Interviews

Goldfinger

Interview with John on Nov 30, 1999 by Archive Bot

From talking about boobs and vaginas, to the new live album titled "Foot in Mouth" Timmy@punkbands.com had the chance to sit down with John Feldmann of Goldfinger to learn what they have been up to lately, and what there plans are for the future. Thanks to Mike Cubillos and John Feldmann for making this interview happen. 

PB: I heard that MoJo has had some serious problems after the departure of The Pilfers and troubles with Reel Big Fish. Did MoJo die when ska died or is the label still alive?
GF: When who died? MoJo's DEAD..... absolutely! We're trying to find a home right now, so is Reel Big Fish. It's all good, we made some good records..... good times(he starts getting all sentimental). We're not sad at all, we're excited. Many possiblilties now. Anything can happen!

PB: You also have a live album out now right?
GF: We recorded a record in England about six months ago. We never did that before so we figured hey.... why not? Everyone does live records.... KISS! I don't know, maybe no one does live records. We mixed it all in my studio and recorded in about seven locations throughout England. Yea, it's fuckin rad. I like it.

PB: I read about how you guys first got signed and thought it was a pretty funny story. Can you please tell how it happened?
GF: I was working at a shoe store. The guy that signed it was a huge fan of my old band, so I sold him a pair of shoes and slipped a demo tape in his shoe box. Played it for his boss, and we were signed two weeks later. It was luck and it was timing. I hated my job, but if I wasn't working there it wouldn't have happened.

PB: You guys have a few full lengths and appear on soundtracks such as Baseketball, Meet The Deedles, Dead Man On Campus, and American Pie. What's it like to go see a flick and hear yourselves in the background?
GF: Some movies it's better to see than others. I haven't seen Meet The Deedles. I heard it sucked! Dead Man On Campus I heard sucked. I just heard tonight our version of 99 Red Balloons is in....... is it the Olsen twins that are in full house?

PB: Yea.
GF: I guess the guy from MoJo sold that song to a movie they're in without even telling us. We're a little freaked out by that. Seeing it in Water Boy, seeing the trailers in Something About Mary which is one of my favorite movies, American Pie which IS my favorite movie and Superman and King Pin. We got really lucky with the movies.

PB: How bout Tony Hawk?
GF: We were like yea, let's do a video game. The biggest selling video game of all time. It got us more fans than anything else in the last seven years. You never know what else is going to happen.

PB: I know you have done production work for the bands Showoff and Mest. Are there plans for any other bands and if so, which ones?
GF: Absolutely! The older I get, the more I get into working with other bands. My bands cool, but everyone is set in their ways. Everyone has really hard heads, so it's awesome working with kids that may have great songs but not know about structure and that stuff. I can come and help! The new Mest record is sooooooooooooooooo FUCKING good. Their new record is so fucking good and it's going to come out in January. The band Un Loco I got signed. They're really heavy and are kinda Deftonsey. I like them a lot. A band called Used from Salt Lake City I may be working with. They're kinda like angry but not metal. I like em!

PB: You guys recently got back from playing festivals in Europe along stage of Beck and Weezer. I also read Darrin streaked across the stage during the Deftones set. Are there any other crazy stories you care to share?
GF: We played in Norway and it's the furthest north we've ever been. It stayed dark for two hours. It was dark from 2am to 4am because we were so far north. That was the show Darrin got naked with the Deftones. We walked up to this point where the German army set up a base to like check out for people to attack Norway and you could see the North Sea. We just got butt-naked and went swimming in the North Sea. It was sooooooooooo rad. We just dove off this cliff into the sea and there were all these jelly fish and Darrins freakin out. I was talking about snapping turtles snapping up out peckers but it didn't happen. 

PB: Touring with The Sex Pistols in '96 had to be an unforgettable experience. Can you tell me more about it?
GF: I'll tell you what. The Sex Pistols was one of those things I'll be able to tell my grandkids about, but as far as just like an experience..... it was pretty bla. The older I get the more I don't wanna go out til six in the morning and hang out with the pros. I'm like lets go to sleep at midnight. I'm fucking old dude! Those guys are ooooooold! They basically showed up ten minutes before they had to go on in a limbo then left. It wasn't like bro'n out like it is with Reel Big Fish, No Doubt, NOFX, or band that enjoy hearing other bands.

PB: What can we expect from you guys in the coming months? Are there any plans for the release of a new album?
GF: I got about twenty songs recorded, and I don't know what to say other than that it's still Goldfinger. There's a lot of punk rock on the new record. I don't know how much ska is going to be on it. Everyone always asks us because Stomping Ground was like minimal. I don't know........ I have some accoustic stuff. It's weird because I've always listened to a variety of music. All I've been listening to lately is The Beatles, Anie DeFranco, and Slipknot. It's in between.That's all I can say. I got no hip-hop in my blood.

PB: Tell me a joke.....................
GF: This jokes about Darrin do you wanna hear it? It's kinda sad actually. Darrin's married. He's got a really lucky wife. She got really sick like a month ago....... really sick! He was in the doctor's office right, the doctor comes out and says Darrin I have some really bad news. Your wifes either got Alzheimer's Disease or aids. He's like fuck...... what am I gonna do my wifes either got Alzheimer's disease or aids. He says what do I do doc? He says alright bring her to the edge of town...... if she makes it back home don't fuck her!
PB: Hhahahahahahahahahhhhhahahahahaha

PB: Boobs or vaginas and why?
GF: I do like boobs. I do like boobs, but I also like vaginas. God that's a tough one. Being that I'm about to get married I'm going to take the 5th on that one.

PB: Name three bands you wish would die, and three you wish would get more attention than they're getting?
GF: God I hate talking about bands that I hate. It always comes back to me. I don't listen to the radio that much and don't want TV at all. I really like Saves The Day, but I don't really think they need more attention because they've gotten a lot of attention. I'd have to say Mest because they are sooooo good and definately not enough people know who they are. I like the Rx Bandits a lot. I might have to go there. (Darrin enters the room) You hate a lot of bands don't know:
GF (Darrin): Just a couple. There are like three bands I just can not stand. I hate all boy bands. Ler's just put it that way. I hate alllllllllll boy bands. You know those guys in boy bands have dancing backgrounds.
GF (John): I like bands that write their own songs... I have to say that much, and most of those bands don't.
GF (Darrin): Dude! The Backstreet Boys write their own songs. 

PB: I've heard you compared to a bunch of "old washed-up punks". How would you respond to your skeptics?
GF: Since day one we've been hearing that shit. I am definately not eighteen. What..... am I gonna quit because people don't like us? The bottom line is if you have enemys you have to have a heck of a lot of fans. Maybe we are old and washed up, but I still have a good time so who cares. I don't give a shit.

PB: What was it like playing in your old band IMRU with Chris Cayton?
GF: Chris is definately my mentor. I really wrote the song "Chris Cayton" so I wouldn't have to answer this question. That song really explains it all. That guy turned me onto every band that I really really love. He taught me how to play guitar and is my spiritual goo-roo, He's an amazing man.... an amazing man.

PB: Nows your chance. What would you like to say to all those zines that ask you the same boring questions in every interview you do?
GF: GO VEGAN!

PB: Lastly, if Vanilla Ice, Puff Daddy, MC Hammer, and Snoop Dog challenged you to a fight who would win and how would you overcome the strength of their ghetto power?
GF: Dude, Mc Hammer...... those pants would just fuckin swallow you up. Those fuckin parachute pants man. I wouldn't even know which way was up. I'd be done.