Nobody�s Fools is a skinhead band from San Jose, California. When I first heard them about a year ago, I was very impressed. All too often, newer, younger bands sound immature, but not Nobody�s Fools. Though young, they have a polished sound and they are well-developed musicians. I would recommend them to anyone. Joel (lead guitar and a founding member) was kind enough to make the time to allow me to interview him. Hopefully, this will give you a little insight into what the band is all about. ENJOY!
Dora: To start this thing off, tell us who you are & what you play.
Joel: I�m Joel and I play lead guitar in Nobody's Fools.
Dora: Who else is in NF?
Joel: Dillon (vocals), Sarge (drums), Robbie (bass), and Mario (rhythm guitar).
Dora: You guys are all fairly young, right?
Joel: Yeah. The youngest guy is Mario, I think he just turned 15 but he's been in the scene for a long, long time for how old he is.
Dora: How did you guys get your start?
Joel: Well, it all started with Dillon and me. We wanted something to do, I played guitar and Dillon played bass we just wanted to sing about the punk scene and drinking and good times. You know, the stuff life is all about. Then we recruited Robbie on bass and Dillon sung. Our original line up was Robbie bass, Dillon vocals, Joey drums, and me guitar
Dora: Have you known each other for a long time?
Joel: Yeah Dillon and I both got kicked out of middle school together and went into community school. Ever since that we have been best buds.
Dora: That's awesome!
Joel: Yeah�we were little assholes�always causing trouble.
Dora: So, Joel, tell us about your love of �butt rock�.
Joel: [laughs] Oh man! Well my friend, Tim from The Vex, was all into butt rock and for me, I dunno, butt rock is more of a thing to laugh at but when all the songs are about drinking whiskey and fucking hoes its kinda fun to listen to and the solos really kick ass. Tim got me into all the butt rock bands.
Dora: By �butt rock� you mean 80s metal right?
Joel: Yeah like Wasp, Dio, The Scorpions, and Twisted Sister. Shit like that.
Dora: So how did you get into punk?
Joel: Through my aunt and this kid named Kevin. They educated me on all the music and really got me into the scene.
Dora: You're aunt?
Joel: Yeah my aunt was a punk back in the 80's when I was born. She still listens to the same stuff sometimes, but just doesn�t have the huge mohawk.
Dora: How old is she? If you don't think she'd be too pissed�
Joel: She�s 33. I think.
Dora: Who are some of your influences? Who made you want to play guitar?
Joel: Damn that�s a hard question. I try to listen to everything, but some of the main guys are Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Mearl Haggard, and Buddie Guy. I listen to a ton of blues.
Dora: That's cool. So many people involved in punk are total punk snobs�they only listen to punk. It's cool you're into other shit.
Joel: Yeah if you only listen to punk all you�re gunna learn is a few chords. To try to be a good musician, you gotta listen to a wide variety of music.
Dora: Good point.
Joel: I still love punk though, but it�s just not good for guitar influences.
Dora: This is true. If you could choose any bands, still around or not, to play with NF, who would you choose?
Joel: Lynyrd Skynyrd or Combat 84.
Dora: Interesting mix. Who are your favorite bands that you've already played with?
Joel: Pressure Point, The Reducers S.F., and The Vex. Good guys.
Dora: Friends of yours, right?
Joel: Yeah I guess you could say that. Not really close buds or anything, but we hang out sometimes.
Dora: What was your most memorable show?
Joel: Our first one even though I only really remember half of the night. It was a blast.
Dora: Who'd you play with?
Joel: Pressure Point, The Reducers S.F., Nuts and Bolts, and I forgot the other band, but they were pretty damn good.
Dora: What is the scene like in San Jose?
Joel: What scene? There is no scene here. We have to go out of the city to play. San Jose hates skinheads and punks.
Dora: Oh so where do you play?
Joel: In Richmond or Morgan Hill. I mean there are a few places to play around here, but they got dickhead bouncers and they call the police if there is a pit it really sucks.
Dora: Reminds me of Boston in a lot of ways.
Joel: Everybody out here thinks Boston has this rip roaring punk scene.
Dora: We do, but a lot of the shows now are either 18+ or 21+...we have a ton of awesome bands with few places to play.
Joel: I guess it really is like San Jose. Tons of great bands with no place to play.
Dora: It didn't used to be like that though.
Joel: Yeah a couple of years ago out here there were tons of shows and there would be tons of people that would show up and all hell would break loose at the shows. It was a lot of fun.
Dora: Sounds good. Anywho, do you ever have any problems with boneheads or people who don't understand what it is to be a skinhead? They ever give you shit?
Joel: Not really. Most of the boneheads got their asses handed to them in a major way and they don�t come around much. We actually have more of a problem with the S.H.A.R.P. Skins.
Dora: How so?
Joel: Cause they think we�re nazis cause we have a song with some RAC lyrics and we�re not afraid to call somebody a fag. And we like our country.
Dora: Do they get pissed about songs like "Bomb the Taliban"?
Joel: Not really. They get more pissed about the song "Patriotic Stance". We�re not nazis. If anybody has a nazi mentality its the S.H.A.R.P.s. They corner you 6 to 1 in a dark alley and try to beat you down for your beliefs.
Dora: Why would they get pissed about that one?
Joel: It�s an anti-illegal alien song about people who come in and take jobs from us cause they will work for less and just stuff like that. We didn�t mean it to come off as racist, but I guess a lot of people took it that way.
Dora: Yea, people are far too touchy these days.
Joel: Way to PC.
Dora: Exactly.
Joel: Gotta watch your mouth when you go to shows I thought the punk scene was about voicing your opinion. I guess I was wrong.
Dora: Yea, just try voicing your opinion & get the shit beat out of you.
Joel: Exactly. That�s not being a punk, that�s being a close-minded dickhead that nobody likes.
Dora: It's stupid cause the whole idea of punk was to go against the majority, but now it's all about being what everyone else wants you to be.
Joel: Exactly. Fuck that. Think for yourself, be an individual.
Dora: Right on. What are your favorite songs you play?
Joel: �Patriotic Stance�, �Bomb the Taliban�, and �Take Back the Scene�. Those are my favs.
Dora: Are there any songs that others seem to really get into at your shows?
Joel: �We'll Show You� and �We're on the Streets�. Those ones usually stir a pretty good pit.
Dora: Who writes your songs?
Joel: Usually Robbie and I get together and we will think of a riff together and write some lyrics to it and see if they sound good together, but if the whole band doesn�t approve we throw it out.
Dora: That's a good way of doing it...that way everyone likes what you do.
Joel: Yeah that way everybody is happy with what we play.
Dora: So you guys all get along pretty well?
Joel: Oh yeah, we�re like a big old happy family. Great friends, great drinking buddies. The only guy that kinda messed things up was Anthoney, but now Sarge is in the band and everything is great. Like I said, we�re just one big family.
Dora: What was the issue with Anthoney?
Joel: Well, he was like a little girl. He would bring tons of drama every place we played and he was only a skinhead when we would play shows. No, he wasn't even a freshcut. He was a wanna-be poseur who wanted to fight his band mates all the time plain and simple. He was a bitch and we�re all happy he is out of the band.
Dora: So you guys aren't friends anymore?
Joel: Nope.
Dora: You had mentioned before how you & Dillon were both kicked out of school, mind if I ask what the circumstances surrounding that were?
Joel: Well, I got kicked out cause I was messing up in school bad and there was this one teacher who would piss me of all the time so one day my nose was runny and I asked him if I could blow my nose. He said no! I said fuck this, I got snot running down my chin so I went to the front of the class, blew my nose, stuck the kleenex to the chalk board, and threw the box of kleenex at the teacher and called him an old cunt. Dillon got kicked out of his middle school for making bomb threats I believe. I�m not sure how the whole story goes, but Dillon has some funny history at schools. He once tried to hang a kid from the basketball hoops at his elementary school.
Dora: Christ! You guys were bad asses.
Joel: Yeah we still like to get into trouble, but just try to stay out of jail now.
Dora: Which is a good thing.
Joel: Yeah, but it�s really not as fun. [laughs]
Dora: [laughs] So what do you guys do when you're not playing?
Joel: Most of us have jobs so that takes up a lot of our time, but we like to drink and hang out, go to parties, and just fuck around. Dillon and I go mountain biking a lot.
Dora: That's cool. Favorite beer?
Joel: Newcastle Brown Ale and Miller Highlife. Oh, and can�t leave out St. Pauli Girl. She is hot.
Dora: So if anyone were to bump into you, they should buy you either Newcastle, Miller High Life, or St. Pauli? I can't really comment on her being hot, but I've been told�
Joel: Oh, she�s a babe. I dunno. I would probably go with Newcastle, but if I wanted to get drunk I would go with Miller.
Dora: So you�re into the blondes with corsets?
Joel: That�s my thing.
Dora: Do you guys have any gigs coming up?
Joel: Yeah we got a gig in January with The Forgotten and One Man Army.
Dora: Rock 'n' Roll...sounds good.
Joel: Yeah I�m excited. That�s who I think is playing anyway. Not quite sure yet.
Dora: If anyone wants to find any more information about you guys, where should they go?
Joel: www.nobodysfools.cjb.net
Dora: Anything else you would like to add?
Joel: Punk is dead, shave your head! That�s my advice.
Dora: And lastly, what is the coolest zine on the net? [whispers] Say: Face Up To It.
Joel: Ummm let me think�definitely not Maximum Rock and Roll�I guess that leaves me with one choice: Face Up To It! Damn fine zine.
Dora: Thank you, Joel, for your time!
Joel: Take care.
Editorial Note: Later Joel said �I lost my interview virginity to you.�
Dillon - Vocals
Mario - Rhythm Guitar
Rob - Bass
Sergio - Drums