Though Government Warning may have already come and gone, they made a remarkable impression on the Punk scene in Virginia, and managed a sizable national following especially by modern Punk standards. Today we get to hear from Singer/Frontman Kenny Scumrat.
Interview By Hayden Garrett
Hayden: So, Government Warning, where did the name come from?
Kenny: Beer cans. We had our first show booked and needed a name
Hayden: Who thought of it?
Kenny: brandon. he's really into making old-sounding 2 word names
Hayden: How did the band start?
Kenny: we used to all skate the same mini ramp in carytown, and they (brandon and eric) were the only 2 people we'd (me and mikey) ever met. Void tshirt plus dri skateboard= "lets do a band!"
Hayden: Until the break up did you have any changes in your line up?
Kenny: yeah, mikey quit after the first 7", so brandon moved from guitar to drums, eric moved from bass to guitar, and we got alex to play bass
Hayden: Why did you break up?
Kenny: It was our time. we werent touring anymore, and theres really no point in half-assing a band, especially after the better part of a decade
Hayden: What was your biggest influence?
Kenny: Early 80's american style hardcore. particularly california shit and probably boston, richmond, east coast fast shit. probably a bit of canadian stuff too. brandon got me into genetic control and hype and shit.
Hayden: What is your favorite song to play out of SS, GW, or UT?
Kenny: I really couldnt say, because as long as you keep making records that changes, and besides playing bass and singing arent really comparable as far as fun goes. i will say that playing the more popular gw songs to a good crowd is a feeling all its own, because nobody sings along to any of my other bands, haha. i think thats really partially the point.
Kenny: Beer cans. We had our first show booked and needed a name
Hayden: Who thought of it?
Kenny: brandon. he's really into making old-sounding 2 word names
Hayden: How did the band start?
Kenny: we used to all skate the same mini ramp in carytown, and they (brandon and eric) were the only 2 people we'd (me and mikey) ever met. Void tshirt plus dri skateboard= "lets do a band!"
Hayden: Until the break up did you have any changes in your line up?
Kenny: yeah, mikey quit after the first 7", so brandon moved from guitar to drums, eric moved from bass to guitar, and we got alex to play bass
Hayden: Why did you break up?
Kenny: It was our time. we werent touring anymore, and theres really no point in half-assing a band, especially after the better part of a decade
Hayden: What was your biggest influence?
Kenny: Early 80's american style hardcore. particularly california shit and probably boston, richmond, east coast fast shit. probably a bit of canadian stuff too. brandon got me into genetic control and hype and shit.
Hayden: What is your favorite song to play out of SS, GW, or UT?
Kenny: I really couldnt say, because as long as you keep making records that changes, and besides playing bass and singing arent really comparable as far as fun goes. i will say that playing the more popular gw songs to a good crowd is a feeling all its own, because nobody sings along to any of my other bands, haha. i think thats really partially the point.
Hayden: You've sang in 3 bands, which has been the most memorable?
Kenny: Ive actually sang in like 5, played bass in 5 or 6, but hands down gw was the most noticed, and will likely be remembered better than the stranglers. well, thats actually kinda pessimistic, but as of now its obviously so.
Hayden: Do you wish you could have done more with GW?
Kenny: fuck yeah man, i wanted to tour australia with depression, and go back to europe again, and at least get out to the west coast again. eh, what can you do? we had fun, but i liked touring with that band. recording.... not so much, but touring for sure
Hayden: Where is your favorite place to play, and why?
Kenny: here at home probably, but a lot of our best shows were around philly. raleigh was fun too. its hard to say, we usually had a good time wherever we went
Hayden: What is the funnest show you've ever played, where at, and what happened?
Kenny: hmmm, a close call between a bunch, but a triple record release show at the raygun with career suicide, and cloak/dagger stands out in my mind. the last tour in brooklyn was fucking crazy too. i was usually blacked out for most of our sets, i tend to drink heavily. oh yeah, and when the vicious played the bonezone... holy crap.
Hayden: Any tours, new albums, anything at all we can expect from your current projects?
Kenny: well, Unholy Thoughts lp entitled "the attic" should be out in a coupla months, though its been damned near a year since it was recorded, and were very slowly finishing the latest stranglers lp, but were also more than halfway through writing another one. Ive been a little focused lately because i dont leave the cave often
Hayden: Any chance you'll ever play Texas?
Kenny: Id sure hope so. Many of my friends are moving to or recently moved to austin, so i think a tour would be really cool. who knows, maybe one day we'll be good enough to get on a fest.... you guys love fests in texas huh?
Hayden: What was the first show you ever played, where at, with who?
Kenny: It was in Mikeys basement when i was 15. I think we called the band grand punk railroad. it was like ramones and misfits covers. I have no clue who all those hippes that played were.
Kenny: Ive actually sang in like 5, played bass in 5 or 6, but hands down gw was the most noticed, and will likely be remembered better than the stranglers. well, thats actually kinda pessimistic, but as of now its obviously so.
Hayden: Do you wish you could have done more with GW?
Kenny: fuck yeah man, i wanted to tour australia with depression, and go back to europe again, and at least get out to the west coast again. eh, what can you do? we had fun, but i liked touring with that band. recording.... not so much, but touring for sure
Hayden: Where is your favorite place to play, and why?
Kenny: here at home probably, but a lot of our best shows were around philly. raleigh was fun too. its hard to say, we usually had a good time wherever we went
Hayden: What is the funnest show you've ever played, where at, and what happened?
Kenny: hmmm, a close call between a bunch, but a triple record release show at the raygun with career suicide, and cloak/dagger stands out in my mind. the last tour in brooklyn was fucking crazy too. i was usually blacked out for most of our sets, i tend to drink heavily. oh yeah, and when the vicious played the bonezone... holy crap.
Hayden: Any tours, new albums, anything at all we can expect from your current projects?
Kenny: well, Unholy Thoughts lp entitled "the attic" should be out in a coupla months, though its been damned near a year since it was recorded, and were very slowly finishing the latest stranglers lp, but were also more than halfway through writing another one. Ive been a little focused lately because i dont leave the cave often
Hayden: Any chance you'll ever play Texas?
Kenny: Id sure hope so. Many of my friends are moving to or recently moved to austin, so i think a tour would be really cool. who knows, maybe one day we'll be good enough to get on a fest.... you guys love fests in texas huh?
Hayden: What was the first show you ever played, where at, with who?
Kenny: It was in Mikeys basement when i was 15. I think we called the band grand punk railroad. it was like ramones and misfits covers. I have no clue who all those hippes that played were.
Stolen without care and permission from here.
Hayden: How did Southside Stranglers start, who all is in it, who thought of the name and why?
Kenny: We started the stranglers about 2 and a half years back, but i came up with the name back in like 04 or something, i was reading that book "please kill me" and decided to play 77 punk. we always practiced in the part of town Timothy Spencer once terrorized, aka "the southside strangler". I thought it sounded really KBD-ish
Hayden: How did Unholy Thoughts start, who is in the band, why the name?
Kenny: We actually started like 5 or 6 years ago, just Mikey and I, jammin in the basement. We went through like 5 different names or something, but I thought Unholy Thoughts was a good description of the inside of my head. We actually still play those first songs, 5 years deep, finally got em recorded. I think this is like the 3rd or 4th lineup.
Hayden: Any chance of GW ever playing together again?
Kenny: nah, i dont think so. by the time were all full of enough shit to wanna do a reunion we'll be too old. I hate when old guys do reunions and they cant rip anymore. better off letting the legend stay intact if you ask me. As much abuse as that band was physically i doubt i'll have the moves much longer.
Hayden: What was your favorite album that you recorded, ever?
Kenny: No Moderation. It was probably the purest form of GW we did with the main lineup, and it sounded good, and i like almost all of the songs. Brandon really hit his stride writing hardcore in those days. He was on fire, so was Eric. Plus i feel now looking back like that was the first record i really honed in my vocal style on. I think its most peoples favorite we did. I think when the next stranglers lp is written i'll like it better than what were recording now, and probably more than any other thing ive played on. im really jazzed up on taking a slight departure sonically.
Hayden: What's your favorite punk record?
Kenny: Thats like asking me to pick a favorite growing from my balls. Itd take so long to choose that id have changed my mind by the time i figured it out. I like anything 77, good bit of oi!, a mountain of old hardcore, new hardcore... shit, i cant even pick a favorite record from richmond.
Hayden: What's your favorite band?
Kenny: same problem really... i think as opposed to a band it'd more likely be a singer. Probably little Richard, or Buddy Holly. Also shit like the stooges and the MC5. I dont know, i like so much shit, especially over these last 3 or 4 years
Hayden: Last question so I can make this short enough for you to answer it, have you ever played in Texas, and did you like it if so?
Kenny: Yeah, we played chaos in tejas in 2007, it was really a blast, if it wouldnt have sent me to the poorhouse we'd have played there last year too. It was killer, I hope to do it again sometime.
Kenny: We started the stranglers about 2 and a half years back, but i came up with the name back in like 04 or something, i was reading that book "please kill me" and decided to play 77 punk. we always practiced in the part of town Timothy Spencer once terrorized, aka "the southside strangler". I thought it sounded really KBD-ish
Hayden: How did Unholy Thoughts start, who is in the band, why the name?
Kenny: We actually started like 5 or 6 years ago, just Mikey and I, jammin in the basement. We went through like 5 different names or something, but I thought Unholy Thoughts was a good description of the inside of my head. We actually still play those first songs, 5 years deep, finally got em recorded. I think this is like the 3rd or 4th lineup.
Hayden: Any chance of GW ever playing together again?
Kenny: nah, i dont think so. by the time were all full of enough shit to wanna do a reunion we'll be too old. I hate when old guys do reunions and they cant rip anymore. better off letting the legend stay intact if you ask me. As much abuse as that band was physically i doubt i'll have the moves much longer.
Hayden: What was your favorite album that you recorded, ever?
Kenny: No Moderation. It was probably the purest form of GW we did with the main lineup, and it sounded good, and i like almost all of the songs. Brandon really hit his stride writing hardcore in those days. He was on fire, so was Eric. Plus i feel now looking back like that was the first record i really honed in my vocal style on. I think its most peoples favorite we did. I think when the next stranglers lp is written i'll like it better than what were recording now, and probably more than any other thing ive played on. im really jazzed up on taking a slight departure sonically.
Hayden: What's your favorite punk record?
Kenny: Thats like asking me to pick a favorite growing from my balls. Itd take so long to choose that id have changed my mind by the time i figured it out. I like anything 77, good bit of oi!, a mountain of old hardcore, new hardcore... shit, i cant even pick a favorite record from richmond.
Hayden: What's your favorite band?
Kenny: same problem really... i think as opposed to a band it'd more likely be a singer. Probably little Richard, or Buddy Holly. Also shit like the stooges and the MC5. I dont know, i like so much shit, especially over these last 3 or 4 years
Hayden: Last question so I can make this short enough for you to answer it, have you ever played in Texas, and did you like it if so?
Kenny: Yeah, we played chaos in tejas in 2007, it was really a blast, if it wouldnt have sent me to the poorhouse we'd have played there last year too. It was killer, I hope to do it again sometime.
