Posted on March 16, 2010 - by Editor

Joey Cape and Tony Sly: European Invasion Part II

Joey Cape & Tony Sly © Imelda Michalczyk

Distorted had recently talked to Joey Cape and Tony Sly pre-European tour and we heard about their expectations and how much they were looking forward to the adventure as well as discussing their respective new material as solo artists. Joining them on the road was Jon Snodgrass and a friend of Joey’s, a skilled musician and pianist, Brian from New York. We caught up again with Joey and Tony in London as their tour was moving into its final stages to assess the tour to date and any stories from the road or lessons learned.

The interview at the London show (reviewed here) was a slightly rushed affair as the guys had press lined up one after another and they were due for an early evening kick off. We made our way backstage and found the pair looking a little ragged and tired but in good spirits.

Steve: So we have spoken to you both about respective new records and material but we wanted to check in to see how the tour had been going really and how last 4-5 weeks had panned out.

Tony: Really really good. Turnout has been amazing, it’s not like I was surprised though as Joey and I did a split in 2004 and for the past six years every time I come to Europe everyone is like “when are you and Joey going to do an acoustic tour together” and I’m like, “I don’t know, never?”. Slowly my answer changed to “um, maybe?”
(Joey laughing at his comrade)

Steve: And this is the same venue as last year for you Joey?

Joey: Yeah well last year (tour with Jon Snodgrass) was ok. I thought the tour went pretty well 11 months ago so I thought this would go even better with Tony here and it has been.

Steve: In terms of attendances or what?

Joey: Yeah and just the vibe.  I think we did well last time around and we knew we would come back but I think we spiced it up enough to make it more fun for people and Tony is awesome.

Tony: I’m not sure if they might have had more fun last time though cos all I hear about is stories of how awesome that was!

Joey: Yeah it was a lot more fun (laughing).

Joey Cape & Tony Sly © Imelda Michalczyk

The pair are at complete ease with each other and feed off each other’s answers with witty and sarcastic banter. This is the longest period of time they would have spent on the road together despite the long association on a shared record label and a shared punk rock scene through Lagwagon and No Use For A Name respectfully. The more recent branch out with solo material in addition to earlier solo work and collaborations for the pair is something we had discussed previously but there is a definite shift and increased output for solo material from well know punk rock musicians.

Steve: I have read interviews in which you have addressed this but the more folksy/acoustic route by a lot of musicians has become a popular trend so these tours should become more regular too? And with the onus more on artists and being less label specific.

Tony: (nodding) Well I want to do these as regular as I can, when No Use isn’t touring this is what I’m going to do.

Steve: On your own or always with other people?

Tony: I will try it on my own too. It’s more fun with other people and less scary, you don’t have to worry about stuff and I have Joey and Jon backing me up there on most of the songs and Brian on the piano; it’s totally rad.

Joey: I think it’s a great thing when you get asked to play somewhere and you only have yourself to answer to. You can say yes to something and just grab your backpack and guitar and go. There is all this bureaucracy and you have to confirm with all these other people and the band and schedules and it takes a lot of time to organise. It’s just what we have been doing forever so I really like this. As far as the trends go I think its trends, trends, trends cos I think this is more tradition and that outweighs trends. And you get a lot more people doing this right now cos of the state of the industry but it doesn’t mean it hasn’t been going on forever.

Tony: And if your band has been doing this for over 20 years you should get a pass on the trends!

Joey: Yeah and this is much closer to pure organic song writing than in the band.

Tony: Yeah that’s true.

Joey: This is a rite of passage for a musician.

Tony: I say this million times but it’s just like writing songs for private and taking it public.

Steve: And you have mentioned the song writing process can be quite cathartic and therapeutic, how about the playing live aspect, is that more stressful?

Tony: It can be? Sometimes I get way more into the lyrics when I’m playing and sometimes I’m just stressed but most of the times on this tour, like 95% of the time when I’m up there I’m just having a great time. It’s usually the technical stuff that’s the 5% stress.

Steve: And this is the first time you are playing solo through Europe so how has it been going? The crowd still heckling?

Tony: Yeah great you know. And they are still yelling out songs like ‘Feeding The Fire’ which can’t be played on an acoustic (Joey mumbling ‘Beer Goggles’ next to him) and they know it and they have the ‘funny friends’ who yells ‘Beer Goggles’!

Joey: I don’t even know if they know it? (That the song can’t be played on acoustic)

Tony: No I think they are trying to be the ‘funny friend.’ (Using air quotations)

Joey: I think some of the people who yell ‘Beer Goggles’ really don’t get the distinction on acoustic. Like they look at me and are like “What do you mean you can’t play ‘Beer Goggles’?” But I think you are right about 50% of the time. But 50% of the time those guys would never have heard of Woody Guthrie and definitely not Simon and Garfunkel; they have just been listening to Slayer their whole lives.

They both laugh out loud and nod at each other in appreciation of the remark. Joey leaves us for a few moments and takes a toilet break and we continue with Tony.

Steve: So from your perspective have things lived up to expectations with how the material has been received?

Tony: Um yeah. A lot of people are buying the record at the shows. First of all I have been announcing that there is no reason to pay the extra taxes and distribution so just buy them at the show so I have been doing that all along and I have been selling a lot of CD’s per night. I think it has a lot to do with me playing a lot of the songs off the record at the shows too.

Steve: And you have the tour EP split with Joey as well.

Tony: Yeah but those aren’t on the records but it’s still a cool collector’s item we did specifically for this tour.

Steve: So what does Brian bring to the tour for you guys?

Tony: He makes us sound good (grinning). He makes us sound professional. And he studies in opera and when you hear him

Tony Sly © Imelda Michalczyk

play you can hear that’s a real musician onstage, and he plays one of his songs too which is pretty cool.

Steve: Do you guys have a set set-list for the shows then or is it spontaneous?

Tony: On a night like tonight it will be set set-list but on a couple nights I might change some of my songs but on the songs we play together we never usually change them out of place and we don’t change them cos there is a specific thing we have to follow cos we all come out to play each other’s songs. Like Joey and I will play a set together then Jon and I and we all keep on coming out to play each other songs.
(Joey rejoins us)

Steve: And covers of songs that aren’t any of yours- I know ‘Linoleum’ was a favourite when Joey last played here.

Tony: Yeah we still do that and ‘Boxcar ‘by Jawbreaker, and a song called ‘Moonshine’ (Ed-I think that’s the name) and nobody knows who wrote it.

Steve: So no one knows where it came from?

Tony: Yeah it’s just one of those songs that nobody can trace.

Steve: Ok, like it’s been passed down. What about on the road together, have you had a chance to write any new stuff?

Joey: Well we wrote one last night!

Tony: Yeah we did; about our tour manager, Oise.

Joey: It’s pretty amazing (grinning and said sarcastically)

Tony: A nice little western number (also grinning).

Joey: We played it last night (Amsterdam) at the show and well, it wasn’t a success but it was so funny though. (both Joey and Tony laughing).

Tony: We were pretty drunk last night and we were playing songs at the show and it started emptying out and people had to catch last trains or something so the crowd was thinning out.

Joey: We wrote the song down just before we went on stage, we played it together just before we went on and it all came together and I was like “let’s just fucking do it” and we have this whole set and a bunch of other songs and it’s like numbers going on in your head and doing a whole bunch of other maths and Jon was like let’s play ‘Oise’. And I was like; “I don’t think I remember how?” and I think we were all playing different songs!

Tony: We got it on film.

Joey: That’s going to make the DVD for sure!

Steve: (Running out of time with the interview I started to wrap things up) Are there any highlights that stand out from this tour; anything crazy?

Joey: It has been great every night, shows have been really fun, nothing that stands out in that (crazy) way, it’s been pretty solid.

Steve: One thing you said earlier; how great it is to be asked to do the shows, but you both have families and kids so how does that affect decisions on touring?

Joey: I love being on tour with him (looking at Tony). It is like the first time I have been on tour for so long where I can commiserate and identify with him in that way as a parent. I have been on tour with other dads but a lot of other dads aren’t the same kind of dads as Tony and I and we have a lot in common.

Tony: When I go home I’m on the clock; I become a fulltime dad straight away, and so does Joey.

Steve: So has this been a holiday from your parenting or is it also sad missing out on things?

Joey: Maybe both, but it’s not hard being home.

Joey Cape © Imelda Michalczyk

Tony: Well it is at first. You got to remember most things, like going out to dinner and how you need to plan and organise.

Joey: (Grinning sheepishly and nodding). That’s such an adjustment you are right. Cos when you are on tour you can do whatever you want and that’s completely opposite when you have a kid!

I’m sure Joey said that in no disrespect to his family, as he is undoubtedly a committed and loving family man, but the freedom and fun these two middle aged punk rock dads have on tour is plain to see through their performances. Like Tony said they have certainly paid their dues in punk rock bands and now are enjoying their creative freedom as solo artists but make no mistake that their passion for their fully fledged bands remain the same. As fans you simply get a double dose of material and as musicians they get to play twice as much. The pair has already announced tour dates for Australia later in the year, do yourself a favour and catch them live if you have the opportunity and a word of advice; don’t request “Beer Goggles”.