Guttermouth
Subscribe
X

Subscribe to Forte Magazine

Guttermouth

Veteran punks Guttermouth are set to atone for sins of the past when they touch down in Australia this week. Controversial front man Mark Adkins made no bones about the fact that things got a little out of hand at a booze-soaked run of shows in 2013 (all backed up by grainy footage of the crowd turning on the band at a show in Colorado, after an audience member was allegedly attacked after jumping onstage). Thankfully though, Guttermouth lived to tell the tale and chose to share the story with us.
“We’re very happy and completely together,” says the relaxed and friendly singer. “We’ve been through rough patches but let me tell you, the press have exaggerated some of these stories to no end! Sensationalism runs rampant, you know?”
Scandal surrounded the band once more after details emerged of Adkins being holed up in a Mexican jail – and he welcomed the opportunity to shed some light on the murky situation. “Trust me when I say I was a victim of circumstance. I mean, would you believe that for walking across the road on a red light a cop picked me up and threw me in the back of his car for two and a half to three days! Then every time it chimed midnight I had to get more money out of the ATM and give it to him – that kind of thing actually happens down there!” he laughed sardonically.
“Believe me I understand that I put myself in a pickle when I went to Mexico and started mouthing off down there. But at the same time, it’s so exciting to be there, to be out in the unknown and the craziness of what can and can’t happen,” Adkins continued. “Luckily I have some good friends who just told me to ‘Get the fuck out of there! Quit hanging out down there and get back to reality’, so I did – I heeded the warning,” Adkins smiled.
These days Guttermouth are all about the fans and wanting to show a few Aussie punks some old fashioned Californian hospitality. “We’re doing a bunch of BBQs at people’s homes after the shows and what not. We’ll go and cook food, barbeque and serve food to people. We may even play a couple of songs,” Adkins teased.
“And we plan to make skate ramps so we can skate with the locals. That’s what I love about being in this band – it’s not just about playing music, it’s about meeting people and making lifelong friends. That’s just one of the rewards we’ve been given. We will never be elitist rock band scum who don’t identify with their audience and think that they’re above their fans. It’s as simple as that.”
What hasn’t been so easy is deciphering fact from fiction when it comes to the follow-up to Shave The Planet, an album almost a decade in the making.
“Well, there are always a million rumours swirling and I start them usually, because my intentions are good,” he grinned. “But this time I can tell you that the good people at Bedlam records in Brisbane are actually holding us hostage in their studio for seven days. They’ve given us a week of studio time which is plenty for us, so we’re doing an exclusive Australia-only release while we’re there. That’s a fact, it is actually happening, it will come out I promise!” And to those who say Guttermouth have run their course, Adkins says unequivocally: “I have no plans of quitting – you can print that”.
Where & When: The Barwon Club, Belmont – April 1, The Bendigo Hotel, Collingwood – April 3 & 4  & Bar 12, Frankston – April 6
Written by Natalie Rogers