Fixin up some insulin with the DIABETICS

This interview is well over a year old, in fact the band ain't even together no more, but ignore that fact and read on...

Who does what in the band?
Dee Soto - Bass, Vocals
T. Depression - Guitar, Vocals
The Fuhrer of the new Wave - Drums

Are there any diabetics in the Diabetics?
Yessir...Dee is a full-fledged Diabetic...shootin' up an' shit. The Fuhrer and I are working towards it, with our terrible eating/exercise habits and all.

When did the band start?
The Diabetics started (somewhat half-assed) at the beginning of 2002. The band got off to a really slow start, so Dee and I decided to do a radio show together while we were waiting for the band thing to get going. We did the radio show, which evolved into the zine...and somewhere along the line...The Diabetics started to come together too. Our first actual show was March 2003.

What are the band’s main influences besides PCP?
The Diabetics are a bit of a mixed bag...you take all the shit that we've listened to over the years and mix it up...then try to play that shit-mix with a minimal understanding of our instruments. What do you get? Punk-rock. We've got alot of 70's punk and 80's hardcore in there...some garage and power-pop undertones. We've been compared to The Gears, The Weirdos, The Angry Samoans, Zero Boys and even Supercharger...probably not very good comparisons though, 'cause people don't know shit!

Any releases coming soon?
We've got a buncha stuff planned for spring. We'll have a CDEP and an ultra limited 7" out in April...and we've got another 7" in the works, due out shortly after that.

How is the scene in Calgary?
The Calgary scene is pretty shitty...not many cities you CAN'T say that about. Lotsa bands jumping on the Rawk bandwagon five years too late, tons of indie rock garbage, and some juvenile, fashion punk shit. Things are looking up, but there's no where near enough variety in bands in this town. I mean, there's like a million people here...why can't we have ONE good garage band...or power-pop band...or ANYTHING interesting. That being said, there are some decent bands. The Von Zippers, The Forbidden Dimension, The Fake Cops, The Ex-Boyfriends, and the Anti-Social Club are some of my faves.

What are yer fave 3 Canadian punk records?
Top 3...shit..I dunno... I spin these the most though: Teenage Head - "S/T" Arson - "7" Demics - "Talk's Cheap" 12"

Better genre: powerpop or hardcore?
That's a toughie...I grew up on hardcore...and there are some great 80's hardcore records...but I fucking LOVE a good powerpop record. I'm split down the middle...I mean, at DJ nights, I play The Asexuals, Zero Boys, Agression, The Freeze and Negative Approach, beside The Zippers, The Beat, The Shivvers, The Tremors and 20/20. Great music is just GREAT music...regardless of genre, it's all punk-rock to me.