Interview: Guttermouth Are Covered With Ants and Demanding Fan Requests Tour

One of the rowdiest and most rambunctious punk bands to emerge from Orange County, California in the late '80s, Guttermouth finally arrive back in Aotearoa this week. Still fronted by founding vocalist Mark Adkins (who got his start in punk in '82 with Republic) alongside Justin Van Westbroek, Matt Wills, AJ Condosta and Taylor Beckemeyer, Guttermouth will be busting out the entirety of their 2001 classic Covered With Ants (Epitaph), plus fan-voted favourites from their nine album oeuvre at Tāmaki Makaurau's Whammy Bar and Pōneke's Valhalla. A group once infamous for their often nude onstage antics, they kindly provided rapid-fire replies to my probing questions before this weekend's gigs — brought to you by Chopdog Entertainment...

Guttermouth - Are Covered With Ants and Demanding Fan Requests Tour

Saturday 23rd March - Whammy Bar, Auckland w/ Nana Squad, Venom Dolls
Sunday 24th March - Valhalla, Wellington w/ Dimestore Skanks, Nana Squad

Auckland tickets available HERE via UTR
Wellington tickets available HERE via UTR

You first played in New Zealand alongside Offspring in the late '90s, before Covered With Ants was even released in 2001. Covered With Ants was your first album on Epitaph — were those exciting times for Guttermouth?

Joining a well established record company is a thrill and we were very fortunate to be there. It brought some new life to our little band.

When Mark started out playing in punk bands in California in the early '80s, were there any clues your rowdy style of punk rock would eventually take over the world?

Not a chance!!! It was all to cause trouble and we were good at it. Back then trouble equaled fun!

Do you remember whose idea it was to get Sascha Lazor of Mad Caddies to play banjo on 'I'm Destroying The World' (from Covered With Ants)?

The short answer is we needed a banjo player and Sasha was our go to.

Is there still as much on-stage nudity in today's Guttermouth shows?

Not a chance. Too many consequences.

A friend of mine has just had a track included in a high profile new video game and is suddenly attracting a lot of new fans. When Guttermouth's songs were featured on game soundtracks like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Cool Boarders, was that a new opportunity for bands at the time?

Yes and a good one. The massive amount of exposure it brought to the band was remarkable. I just wish I could have gotten at least one free game out of it.

I love em! Mainly because it’s ever-changing. There are many people from several years back but it’s great to meet up with fresh faces.

When I interviewed C. J. Ramone last year, he was reflecting on how he's "done everything I ever wanted to do" in punk rock. Is there anything on the bucket list for Guttermouth you'd still like to achieve, after more than three decades as a band?

Why yes there is. I’d have never played in South America.

You're playing the entirety of Covered With Ants plus fans have voted for the setlist — any clues as to which more classics you'll be busting out in NZ next week?

You know I can’t tell you that… come on.