Author: Sandi Sadar Šoba
Place: Cvetličarna VPK, Ljubljana
Interview date: April 21, 2011
One day a cassette fell out of a dusty drawer, one I’d almost forgotten about. And a few coincidences brought back the memory of April 21, when Slovenia got another unrivaled concert treat: a show by the Canadian punk forefathers NoMeansNo. The intense gig at Ljubljana’s Cvetličarna had barely stopped ringing when, deep in the backstage guts, I got the driving voice of the legendary NoMeansNo, Rob Wright, in front of my microphone. Visibly worn out from a seriously intense set, he still carved out a moment to open the door onto the creativity and musical evolution of a trio that has been paving the way for alternative and punk since way back in 1976, in a manner that only they can pull off. Charisma, punch, provocation and drive shake hands with kindness and helpfulness in the person of the gray-haired frontman.
We’re truly honored that after so many years of coming back to the place where the crowd gets its concert fix, you’re willing to return here and give us another dose of fresh NoMeansNo energy. How does it feel after this show at Ljubljana’s Cvetličarna this time?
Rob Wright: We’ve played here a whole lot of times, and our first show here goes all the way back to 1989, when a pack of cigarettes cost five dollars, and I have to stress that we’ve always had an amazing time at gigs in Slovenia. That was the case at our first show here and every time our roads have led us back. No matter what, the energy of the crowd here has always been incredible, so I was really happy to see things progress to the point where we got to play more shows here in Slovenia. It’s always nice to come back, also thanks to Irena from Buba, who we’ve been tight with since our very first day here! More than 20 years of shared memories and experiences have made Slovenia one of those homey, warm concert stops on this side of the Atlantic that we love.
So you could say a serious, solid bond has formed between NoMeansNo and Slovenia? And what about revisiting the scene of the crime (in the concert sense)?
Rob: Like I said, it’s always great to come here, and you’re right: we’ve always had loyal fans here, people who have supported us from the very beginning, and I don’t mean just the last few years. That’s why it hasn’t happened, and never will, that we tour Europe without visiting your parts too. It’s great that we get a bit more than just one show here. At first only Ljubljana was on the list, but now we’ll be raging on the stages of a few other towns too. It’s always fun to come back and take another step forward.
Sadly we can’t have the birthday boy, who turns 51 today, guitarist Tom Holliston, with us in front of the microphone … But still: how was it to mix old material with a taste of something new that hasn’t yet materialized as the birth of a new record?
Rob: It feels good to be able to do what means something to us. I know people want to hear lots of stuff from the old catalog, so we always give them that, but we’ve always kept writing new songs and always will. We also write new songs so we can go on tour again. New songs that we made as a band to satisfy our own appetites, and also so the audience can hear them … And when we hit the road, we try to cover every gap in the set, from the first record to the latest EP. The only problem is that there are a damn lot of songs … (laughs) We all have our favorites, and so does the crowd, and if we tried to please every taste … Well … We don’t have three hours to play … (laughs) And if we did, I’d be dead pretty quickly, because trying to please everyone can really kill you … (laughs)
Since Ausfahrt in 2006, though, you haven’t recorded a new full-length album …
Rob: We realized, thank God, that people don’t buy records on CD anymore. The dwindling demand on the market means a few chosen ones buy vinyl, while most people pull their music off the internet. So we kept pace with the times and decided to launch a series of EPs. Two are already out, the third is on its way, and once we’ve written a good dozen songs together, all available for download, we’ll put together something that suits people. The audience will get a treat that satisfies the connoisseurs, not some CD made for its own sake, which is bullshit anyway. These days people are more attached to their computers, and that’s how music gets played on the radio waves too. Maybe a compilation CD or something similar will follow later, but I don’t know who’ll buy them or how many … I never liked CDs, so I’m totally at peace with the fact that they’re clearly on their way out. (laughs)
So you’re pretty close to the idea of Billy Corgan, who’s piling up songs on the internet the same way and then promising something truly special and extraordinary?
Rob: That’s just the fate of music today, and that’s how people consume it in this new millennium! Kids and young people don’t care about records, artwork and CDs. We old farts are more attached to vinyl, but that’s just how things go. That’s the pulse of the time we live in, and we have to keep up with it. It’s great that it makes distributing music a lot simpler and cheaper. There are no middlemen anymore, and you don’t need record labels playing the go-between for artists and listeners. Until now they only took care of distributing the physical stuff, like sleeves and discs, but they didn’t give the music itself any real backing. Now the artist is exposed to everyone who wants to listen to their music. And if they want to pass it on to others, then go ahead, because that’s how music spreads! I don’t care! I’m not so hung up on modern-day pirates and profiteers who take ownership of the music. What matters is that people listen to it! That’s the key thing. As NoMeansNo, we’ve always defined ourselves by what we do live, on stage. That’s also the only way we know how to breathe and live music. So for us, albums are just an ad we use to go out on tour, not the other way around … (laughs) Being front and center and up on stage is the best thing that can happen in making music for us, and there’s no hidden calculation in any of it!
If 2006 was the year of your last studio campaign, then what is there that will concretely be given to future generations of listeners?
Rob: Like I said, we plan to record and finish a couple of EPs that will be ready by autumn and next spring. Then there’s another EP planned before we head out on a new tour, and after that you’ll only be able to hear us on the internet and possibly on compilation albums. If anyone wants us to do it, we might consider that option too. As for working with labels, right now we’re working only with the English label Southern Records, and if that relationship wraps up and ends, we’ll keep on working anyway, just on our own. No complications and no needless hassle … (laughs)
As artists, though, you surely have some feeling for aesthetics, which goes into the design and the outer look of the final product?
Rob: Everyone will be able to pick the material on the internet and get it without any hassle. Right now everyone can already get everything off the internet for free. I’m different, because I don’t have the time and energy to just steal someone’s album and take the credit off the internet, but it’s probably just a matter of evolution. So we’ll go in that direction too, record a few songs, put them online … You don’t have to waste your pennies on records anymore, which some people don’t have a proper relationship with anyway, and instead they’ll be handed to you effortlessly, instantly, right on the internet. Then you can burn the downloaded songs onto a CD, and it’s simple for both sides. What I can’t stand are people who steal and illegally obtain recordings and then sell them on for profit in some scheme of their own. I just can’t stomach pirates like that, because they kill the whole point of music. If you aim to plant the seed of music among your friends and not get rich from it, then do it, because that’s the only right way! That’s the only guarantee that next time we come here, there’ll be even more devoted young minds and music lovers at the show!
Since you’re the oldest member of the band – not that I’m hinting at your ID number and age … – how do you personally cope with the new NoMeansNo concept for a new millennium?
Rob: That’s for the audience to judge! If we write new material and plan to keep doing that, it’s up to the people to decide whether it’s written in the spirit of, and in harmony with, the times we live in. That’s our promissory note for further work, and based on it we’ll either keep creating or decide it’s time to say goodbye. If you’re worrying about who you’re writing for and why while you write, then you’re a hostage to your own music, so I try not to worry about anything. If something sparks in my head and I decide it’s good, it gets me fired up and electrified – that’s what counts and what I care about! The people are the next link in this magical chain of users. If they’ve stuck with us so far, then there’s a chance they’ll be our fellow travelers on this road in the future too. But it’s always the audience that dictates what it wants to listen to …
How does it feel when you look back at the timeline and realize it’s been going since 1976 and you’re still keeping up a pace that’s no less intense?
Rob: My dears, the fact is, and we admit it: we’re old! (laughs) And the years have taken their toll: we’ve slowed our pace a bit, we don’t play as many shows as we did in the past, and the same goes for putting out records, which we used to string together one after another pretty intensely back in the day. But we’re not thinking about saying goodbye just yet! We were never good at long-term planning. We always think just one record ahead. I’ve slowed down because I have a son, John has two kids, and kids are what rearrange the order of priorities in our lives. At the same time, we love what we do, and what we do is good for us and for our listeners, so we’ll probably keep at it!
And what about the long-term and short-term plans for NoMeansNo?
Rob: I’ll definitely do my best to survive at least a few more years (laughs). And if I’m still alive, then I’ll probably still be writing and making music! (laughs)
Photo: Goran Antlej
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