When I saw a post on a Usenet bulletin board asking for live Dag Nasty bootlegs from one Colin Sears, I could not resist but email him. I must admit I was a bit frightened, but I had some Dag boots and I wanted to help him out. He responded quickly and very nicely. I asked him if he'd do an email interview and he agreed. I got really excited about this and told some friends, yet not many people seemed to know who he was, I was stunned, I have followed the man's career, buying things cuz he was in the band. Well, anyhow, here is the interview. Thanks Colin, you rock, keep the faith!

ANNOY- So, what bands have you been in? (including cheesy Ratt cover bands or something like that)
Colin- Well, last spring I mapped out all the bands I had ever been in ever for a seminar class, but the professor hasn't returned it. Anyhow, when I was thirteen or fourteen and couldn't play any instrument me and Roger (from Dag & Alloy) had a band we called the Space Cats where we would scream and play guitars using quarters as picks. But beyond that I've been in these bands without recordings: Capitol Punishment, Fungus of Terror, Disband, the European Diskoman, God & Co., Down By Law, Great Cake, Troubled Gardens and probably some others
My records in order and rated 1 (nice try) to 10 (the sh*t):
Bloody Mannequin Orchestra 1
Dag Can I Say 9
Dag Wig Out 10 (except for the acoustic song)
Grave Goods New Face Revealed 6 - singer gets too annoying and its just too slick
Rumblepuppy double 7" - 5 - at least we were having fun
Rumblepuppy CD - 3 - far too self indulgent, too many long nights spent in the basement
Los Vampiros CD - 8 lots of energy and fun to record, but a little too sloppy at least we got to do that goofy acoustic song right
Alloy Eliminate CD - 9 - Vic's lyrics rule!
Alloy paper thin front maxi-e.p. - too close to tell, but it sounds good

ANNOY- What is your favorite cartoon of all time?
Colin- Scooby Doo

ANNOY- What do you think of the current punk/hardcore/indie scene?
Colin- I'm confused. The arguments on the internet are ridiculous but frightening. Major labels are signing tons of people I know, how it will play out in the next few years will be interesting. I'm glad to hear more pop influences coming back into punk rock, that macho metal influenced stuff has really played itself out.

ANNOY- Do you have any good/bad luck charms? If so, not are they and how do you know they work?
Colin- My crown in my car. It works because no one ever breaks into my car. I removed the air freshener stuff because it smelt horrible.

ANNOY- What do you do when you aren't drumming for fun and punk points?
Colin- Go to grad school, drive around a van full of undergrads and go various places in New England with them, listen to music, play hockey (poorly) and try to snowboard.

ANNOY- What was the worst show you ever played?
Colin- Dag Nasty in Whitestone Virginia. Shawn Brown was singing and we learned that half of the people at this outdoor show/party were KKK members. We took off with about thirty-six dollars, all in change. We were promised $100.

ANNOY- What does "punk" mean to you?
Colin- Being completely in control of what you do, knowing you can do whatever you want (within limits) but keeping your core values (i.e. trying to contribute some good to the world and also f*cking with our society). Being punk is not spitting on the cafeteria lady at your high school, that's being an asshole. Working hard for a small business person or cooperative is punk, while ripping off K-Mart and Wal-mart and other various corporate scams are too. Punk is such an overused term these days, so overused that many of us have devised a rating system to classify just how punk people are. I think it goes something like this:

1. punk

2. pretty punk

3. pretty damn punk

4. darn punk

5. f*cking punk

6. punk as f*ck

7. punker than f*ck

ANNOY- Are you gonna be on Headbanger's Ball (MTV) soon?
Colin- Not that I was aware of.

ANNOY- What are the 3 greatest records ever made?
Colin- Rudimentary Peni - cacophony
Buzzcocks - a different kind of tension
The Clash - Clash on Broadway
that's a simplification, but it holds pretty true.

ANNOY- Which of your releases are you most proud of? most embarrassed by?
Colin- Well, Wig Out, Can I Say and Alloy: Eliminate are my faves while Bloody Mannequin Orchestra is my least fave. There are two Blood Bats albums (a joke band), the first is rap and goofy - the second is more pop-punk new wave. As goofy as they are - they are really fun records to listen to -especially the 2nd "stopping a freight train on a dime" The Rumblepuppy stuff isn't really that good, but we had a good time and I became great friends with Emil (the bass player) . He was only 16 when we started and now he's in my new band the Marshes - and can now sing wicked good (IMO).

ANNOY- What started your career as punk rock drummer extraordinare?
Colin- Lots of extra testosterone and a fascination with rhythm along with being into the early DC. stuff, Minor Threat - and seeing these bands getting up there and going for it- me and my friends followed suit. I have to admit that the early punk and new wave bands totally inspired me as well : the Clash, The Jam, the Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols, the Police, XTC, etc. Its actually the more new wave bands that influenced my drumming - Stewart Copeland is amazing.

ANNOY- Any really great new bands to tell about? or neglected older ones?
Colin- My tastes are pretty weird, but the band MANO NEGRA from France has a great new album called Casa Babylon, its mostly sung in Spanish. There are tons of older things I love, but most people aren't into them. One band who Peter Cortner got me into is the Chameleons UK. They're great , but probably to new wave or eighties for most people. TSOL's "change today" lp. is one of the best pop-punk albums of all time too .

ANNOY- What do think of what straight edge has become?
Colin- Alot of it seems to be a touch macho image thing which most people leave behind as they get older. The sad fact is not that people get into doing occasional drugs or drinking later on, but the fact that so many ex- SXE people I meet are some of the biggest f*ck-ups later on. Of course, a fascist/reactionary/exclusionary SXE attitude is pretty silly when you consider all the real shit going down in our world today. The ideals of SXE are great, but they should be personal.

ANNOY- How many keys do you own and how many do you actually know what they open?
Colin- Too many, but at least six open different places at my university.

ANNOY- What do you think of the several Dag Nasty live bootleg LPs that are out there?
Colin- I haven't seen any lp's, just two 7" boots. If you have seen any, buy them and I'll reimburse you.

ANNOY- Any comic books that you like a bunch?
Colin- Vault of Horror, Tales From the Crypt and the Haunt of Fear - all published by E.C. Comics in the 1950's.

ANNOY- What is your favorite PEZ(tm) dispenser?
Colin- The Brian Baker one, of course.

ANNOY- What do you think of the sudden wide acceptance of "punk" and the major label signing frenzy going on because of it?
Colin- It'll fade quick, because not all of these "signings" will deliver what the labels want. I think it will make it harder for new "punk" bands too be taken seriously once the hype has died down. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe it will be the replacement for gangsta rap in the next few years.

ANNOY- What does the future hold for Colin D. Sears? (solo albums? Sassy cute drummer alert? etc.)
Colin- Musically, I'll be playing in my new band, the Marshes and also finishing up my master's thesis in the next year at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Otherwise, my spoken word tour begins in January 1996, and shortly thereafter Rikki Lake and I will be hosting the MTV Spring Break beach party from Ft. Lauderdale with the New and Really Truly Improved Milli Vanilli.

ANNOY- What is that hand gesture you are all making in the photo in "Wig Out At Denko's?"
Colin- Just some OZZY goof type deal I think.

ANNOY- Come to think of it, who/what is Denko?
Colin- Some friend of Peter Cortner's who would have big parties in DC. I never met him.

ANNOY- I heard a tale that the Dag Nasty "Four On the Floor" was made to pay Dave Smalley's rehab bills cuz he was on cocaine or heroin or something. True?
Colin- I love to hear crazy rumors about myself and friends. I'll give whoever came up with that rehab story ten points for creativity, but were all really too dull to make for good rumors. Smalley is still SXE as far as I know and though the rest of us aren't, we're very mild and rehab, that cracks me up.

ANNOY- Any final comments or stuff you always wanted to say?
Colin- I should be studying. Our demo tapes will be copied sometime soon.