SLOPPY SECONDS Interview (Skip Gibson’s BBQ)

“A Few Minutes With Sloppy Seconds”
Written by Jason Reed
October 4, 2017

I recently had the chance to sit down with Indianapolis punk legends Sloppy Seconds before their performance at Skip Gibson’s BBQ in Grover Beach, CA alongside local bands Off Center and the Holes, The Mormons and Taking Affect.

Interestingly, this venue is one of few DIY punk venues on the Central Coast of California that consistently hosts veteran punk acts, in many respects it is a beacon of light. Local music promoter Chris Sandoval (of Guardsmen Productions) has been hustling tirelessly to continue to bring live punk rock music to this small community. And this performance felt particularly apropos since the headliner band’s name could even pass as a fictitious marketing tagline for the second course of ribs some patrons may feel inclined to order at this dining establishment. But I digress….

In many ways, chatting with all four members of the band felt historic. This was, after all, their first West Coast U.S. tour since the advent of the 21st Century. For a band known as defying convention and pushing the bounds of political correctness and free speech the lads were surprisingly polite and congenial, while still full of the satirical outlook on life that challenges those who may take their music too literally. In fact, their continued existence seems like an anachronism in the current climate of reactionary “call out culture” that would quickly dismiss the band as promoting intolerant or distasteful sentiments, without any recognition of the tongue-in-cheek irony therein. I think it’s fair to say that Sloppy Seconds would be considered too much of a “liability” to be invited to the Vans Warped Tour. Rejoice music fans, for their loss is our gain.

If you have the chance to see these guys perform live, please do so. Their brand of raucous, boundary pushing punk rock is a testament to the lively intersection of the First Amendment, satirical social commentary, juvenile male preoccupations and a healthy dose of self-deprecation thrown in for good measure.

To stay up on the band, check out their official Facebook page here.