We got to hang out with California party punks Zebrahead at Slam Dunk Festival this year! We chatted to singers Ali Tabatabaee and Matty Lewis just before they headed off to rock the Desperados Stage alongside bands like: Millencolin, Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish.
MOSH: Hey dudes, let’s start of nice and easy, how are we doing today?
M: Hey man, yeah we’re doing real good!
A: We’re really excited to get started!
MOSH: You’ve got three hectic days ahead of you, how do you prepare for a weekend of carnage?
A: Alcohol…
MOSH: Any particular poison?
M: Anything will do man. Beer, Vodka, Jack, Gin and Juice. Give us all of it and let’s party!
MOSH: Who are you stoked to hang out with this weekend? You must have some friends out here right?
M: We’re pretty much friends with everyone on our stage, theres a lot of cool bands here that we get to hang out with.
A: Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, Patent Pending they’re all dudes!
MOSH: You guys are all about the party lifestyle, are we planning on getting crazy this weekend or are we already there?
M: We are already crazy man! Last night everyone was partying, I got drunk a little bit. You got drunk on the bus…
A: Yeah, I was drunk on the bus, best way to start I guess *laughs*
MOSH: Out of the band who’s likely to pass out first?
M: Ben!
A: No no no!
M: Hmmmmm maybe Ben, maybe me…
A: I think you used to be the first one
M: This is summertime Matty you’re looking at man, summertime Matty does not mess around!
A: He doesn’t give a fuck!
MOSH: Alright then, out of the band who would you rank the Party King of Zebrahead?
A+M: DAN!
A: He’s always the first and last man standing, I don’t know how he does it!
MOSH: You’ve been tearing it up together for a while now, with 11 studio albums under your belts. What is it that gives you that drive to keep going?
A: I think we just really enjoy what we do man, we’re very fortunate to make music for a living and we get to travel the world, so that motivates us cause we don’t wanna stop doing that.
M: And they keep giving us free alcohol, we don’t get paid in cash *laughs*
MOSH: Well thats always a good thing, being payed in booze!
M: Did you say boobs?!
A: I signed four pairs of boobs today!
MOSH: You guys must have had plenty of boobs too over the years!
M: Nooooo!…. Yeeeesss! *laughs*
MOSH: The new album then? The Early Years: Revisited, gives a breath of fresh air to old classics. What made you go back to the old songs instead of writing new ones?
A: Well we’d actually been talking about it for a while, ever since Matty and Dan joined the band so we went back into the studio while we weren’t touring and re recorded those songs. The way we picked the songs for the album was a lot of the fans requested certain ones, so we went through the catalogue and chose the songs that the fans had been requesting. Yeah so that’s how that came about!
MOSH: Do you have any pre show rituals that you have to do before every gig?
A: Hmm, I don’t know. Matty what do you do?
M: Um, I drink vodka…
A: Wow no way, we do the same thing!
M: We do! Me and you especially actually. We stretch.
A: Don’t wanna pull any hammies! Vocal warm ups
M: and VODKA! That’s like the three major things we always do, every time. Over and over and over and over again!
MOSH: You’ve got a shit load of original music to play for us all. But we know you have some cheeky covers in there too! Will Avril Lavinge be coming out today? Some Spice Girls maybe?
A: Um, I think Avril Lavinge is busy… She’s not available tonight. She’s Nickelbacking somewhere.
M: That’s hot.
A: So hot… But the Spice Girls might come out. Cause you know, we are in England. You never know they might just show up you’ll have to wait and see.
MOSH: The band itself is all about that party punk, but what about you guys as individuals? How wild does your music taste get?
A: Well I’m into a bit of everything really. I listen to a lot of Hip-Hop stuff. I think wildest for you Matty is Die Antwoord.
MOSH: Oh man she’s weird!
M: Dude she’s awesome! Have you seen the movie Chappie?
MOSH: I’ve been meaning to but, not got round to it yet
M: Well she’s in that! It’s a good movie you should watch it. Mark over here can do the dance!
MOSH: Come on dude, do the dance there’s no camera you’re safe!
A: He’s really good actually!
(Mark proceeds to dance around and starts making weird beeping noises)
MOSH: Me personally, I’ve been a huge ZH fan since I was a kid. You guy’s were part responsible for me growing my hair, wearing baggy pants and picking up a skateboard
M: Oh *laughs* we’re sorry about that!
MOSH: What do you have to say to people like me, who’ve been along for the ride after all these years?
A: Well we’re just stoked that you like our music. I mean if it wasn’t for fans like you, we wouldn’t be able to tour or do this for a living!
MOSH: I could dig up some really old amateur parkour videos my friends did with ‘Falling Apart’ as the soundtrack!
M: *laughs* dude thats so awesome!
A: Did you guys ever get hurt?
MOSH: I was very lucky actually, but maybe because I wasn’t brave enough to try anything really crazy
A: As long as you guys had fun, that’s what being a kid is all about!
MOSH: Having been in the game for quite some time now, who are some of the newer generation punk bands that you think are doing well for themselves?
A: Well to be honest with you, I don’t listen to that much punk rock music any more. Especially not lately. I could tell you some of the Hip-Hop stuff I’m into. I like a lot of the ASAP collective stuff they have a cool sound. Childish Gambino is another cool guy. What about you Matty?
M: One of my favourites came out with a new record in 2012, 13 maybe? I’ve never heard of them before, they’re really awesome the record was phenomenal, and they might come out with another one this year. What year is it 2015? Yeah probably later on this year, the band is called um Van.. Van Halen?
MOSH: You know what I’ve never heard of them before! I’m definitely going to have to check those guys out
M: You should man! They’re gonna blow up really soon I can feel it!
MOSH: Okay guys, last one so we can have a little fun with it! If you had to assign a super hero to each other who would they be and why?
A: I think Matty would be Superman!
MOSH: Is that because he wears tight red spandex?
M: That’s correct.
A: He’s actually wearing them right now under his pants!
MOSH: So are you going to put them on the outside on stage? Maybe rock a cape and a combover?
M: Yes, I’m gonna get the combover ready straight after this! I think Ali would be Aquaman, he’s really good at swimming. He was a life guard once!
A: That’s true I was!
MOSH: Were you a good life guard? You didn’t let anyone drown did you?
A: No! I was a good life guard, I saved a few lives. My sister actually she was a life guard too, one guy got hammered and went swimming and then past out. Anyway she pulled him out, and he couldn’t breathe or anything so she gave him CPR. As she was giving him mouth-to-mouth he vomited all in her mouth.
MOSH: That’s so gross man.
A: But that dude is alive thanks to her! I didn’t do anything like that though.
M: That is pretty gnarly, I would’ve probably thrown up too.
MOSH: Okay guys, well it’s been great hanging out with you today, can’t wait for the show later on I’ll be there.
A: Thank you man! We really appreciate it.
M: I guess we’ll see you in a few hours dude, have a great time!
