I MUST SAY IT'S A HONOUR FOR ME HAVING THE CHANCE TO INTERVIEW THE JABBERS, OR BETTER THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL BAND GG ALLIN SANG FOR. THEY WERE THE CHAMPIONS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE'S PUNK SCENE AND THEY ARE BACK TO CAUSE SOME TURMOIL AGAIN DELIVERING THE SAME OL' GREAT MELODIC PUNK RAWK BLAST WHICH MADE'EM FAMOUS IN THE LATE 70S. I TALKED WITH CHRIS AND WIMPY, BROTHER IN THE TUNNEL RATS WHO STEPPED TO SING FOR THE JABBERS (AND FORMER SINGER FOR THE EARLY, GREAT QUEERS) AND THIS IS WHAT WE CAME UP WITH... C'MON PEOPLE, IF A BAND DESERVE TO BE BACK ON TRACK IT'S THE JABBERS!!!

The Jabbers are:
Rob Basso, Lead Guitar
Alan Chapple, Bass and backup vocals
Chris Lamy, Rhythm Guitar and backups vocals
Mike O'Donnell, Drums
Wimpy Rutherford, Vocals

GD- First of all, how did the Jabbers got together again to rock after so much time? Did somebody pushed the reunion or what?

Chris: This guy named Jonee Earthquake, who is a local NH rocker and friend from the old days, asked me, Alan and Rob to play on a track of his called "The Ballad of GG Allin". This was back in 2000. Alan, I would run into occasionally, but Rob I had not seen in probably 15 years. During a break in the recording session, we got to talking about how it seemed like a lot of people were making money off of the Jabbers... you know, like RIOR,Black & Blue, Halycon, and other various labels and shit and we said "What the fuck? Why don't we do something to make a little cash, it was our band too". And to be honest, the ownership rights of that material is questionable. Shit, when the RIOR compilation "Hated" came out, they called me up for liner note info, and then when the CD came out they sent me a promo CD and a RIOR ball point pen. Rhino, they never contacted us about using "You Hate Me & I Hate You" for the "Faster Louder, Best of Hardcore
Comp"... not that we care, I mean honestly, it is great publicity and helps spread the disease, but it seemed there were a bunch of people making money off of The Jabbers and we wanted in!
Anyway we all were still playing around in various bands... I was in a punk band, Rob was playing in an MC5 type of stuff band, and Alan was playing in a rock band... so it was not like we had to relearn our instruments or anything if we wanted to get back together, but it was just talk at that point. Not too long after the Earthquake session, Jimmie the Swedish Scum contacted Alan about the Jabbers Tribute and asked if we could maybe do a song for it. So me, Al and Rob got together and found two of our old drummers, Bob MacKenzie, who was the first Jabbers drummer and who wrote "Don't Talk to Me" and Mike O'Donnell who was the last Jabbers drummer (and he drummed for the Scum Fucs). Mike jumped at the chance and we did a track for Jimmie, with me singing. It appears on the Jabbers tribute CD and is was the first official Jabbers recording since 1984. It is Iggy's "I Wanna Be Your Dog" which we used to play at every show back in the 70's-80's. In May 2001, a Boston label got wind of it and asked us to do a track for their comp, and we agreed to record "Nuke Attack", a very early, unreleased Jabbers track written by Rob. Rob sang it with a stripper friend of ours doing backup vocals. When we got out of the studio we went to a party at a club where a bunch of the bands from the compilation were playing that night. Someone talked us into getting onstage and playing... only we didn't know any songs except the two we had just recorded. We thought we would give it a shot and we went up on stage and banged through "Nuke Attack","Pills", "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "Don't Talk to Me" and maybe one or two more... I do not remember. It was wild and the crowd loved it. We have picture or two of the show on our site. That is what really gave us the bug. We decided it was time to resurrect the Jabbers officially. Back in the old days the band was named "The Jabbers" and Alan came up with that name, so we felt comfortable using it again. (Note: While playing with GG, as a band, The Jabbers went from being called "The Jabbers" (and GG was the
singer, but his name was not part of the group name), to "GG Allin & The Jabbers", to finally "GG Allin", which was the final straw for the Jabbers) Anyway, we went into the studio and started recording demos of new material. We felt pretty confident we could get signed based on the Jabbers name and the quality of our new shit. Only we needed a singer. That is where Wimpy comes in. Wimpy was always hanging around the studio drinking our beer while were recording our demos. We got tired of him just hanging around and staring at us so we told him that if he would go buy us a case of beer, we would let him sing some of the scratch vocals. He did and they sounded fucking great. It was there and then that Wimpy officially became a Jabber. It worked out well as he was a big fan of ours and we were a big fan of the early Queers stuff. He is the perfect fit for the band.

GD- I think having the ghost of GG floating over your heads shouldn't be the best thing, and I also saw some stickers of the Jabbers with "GG is dead" written on them... can you tell me something more about this?

Chris: It makes it tough when people want a GG show. I think the shows we do now are better than any of the GG Allin & the Jabbers shows. They are more intense, that is for sure. There are more girls at our shows now, too. And the clubs and law are more tolerable. The fans certainly get more for their money. We play 20+ songs when we do a show now, about 12 old Jabbers tunes, and some early Queers stuff and some of our new material. We play for 45+ minutes. The three years I played with GG, I think the longest we played was maybe 20 minutes. And that was with all the 3 minute bullshit between the songs with GG and the crowd. I have some of our old set lists and they only have 10 songs on them. And it was rare if we got to play all 10. Having new material and a new album about to come out helps legitimize us being back together and not a Jabbers tribute or reunion show. The stickers, we just did those to kind of tell people, "Hey...GG is dead. We are the Jabbers. We are no longer 'GG Allin & The Jabbers'". There will never be another GG Allin. Never. No one has, or ever will come close to him or what he did. He was very prophetic in his choice of a title for the first album "Always was, is and always shall be"...it is perfect. People are just going to have to live with the fact that he can't be replaced on his level and was one true rocker and there will never be another like him. He was the one and only. We are not out to recreate him and we certainly do not mean to disrespect him in any way. We were all good friends. But, he is dead, you know? No one can replace GG... Wimpy and Jeff Clayton are the closest anyone will ever come! They embrace the music, rather than the actions, and are both incredible performers. Both Jeff and Wimpy are legends in their own right as well, which adds to the experience of seeing The Jabbers or the Junkies live. Wimpy gets right into it with the fans, and they love it and
love him for it... but it is about the music and intensity of the show and not about living up to the GG legend.

Wimpy: It is true that it can be tough to do shows for the "GG" crowd. They often expect somthing outrageous to happen as it often would at his shows.However, the Jabbers shows are still pretty high energy and can be dangerous. I have the scars and bruses to prove it. GG was a great performer, but I've been at this for a few years and can make things happen when I want to. I feed off of the crowd and they feed off of me.

GD- I heard that Merle Allin isn't very happy about your reunion, can you explain me?

Chris: What? I talk to Merle all the time... I spoke to him last night as a matter of fact and saw him this past weekend at an ANTiSEEN & Jabbers show. I get the impression that people think Merle is some kind of fucking bastard when it comes to anyone doing anything "GG" related and potentially stealing or tapping into his (Merle's) cash flow. And some people think Merle is only living off his brother and all that shit, and that is what it is... shit. Merle has kept GG's name and image alive and in the public eye. Merle could very easily rip people off by selling bogus GG jock straps and forged GG artwork and prison letters and shit like that on ebay, but he doesn't. Merle is the main reason GG is still to this day so popular and larger than life... and potentially larger in death than in life, and if there are people out there don't realize that, they should... because indirectly, Merle is responsible for us getting back together. Others besides Merle help keep GG's name alive... like Doil, Skeeter, Bloody Mess, Jimmie, and there are others... but because Merle is GG's brother, people seem to think he is living off of it or ripping people off or something and that it is wrong for him to sell CDS and shirts and stuff. Merle is a friend of mine and he is very supportive of the Jabbers. He grew up with Alan. He is also a very smart businessman and he knows that each of our bands (The Jabbers and The Murder Junkies) advertise for each other. We are already making plans for the 11th Anniversary shows. Merle did tell me a while back that he was upset about 3 unreleased Jabbers songs getting out for Jimmie The Swedish Scum's tribute CD. But they were Rob's and Alan's songs. Merle didn't even know what the tunes were... he had just heard from someone that we had given out some
unreleased tracks for a comp... and he called me on it, and I told him they were Alan's and Rob's tunes and he was cool with it. You know, the guy is pretty easy to talk to. He chooses his own battles, and I can tell you straight up, he has none with The Jabbers and The Jabbers have none with the Junkies. If he has battles with his fans or other bands or records companies, they are his personal challenges and not ours... and same goes for any of our battles, they are our's and not his. Just because we are friends with Merle doesn't mean we jump on his battleship, and he doesn't jump on ours.

GD- What are the differences between Boston and NH punk scene now and back then in the day you first kicked out the jams with GG?

Chris: Well, the law and club owners are more tolerable of our type of music, and the swearing, and slam dancing and stuff. In the past when we got shut down, many times it was due to the fans slamming or acting up. GG would encourage them and they would encourage him, for sure, but now...punk has become safer, or not so much of an oddity, and we can get away with wild fans and putting on a wild show. We have had some good shows in Boston, which used to be a town that hated us. Even the Boston press, like the Phoenix, which was never supportive of us first time around, is very supportive of us now and has had good things to say about us in writing. We try and post a lot of that type of shit on our site, because it is funny to us now that it has kind of come around and is acceptable. And in a way, it is an honor to us that a paper like the Phoenix, which we respect, respects us. I think it shows a maturity on both sides.The NH punk scene has been cool too. We have only played three shows in NH since getting back together, the 10th Anniversary of GG's death show in Littleton and two shows in Manchester NH, which was the Jabbers old home town. As i am sure you know, there was very heavy police presence in Littleton, and our Manchester shows did not go unnoticed by the police either. The club in Manchester we played said that in their two years of business, they have only had the police show up and come in the club for a
walk through during a show twice, and they were both of our shows! The cops must think we are shooting up drugs and fucking in the aisles and stuff. The two times we played, they just showed up without being called for a problem, and just walked through staring at people and checking it out. There was a riot at the second show while we were playing, but it was outside!

Wimpy: We are from New Hampshire, and our State motto is LIVE FREE OR DIE!!!

GD- I'm looking forward to hear your new stuff, something has basically changed or you still are playing the same kind of melodic punk-rawk you are famous for?

Chris: Yeah, it is exciting. One thing the Jabbers were know for was their musicianship. We have good songs. I never trust what I read in reviews but the ones I have seen about our new stuff have been very good. Steel Cage has been great and extremely supportive as well. We can't wait to get this thing out. If you like the old Jabbers songs, you are gonna love this. You just have to wait until late spring early summer!

Wimpy: It's true. A lot of the material sounds like it could be from 1978. Along with the high quality of musicianship, the material is really strong. I'm having a good time playing in this band.

GD- You played last COS Supershow in Las Vegas, what are the links with them?

Chris: Wimpy is a member of the C.O.S., from his Tunnel Rats days. They are a good bunch of guys... Widowmaker, Jeff Clayton, Walt Wheat, the lot of them. They are all real straight shooters. The C.O.S. is like a club of sorts that gets together once a year at the Supershow to play for each other and the fans and supporters lucky enough to make it to the gig. Anyway, I think the fact the Wimpy was singing for us had something to do with them asking us to play. A lot of our fans follow the C.O.S., and I guess GG is respected by the Confederacy, so it seemed like a good idea to do the show when we were invited. The three guys I mentioned above, Jeff Clayton, Widowmaker and Walt Wheat from "Before I Hang" were the ones who got us onboard with the gig. I had actually connected with Walt the year before for the New Orleans show, but logistically, it just wouldn't have worked. We were proud to be able to play for them and that crowd and it was an honor to share the stage with those bands in Vegas.

Wimpy: I was indoctrinated into the Confederacy of Scum in 1999 with the Tunnel Rats. As far as I am concerned the COS includes some of the best bands in the country if not the world. The Jabbers are honored to play with these bands and I am sure will continue to be involved in the future. COS4LIFE!

GD- Speaking of bands, what are your fave actual bands, the one you identify with, your opinions on the current on goings of punk rock?

Chris: My favorite band of all time is the Ramones. To me, they ARE punk rock and if it were not for them, I do not think there would have been any Jabbers. My guitar playing and outlook on music would not have been the same, that is for sure. I really don't have any favorite bands other than them. I also like Johnny Thunders, the Dead Boys, the Queers, and the UK Subs, but on a different level. The Ramones are just so pure and the music is perfect. It proved you don't need a lot of bullshit in your music to be good. They were loud, they were fast, they were tough, and their shows were a shit load of fun. For a band that on record was un-political, subliminally and behind the scenes they were very pro American, which always appealed to me because so many of the other bands at the time seemed anti-America and antiestablishment. So politically, they appealed to me.Another thing that appealed to me about the Ramones was the consistency of their brand and message. I am a designer by trade, so I know how important it is to have a consistent message. With the Ramones, you always knew what you were gonna get before you opened that album up and played it. To me the Ramones were the one constant in a world of variables. Aside from the Ramones, my favorite bands tend to be local New Hampshire groups... like the Queers, The Tunnel Rats, The Rydells, and Mother Fucker Superior. I also like a Massachusetts band called Meat Depressed who have some good shit and I forgive them for not being from New Hampshire!
The Jabbers message and brand is just as important. People have expectations as to what this new CD is gonna sound like, and we are gonna deliver on it. We understand that the Jabbers are loud, fast and tough punk as well...with a bit of melodics and screaming leads...just like the old days. If you liked the Jabbers before, you are gonna love us now. No need to worry about us slipping in any jazz, country, or blues shit. Straight ahead, punch in your face mother fucking punk rock. That is why it was so important that the guys playing the music and writing it all be original Jabbers. We are letting Wimpy write a couple songs for the new CD though.
If they don't suck too bad, we'll put them on it!

Wimpy: My life changed on a fateful day in 1977 when my friend Kevin Keysey played me "Loudmouth" and "Havanna Affair" by the Ramones. I went off the deep end and have remained there ever since. Other favorite bands include Jonny Thunders, The Dead Boys, Antiseen, Cocknoose, The Troggs, The Stooges, and George Jones.

GD- What is planned for the future of the Jabbers?

Chris: We just wanna play, you know? The shows we have been doing have been so great, that we want to keep it up. Me and Merle are currently laying down plans for the 11th Anniversary shows, and are weighing the pros and cons of coming over to play Europe at some point. Both bands really want to do it, but the money has to be there, or else we financially can't and will just keep playing the US and Canada. Our CD is slated for a late spring release and Steel Cage is already
planning on CD release shows for us. We are really excited about it. We are already planning our second CD.

Wimpy: Touring, hardcore oldschool punk rock, destruction, mayham, violence, anarchy, drinking, fighting and fucking your girlfriend in a city near you!

More about THE JABBERS here