So what’s the story on Regal Beagle?
Alben: Bryan Beagle, Alan Beagle, Alben the Animal, Jaime JellyBrown
Bryan: We formed in the mid-part of 1994…all of us are original members except
the orphan that I picked up, Jellybrown, who replaced Derek (our original bass
player) in 1998. We had a few other lineups, but it’s been pretty much the original
lineup from day 1. We formed in a suburb, east of Los Angeles, called Monterey
Park, in Alben’s garage. The neighbors hated it, since it compromised of mostly
senior citizens, Oh well…The name obviously came from the bar on the show
“Three’s Company”…In the old days we would rehearse, hang out, get loaded and
watch a lot of Comedy Central.
What are some of your accomplishments as a band that might interest
people and not make them stick their fingers in a fan for entertainment?
Jellybrown – The biggest accomplishment is that we’re still here! LA is notorious
for killing musician’s spirits with shitty shows and no support, but after all these
years we’re still doing our thing and putting on the best performances we can. We’
ve been lucky to play some bad ass shows, including shows with DI, The Groovie
Ghoulies, The Queers, Buck, The Angry Samoans, The Dickies.
Bryan: We haven’t accomplished anything, we’re still playing shitty shows, for old-
ass drunks, because there aren’t any all ages clubs in Los Angeles (So. Cal), for
the real-punk kids to go to. But, over the years, we’ve gotten older and wiser, less
naive, still basically having fun and doing what we want to do.
I saw that you guys just played Gilman Street on August 16th. What’s the
new sound system & stage that Pinhead Gunpowder paid for, like?
Bryan: It sounded great and really, really loud, but the highlight was us being
kicked off for playing a “sexist” song called “Bitch”. You know, this fucking asshole,
patronized us and called us a “women hater” and all that stupid bullshit. I guess he
thought he was the enforcer of the “Gilman St. rule book”, by judging us and
defaming us in public unnecessarily. In the end, I think most people thought he
was the little bitch (for knocking over my mic, turning up the house light/house
music and forcing us off stage). I think that they’re all a bunch of fucking arrogant
hypocrites anyway. So in the end, it was a great evening, I want to thank Idiot Box
(Cabana 1 Records) for coming up with us on that mini tour. Danny Prettymess was
wonderful and totally cool for hooking us up with that show, even she didn’t think
anything of the words in that song. But, we all agree the word “Bitch” can be
directed towards any sex, or just a word that I use loosely when I’m pissed off. The
Adorkables from Salinas, were great, and it was cool to finally meet them.
JB: Yeah, the song is actually not about women (or men for that matter) it’s just a
punk rock song about being mad at the world. Anyway…
Now everything else about that night was amazing. Our friends Idiot Box played
their (potentially, hopefully not) final show that night. I finally got to check out the
Adorkables, who fucking killed. Roach’s (ex-groovie ghoulies) new band Baby
played, which was cool. Everyone kept talking about their harmonies which were
awesome. Then the Secretions played, which was just a fun fucking show. The
club itself is an awesome place for shows, cool places to hang out, read old zines,
plus a bunch of cool local kids that actually support the bands.
On “A Little Tide Up” your sound has been compared a lot to The Queers
for many reasons. What are your thoughts on the comparison?
Bryan: Yeah, me and Joe (Queer) use to laugh about it all the time, he use to call
me his “evil twin”, because we sounded so much alike. I don’t know the whole
comparison thing, I could give a shit about, it’s only music, it ain’t all that fucking
serious!!!
JB: – It’s true. I mean, how could it not? You got Joe doing vocals in a bunch of
spots, Mass doing mastering, Phil doing back-ups. It really doesn’t bother me too
much. I fucking love those Queers CD’s, so being compared to them isn’t really the
worst thing you can say about the CD.
At what point are you just going to loose your shit and go gangster on the
next motherfucker that says Regal Beagle is just a Queers wannabe band?
JB: I lose my shit and go gangster over no free samples at Costco; being
compared to one of our favorite bands doesn’t phase me at all. Actually the worst
thing about this comparison isn’t that people have a problem with us sounding like
the Queers, it’s that we don’t sound like some of the current pop-punk bands. Don’
t get me wrong, I love the Steinways, the Leftovers, the Guts, the Unloveables, and
so on, we just don’t sound like them. We really don’t intentionally try sound like the
Queers, we just do what we do and like our sound.
Bryan: We’re definitely influenced by the Queers/Screeeching Weasel. But I
started doing this in the early 90’s, there weren’t a whole lot of bands to be
influenced by in those days, especially in the pop punk genre, it’s because
everything was turning grunge. So I figured why not be influenced by the best at
this pop punk stuff, and it kinda just stuck with us. Our style is old and dated, but
so are we.
Who’s your favorite band/musician of all time and what is it about them that
makes prematurely ejaculate in your pants every time you hear them?
Bryan: Favorite Guitar Players- Johnny Ramone, Keith Richards, Randy Rhoads.
Favorite Band: Ramones, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, The Beatles, (Too many
punk bands to mention, I love’em all). Johnny Ramone, had the most aggressive,
loudest guitar, Keith Richards is just too cool, Randy Rhoads was the shredder…all
those combine makes a great player.
JB: We’re all going to give you way different answers to this question. Back in the
day I mostly listened to all the Epitaph / Fat bands, plus all the shit coming out of
LA / OC back in the early 90’s. I also loved the older bands (Black Flag, Circle
Jerks, Decendents, etc…) . I still listen to a lot of Gameface, they were fucking
amazing.
Alben: We are all so diverse, I grew up listening to 80’s REM, Cure, Depeche
Mode, They Might be Giants, Pixies, and in the early 90’s Nirvana, Pearl Jam,
Soundgarden, Radiohead. The last band on my list does it to me every time.
Radiohead has evolved so much since Pablo Honey that they are an entirely
different band now that just keeps getting better.
What’s your favorite city to visit and which has the best sex drugs and
rock-n- roll?
JB: Easy question, Vegas!!!! Dude Vegas doesn’t quit. We played once at a
place called the Cooler Lounge with the Angry Samoans, now just to give you a bit
of background, here in LA we have a 2 am curfew on booze, so most 21+ punk
clubs start their bands around 9, get them done around 12-12:30 am. So this
Samoans show was on a Saturday and we pulled an all nighter on Friday just
getting obliterated. We get to the show and they started the first band around
midnight. We were on right before the Samoans so we started I think at about 2
am. Then the Samoans go on, after their set everyone is still drinking, have a good
old time. I was half asleep at the merch at 4 am when the promoter comes over
and says “I think in about an hour we’re all heading over to the after-hours club”, I
was like “dude, this is after hours, fuck it though, lets go…”
Bryan: I can’t agree with you more man…
During the making of “A Little Tide Up”, you worked with some heavy
hitters in the pop punk world ,what did you learn from working with these
guys?
JB: Most of our interactions were with Joe. He really emphasized just doing it your
own way and having fun. He came to the practice studio before we went to record
to hang out with us and give us some pointers on the songs. After every track he
would be like “Yeah, that was fun, lets do it just like that.” Most of the tracks on
“Tide Up” are exactly the way Bryan originally wrote them.
Bryan: Yeah this album was definitely like 10 years in the making. I met Joe Queer
in 1994 at Jabberjaw's in Los Angeles and I started to go to Queers shows every
time they rolled into town. I remember tagging along with one of my buddies, who
did an interview for a stupid fanzine, in the back of their tour van. Pretty lame, but I
was stoked back then and that’s when we started talking about recording an album.
Through the years we’ve worked with Earl Mankey (Concrete Blonde), Donnell
Cameron (A lot of Epitaph bands), Pete Dee (the Adicts) has produced one of our
albums that was never released, and also, John Avila of Oingo Boingo, did one of
our first demos back in 1995. Sam Bolle from Agent Orange sat in one of our
sessions for those first demos, I was totally star struck, he gave us a few pointers
for the tunes that we recorded. All in all, the experience was great we learned a lot
and it was cool to finally get this thing recorded. We’re gonna spend pretty much
this fall/winter writing new songs and probably hooking up with Mr. Queer again
next year. I think the next one should top “A Little Tide Up”, as that one was made
up of a lot of our older tunes. Check myspace.com/regalbeagle for any
updates/news.
So tell us about the first time you dipped your chip in the clam dip (you
know, did it with some dirty skank ). (We like details, very, very, vivid
details)
JB: The details are a little sketchy in my mind, but I’m sure it was awkward for all
involved. If she reading this, I swear I’ve gotten better.
Bryan: Yeah I don’t really remember too much either; I was too focused on
watching what was going on the TV show “Quantum Leap”.
It seems like Regal Beagle is the only Pop Punk band in the LA area, tell us
about a few other Southern California Pop Punk bands you would
recommend we check out.
JB: LA definitely does not have a big pop-punk scene, but there are a few great
bands. Check out City Mouse, Blockage, The Nicoteens, and The Maxies!!!!
Bryan: I mean as far as Southern California, San Diego has a few bands that are
also notable, The Bugs, Idiot Box, Rich White Males are all great! The guys over
at Cabana 1 Records are pretty active in the scene and are releasing some great
albums.
What is it about Hollywood that is so awful that you would rather be raped
by a pack of wild geese, than play a show there?
JB: The Hollywood thing is really my issue. First, most of the clubs are pay-to-play,
which is ridiculous (bands-don’t do that). Second, if the club isn’t pay to play you
will most likely have to deal with either a major douche bag promoter, $10 parking,
and/or way over priced drinks. There is one exception, Safari Sam’s has good
parking, reasonable drinks and Sean and Julia from Hooligan High throw amazing
shows. It sucks because Hollywood had two of the best punk clubs around, The
Anti-Club and the Natural Fudge Company.
Bryan: Don’t forget Jabberjaw. Sean and Julia also do the Punk Rock Social at
Alex’s Bar in Long Beach.
Which Regal Beagle band member has the biggest scrotum and do you
think it makes them more of a man than you?
Alben: I think it is a two scrote tie between Bryan Beagle and Jellybrown, because
we all heard and some of us seen Bryan get Tea-bagged… and they are both very
fertile men. They must each be packing at least a liter of man-sauce per teste.
JB: Bryan Beagle will play a show at 11 pm, then drive an hour to his job at a
fucking airport for his 1 am shift, that takes some serious heuvos!!
Bryan: I’m looking at them right now, and I do agree, my balls are pretty big!!!
When you formed Regal Beagle what was it that made you decide you
wanted to get on a dirty stage and perform sweaty acts of musical unity
together?
Bryan: The Chicks!!!...but that never happened.
JB: I wasn’t there when the band formed, but since that time this has really become
a family band. Bryan and Alan are brothers, Alben is my brother-in-law. We all
kick it with each others families, and we all want to keep doing music as long as
possible.
Alben: For me, it was the whole Nirvana phenomenon in 91 that got me wanting to
emulate Dave Grohl on the drums. After playing air drums for 2 years, I finally got
my first drum set whose kick pedal was driven by a shoe lace and the bass drum
was kept in place by 2 strategically placed paint cans. What keeps us together now
has gotta be that we are more than just a band, we’ve become a family kinda like a
punk rock partridge family or Menudo.
What’s the most ridiculous tour/show story you can think of?
JB: Back in Vegas we played a show at the Double Down Saloon. We were
promised like $70 for the night but the promoter only came up with $65, which we
were cool with. We took off, but a friend of ours stuck around. When we caught up
with the guy the next morning, he told us that she felt so bad about the missing $5
that she took him to the bathroom and hooked up with our friend to make up for the
cash.
Closing Comments?
JB: Thanks to everyone who picked up a copy of “A Little Tide Up”. Also, thanks to
Jonny Rally at Rally Records for helping us get this thing out. We still have copies
available through our myspace.com/regalbeagle or interpunk.com. You can also
download it at Emusic or Itunes. If you’re in our area, come out to a show or book a
show with us.
Bryan: Yeah, thanks to everyone who is into our music and what we are about. It’s
great to see people who are still into pop punk music.