Tony Doporto – Sad Boy Sinister
The Basics –
Mighty (Mike on Bass) and I (Tony vocals) formed the band back in 1990 I mean we were jamming a couple years before that in the band room at the ramp but we became Sad Boy Sinister in 1990. Our original name was Sinister Minister we changed it when someone threatened to take us to court complaining/claiming they could prove they had the name first. Since then we’ve been through several lineup changes mostly drummers and guitar players right now we have Chris on drums he’s been with us over 20 years and Kyle on guitar who’s been with us at least 9. We are now on our 29th year of S.B.S./Sad Boy Sinister and damn proud of it.
How have things changed from the Scum Ramp days? –
I don’t even know where to begin with that, We’re a lot older now a lot has happened, the ramps burnt down along with the band room back in 2003. We’ve been married divorced raise children some of us still married still raising children. Strung out, Cleaned up, busted, incarcerated, rehabilitated, relapsed laid off and frustrated. Wash rinse repeat.
7 Albums plus some compilations under your belt. Any new releases in the works? –
Well to anybody who hasn’t heard of us everything is new but yeah we were working on new material the last three months of 2018 and it was coming along slowly but surely. As a band we made the decision to slow down booking shows so that we could concentrate on the writing. Our goal was to write 15 to 20 songs hit the studio record then release 12 to 13 of them on a new album. After struggling to complete about six songs and demo multiple ideas we decided to start gigging again. Coming out strong this year 2019 with two great shows in San Francisco and an all star lineup of great local bands in San Jose.
What’s your take on the state of punk rock. Is the younger generation digging it or is it just a bunch of old farts like myself? –
That’s a tough question to answer the umbrella of punk rock has grown so vast there are many sub-genres within the genre itself. That being said, the younger generation has many avenues to explore when trying to find their version of punk rock music. I would say yes, there is a younger generation that likes the original sound or the old school sound or the hardcore punk sound but for the most part it is old farts and it would seem a Dying Breed.
You guys recently played a benefit show for the Camp Fire victims. How’d did you get connected with that? –
Our Brothers in Get Dead invited us to be on the campfire benefit show at the El Rio in San Francisco. It was an awesome Bill and a lot of fun and a lot of money was raised. Fat Mike and Fat Wreckchords matched the amount and it was presented and donated to a random single mother / victim of the campfire catastrophe in Paradise California. Mission successful.
You guys have a couple shows coming up soon in Tahoe/Reno. Any other shows planned outside the Bay Area? –
The journey to Whiskey Dick’s in South Lake Tahoe April 26 and Shea’s Tavern in Reno Nevada April 27, begins in Sacramento and ends in San Luis Obispo. Some of the dates and venues have not been completely confirmed and nailed down yet, so yes there are some other shows outside the Bay Area coming up.
Favorite band no one’s heard of? –
That’s another tough one considering everybody’s heard of everything due to the internet and or all the festivals around the world. Everyone’s a blogger, everyone’s got a YouTube channel and everyone’s an expert but I’ll just throw a few out there the Breakouts SF Drongos for Europe, Menace, Calibro 35, Very Metal, Zodiac Mindwarp, C2D, B2K, the Backstabbers, Sad Boy Sinister and Law Abiding Citizens.
After so many years, what keeps the fire burning? –
The sheer love of creating art and expression voiced through punk rock, writing and performing. Traveling and meeting new people in new places. Rebellion will never die. It’s a special breed of people.
Morning cup of Joe. Who’s playing? –
Bonecrusher, Oxymoron, Fang, Cadillac tramps.
Last words –
Look for us, watch for us, listen to us, check us out, don’t fall for the divide and conquer agenda, give peace a chance, don’t take the brown acid.
Brandon Landelius – A Vulture Wake
Who are the current members of the band? –
Currently, it is Chad Price, Joe Raposo, Sean Sellers and I. Joe and Sean obviously have Lagwagon and Good Riddance that are priorities for them so they will not always be out with us but Chad and I are very focused on this and plan to be busy.
With that kind of line up, do you guys feel the pressure of being labeled a
punk “supergroup”? –
No, not at all. Music, like any other form of art either
speaks to you or it doesn’t. This album and EP are what came out of us this
time around. The next time it will be something different.
With all the other projects/tours going on, I guess it would be ideal to get
billed along with the other bands. Any chance of seeing AVW opening up
or headlining a tour this year? –
The Lag and GR guys have been beyond cool
and supportive by letting us open for them on runs. It is great when it works out like that and we are very appreciative but we can’t plan our future around 2 other band’s tours. It also isn’t really fair to keep hitting those guys up for favors like that every tour haha At some point they are going to be like “Look, we love you dudes but… you are giving us a rash.” We have a few things in the works. Nothing concrete, unfortunately.
Any plans for a release soon? –
I have been writing quite a bit of music to send to Chad but it will be a while before the next release.
With you guys spread out in multiple states, How does the writing and practice process work for you? –
With The Appropriate Level Of Outrage & the Fall Prey EP, I emailed Chad music for about a dozen tunes and he wrote melodies and lyrics for them. He had Fraud already dialed in and Joe had music for J.I.B. so when we all got together in Texas for the first time, most of the legwork was already done. We collectively made tweaks and changes to arrangements and parts to work better with Chad’s vocal lines. For the next record, Chad and I talked about getting together and working up the bones of the new tunes before trying them with a full band. Before playing shows we all usually fly in a few days early and run through everything a few times to tighten up.
Amarillo isn’t exactly known as a hotbed for punk music. What keeps you there?-
It definitely is not. My wife and I ask ourselves that a lot haha There are a lot of people in Amarillo that appreciate and support music but punk isn’t high on the list at this point. It isn’t that they don’t like it when they hear it, I think a lot just haven’t been introduced to a wide array.
Punk can run the spectrum of silly to political. Where is the main focus of the bands message in your songs? –
Chad writes all of the lyrics so I don’t want to misrepresent him in any way so I won’t go into too many specifics. He and I are both vegan so he touches on that lyrically in Take Life and J.I.B. Overall I feel his lyrical take on most things on the album and EP is just anti-bullshit. There is a lot going on in the world to be pissed off about.
If you were going to ask congress for 5.7 billion dollars, what would you spend it on? –
Fuck man, there are too many people and programs that money could go to. I work with hungry people everyday at my job. I see veterans that the government has used and discarded. We need to invest in education and compassion. Greed is destroying us.
Having played both small venues and large festivals, which do you prefer and why? –
I love elements of both but honestly prefer the energy of a small, packed venue.
Favorite band no one’s heard of? –
Fuck… I don’t know, I listen to a lot of different music.
Besides AVW, what else have you got going on right now? –
I do work a full-time day job at the High Plains Food Bank, I study and teach Tibetan White Crane (Pak Hok Pai) gung fu in the evenings and also gig locally with my instrumental bands, The Mag Seven and The Cotton Needle. And drink an alarming amount of coffee.
Speaking of copious amounts of coffee, you guys recorded Appropriate Level of Outrage at the Blasting Room with Bill. How was that experience? –
Actually, our buddies Andrew Berlin and Jason Livermore engineered and mixed/mastered. Bill would pop by in the mornings and we would nerd out on Steely Dan over coffee but he wasn’t hands on during the recording. I would love for him to be on the next record though. I love the vibe up there and love everyone in the studio. To me, it always feels like home.
Its 4 am and you’re driving to the next venue. What music is playing? –
Most likely Coltrane, Bill Evans or The Cardigans.
Any last words? –
Take care of each other.