SKANEWS Webzine - Bucket (The Toasters/Moon Ska USA) Interview

BUCKET (THE TOASTERS / MOON SKA USA)
Interview from tuesday 20th march 2001

As you know, Moon Ska USA was closed in December 2000. I remember, back in 1985, there not a lot of Ska production in the world, except some Gaz Mayall productions in England, "Return From The Big Guns" by The Skatalites (1984), and few tracks from Fishbone and Untouchables.
'85 was the year I heard for the first time of The Toasters and it was a great moment in my life to listen to their "Recrimination" 4 track 12". Since this moment, I played on my Ska radio show Moon Ska USA productions.

Great albums from bands like The Toasters, The Scofflaws, Ny Citizens, Hepcat, LGB etc.
I think Moon Ska USA was the engine of Ska in USA. Ok, there have Ska bands in USA before Moon Ska as Heavy Manners but I think that U.S. kids really discover Ska music and Ska culture with this label. Moon Ska USA was the first successful Ska label in USA and I think the best Ska label in the world with his "brother" Grover in Germany since a lot of years.
Skanews team was very sad with the end of Moon. And we have much respect to Bucket, the first man who gave us the chance to release our dream. Co-produced a French Ska sampler sold around the world to introduce French Ska to all the fans.

Please find enclosed a Bucket interview released tuesday 20th march 2001. And again, sorry for my "bad" English ! I try to do my best :-)

Skanews : "Can you talk us about Moon Ska Europe ?"

Bucket : "We had wanted to get something going in England because it seemed to me that 1) in the past, english labels (like unicorn, and oi/ska) had done a good job of getting the ska out there, and 2) that there were problems with inter-country distribution which were better tackled geographically from an english perspective.
Also at that time, Moon U.S.A. had wanted to build up artist-profile in Europe and there were few openings at european labels.
Having done that the usual problems were encountered, ie distro, payment etc. but at the end of the day i feel it's going to work. Lol Pryor, the boss, has reconfigured his crew, whilst taking a more ska-punk direction than we did, but that's the way the wind is blowing in england right now. He's mixing Less Than Jake, the Bosstones and Buck-0-9 with Zen Baseball Bat, Ex-Cathedra and Shooting Goon. Sorry, and The Toasters!"

Skanews : "Why Moon Ska U.S.A. have not produced a lot of records in the past two years ?"

Bucket : "In 1999/2000 there were two reasons that we didn't put out so many records. First the distributor returns had started to roll in and cash was short. Second we wanted to focus more on a few bands."

Skanews : "Why Moon Ska U.S.A. employees like Steve Shafer and Noah Wildman were let go ?"

Bucket : "Employees were let go for various reasons, mainly due to the shrinking market. Steve left for a publishing job and subsequently founded his own elabel (7wow) and I wish him the best of luck. Noah Wildman was fired for stealing (a great deal) of money."

Skanews : "Back to Noah Wildman story.!

Bucket : "Well there is a story about noah wildman who embezzled nearly $100,000 cash. We'l never know the real amount, nor what he stole in product. That put the cap on all of the bands who reneged on their deals and ran off to what they thought were better offers. Where are they now by the way? I learned that in the music business there are no friends. A lot of people took what Moon had to offer and then sold us out.

Skanews : "Why Moon Ska U.S.A. closed the door last December ?"

Bucket : "We closed in december largely for tax reasons, but also because i wanted to start the new millennium fresh. At that point we were just out of cash and the demise of Rotz Records (they owed us $75,000) meant that it was pointless trying to continue.
In hindsight maybe there were some things that could have been done differently but i think we made appropriate choices for the times. It was impossible to forsee either the collapse of the market or the ulterior motives of a lot of our artists.

Skanews : "Do you think majors companies, press were responsible ?

Bucket : "Not the press. Certainly major labels, because by over-valuing the market, offering too much money to bad bands they were responsible for us having to spend more money than we had just to try to keep our roster.

Skanews : "Do you think it's an error to built Moon as a Ska label and not a all style label ?"

Bucket : "No, i only wanted to have a ska label. I think that is what kept us going through seventeen good years. But it only takes one bad one to put you out of business. Having a composite label never really appealed to me. Besides i don't know much about other styles."

Skanews : "A few years ago, some major companies wanted to buy Moon Ska"

Bucket : "Well, selling Moon to a major might have kept it alive, but judging by what happened to Island, Motown etc. After Universal swallowed Polygram i'd say that the label would have been eviscerated and sold as parts long before that. I stand behind what i said at the time when we turned down Danny Goldberg's pathetic take-over bid that i didn't see anyone there at the negotiations who gave a damn about Ska music. They just wanted the bottom line. I wasn't ready to sell the label to people like that, 2 million bucks and all. Well, the majors did get hold of ska, and now we are all dead."

Skanews : "After the end of Moon Ska USA, some people wanted to help you ?"

Bucket : "Nobody came forward with offers of financial help. I don't think i would have taken them anyway."

Skanews : "Bad time for indie music in U.S.A. ?"

Bucket : "yes, indie music is in a bad spot because indie distro is on the rocks. Also Napster kicked the shit out of small labels."

Skanews : "Moon Ska Europe still alive but what about Moon Ska Japn and Brazil ?"

Bucket : "Moon Ska Japan was closed a long time ago. Moon Ska Brazil still functions but on a very low level."

Skanews : "What about Ska music in the U.S.A. today ?"

Bucket : "Ska music is definitely not so popular now in the U.S.A. Many bands were jumping to swing, or emo, or punk rock. band wagon."

Skanews : "Lots of band told bad things about Moon Ska in their interviews."

Bucket : "I'm tired of hearing third hand gossip from people in bands who a) don't know what they're talking about b) are too full of shit to pick up the phone and call c) are too stupid to understand how the business works d) are so egotistical that they don't understand that the reason they got no money was that their record sucked and nobody bought it. many musicians think that as soon as they have a record deal all of a sudden it starts to rain money and they don't have to work any more. i lost respect for a lot of bands because they didn't know how to work, they only knew how to whine."

Skanews : "Do you want to re-start Moon in the future or built another label?"

Bucket : "I'll never resurrect Moon. another label is not out of the question but it won't be any time soon. Working with musicians is a head-ache because they don't understand business."

Skanews : "What about Moon Ska catalogue ?"

Bucket : "The Moon catalogue is all gone. If people want to pick up back catalogue you're going to have to dig for it."

Skanews : "Talk me about Toasters Euro tour last January and February"

Bucket : "The jan/feb Euro tour was really positive. Especially in England where the scene seems to have revivied on the ska punk tip. Croatia was great. How come there's not a good gig in paris? I don't understand that."

Skanews : "I don't understand that too ! Why your last Toasters record was out on Grover and not on Moon Ska Europe ?"

Bucket : "We have one more record with Grover. We signed that deal before there was a Moon Europe."

Skanews : "On witch label do you release the next Toasters album in the U.S.A. ?"

Bucket : "As for the next toasters album..i don't know yet. we are talking to people right now about possibilities, but we've made no decisions."

Skanews : "Can you talk me about the Toasters new website ?"

Bucket : "Toasters.org is our new website. Since there is no more Moon i wanted to have a good web presence. Jeremy is doing a great job with it. I can be reached at bucket@toasters.org.

Skanews : « Your plans for 2001 »

Bucket : "2001? hang out hahahaa. a few shows here and there, but i'm enjoying some time off. i've been on the road for 15 years straight. i'm not used to sleeping in my own bed. I'm having a good time hanging out with my kids and playing with The Toasters on a reduced schedule. We'll see what happens next."

Skanews want to thanks a lot Bucket for this interviews.

Interview released by J-Pierre Boutellier / Skanews.
The photos and scanning of all the images released by Jeremy Patton
www.offbeatunlimited.com
offbeatunlimited@hotmail.com

The Toasters website : http://www.toasters.org/

Moon Ska Europe Website : http://www.moonskaeurope.com/

Grover Records : http://www.grover.de/