Carpathian

Dave from Carpathian kindly took time out of his band's intense touring schedule to chat with Killyourstereo's Cameron Chambers about the band, touring and other random topics of conversation.

Q: Ok, first up: Name, what you do in the band and your favorite, all-time porn movie.

Skan, drums, favorite porn is cummin' from gummin' (chicks who lost most of their teeth from old age and smoking meth sucking serious d#*!)

Q: You guys are in the midst of yet another national tour, hitting everywhere from Brisbane to Perth – when was the last time you had more than a couple of days at home?

We had xmas and new years off which was about 10 days but we have had about 4-5 combined weeks off since the cd came out i guess.

Q: What do you get up to when you're not on the road?

Smoke meth, it started out as just fun but it really takes hold

Q: Given that kids assume any band that has a CD in stores or appears in a few magazines is rich, what are some of the perks of being in Carpathian?

After you have a cd out you call your show a "gig" and if you do a few more thousand we will be able to call them "concerts". The biggest perk is going all over the place and actually doing shit instead of talking about it. We have been just about all over oz a bunch of times and NZ then we hit Europe in a few weeks so i couldnt be happier.

Q: You have 2 shows with Australian legends Mindsnare in the next week – is it intimidating playing on a bill with a band of this calibre or do yourself and the rest of the band see it as more of a challenge?

Well we have youth, hair and tight jeans on our side and we don't have a curfew from our wives so its not a competition or anything but just a great lineup. When you have a bunch of great bands on the same night everyone picks their shit up.

Q: When you first joined Carpathian, they were a young and relatively unknown band. Fast forward a couple of years and you guys are pulling almost as many kids (if not the same amount) to shows as scene front runners I Killed The Prom Queen – did you think you the band would ever grow to the size it has today?

When i first thought about joining everyone told me to tell them to fuck off because they were really young and basically a joke in the eyes of all the veterans. But i saw a lot of potential in the guys and decided i would stick it out and just see what would come of it. It is hard to think we would have ever sold out a venue in our home town or interstate for that matter back when we were use to opening in front of 14 or 15 people but we really gave it everything and where other bands would not put themselves out and take a risk we would say "fuck it, let's just see what happens". i believe that if you don't get in the van and put yourselves out you wont see anything out of this.

Q: Once you finish up this leg of your Australian tour, the band is off to Europe for a month, with Parkway Drive and On Broken Wings (USA) – what are you expecting from the shows?

I am expecting some great accents, shit mosh and a prostitute shitting on crafter chest.

Q: Even with Carpathian's increasing level of popularity, did you ever think you'd be in the position where you were touring another country?!

Any band can get themselves overseas and do it for the fuck of it but i never thought we would be invited to play another country.

Q: Any plans to hit the red light district in Amsterdam?

Once again, if i dont see a prostitute shitting in public it was all for nothing.

Q: Given that Carpathian has spent the better part of 12 months playing all over Australia, who are some local bands you've seen that people should be checking out?

Powerslam from Byron Bay are my favorite at the moment cause they are super young and have been battling it out for quite a while now and i would love to see them do well ... for fans of killing the dream / life long tragedy and love is red.

Q: What were the top 3 shows/bands you saw in 2006?

Played are: prepare to burn fest / Ballarat all ages / anything at stonecutters before it got killed.  seen: (hed)pe in 01 or 02 WOOP WOOP !!!

Q: Top 5 records of 2006?

Hope Con - Death knows your name

Remembering Never - god save us

IKTPQ - music for the recently deceased (crafter's version, fuck it i'll say it).

MPB - Merciless

This is Hell - Sundowning

Q: Is it hard to maintain a vegan diet when you're on the road?

It sucks the 1st couple of tours when you don't know where to go and have to eat plain chips and cashews from service stations every day but i am getting the hang of it now.

Q: What are Carpathian's plans once you get back from Europe?

We really want to dissapear and get this new album happening but we will just see what is waiting when we get back

Q: Any last words?

Stop sitting in the background whinging about what hardcore should be and start a band and play the music you love, smoke meth, go vegan, dont x'up (do it for yourself)

Thanks for your time.