Good old Days comes from Poland. Wiktor plays bass in the group and he gives us the full story here. April-2007.

 

History?

W: The band Good Old Days was born in the end of 1998. From the begening the idea was to play an old school hardcore. Till that time we have released three cds. “Let me stay” at 2000, split CD with SIC at 2002 and brand new stuff “Knock it off” at 2007. Through those years we had some line up problems and less active periods, but now we got a stable line up and we are active as never J.


Please tell me a little about every member, age, family, work, interests and
something bad about every one?

W: Ok, lets go:

Zwierzak (Animal): vocalist, 29, has a wife and a daughter, since 8 years trying to finish his studies, intrested in farting, quite irritating.

Koval:guitarist, 28, wife and a son, selling something, interested in drinking, always drunk.

Gashkes: guitarist, 31, girlfriend, he is building some houses or something, probably also interested in drinking, wearing stupid hats.

Mario: drummer, 25, girlfriend, scientist, he is clonning people or something like that, interested in biology and some DNA-things, he is realy slow J

Wiktor: bassist, 24, girlfriend, studying and making some low paid jobs, interested in drinking and punk rock, bad thing about me… hmmm, no, I’m perfect haha.

 

My review of your record is like this GOOD OLD DAYS-KNOCK IT OFF(CD) This polish group manages to have the old style SxE in life (anyway musically). They sings in english mostly but also polish and Spanish(I think) get space in their music. I can imagine that this group have listened to Sick of it All, Youth of Today and Refused a whole lot. No bad groups to be compared with and I can imagine that they´re gods in Poland with this music because this sort of music really touches me and everyone. They balance on the thin line between metal and punk and it´s a little bit hard to be on the right side but Good Old days do it with a lot of energy and they´re on the right side.(SEVEN) 13/3-07
What about it?

W: Most of all thanx for a good review! Everything is fine beside this SxE thing. We are not a Straight Edge band!!!


Is there any other bands you´re being compared with?

W: Most of all, everyone compare us to Sick of it all. It’s quite borring. I know that Animal has similar vocal as Lou, but ther is so much other bands that we steal riffs from haha.
 

Do you care about reviews?

W: Yeah! But only about a good ones.
 

Which is the most peculiar review you ever have got?

W: I don’t know. I think that all reviews that we get are quite normal.

 

How would you describe your music in three words?

W: Old school hardcore.
 

How is it to live in your homecountry?

W: I think it’s nothing special really. It’s like in any other country. It has some good things and some bad, like everywhere.
 

What about the government?

W: I’m not a fan of current government, but I also don’t think it is a disaster. Every new government say that they gonna be better then others, but truth is that it’s the same shit again and again. I don’t like all politicians regardless from which party they are. They are all one bunch of idiots and thiefs. But current government beside being another in a row is also funny. They discovered a new political system – twinocracy. Two most important persons in a country, prime minister and president are twins. It’s quite comic.
 

Do you think that music and politics goes hand in hand?

W: I don’t like mixing politics and music. It’s making our scene more divided. Ofcourse everyone should have an own political view, but I don’t think that the band lirics are good places for some political manifestos. You know, I like very much The clash, but I’m not much into what they sing about. Gotta my own political view and I don’t neet to be agitated by music that I listen to.
 

Best political band?

W: From old stuff The Clash, from new Anti Flag and polish Biala Goraczka.

Is there any good bands in your homecountry now? Favorites from the past?

W: There are tons of good band right now in Poland! From now playing bands you should chceck: 1125, Schizma, Sora, Preshrunk, 100 inch shadow, Face of Reality, Apatia, No Heaven Awaits Us, Eye For An Eye, Castet, Faust Again, Blindside, Regres, Hard Work, HNDM, Whitman, Shackled Down, Seven Daz Lie, Blood is the harvest from hardcore. From street punk & punk 77 you should check: The Analogs, Bulbulators, Zbeer, Bachor, Cela nr.3, Anti Dread, BDK, Sandals, Skunx, The Junkers, Nowy Swiat. From punk worth of chcking are: Biala Goraczka, El banda, Profanacja, Dezerter, PDS, Przeciw. Ofcourse that’s not all, there are much more great bands.

As to a bands from the past, most of ’80 bands are very important for me. Unfortunetly there is not much recordings left by them, only few of them has an opportunity to make a normal studio recordings. Communistic regime was marciless for punk and hardcore bands. Most of those bands left only some low quality recordings from rechesal rooms or shows, which were copy from tape to tape. Most importand bands from that period for me are Dezerter, TZN Xenna, Siekiera, Abaddon, Karcer, Moskwa, Rejestracja, Deuter, KSU or Po Prostu.
 

What do you know about Sweden?

W: Hmm, lets see. There are some stereotypes about Sweden. Your unemploytments don’t have to work coz they get enough money from government. Your government care so much about citizens that it’s really hard to find some liquor store and when you find it you gotta spent a fortune for a bottle of good booze. That’s why you guys have to go to other countries to buy a booze in some normal price haha. But seriously. Your country seems to be a really good place to live. Safe, clean & peaceful. But maybe a bit boring.
 

Have you heard any good swedish bands?

W: Yeah! Sure. You got a lot of great bands! Starting from some old stuff like Asta Kask, Strebers or GanX to more modern bands like Misconduct, Abhinanda, Separation, Within Reach, Voice of a generation, Bombshell Rocks, Blisterhead, DS 13, The Accidents, 59 Times the pain, Intensity, Agent Bulldog, Vigilanties, No Fun At All, Millencolin, Clockwork Crew, Randy…

That’s all I remember right now.
 

What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or is it a lifestyle? Your relation to punk?

W: You know. For me hardcore=punk, there is no difference between those two concepts. For me being a punk (or hardcore) mean that I don’t have to care what others think about me, I don’t heave to care about some social etiquette and a crap like that. Punk helps me to express my self, what i feel and what I think without any selfcensorship. On the other hand punk & hardcore is a great music, great people and a form of spending free time. You know, most of my friends comes from the hc/punk/oi scene so maybe it sounds a bit pompous but I think punk rock is my lifestyle hehe.

 

Which Good Old days are your name talking about??

W: When the name comes aroud it hasn’t any meaning, it just sounds good. But now I think we can say that our name says about those good old days when hardcore was something more than a Nike shoes, t-shirts of a top bands and faggy hairstyles.

 
Please rank your five favourite records, five favourite concerts and five most important things in life?

W: I’m not good in such a rankings. I’m listening to too much bands and records, and I’m going to so much shows that I think it’s impossible to rank five best. As to a most important things in life it’s easier. Gott only three. Drink, fight & fuck! Haha. No, just jokeing. Family, girlfriend, punk rock, band & free time.

 

First, last and most expensive record ever bought?

W: The first record I bought was probably some tape of polish punk bands like Ga-Ga or Defekt Muzgo in the begening of ’90. Last one is probably Strength Approach CD. As to a most expensive record. I can’t afford buying expensives records, that’s why I have never bought a record that costs more than 15-20 $.
 

Most embarrasing record in your collection?

W: Hmm. I don’t know. Maybe a demo tape of my first band haha.

Do you do any covers on stage? Why or why not?

W: Yes, we do some. Right now we are playing 2 cover songs. “Free at least” of Warzone and “Swallow my pride” of Ramones. The reason we play them is simple. Those bands are very important for us and we love their songs. At the past we use to play also SOIA’s “Sanctuary”, “The crew” of Warzone and a cover song of our hometown band SIC called “Freedom”.
 

Is it many interviews? Is it boring?

W: Since we released our “Knock it off” album there is more interviews than usual. It’s never boring.
 

Which is the question you never get, please ask it and answer it?

W: Huh, I don’t know. I’m not good at interviewing my self :).

 

Is it any chance to see you in Sweden soon? Have you ever been here?

W: Yeah. There is always such a chance. But there must be someone that will invite us to your country. All we need is cash for gasoline, some beer, food and sleeping place. So feel free to contact us:).
 

Where is the best place to play?

W: Everywhere is good, all depends on crowd. What we see is that it is better to play in small cities, where people don’t’t have to much shows and they gone mad at every band. In big cities, where you got 3 shows a week people are bored, and it’s hard to make them have fun.
 

How is a good gig with you?

W: When people gone mad, we gone mad and everyone has a good time.
 

Which type of people comes to your concerts??

W: Different. Hardcore kids, punx, skins, metal heads.
 

What shall we do about all rascists? Is it a big problem in Poland? ]

W: I don’t know what should we do with them and I don’t think it is a big problem in Poland. Maybe media in western countries show us as a racist, anti-semitism and homophobic society but in my opinion this view is false. At the beginning of the ’90 some neonazis organizations were strong, but now its just a margin of political scene and polish society is even more tolerant than the western ones. There is no burning synagoguas as in France, no race riots as in England, not so much neonazis in local governments like in Germany. So I think it’s not so bad with tolerance in Poland. Ofcourse there are still some idiots spreading their stupid beliefs, but I don’t think they are some threat or something.  


The best band in punkhistory? And in polish punkhistory?

W: Another hard question. But ok, let’s say that Sex Pistols & Dezerter.
 

The most important punksong? Your best song?

W: To many important songs to point on one.

All our songs are best :-).

 

You sing in both in english, polish and spanish(or what) , why?

W: Why not? Main language we use in our song is English but some times we refer to other languages for variety’s sake. On our last record there is one song in polish and one in spanish. On our first record were a song in russian. So who knows, maybe on the next we’re gonna record some song in swedish.
 

Futureplans for the band?

W: We plan to record some new stuff in the autumn. We also plan some small tour in june.  
 

For yourself?

W: Finish my studies, find some well paid job at least and keeping punk lifestyle alive.
 

Wisdomword?

W: Hmm. I don’t know. I’m not good in wisdomwords. Just stay who you want and do what you want. Don’t care what others say.
 

Something to add?

W: Thanks for the interview. We really appreciate it. Take care and hope to see ya in the shows in Sweden.