Rockus Interview with ADAM GREEN - DELINQUENT Interview by Steph Edwards
Rockus: You guys have had an abundance of line up changes over the years, since you started out in 1996. Has it been frustrating and are you secure about the current line up?
Adam: We're pretty much set now - the only thing that will change is that we're trying to get a new bassist so Matt can go back onto guitar where he belongs, but living in this shitty area it's hard to find people, and we've had a few duds in the past, but we'll find one.
Rockus: You've also had a number of name changes. What made you finally decide to stick with Delinquent?
Adam: Most of the other names we had were either taken or silly, but this one seems to fit us better although people always seem to introduce us as 'The Delinquents' which is annoying, but it gives us something funny to say on stage. It's kinda self explanatory.
Rockus: In the bio on your website, there are some references made related to Jai, who was an ex-vocalist of yours. Clearly he didn't depart on a good note?
Adam: Jai was a bassist, never would we have let him near a mic... but yeah, he left on a good note until he attacked our website and made us look silly. Most of that stuff in the bio is kinda half serious half joke, the band isn't too worried about him, and I play in another band with him now, so it's not that big a deal really.
Rockus: You guys have quite a bit of diversity when it comes to your material. How do you go about writing a song?
Adam: We don't have any set order of things, it's always different. 'Parasite' came from just making noise for about an hour until it came into something we could work with, where as 'Disgrace' was written over a few weeks. I usually write the lyrics, and Robert and Matt make the music, but it's not a rule. Anyone can do anything - we all contribute to the song in some way.
Rockus: You guys have a few demo tapes floating around. Do you plan to record something more substancial - single, EP, album - anytime soon?
Adam: We're always planning to record, but a million different things always seem to get in the way, one of which is money, that's always a problem. We'd like to get something out, but we've always wanted to make a full length record as opposed to starting out on an EP. That may be naive but that's us. At the moment we're sending out demos to people, and hopefully that might result in something.
Rockus: Delinquent seem to play a lot of backyard type shows. Does this get frustrating or are you happy playing to pretty much anyone?
Adam: We don't mind playing backyard shows. Sometimes it gets a bit frustrating, we'd obviously like to be playing more larger scale gigs, but when there is nothing to do we love playing at parties and stuff. The best thing about party gigs is that people are usually really drunk and they don't give a fuck. They go off their heads and have a great time, which makes us have a great time as well. It's good to be able to connect on that level.
Rockus: You're very strong on the prevention of teenage suicide cause. Have you received much contact from people who share this view?
Adam: I think everyone should be very strong on it. A lot of people are interested in helping us with our concert we are putting on, and they should be. Basically I don't want to think that when I have kids they are going to be under the threat of suicide. I am hoping that we can try and make it so it isn't such a big thing in the next generation.
Rockus: How is the organising for the prevention of teenage suicide benefit gig coming along?
Adam: Well, if we could cut through the council bullshit and get some support it would have been on this month, but they are delaying it to a point where it is getting extremely annoying. But it looks like it is going to be on sometime in August, if all goes well. If we had the funds to put the event on ourselves we would, but we're not made of money unfortunately, and the council are the ones who have to give us the green light, so we have to kiss some ass to get our message across, but yeah, spread the word.
Rockus: For those who don't know, could you give us some info on the Minestrone sessions you were involved in.
Adam: It was a youth project funded by the Ministry of the Arts. Basically, all the youth bands from our area where involved and it was a chance to get something down on tape for free. We did it in front of a live audience last October. The CD is actually available in some shops around here, but not nation wide or anything, so I guess it will become a rarity one day.
Rockus: What have you got coming up in the next few months?
Adam: We've got a few things coming up. A gig maybe in Cootamundra, we're waiting for confirmation on that one, the youth suicide gig when it happens, and we're hopefully going to go to Sydney some time soon, plus writing and all that. Also I am trying to get the band together and record a better demo to send out to record labels and stuff with more songs on it.
South Coast Register, December 11, 2002
Interview and article by Adam Wright advertising The Afterparty 2002
Delinquent is definately not your average run-of-the-mill young band.
Apart from putting everything into thier music in an area where venues and gigs are hard to come by, these guys are paving the way for other bands looking to pursue music in the Shoalhaven.
Singer/Drummer Adam Green said that the band members would describe thier music as "teenage agression".
"We try and write about anything thats bad, simply because when we're in a good mood we'd rather be down the beach than sitting around writing songs" Green said.
"Writing songs and playing music is a good way to vent your frustrations, especially when there is nothing else to do. It's far better and more productive than breaking peoples windows and stupid vandalism, although for some reason you're just as unpopular with the neighbors for doing it"
Green is also on the organising committee for this year's AfterParty.
The AfterParty is one of the only chances for local youth bands to get on stage and show thier peers where music is heading.
Last year the event attracted 2,500 people and was a massive success. This year is expected to be even better.
It's a totally local affair this year, featuring Hailey Girdlestone and Ali Lamond, Zoe Kalenderidis, Idol Hands and of course, the local bad boys Delinquent.
Green said they tried to make it an even mix of mellow and heavy bands from the north and south of the shoalhaven.
"The aim of the event is to promote a safe school holidays and also to re-launch the "Minestrone" compilation CD"
"Next year we are hoping to make monthly events similar to this" Green said.
"This sort of thing is extremely important for bands around here, hopefully if we can make it happen more regularly we will be giving younger bands coming through the chance we never had"
Adam Interviewed By Adam Wright, April 2003
A.W: So whats new on the Delinquent front?
A.G: Nothing much, we're planning some stuff, writing a little bit, we're coming onto another lineup change soon so we won't really be doing a great deal until we have a settled lineup again.
A.W: So is it hard to maintain a set band in the Shoalhaven?
A.G: I wouldn't say that it's hard, but on our record I guess it is. I think Robert and I must be really hard to work with or something because we've had basically a bassist for every year we've been together as a band. It's more frustrating than anything.
A.W: When I've spoken to you before, you said that a lot of the music was negative, is that still the case?
A.G: Well yeah, I have had some personal stuff in the last few months which has been really bad, and I guess that it's harder than ever to think positive. I must have thrown about a million dollars worth of cheesy love songs in the bin in my life time because I want to make it, but make it playing the music that is true to myself, not something as fake as cheesy love songs.
A.W: Do you think all love songs are fake?
A.G: I am sure that some of them are real, like about real stuff that has happend to the person. I really am happy for them that they can express something thats good in such a good way, but i personally would never do it.
A.W: So any shows coming up for you guys?
A.G: We've just played at the library about a week and a half ago, and that was a really good show, we really enjoyed it, I am pretty sure we've got some stuff coming up in the next couple of months, we're planning to go to Wollongong and do some gigs soon, and also a big plan at the end of the year to head up the coast, all pretty vague at the moment but they are ideas.
A.W: Thankyou for your time, it's been good as always
A.G: Yeah thanks for being interested!
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