Interview with Kit, Nicolas and Phil from Seven Days and Doesn't Die
Dragged up from the gutters and back alleys of London’s ripe underbelly, all four members emerged. From this pit formed alliances, and still steeped in its stench, birthed the beast that is Seven Days and Doesn’t Die. Sleaze infested riffs smatter, guttural beats, fists of bass and hungry vocals.
Seven Days spit naked, armed truths from their black, salty, incendiary rock n’roll backdrop. They blaze an effusive assault that keeps going and keeps giving.
Music to burn your bridges to.
Seven Days & Doesn’t Die, fully formed around 2019. Originally made up of drummer Nicolas Soteri (Inner Rage, Dragged into Sunlight), Lead guitar Dean Croney (Thirteen 66, Shhh), Marc Broussely on Bass (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Murder Mile) in 2019 and was replaced by Phil Roadkill (Stereo Juggernaut, Generation Graveyard) & Vocals/rhythm guitar Kit Swing (Mallory Knox, Rich Ragany & the Digressions)
A few demos were recorded in 2019 with Tom Hough with the addition of MASS Records on one of these tracks. A new self-titled album was recorded just after the first lockdown & is being mixed as we speak, due for release in April (fingers crossed!)
First Punk Rock band you ever saw Live? Where/when?
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Kit: I’m going to say the first punk rock band I ever saw live were L7 at the LA2, they’re music isn’t necessarily what you’d deem ‘punk-rock’ but their ethos & attitude is the very essence of just that. They were amazing, the fasted, loudest, most gymnastic & funniest thing I’d ever seen, I was 13 & it was my first mosh pit, it was fucking awesome. Whether or they’re a punk rock or not is one of those arguments I’m willing to have any time, bring it.
Phil: HAHA Kit, I was at the L7 gig.....IN THAT PIT, only I was probably about 30 then...note it's not "I was only probably about 30!" Well, I'm so underground that what would class as my first punk gig was Gnarly Pig Hair…go on, say "oh wow!!" like any of you know who they were? GPH featured legendary skater Danny webster on drums and also Jon Pearce on bass (who's been with The Last Resort for years now). That gig was at the Druid's Head in Herne Bay about 1992? . GPH used to play mainly their own material but I recall them doing California Uber Alles, and an up tempo thrashed out "Fire" by Hendrix.
Nicolas: First punk show…The Bronx at the Camden Barfly, they opened up for themselves as the mariachi el Bronx & had a magician on first. LOL, At first I thought er... what the actual fuck is going on here? so confused..... Can you actually do a Houdini and put some bands on, please… Later I realised that they were all on tour together Mariachi el Bronx was Phenomenal, I didn't even know I liked mariachi music until that moment, and then they came on as themselves… again… as THE BRONX and destroyed the place.. I think it must have been one of their First shows in the UK, it wasn't a sold out, but the vibes were pure sweaty betty. It was double good because it was one of those nights, where I was asked to tag along because someone had a spare ticket…. Winner!
First Punk Rock Record you bought? What made you buy it?
Kit: The first punk rock record I bought (dragged my Dad to the counter to buy me in Our Price on Putney High Street) was The Sex Pistols’s Nevermind the Bollocks when I was 13, I’d seen the video to Pretty Vacant & fell in love with their sound, hooks & attitude.
Phil: First punk record bought: Excusably I got into punk waaaaay after I did rock and metal, one of my neighbours lent me Sound Affects, The Gift, and The Modern World by The Jam (don't start!!! all that mod vs punk crap, I've got another 10 questions to answer), and those led me to buy the live album Dig The New Breed, and I bought The Replacements - Sorry Ma Forgot to Take out The Trash at the same time, cos I had some money leftover and I liked the cover. I was given some albums by Roi Pierce who I was knocking about with at the time, Anti Nowhere League, Cockney Rejects, and Cock Sparrer, but The Jam and The Replacements were the first ones I bought.
Nicolas: Can't remember, probably The Clash. The first record I ever bought was the Sepultura's Arise! Igor Cavalera is a best on the drums!
Favourite Venue to play shows? UK or abroad
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Kit: Favourite venue (as a band or in general?) For me, so far, the favourite I’ve played has to be The Forum in Kentish Town, London, it’s beautiful, great size & the sound onstage is incredible.
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Phil: Favourite venue: Mama Roux's Birmingham UK. Totally unlike any other venue, I've played anywhere in the world. As it's independent, they pretty much have their own rules, so you can get a beer WHILE YOU LOAD IN, none of this "the
tills isn't on yet" or "the rider will be here 90 / 60 / 30 minutes before your stage time." ALL the crew and staff are friendly,
and up for it every time I've played there. Nothing is too much trouble for them, and the venue looks like you're playing in a market square cos the walls all look like the outsides of houses, and upstairs looks like it's the leftovers after a flood in a New Orleans brothel....all water damaged peeling walls, burst upholstery, shredded lampshades and faded framed pictures. I dunno if it's intended or not but if it's deliberate their I.D. deserves a fucking medal!! No barrier or pit security so totally in your face and intimate the way I like it.
Nicolas: oooooh tuff one, as a band (this band), The Finsbury. The sound was great, had all the right pieces for a great show coming together like Tetris.. great sound, on and off the stage, all the bands were on point musically and as people, most importantly... it was for an amazing cause, which we can get behind anyway we can., I hope this place stays open.
I had the colossal privilege of playing the drums at Johann Strauss opera hall in Vienna, this extravagant architectural masterpiece was opened in 1867 during the heyday of the Waltz. The best acoustical environment I've been in in my years in this racket. Its history of who has rocked this gaff is insane…
Also, the C-side tour with river freshney was insane, A whole band hooked up to a shitty gen playing on coasts around the uk…. Yeaaah! C- Cide!
Influences?
Kit: so many, for so many different reasons….but for this band, we’ve drawn on our sleazier rock n roll influences that we all have in common like Guns n’ Roses, Bronx, Wildhearts, Motley Crue…
Phil: What Kit said. I'm also a big fan of Therapy? Mega-City 4, Senseless Things, Amen and Life of Agony are two of my favourite bands ever, as are The Ramones. There are lots of others I love but stylistically they don't really drive my writing with SDADD.
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Nicolas: as a band, Aerosmith, The Bronx, Slash's Snakepit, Wildhearts, Clash. For me personally, Miocene, Leevil, Elvin Jones, Mastodon, Venetian Snares. Hemeto Pascal, Horatio el Nero Hernandez, Helmet, Don Caballero.
Any new bands impressed you and worth a shout out?
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Kit: New music that’s impressed me, check out Delirium Tremors the new EP by The Vainglorious & Liquid Air by Silverkord
Phil: how new is new? My buddies In Evil Hour are worth everyone's attention. They have 3 albums out (I think), are utterly scorching life, and have great lyrical and moral content. This isn't a statement but their active involvement in human rights and anti-government corruption is exemplary and sincere. I don't have to say Rich Ragany and The Digressions, even tho Kit plays with them too, but I will because they are splendid and are also worth paying attention to.
Nicolas: Rich Rags New Album is amazing, some well written songs and great hooks and melodies, You hear the sincerity in all the tracks, beautiful ….. big fan.
I've been checking out the Nova twins recently, They are gonna do gxreat things!
What’s the future look like for Seven Days and Doesn’t Die as a band?
Kit: It looks like getting this album out & hopefully being able to play it live to loads of sweaty faces all over the place.
Phil: She's there again! exactly that. Playing and hanging with each other doing what we love most with our, or anyone's clothes still on, and playing gigs with our friends, and meeting new ones.
Nicolas: Get this record done and dusted, then who knows… Get sweaty and sloppy and play some shows.
What is the craziest, most memorable thing you have seen at one of your show?
Kit: We still haven’t played an abundance of live shows yet, but the crowd at The Underworld when we supported Arnocorps were really fun, and ocean of crowd surfing on surfboards, on people, it was one giant party where everyone was dressed as Arnold Schwarzenegger, what’s not to love?
Phil: I've only played two shows with SDADD so far as lockdown kicked in just in time to ruin the rest of our bookings, but I was amazed that during my first gig with us, I started a song in the wrong key and Dean lured me into the right one before anyone else noticed.
Nicolas: We were supporting Arnocorps, An Austrian 7 piece, ballsy heroes that live in California shout about songs of Austrian heroism in Arni war paint. Their guitarist Vlelmehr Klamfe (his real name, I swear down) starts the crowd surfing on a bass case while the crowd took him all the way to the back of the venue and back to the stage without him falling off, hahaha, I’ve never seen that before. I looked over and saw Dean and Kit with their fist in the air going Niiiaaaaaaagh!!!! That was one of the happiest days of my life hahaha. So many great times at that venue…. I met with these guys years before with River Freshney, we played a matinee show in Cleethorpes!! hahahaha …Heavy metal at 1pm with tea n biscuits…
Greatest Punk Rock album ever released?
Kit: There is no one greatest punk rock album, it’s just not possible….there’s too many ….. Iggy & the Stooges’s Raw Power, Bikini Kill’s Pussy Whipped, Dead Boys’s Young, Loud & Snotty, The Clash’s The Clash, Rancid’s Out Come
the Wolves, Distiller’s Sing Sing Death House, Ramones’s Road to Ruin, Original Pistols’s Live album, The Advert’s The Wonders Don’t Care, The Birthday Party’s Prayers on Fire, Gallow’s Gallows….Too many to list em all
Phil: I agree with Kit. There are so many sub-genres, but for me, Poison Idea Blank Blackout Vacant takes some beating, along with The Replacements...Sorry, Ma.
Nicolas: I dunno man, that's tough, its personal preference.
Favourite Punk Rock band to share the stage with?
Kit: Not sure if this is who we have shared the stage with or who we’d like to, but Randy Savages are a fucking great punk/rock n roll band we’ve shared the stage with a few times now, check them out.
Phil: My punk share choice would be Danko Jones or Nashville Pussy.... don't split (pussy) hairs. That's my choice and I'm sticking to it.
Nicolas: Wildhearts!
Memorable Live performance by any band you have seen?
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Kit: Again, so many live performances that have been life-changing/affirming it’s hard to pick! But I’ll go with the ones I’ve seen countless times over & are ALWAYS nothing short of a religious experience: L7, Gallows, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Bronx.
Phil: The Wildhearts ALWAYS, The Prodigy, NIN, Smashing Pumpkins, Life of Agony, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Ministry, Rob Zombie's shows are next-level production wise but his vocals are, well, the backing samples are good.
Nick: Mastodon@Underworld, Aerosmith 1998, Wembley Stadium, Igor Cavalera @The Blackheart - that guy is a beast on the drums.
Where does the name come from?
Kit: Me & Nic were fucking around talking shit as usual & he says to me ‘Yeah never trust anything that bleeds for five days & doesn’t die’ I said five? Try seven!’ The look of disgust & awe was perfect haha…. but I mean come on, it’s just another metaphor for being a survivor.
Phil: I worked that out the minute I first heard it. What does that tell you?
Nicolas: Kitler and I used to work in some boozer in Elephant and Castle, I’d finished my shift in the kitchen and started drinking, kit pours me a Shipyard and asked me why I've been single for so long, so I quoted Scarface and said, “I don't trust anything that bleeds for 5 days and doesn't die”, she then replied try 7 days motherfucker, I stood there in disgust but was impressed how that could be a name for a band… it can be a metaphor for a few things.. Survival mainly ..we could have been called turd on a rope. It's done now, we can't go back.
Any advice for aspiring young Punk Rock band out there?
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Kit: Not so much advice, but just universal truth: belief in yourself, what you love doing & fucking do it, we’re not here as long as you think.
Phil: Don't take life too seriously cos it definitely won't take you seriously.....death, even less so.
Nicolas: Regardless of wherever genre. Be true to yourself. Being in any band is a relationship, you gotta listen to each other, think about what you say and do... it's tough at times.. the majority tbh... Your words and actions have an effect on people's lives, be totally honest, about everything from creativity to money… Put your hand up if you're being a dick!!!! Have FUN!!!
Interviewed in February 2021
