THE THOUGHT CRIMINALS - LIVE - One-Off Reunion Show! Annandale Hotel, Sydney - Saturday February 4th DOORS: 8pm TICKET PRICE: $20 + b.f. / $25 @ door price THE THOUGHT CRIMINALS on stage 9:45pm + "1984 - The Movie" on the BIG screen + J Katz Punk Reggae Party between sets + Rock'n'Roll Karaoke in Raymond J's Back Bar "CHRONO LOGICAL" In-stores Now with special packaging Or download it from www.thethoughtcriminals.com.au

THE BASICS

Name : Roger Grierson aka Jack Boots
Band : The Thought Criminals
Job In Band : Bass and telephone (don't knock it IGGY played the vaccum cleaner and one should never underestimate the power of domestic appliances in your act)
Website Address : www.thethoughtcriminals.com.au
Hometown : SEEDNEY
Best thing about the music scene in your hometown :
Then? Great New bands with fresh energy everywhere. Now? some of the old bands still playing

THE BAND

What's the story behind the name?
It comes from 1984 By George Orwell which you should read immediately if you haven't already

How did the band come together?
I put and ad up at the Paris Theatre and also met bruce the singer when I bought some punk singles from him

How long has the band been around?
About Thirty years

How would you describe your sound?
Smarty arty punky party style

What's your current release? Tell us a little about it…
It's a 2 CD set called CHRONO LOGICAL , its pretty much our entire Oeuvre. If you don't want the CD or the vinyl version, you can also download all of our songs for free from our website

OFF THE STAGE

When did you decide you had to be a musician, and how did you go about it?
When I heard the Desperate Bicycles sing " if you can understand, go and form a band, it was easy it was cheap go and do it"

What was your first band name and what style did you play?
The Front and we played punky versions of our fave songs at the Hasfield hotel, a squat in Kings Cross

Tell us three albums you couldn't live without in your collection
The ADVERTS crossing the Red Sea
WIRE Chairs Missing
Ramones End of the Century

Best piece of musical advice you've been given
Desperate Bicycles song 'Advice on Arrest' : practical and catchy

Two groups/artists you'd love to take out on the road
TV SMITH from the adverts and sekret sekret

Favourite song of your group?
Us ? Fuck the Neighbours The public ? Fun

The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is
the anticipation

The thing you least look forward to before a tour is
dealing with people who ask us if (a) we are any good and (b) if we attract the Wrong crowd, whatever that is

When your not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing?
Organizing gigs and recordings for other bands and generally helping other bands

ON THE STAGE / ROAD

What gear do you use?
Drums and wires and pedals and some electricity

Favourite place (city/town/country) you've toured… and why?
nowhere beats Sydney 2000 cos you can walk home

Favourite venue to perform at… and why?
The Stagedoor tavern cos we can pick the bands and do the whole gig Our Way

Who hogs the stereo in the van the most?
The Navigator

After a week in the van/bus on tour which band member will have the messiest section, and what would we most likely find stashed there?
Prob Derik the drummer , and mostly computer bits and screwed up summonses, the little troublemaker

Who in your group has the worst "bad habit" on tour, and what is it?
We tried having habits but found heroin boring overrated and problematic

Most embarrassing moment on tour?
Being told in court by some nuns that we had exposed ourselves, swore at them, pulled knives and chanted Nazi slogans (hey, try arguing in court with a nun !)

Give us a good quick 'on the road' story, funny, embarrassing, memorable, whatever…
see abo ve, sort of funny now but not at the time it was pathetic

RIGHT NOW

What's getting the most spins in your stereo right now?
The Thought Criminals rule our stereo, we are self obsessed

Tell us a band or artist everyone should check out and why…
The adverts or Wire because they express themselves brilliantly and do it with catchy tunes

If you could change one thing about the music industry today, what would it be?
Push the whole thing over a cliff , we reckon