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Goldfinger.
When you've been around the punk scene for over ten years, you're bound to have seen some changes. Goldfinger frontman John Feldmann has watched the music he loves change dramatically in his band's time, and he's well aware that he's been around the block a few times. "Well, I definitely am the old guy!" he laughingly agrees. "But as far as competing or feeling like 'what do we have to offer,' I see a lot of shows, and bands, for the most part, still bore me. There's a handful of bands that put on a good live show: AFI, Story Of The Year, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, The Used are good live... but other than that, bands kind of bore me. But we definitely still put on a show and go off and wreak havoc."
And, for the first time in three years, that havoc will be returning to Australia with ska heroes Reel Big Fish. But while the Goldfinger live show remains intact, the Goldfinger sound has changed dramatically over the years. The band's seventh and latest record, 'Disconnection Notice,' saw the band combine elements of their ska, punk and pop roots to make an eclectic record that has an understandably mature sound. Feldmann is the first to admit that it didn't go down so well with the kids.
"This record's definitely more mature and there's definitely some deeper lyrics. It's different, it's not about getting your heart broken, being a hopeless romantic, 'Pretty In Pink' style lyrics - it's definitely not like our first record. With so many bands out there I think fans get sort of genre specific. You know, 'are you an emo kid, are you a punk kid, what do you like?' Maybe trying to make an eclectic album wasn't what fans wanted. The safe road is to kind of make a blueprint of the first album, keep re-hashing it. But lyrically man, kids are gonna know if I'm faking: as if a 38 year-old man is writing songs about remembering high school! You gotta be true and honest and real within your heart. All I can do is make the music that makes me happy, and I can't second guess it."
The last few Goldfinger albums have seen the band stray away from typical pop-punk fare and tackling wider issues, especially Feldmann's strong vegan beliefs. "Definitely some kids are bummed that I'm such a vegan activist, being that we started off this kind of fun, relationship sort of punk band," Feldmann tells me. "It's definitely been more about my vegan agenda lately. I guess I can see how kids can get a little frustrated, but I can only do what is OK with my conscience. I found out that a vegan diet saves 250 animals a year. It's not like I'm trying to be a politician or run for governor, I'm just trying to save lives and I know I sleep a lot better when I'm doing that kind of shit. I don't want to be a preacher, and I try and keep the political message during the show pretty subtle, and then after the show I make myself available to talk to kids about it if they want to."
Goldfinger's album reflects Feldmann's experiences as a protester,
and the song Iron Fist deals with a very specific instance.
"A year ago we had done some protests at the mayor's house in
Los Angeles because of the atrocious conditions he has for the
dogs and cats in the shelters, and they'd written down all our
licence plate numbers. So a week later the ALF had graffitied
this guy's house, they wrote 'puppy-killer' on this guy's driveway,
and we were a prime suspect. Because of the Patriot Act our
house was raided by the FBI: we were kind of home-jailed for
about five hours as they ransacked my entire place with 12 unmarked
SUVs and bullet proof vests and automatic rifles and helicopters
and fucking Steven Seagal and all that shit. It was fucking
out of control, and all over spray paint - which I didn't do.
I don't break the law, but they thought I was a suspect so they
fucking raided my house. I know that this isn't what you called
to talk to me about, I get a little worked up about it."
That's OK, but what can fans expect of Goldfinger's show? Calming down, Feldmann chuckles: "I don't know: probably some fire, some nudity, some stage-diving. Good times."
Matt Vesely
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Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish play an all-ages show at the Governor Hindmarsh on Fri 7 Oct.
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