these days?
Oranger is one I’m liking, and Rock and Roll Adventure Kids.
Anything you’re scared of in the world?
There’s more things that I’m angry about than scared of.
Dan Drehobl skating to: "Holiday In Cambodia"
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