Mike: How
long have you guys been around for?
Tom: Since
like '98. I think you were at the forming of the band at CJ
and Del's house with Mikey and Gifford. I was third man in.
Ken was there but he wasn't in yet.
Mike: What
previous bands have all of you been in?
Tom: Ogre
was in Bloody Mess and the Skabs. Me and Gifford were in Slow
Children together in high school and then Antabuse and Ken
was in the Bollweevils and the Feds.
Mike: Whats
different about being in Callaghan than the previous bands
you guys have been in?
Tom: We've
always had the same drummer. Ha. Well, we all have jobs and
lives and other things to do in life but we like rocking with
each other and kind of get off on being different from one
another. We're pretty laid back about the band. No delusions,
we do it to have fun.
Mike: Besides
being in the band what do each of you guys do?
Tom: Ken
is a science and reading teacher and plays and coaches baseball.
Gifford is the rock and roll optometrist and a muscle car
enthusiast. I'm a full time union iron worker and part time
pharmacist. I'm not sure what Ogre does but it must be strenuous
because he's in very good shape.
Mike: Would
you guys ever want to live off your band?
Tom: Probably
not. I really like my job. I'm lucky. Think about the poor
guy who has to make his rent sitting around writing songs
to entertain the idiot masses. He'd be at the fucking 7-Eleven
selling lotto if he didn't know how to play guitar. I feel
for dude.
Mike: Callaghan
has released some stuff on Outsider Records from Long Beach,
CA how is working with them?
Tom: Cool.
Some people got to hear our shit. Dave is a good guy who put
us on with other bands we respect and enjoy. Most notably
the Hudson Falcons.
Mike: Your
last release was released on a Chicagoland label do you guys
prefer to keep it chose to home?
Tom: That's
not really an issue. If someone from another city said they
wanted to do an album with us the deciding factor would probably
not be location. It would be more like, do you wanna pay for
the recording? Will there be plenty of blow in the studio?
Mike: Where
do you guys like to play in Chicago?
Tom: Fireside,
Prodigal, gotta give props to the MPshows. We play all sorts
of wild shit. Straight bar punk shows. We've played Metro,
Mexican restaurants. Bar-bqs, basements... tend to prefer
shows with beer though.
Mike: What
bands do you guys like to play with?
Tom: Whoever
is nice. I would hate to start listing bands and miss someone
who I think is cool. I like the ones who are fun and
don't have an inflated sense of importance just because they're
in some fucking band. I think there are a lot of great bands
in Chicago.
Mike: What
are you favorite Chicago bands of all time and why?
Tom: Negative
Element, Grab Bag Of Fathers, Screw Party, Hitmen, Alkaline
Trio. All of these bands had/have great songs, were fun and
remind me of cool times in my life. And of course there's
the obvious Raygun, Effigies, Big Black, AOF, Out Of Order,
all the 80's stuff.
Mike: What
was the first punk show each of you saw?
Tom: Me and
Gifford saw DOA and The Dicks at the Metro in '84 I think.
That or Battalion of Saints around the same time.
Mike: Do you
think the punk scene in Chicago is different now than it was
10 years ago?
Tom: No,
it's just a new crop of kids who happen to have the benefit
of the internet for easier networking. Every generation of
kids think they're doing something revolutionary and new and
that's cool. But kids tend to have fun and get excited in
the same way regardless of the haircuts.
Mike: What
Chicago bands today do you guys respect?
Tom: Aww
crap. I'd hate to miss someone. How about people? I think
the people that deserve respect are the people who devote
their talent and hard work to the "scene" for the
benefit of the bands. People like Brian Peterson, Doug Ward,
Chuck Uchida. Everyone at Redline and Choke. There are plenty.
Mike: Where
can people find out more about Callaghan?
Tom: www.rhoads.org/callaghan
or come to a show.
Mike: Any last
words?
Tom: Vote
locally. Buy American. Buy Union. Be nice to old people and
the differently abled.
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