Interview with Djamel, singer/songwriter with The Blue Carpet Band
I’m Djamel Abina I grew up in Auckland New Zealand and now live in London.
I’m Frontman for The Blue Carpet Band and I eat, sleep and breath Rock n Roll.
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1. First Punk Rock band you ever saw Live? Where/when?
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Tentacles Of Destruction In Auckland some squat in Ponsonby.
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2. First Punk Rock Record you bought? What made you buy it?
Offspring Americana I was about 10 years old because my mates older sister was playing it one day and I thought what’s that? Had to buy it and spend hours singing the lyrics wrong and pretending to play guitar on my badminton racket.
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3. Favourite Venue to play in? UK or abroad.
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Nambucca would be my favourite but Its probably cause I only have to walk downstairs to play lol.
We love playing The Donkey in Leicester, Redrum Stafford, Micks Cow Shed Mayhem @ Micks Festival, The Victoria Bikers Pub Coalville and Lola Groningen.
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4. Influences?
Bobby Darin, Gene Vincent, The Cramps
The Stooges, Little Richard, The Saints, Slaughter And The Dogs, The Damned, James Brown.
5. Any new bands impressed you and worth a shout out?
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So many amazing bands out there at the moment but here are some off the top of my head:
The Cavemen, Randy Savages, Xray Cat Trio, Aerial Salad, Pizza Tramp, Tasteless, Henry And The Bleeders, The Witchdoktors , Atomic Suplex , Hung Like Hanratty, Riskee and The Ridicule, Backstreet Abortion, Morons Morons, The Chats, Yur Mum, Polly Pickpockets, Millie Manders and The Shutup, Dragster to name a few.
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6. What’s the future look like for you and The BCB?
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New album being written at the moment hopefully out middle of next year and hopefully loads more shows if life gets somewhat back to normal.
7. What is the craziest, most memorable thing which happened on Tour?
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I got so drunk the first year we played Rebellion Festival that I couldn’t find my hotel room and it started to rain so I went to sleep under the Buzzcocks tour Van and I was found by a couple members of The Lee Harvey’s who kindly took me back to there hotel and gave me a bed. In the morning I woke up to The Drummer Paul standing over me starkers telling me I’m sexy and could I sign his CD. Then the band offered me breakfast I said that would be lovely as long as it’s not sausage and eggs as I’d seen enough that morning. Went down stairs and ended up having breakfast with Steve Ignorant was a surreal morning until the realisation that I had to run off and find my hotel and get ready for our stage time
8. Horror Movies or Science Fiction?
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I’m a Science Fiction man Stargate is one of my all time favourites.
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9. What do you dislike?
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Shit Cunts, Nazis, soulless music, My Job, The Government.
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10. Guilty pleasure?
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Jazz Pop Standards
11. Is Punk Rock Dead?
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Fuck No! Just got to look for it.
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12. Any advice for young musician out there?
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Play as much as you can and watch as many bands as you can, make contacts and support other musicians. Be prepared to be poor and probably develope a mental illness or an addiction but you will have fun!
Interviewed in London November 2020
