Words with Loz Wong

Hi Loz, when did you join Snuff ?


I joined snuff in oct/nov 1995, just before the Demmamussabebonk session. I was roadie for them up to when Simon left for most of that year as well. I'd also stood in for Andy on bass at a couple of rehearsals so I was kind of ingrained into the Snuff family already.


What is your favourite Snuff release ?


I know everyone says it but it is true for me this time, our current release 54321 Perhaps is my favourite, it was more to do with the spirit it was recorded in, previous recordings have been arduous at times, last minute arrangement changes, long mixing sessions, budgets etc.. This time we jammed the songs on my sofa, we all chipped in with riffs, rehearsed new tunes at soundchecks and recorded the album fresh and hungry to make a racket.


What are your greatest memories with them ?


Well there are many, I'll never forget Reading festival 1999, that was one of those gigs that felt surreal, getting to Australia, getting to New Zealand, bribing customs in Slovenia, touring the US with NOFX in 1996, meeting all the crazy beautiful punks around the globe, not the corporate ones, the real punks. I learnt so much about life in other countries, music, culture, politics, for the experiences and friendships I still enjoy today.

How do you feel about this new record ?


First off I feel this new album is a really British sounding record, not for any flag waving bullshit, more that the record sounds like where I live. Obviously we're all older and I think that's reflected in the songs. I really like Duncan's lyrics on this record and of course I'm well happy on the phat guitar mix! And as I mentioned earlier it was recorded in a great spirit and I think you can hear it on the record. But I would say that !


What about being on Fat Wreck Chords ?


Yes, it's the sort of surprise you want all the time. I've had nothing but love for Fat so when they came in for the record it was an easy decision for me anyway. I'm fairly sure the others feel the same. Saying all that being signed is not what it used to mean, downloads mean you are making music for arts sake which maybe is a hood thing but just having the chance to have a record out on a top label is bloody marvellous, at least it means people are interested, still listening.

How did you become a guitarist ?


I started on trumpet, I was shit. I couldn't read music and gave up. My little brother had a guitar he never played so I started to have a go, I played by ear and was not in tune for at least a year. I was 15. When I turned 18 I switched to bass and started a band with some mates. I was still playing guitar and as I was more eager to explore heavier sounds I started writing riffs on guitar more often and eventually became the guitarist. We soon evolved from a Floyd-esque racket to a more punk thing and once I heard Hüsker Dü and Bob Mould's guitar sound I knew what I wanted to sound like.


Do you feel like you're part of a particular scene?


Yes and no. In the countries where being a punk actually means an alternative life choice then yes, to be the soundtrack to their party is a good thing. There's a different scene city to city, the internet has watered that down somewhat but it's still there. On recent tours with the onset of the austerity measures across Europe, the crowd are more political, angrier but Snuff shows are where you can let that steam off in a positive way and have a sing song as well !
That's the new scene right there, everyone loves a sing song ! On the last Tokyo show we did, the crowd were singing along to "What kind of love" so loud we couldn't hear ourselves, it was great !
I guess a scene is only as good as the music and attitude that fuels it but that's the point, the point of anti establishment DIY non corporate street music will always be about substance over style and they're the bands that are remembered. There are positive aspects of a global scene though, I'd love to see a convergence of the global scene, pressing issues like the corporate sponsored punk tours we get these days or the iTunes monopoly on top of the economic bullshit it's hard for a real scene to maintain.
Fuck I'm in my 40's, I don't go out, what do I know, in reality, there may be a scene out there but I'm not part of it like when I was a younger. I hope it is healthy, not too demoralised ! Getting organised and ting.

"Table Tennis Hard Core"

Have you played in other bands?


Yes, various shit bands from 18 to 24 then in 1992 (I think)? I was living with some Irish lads from Lurgan, in Rayners Lane, we started a band called "Your Mum" with me on guitar and Simon Wells on drums, Paul McMahon on guitar & vox, Rory Blaney on keys and vox and Tony Poole on bass. We did a few shows and a short tour with the mighty J Church in the UK then a one sided album on the "Rugger Rugger" label followed by a 4 track single on the same label recorded via an EMI demo session meant for Snuff. We called it a day when Simon left Snuff and I joined Snuff. Your mum released a best of CD, remixed by Simon.
In 2004/5 I was in a punk band called "Park Royal" with Lee Erinmez (Snuff bassist) on drums, Stacey Dee (ex-Amputees, currently in Bad Cop/ Bad Cop out of SF) on guitar and vox and myself on bass, we did a handful of shows and recorded an EP but never released it, Stacey had to move back to the US so she obviously couldn't carry on. Lee and myself are thinking of remixing the EP and putting it out somewhere as it has some good tunes as well keys from Lee Murphy (also Snuff keys). I did do a collaboration with Duncan Redmonds, Wesley j Walsey and Frankie Stubbs called the Pissmops a few years back, that was a laugh. There's a few other things I've been involved in but that's not a punk thing at all and kind of more a covers thing.


How do you see yourself in the world today ?


In a lot of ways, really fortunate to have had the opportunities and experiences of being in a working band for such a long time, seeing a good chunk of our planet was never on the cards for me before Snuff so I'm really happy about that. Now I work in a completely different field from music full time so Snuff is a hobby for me now, the most enjoyable of hobbies if one had a hobby I should add, so I see myself as the same as any working person facing the daily grind, i just get to play punker a few times a year, which is nice.


What is the meaning of playing music for you?


Playing live is the reason I play, one of my favourite writers is a chap called Alan Moore, he thinks that music, art, the written word creativity expressed through particular mediums have the ability to change a persons perceptions, alter their state, he calls it the true magic, so that's what a gig is like, not all gigs but a good portion, you make a racket that transforms a crowd into a crazed mosh pit and a connection is made, from nothing, magic. When you're the opening act on a 4 band bill and the kids are stage diving off the PA by the third song you know some sort of magic just happened !

Who are the people who had the biggest impact on your life?


Well my Mum has always backed me. A few close friends who always had my back.
The original Snuff guitarist Simon Wells had a big impact, especially guitar style, he is a gifted fret fondler and I learnt a lot from him.
Bob Mould & Hüsker Dü, Jimmy Hendrix, Bill Hicks, Alan Moore, Noam Chomsky, Steven Bantu, Biko, Viv Richards, Warren Ellis, Bert Janch, London, The Clash, Mary Jane, Gordon Smith GS-1, not drinking for nearly 20 years has had an impact although that's not a person...Kazuo Koike,
Jim Marshall, Fat Mike, Trevor Tibbles, Hugo Chavez, Bradley Manning, Jacques Fresco, Boat Azizi, Chas & Dave.


Do you like France ?


Oui, j'aime France beaucoup, mon premier nom est Laurent et mon père et ma mère et par l'ile Maurice, toulement parle francais a l'ile Maurice. Mon francais et pas bon, je croix c'est comme une enfant! Je suis desolee!


What about hardcore and the straight-edge philosophy ?


I'm not straight edge. I understand the movement and respect the ideal but it's not for me. I don't drink alcohol but that's because I just don't like it, as a drug it doesn't agree with me so I don't bother. But I do enjoy other recreational pastimes if you get my drift....
I do enjoy hardcore but it can be too serious and stylised, bands like Refused raised the standard, I loved Gorilla Biscuits and SOIA, Farside, Born Against bands like that stood out for me, I like some of the politics of straight edge but I'm not disciplined enough for the lifestyle.

Do you believe in god or something ?


No. I was brought up in a catholic house and quickly spotted the bullshit of that religion.
The idea of an interventionist god or deity or a creator is pretty whacky to me and the burden of proof is not mine, I'm more interested in space exploration and what's out there.
People can believe what they want so I'm not a hater I just don't buy into the organised religion thing and I would prefer to live in a secular society.


Do you know who you are ?


Yes and no, I change with the seasons but I all I know is that I don't know nothing! Haha.
I know that I crave for a new way, fuck this consumer existence, this immoral and unjust capitalist shit storm. Endless wars, in action on climate, profits made from human misery. I am someone who is fully against that and boycotts as much of that shit as possible while trying to remember to enjoy and appreciate the world and culture around me. Being in my forties now I've seen the cycles of repeated economic downturns, for now, along with that the music revivals from ska to metal bashing to prog to techno to the money machine that is hip hop, I struggle to find content that has relevance to now, and that's the difference between the youth and the middle aged, we've seen the future and found it to be a lie, the youth haven't got that jaded yet, but soon come.
So I've ended up being the sort of person who is mostly annoyed all the fucking time!! Nice one.
I'd like to think that Snuff has made its mark and I look forward to more records and as many gigs as we can feasibly fit in. Up the punks.
Sorry about the rant, I can't stop myself these days, I do waffle on a lot if given the chance so again sorry.
This is probably why I don't get interviews too much...