Lagwagon’s Joey Cape Reflects On The 30th Anniversary Of ‘Hoss’

‘I grew up listening to bands like Black Sabbath, Judus Priest and Iron Maiden, all those late seventies, early eighties metal. I liked that stuff a lot and Motorhead in particular. But I also love The Ramones, and I listen to a lot of LA Punk and British punk. It was weird in our scene here in California, there were only a couple bands that were okay with the punks that were metal. You know what I mean? Or rock and roll. That is the best way to put it. With Motorhead, they’re right in the middle there. I mean, I don’t really think of ’em as a metal band either. They’re just pure rock and roll. Motorhead owns their own lane. It’s awesome.’

Lagwagon vocalist Joey Cape explains the reasoning behind the bands most recent release, a cover of Motorhead’s Rock N Roll for the Killed By Deaf compilation album of punk bands covering the legendary bands classics, although that wasn’t the singers initial choice.

‘We’ve been playing ‘Ace Of Spades’ in Lagwagon for decades. But of course, I think Pennywise or something had already!’

The California’s will be in Australia in January for their own tour, celebrating the thirty year anniversary of the album Hoss, with stops at Froth & Fury Festival in Perth and Adelaide. The singer reflects on that time in the bands career.

‘Hoss’ was a turning point for our band. The first two records we made were, I mean, I can barely listen to the first one, we made it in three days. It was a live record. We were young enough, we kind of still thought we had some ideas. Then the second one, I think it was better. We were finding ourselves our identity. But ‘Hoss’, it’s the record where at least as a songwriter, I thought, there aren’t really any rules. I am just going to write different kinds of songs to me. I remember thinking we could have some slower songs. They don’t know I have to be this kind of nineties punk thing that we’re associated with. And I just wrote a bunch of songs. The original drummer, Derek, he wanted to go farther out. That record was a little more securing an identity for the band. I think it felt like we did something different. At the time, it felt special and it felt like we kind of found ourselves and it didn’t feel like we pigeonholed ourselves at all. I felt like after that record, we could have gone anywhere.’

When Lagwagon do arrive here, they will be playing the album in full, how that looks is still up for debate in the band’s house, however there is also another tiny problem with playing the album in full.

‘The plan is to do one of those album shows where we play the whole album. Now, whether we start the set with the album or we end the set with the album, I don’t know. It’s tricky with ‘Hoss’, some of the albums, they end in a way that it makes sense for it to be later in the set. The last one on ‘Hoss’, is a really different song for us. It’s a slow kind of drudging thing. So, I think we’ll probably open with the album on the set. Now that said, those albums are like 30 minutes long. If we were just to go on tour and go, alright, here’s ‘Hoss’, see you later, guys. Thanks for giving us 30 bucks or whatever. You got 30 minutes of music. That’s a dollar a minute. I mean, it’s just hilarious. It’s really not a very long record. Like I said, there’ll be a lot more music besides that.’

Joey doesn’t live the rock n roll lifestyle anymore, it’s much wilder, with one aspect of Australia he cannot wait to get hands on.

‘I might go out after shows, but generally it’s going to dinner, breakfast, going to the beach or going for a hike. Or going lawn bowling. That’s a big one out there. Lawn bowls. Oh yeah! If you’ve got a day off and there’s a place to bowl that is, I love that. I moved a few years ago to the house I’m in now and the only time I’ve ever put bowlers, I think you guys call it bowlers, is that right? Yeah. And the only time I’ve ever done that is in Australia, mostly in Melbourne, and just go with a couple friends of mine. The first time I went, I was like, this is the best. We’re just drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and playing this super fun game with friends. Anyway, this place I just moved into one block away, there’s a lawn bowling place, and I keep going up there. It’s got a phone number of how to join, and I go up there all the time and I’m trying to get mates of mine here to get into it, but of course they’re like, what? I don’t do that. They don’t know what it is. Every time I go there, it’s just a bunch of much older people, their little leagues and stuff that are always playing. And I think, well, I’m not young. I got this grey beard. But if I show up, I mean, they might be like, who’s this young whipper snapper? We got to get him? Fresh meat!’

As I bid my adieu, talk goes back to Motorhead, as it was the last official release of Lagwagon music, only a few weeks ago.

‘We might have to learn that song. I have to ask the guys if they want to give it a shot. It might be cool.’

Interview By Iain McCallum

Catch Lagwagon on the following dates, tickets from SBM Presents…

Appearing at Froth & Fury in Adelaide and Perth, tickets HERE…