DREGEN SVENSSON:
GUITARIST - THE BACKYARD BABIES

U- What made you leave the Hellacopters, and come back to the Backyard Babies? The Hellacopters were doing very well at the time.

DREGEN- Simply because it was too much hassle playing in two bands at the same time. Fame is not everything y´know... Our time will come. Backyard Babies has been around since 1989. I love bands doing it for life. I sure miss the HC guys a lot sometimes though...

U- You played on a CD, with Ginger from the Wildhearts, and Nicke from the Hellacopters, under the name of Supershit 666 (killer CD BTW) any plans for a follow up?

DREGEN- Sure, I would love to. No plans yet cause everybody´s busy with their own bands...

U- If the Backyard babies had some down time again, would you consider playing with the Hellacopters again?

DREGEN- There won't be any more "down time" for the Babies. The only way is up.

U- What other known (and unknown) bands have you played in?

DREGEN- None. Only Babies & The Hellies.

U- When people ask you what type of music do you play, what do you tell them?

DREGEN- The missing link between Kiss and The Ramones.

U- The Backyard Babies recently played a "secret gig" opening for Warrior Soul as "Bad Boys United", any good stories from that gig?

DREGEN- It was the first time I ever saw Warrior Soul live, so for me the whole gig was a good story. The after-party was probably a great story. But it was all a fog to me...

U- If you had to pick 1 CD (or LP) to take with you on a desert island, and you would never hear any other CD again, which one would it be?

DREGEN- Check Your Head / Beastie Boys.

U- If you had to pick a woman (someone well known) to join you on that island for the rest of your life, who would it be?

DREGEN- Joan Jett.

U- Now you gotta eat, so what meal you pick to eat for the rest of your life on the island with your woman?

DREGEN- Tom Kai Gai (Thai chicken coconut soup).

U- What's your opinion of fans trading/selling bootleg vids of you guys live?

DREGEN- Fine with me, as long as they send us a copy. We are actually doing an hour and a half long home video right now, called "Jetlag". It will contain everything from 1989-2000... Backstage, under the stage, side of the stage, building a stage, a few clips even on the stage...

U- What's your opinion of the heavy music scene in North America compared to Europe?

DREGEN- Same shit. Different hair-styles.

U- What's the worst job you ever had to do, to support yourself while being in the band?

DREGEN- Transporting 3 tons of sand from one place to another with a spade and a moped...

U- What do you think of all these MTV "punk" bands? (Offspring, Blink 182, Green Day etc.)

DREGEN- I actually rather watch Britney.

U- If you were offered the job of playing guitar for the "The Back Street Boys" for one million US $, but you could never play guitar (or anything else) again in any other band, would you take it?

DREGEN- Naaaah... -Make it 4, and I´ll think about it.

U- If you could make a wish, and have any band on the planet disappear forever, who would it be, and why?

DREGEN- Creed. I saw a video of them when we mixed the record in LA, after that I was constantly in a bad mood for two days. 3rd day I just had a headache.

U- What songs do you like playing live, which are the hardest?

DREGEN- We haven´t started hating our tunes yet. Ask me in two years. Its all about 3 chords. Well, sometimes we put in 4. That can be tough sometimes.

U- You guys all went to the same high school. So tell us an embarrassing high school story about each of your band mates?

DREGEN- It´s hard when you already pressed erase.

U- Total 13 (the last CD) got great reviews everywhere, were you guys shocked, or did you know you had produced a masterpiece?

DREGEN- We all knew from starting writing the album that it was a great one. Maybe a bit shocking with Grammys, Gold records and all that, but after all, a great challenge to do it twice as good on the new one .

U- Who gets the most chicks in the band? And who gets the dogs?

DREGEN- We gave up counting. No dogs allowed.

U- What's the most "Rock n Roll" thing you (or the band) has ever done? (like trashing hotel rooms, sex with midget nuns, that type of thing)

DREGEN- Trashing hotel rooms feels a bit "Hip-Hop" nowerdays, but a few tellies have lost their homes. Sniffing glue during take-off can be pretty amazing. .

U- What are your musical influences? Those from when you started, and those that inspire you today.

DREGEN- I grew up with Kiss and the Sex Pistols, Damned, Cramps, Social Distortion and stuff like that. But since we´re born in the 70´s alot of metal/rock as in Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Hanoi Rocks and Status Quo also appeared...It´s pretty much the same nowerdays, maybe a bit more digging in the Stones/Beatles/Pink Floyd genre. Vinyl-scratch feels pretty guitar as well...

U- What CDs do you play when you are on your own, and no one is around to hear? Any embarrassing secrets you want to tell?

DREGEN-No, not really...Maybe my Dolly Parton records won't travel with the band on tour.

U- What's the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to you on tour?

DREGEN- Getting arrested is always embarrassing.

U- What's the proudest moment you have had as a member of this band?

DREGEN- Getting a phone-call from Malcom Young asking if we want to tour Europe with AC/DC.

U- Out of all the bands you have played with live, which bands or musicians are cool to work with, and who just pissed you off, and made you want to stomp a mud-hole in their ass?

DREGEN- We only tour with bands we like and I think we have been very lucky...Social Distortion, Warrior Soul, L7, Monster Magnet, AC/DC...The only Asshole has been Zob Rombie. .

U- What’s your favourite beer/drink? And give us your best "drunk punk guy" story.

DREGEN- A spanish drink called "Kalimucho" half redwine half Coke, lots of ice. I do like Margaritas. Newcastle brown ale is a killer kind of beer.

U- What's the biggest crowd you have played for as an opening act, and the biggest as a head-liner?

DREGEN- Reading Festival in England...Maybe 30. 000. Biggest headline is probably Tokyo around 2000.

U- Do you think your style will change much on the next CD? Are you guys going to jump on the "Addidas-Rock" bandwagon, and change the name to "The Backyard Limp Korn"?

DREGEN- No. Adidas-rock? Isn´t that Run-Dmc?!

U- What do you prefer "Playboy" or "Penthouse"?

DREGEN- You Americans will never even come close to the girls and mags here in Sweden.

U- I'm going to name a band, you tell me your thoughts in 5 words or less:

The Hellacopters : Sonic as Fuck!
The Nomads : 20 years of Fuzz.
The Donnas : Just turned 21 right?
Rob Zombie : Baglady.
Turbonegro : Levi´s.
Supershit 666 : Boss DS-1.
Zeke : Fast, Fucked & Furios.
Wildhearts : Saved RnR in 95.
The Almighty : Pint nite in London .

U- Who has the worst temper in the band, and tell us the best story that would start: "He got so pissed off, that he..."

DREGEN- dragged the journalist's face along the pissoar... -that´s me...

U- Would you rather tour with, Punks or Metal heads? Why?

DREGEN- Gimme a stage and I´ll fuckin´play it.

U- What's your favourite movie, and actor of all time? Why?

DREGEN- I don´t really have a favourite actor... Al Pachino, Jack Nicolson. Last good film I saw was Gladiator.

U- Who would be your dream band to tour with (someone you have not toured with yet)?

DREGEN- The Hellacopters.

U- Every group of friends has someone who always gets picked on and teased, so who is it in the Babies? And what do you all do to him, or if its you, what do they do to you?

DREGEN- Our manager Michael gets most of the hits, nothing too serious though. Maybe eat and get loaded with my friends at his local place telling that he will pay tomorrow.

Thanks alot and see you on tour soon!

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