Interview: Joe Queer (The Queers) – English version

Pour la version en Français, cliquez ici.

The Queers have 25 albums to their credit. This band from New Hampshire (USA) with its leader Joe Queer (aka Joe King) has been giving us melodic and wild punk music for almost forty years. The themes of the songs are light and apolitical such as beer and girls. Nevertheless, Joe King is outspoken in interviews. The name of the band The Queers characterizes well its humorous side but earned him some setbacks. Thee Savage Beat, on the occasion of a new album of « covers » wanted to know more about the history of the Queers. We find in the interview a Joe Queer very angry against the left activists and the LGBT movement. But it is of course about Punk Rock because the year 2020 was a very good vintage for the Queers with the album « Save the World » and the vintage 2021 looks excellent, we listened to the next album exclusively. It is a very good album of covers of garage bands that fed the young Joe King such as the Monkees, the Beach Boys or the Rolling Stones, a sublime version of « Strychnine » of the Sonics and even a dynamite version of « The Kids Are Alright » of the Who. It will be available in a few months but we will come back to it in these columns.

Thee Savage Beat: What was young Joe King listening to?

Joe Queer: I listened to the music of the 60’s. AM radio. The Stones. Beatles. Monkees. Turtles. Beach Boys. All that great music of the 60’s is what I grew up listening too. Those great 2 minute pop songs. Del Shannon. The Troggs. The Hollies. Motown. Phil Spector. When the Ramones came along they were just like a punk rock version of the Beach Boys with Rockaway Beach and stuff like that. Sheena Is a Punk Rocker etc. I loved it.

Which artist or band made you want to make music?

I played trumpet from grade 4 till I graduated high school. By the time I was in high school I realized I was only going so far on trumpet. I couldn’t physically play the staccato notes. I was really good and could read music of course but I was only going so far with my physical ability to play so I moved on to guitar. It was easy to pick up guitar after playing trumpet cos I could read music and understood chords and scales so I got into that. I started listening to David Bowie Ziggy Stardust and Lou Reed Transformer and Alladin Sane etc. T Rex. Mott the Hoople. Iggy and the Stooges. Then punk came along and I jumped into that whole scene. There wasn’t one particular band that made me want to play but the Ramones were a big influence as I realized I could actually play guitar good enough to be in that band. At the same time unlike a lot of punk rockers I wanted to learn more and become a better player. A lot of punk rockers never learned how to play that well and it held them back. I had grown up playing in the school band on trumpet so I knew enough to know how to get better thru lessons and practice.

The latest album to date is called « Save the world », do you think rock’n’roll can save the world, otherwise what is the meaning of the album title?

I was doing an interview with someone and the guy said a new Queers album will save the world so I got it from there. I think in this day and age of ultra left wing SJW/Woke bullshit good old punk rock is needed more than ever. The great thing about punk rock is that the bands and musicians were goofing on themselves-they were laughing at themselves and didn’t take themselves too seriously. Now everything is taken out of context and twisted around so people can call you a racist! It’s ridiculous. I’m so disappointed in people I thought were solid punk rockers that have bought into this new Social Justice Warrior/Woke bullshit instead of seeing it for what it is-a huge lie and a farce. We’re supposed to believe men can have periods and give birth and women have penises etc etc. The whole thing is a joke and it’s pretty sad to see punk rockers buy into that bullshit narrative. In the old days I was afraid of the right wing-now I am more afraid of the left wing/liberals. They’re truly insane.

What is the title « White power feud in Atlanta » about?

It’s a humorous song about a festival in Atlanta a few years ago where a fight broke out. It wasn’t really white power bands but I thought it was a funny title so we used it. It’s tongue in cheeck.

The « Queers », why this name? Who found it?

I came up with it as a way to piss off people around Portsmouth NH. It was just a joke name really. It made us laugh so we stuck with it.

Is the humorous side of the band name The Queers well received by the LGBT community? Have you had any feedback on that?

Oh no they hate us!! In the old days we would be attacked by the rednecks who thought we were gay. They would want to beat us up. Now the LGBT-(whatever the fuck it’s called) group hate us and say our name is demeaning to gay people. It’s all bullshit and a huge lie. Our name isn’t demeaning at all. We’ve really been pro-gay thru the years with our name. Nowadays the new woke left wing liberals attack us and say we’re anti gay and call me a Nazi. I wrote a song in 1989 about nazi racists called You’re Tripping. Nowadays I get accused of being a nazi and a racist. The LGBT crowd is full of hate. They love to hate people-in particular me. I had a different opinion-an opinion mind you-about a certain incident that didn’t align with the LGBT crowd. Since that day they have attacked me and the band mercilessly. Never mind that it was simply an opinion-we all have opinions and maybe mine was wrong I don’t know-but I certainly didn’t make up my opinion because I a racist-but anyway long story short that was all it took. They have attacked me and the band and they don’t even know me. Luckily our fans know us and they know me and don’t care but I will never back down to these people. They are truly evil and as I said I am way more scared of the left wing than the right wing these days. It used to be you could have a discussion and talk to people about why you felt a certain way-these days forget it. If you don’t buy into ever last idiotic thing the LGBT crowd says and thinks they consider you an enemy. I find them to be worse than nazis. It’s sad that punk rockers won’t stand up to those idiots. I really expected more of punk rockers but they’re a lot of pussies I am finding out. Sad.

The band has evolved quite a bit from the start. As a leader, how did you experience all these changes?

Well we just took them as they came. I haven’t changed that much at all but with the new LGBT thing going on and us being attacked and called nazis and racists it’s made me that much tougher and I will fight those assholes to the end. I will never back down to them. The LGBT crowd is a bunch of whining crybabies who will never be satisfied.

In the songs of the Queers we find very punk songs, and others much more melodic like « Houston we have a problem », « Punk Rock Girl ». How would you define your style?

I kind of like doing both. I like early Black Flag style songs and I love Beach Boys/pop punk songs. I don’t set out to really do it-it’s just the songs that I write come out like that. On the new album it’s one of our best ever. The song If I Had A Girl Like You I wanted to have a song I could have heard on the radio when I grew up. I think that one came out great.

How is the writing of the songs going?

Eh we just write down song titles while we are out on tour and then I have a big list of song titles and just go from there. I’ll go thru the list-pick out a good song title and then play with that.

Regarding your album “Reverberation”, what was the process? Why did you make an album of covers ? What was decisive in the choice of titles?

Cleopatra Records asked us to make a cover album so I said yeah sure let’s do it. Like the Ramones Acid Eaters. They were mainly songs I liked growing up listening to the radio. I like certain cover songs. Joey Ramone asked me what I thought of Acid Eaters after it came out. He wanted to know what songs I thought they could have done instead of the ones they did. He wanted to know what I thought of Acid Eaters. Some songs I liked-some I wasn’t crazy about. Joey felt the same way. Hungry by Paul Revere and the Raiders was one song I thought the Ramones could have done. Valleri by the Monkees was another one. Be True To Your School by the Beach Boys. Those 3 songs I mentioned to Joey so we decided to cover them.

How did the Ramones influence you in your career?

They had a great pop sensibility and also they had a great sense of humor. I think a lot of bands lack a good sense of humor in punk rock these days. The Ramones were always funny!!

How does it feel to have a song picked up by another band, like « This place Sucks » by the New Bomb Turks? Have there been others?

I always loved the New Bomb Turks. That was great they played that song. Yeah there have been a few bands cover our songs. God Save The Queers was an album of Queers songs being covered by other bands. There are song good versions of our songs on that album. I won’t go thru the whole song list but if you check that album out there are some great versions of our songs by other bands.

If you had to tell me 5 albums that influenced The Queers, which ones would they be?

Beach Boys-Today

Black Flag-Damaged

Ramones-Leave Home

David Bowie-Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Jesus and Mary Chain-Psychocandy

What do you think of hard rock bands like ACDC and Iron Maiden? In several songs you make fun of people who listen to this music, do you have a grudge against metal?

I don’t care for heavy metal. ACDC I don’t consider heavy metal though. They have great rock songs. Iron Maiden I don’t care for any of that crap.

What do you think of the US punk-rock scene? Which band do you feel closest to?

Oh our closest pals are Screeching Weasel. The Dickies. The Dwarves. The Riptides. Mr T Experience. CJ Ramone. Richie Ramone. Those are our closest pals these days.

What has been the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the band ?

Well besides not being able to tour not much. I have a studio I record bands in and all of them canceled. So that sucked. It was the first time in 25 years that I haven’t been on tour. Usually we tour around the world once a year so it’s been tough. Hopefully we are past the worst of it. I think the left wing liberals don’t want the pandemic to end. They want us all locked down forever. l got my vaccine shot so I am ready to tour!! It’s been a tough year though for sure.

In thirty years of career you must have seen things on tour, can you give us some funny anecdotes from touring?

Whenever people ask me these questions I can never think of anything! I think a lot of the funny things you have to be there to experience the stuff in person.

Do you prefer going on stage or recording in the studio?

I used to like touring better but since we made the last 2 albums-the new one and the cover album-I had a lot of fun in the studio. So I guess I enjoy both!

Can you tell to us a name of a French artist or group that you like?

No I don’t know any French groups to be honest. We have played very few times in France.

Since Trump’s mandate, one has felt a major division in American society. What is your opinion about this?

Oh the left wing is just as bad if not worse than the right wing. The MSM is horrible. They are just left wing activists-lying to the American public. I’m not really into politics but I am totally liberal. I’m just not a Democrat. I’m certainly not a right wing either. I go situation by situation and make my decisions. To blame everything on Trump is bullshit. The media created so much bullshit. The Democrats and their lies to the American public. It’s insane. As a punk rocker I never trusted the media. I never trusted rich athletes and actors and actresses. Sports figures. Big tech censoring conservatives. Censoring Trump. Listen I am more left wing-always will be. But I am totally against Facebook censoring stories they don’t like if it makes Joe Biden and the Democrats look bad. Amazon won’t sell certain books if they don’t buy into the liberal agenda hook line and sinker. It’s like book burning. The American public isn’t allowed to hear a whole other side to certain stories if Facebook doesn’t like it! It’s crazy. As a punk rocker I’m really against that type of BS.

In a country like France, the majors have significantly increased the vinyls’ prices. Vinyl will become a luxury product. What do you think about that ?

If we get paid fine. I can’t set prices. We sell a vinyl album for about $25. Not sure what the deal is over in Europe.

If you had to go into space with a famous personality (male or female, past or present) who would you choose? Why ?

Probably Phil Spector. I think he’d have some great stories to tell.

Interview: Frédéric Quennec & Nicolas Quennec