We were called The Toilets originally - we were flushed with success.
I would say you feel a lot more pressure at a national tournament than a state tournament. This is more of a fun weekend out with the guys. The national tournament is more business.
It breaks my heart to see these young, really talented bands getting chewed up into the system. I remember a time if you'd signed to a major label it was such a sell out! But now... unless you've signed to a big label, you're a failure now.
We believe in personal choice, rather than society dictating how we must live our lives.
It's not like I'm taking 20 grand from the shows. I mean there's no record label, so this is a genuine thing. And I think most people can see that. I think that anyone who knows me, knows I do things with integrity.
In the concerts I not only played my own songs, but played songs by Dave Sharp. That's my way of keeping the true spirit of the Alarm alive.