In October last year Chicago band 88 Fingers Louie reunited to play a reunion gig ten years after disbanding in 1999. It now appears that the band are back and here to stay; they are booked to play Groezrock in April and they have hinted at the possibility of new material. Push to Fire recently got in touch with the band and fired some questions at singer Denis Buckley.
First off could you tell me who you are and what you do in the band?
This is Denis and I sing - sometimes good, sometimes not so much.
How did 88 Fingers Louie form?
I met Joe [Principe, now bassist in Rise Against] at the tail end of 1992 and in early 1993 I tried out as the singer after my friend Eric bombed his audition.
You recently played a 10 year reunion show in your home town of Chicago, how was that?
Everything I hoped it would be! My son finally got to see his old man on stage and he even took a few stage dives. The energy onstage and in the crowd was so intense. I felt an enormous sense of pride sharing the stage with my old friends (and new pal/new bassist, John Contreras).
What made you decide to get together again?
Well, Dan had been asking to get together on and off for a few years and his last offer seemed appropriate, given that 2009 marked 10 years since we last performed. We kept things under wraps a good few months before telling anyone as we wanted to make sure everything sounded great. We wanted Joe to be part of this, but as you can imagine Rise Against takes up a huge chunk of his time. Once we had his blessing, our search for a new bass player began and after a few rehearsals with John, we knew we had the right guy.
Have any of you been playing music in other bands or pursuing other music related ventures during the break?
Dan went on to form Rise Against with Joe and after he left them, he was in Break The Silence for a few years as well as a few other bands. After 88 I was in The Story So Far, Explode and Make Up (semi-retired, though we get together on occasion) and Zero To Sixty (with Dan). John Carroll has been in several bands and currently also plays in Maurice and Paper Mice.
You're also due to play Groezrock again this year (11 years to the day since you last played), how are you looking forward to it?
We are all thrilled to be playing Groezrock again with some truly amazing bands. I'm looking forward to some quality hangtime with old friends too.
How do you think it will differ from the time you played there before?
Our last time there was plagued with some technical problems and I remember my voice not being in the greatest shape (I believe this was the last show of our European tour with Good Riddance), so this year hopefully be a chance to right some wrongs, hahaha. Also, I think Groezrock has grown to be twice, if not three times as big as it was in 1999.
I noticed on Twitter you've been checking out a few of the bands you'll be sharing a stage with, anyone who's stuck out that you weren't aware of before agreeing to play Groezrock?
Though they're playing the day before us, two bands previously unknown to me that I really like are This Is Hell and Banner Pilot. I've been a big fan of Strike Anywhere for years and of course Bad Religion, so those bands alone have me pretty psyched.
Anything unusual we can expect to see during the performance at Groezrock?
Unusual? No, but some of us have aged more gracefully than others, hahahaha.
Do you think the organisers of Groezrock have some special powers to get bands out of 'retirement' to come play? Over the past few years they've had Hot Water Music, No Fun At All, Lit, Good Clean Fun, yourselves and more. What is it about the festival that makes bands want to get back together and play?
Unlike a lot of festivals out there, Groezrock really takes care of its bands and is genuinely as excited to have them as the fans are. That's a big plus.
Chicago is a city that's had more than its fair share of big bands come out of there (e.g. Fall Out Boy, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio), are any smaller bands on the way up our readers should search out?
Shotbaker, The House That Gloria Vanderbilt and Sweet Cobra are just some of my faves.
Which bands would you like to play a gig with and why (can be past or present bands...your dream line up for a show)?
Wow...off the top if my head: Hot Water Music, Descendents, Rivals Schools and/or Quicksand.
Name 5 things that you wouldn't go on tour without?
1. iPod
2. internet (not too many of us had a portable version 11 years ago!)
3. honey
4. camera
5. my sanity
And finally what are the plans for 2010 for the band?
We just made a formal announcement that we are going to continue doing this until it's no longer fun. How long that lasts is unclear, but we do want to get out and play as much as our personal and professional lives will allow. New music is also a distinct possibility. Keep your eyes and ears peeled!
