We are Keith Morris and Dimitri Coats from the punk rock band OFF! Ask Us Anything!

AmA about to have a nervous breakdown my head really hurts.

Astro_Zombie.......my stomach hurts too!

[deleted]

vincenzodlf..........I can't speak for ginn nor can I even start to imagine what's going on inside his head. It's certainly a powertrip and I do know that he hates Henry because Henry is successful. Detroit's going to be a total BLAST!

Isn't Mike Valelly a pro skater? And is that one dude like 12? Looks like 3 dudes with their grandfather.

SomeGuyInChicago.........yes Mike V is an INSANELY great skateboarder and as for the other guys I know ab-so-lute-ly nothing about them.

Hey guys. Thanks for doing this AMA.

What non-punk bands are your major influences?

BEATLES, STONES, WHO, KINKS, DEERHUNTER, SHINS, GUIDED BY VOICES, ALICE COOPER BAND, DEEP PURPLE and a large army of others.....

Keith, how often do you get fans of The Germs asking for a 'Germs Burn'?

Emmmet i've been asked a few times but I don't give them as I feel that these scars should be limited to people who actually were there while Darby was alive. I received my burn from Darby as we developed a friendship over a coupla' years........ Keith

Question for keith- how did the whole voice acting for GTA 5 come about?

iNOS.........i've done a little bit of "Voice-Over" work and the guy who was in charge of aquiring music and actors/artists for voices is a fan of all of the stuff i've done! Cheers, Keith

Keith, as a diabetic, how do you maintain a decent diet while on the road?

SenorBone........I try to adhere to eating every 4 hours and consuming the healthiest food possible, it's tough! Keith

Why is Greg Ginn such an insufferable douche?

Thorax_Impales I can't speak for ginn but I do know that it has something to do with him thinking he's immortal, bullet proof and can't be fucked with. It's really tragic as the dude was at one time one of the coolest people i've hung with! Keith

Hey guys! Huge fan.

I have a couple of questions.

1. (For you both) you've both been in some pretty big bands during your careers. Are there any opportunities that you haven't gotten until being in OFF!?

2. (For dimitri) I see you worked with some members of Pearl Jam not too long ago. What was it like and what info can you give us?

3. (For Keith) you and I have a few mutual friends, with one of them being the late and great Bill Bartell of White Flag. During your time in Black Flag, how did you react to his band essentially parodying you guys as well as many other bands in the scene at the time? Any stories you can share?

Thanks for being such great guys. Saw you at Amoeba Berkeley 2 years ago for my birthday and you were all incredibly sweet. I'll be seeing you again in NJ for my birthday this year! You guys are incredible and I love all that you do.

1. Well i've been inna' couple of popular "Punk" bands and early on the opportunities were slim to none. One of the things i've learned being through everything i've gone through is that if a really great opportunity presents itself you've gotta' go for it depending on who is making it! It might not be there tomorrow as there are so many bands and so much competition! I'll say that since i've been in OFF! i've travelled and played more shows in foreign places, done more interviews with people in places I could never imagine going to and we just finished shooting what has to be about our 7th or eighth video. I've never been this busy! KEITH
   1. BILL BARTELL R.I.P. is carrying on wherever he's at just the way he was when he was here! STUD PRINCE RAWKER! As for how I reacted to WHITE FLAG's parodying BF all I can say to this is that i've never lost my sense of humor, always gotta' kick out of what he and they did and will love Bill forever for this! KEITH

1. I recorded for a week in Seattle with Matt & Ben from Soundgarden and Alain Johannes (Eleven, QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures). It was a total blast. Amazing musicians and people. We're doing more at the end of the month. It's a super creative and fun project. -Dimitri

jadesaddiction........HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Love your albums. Is there any chance of a future OFF!/Descendents tour?

We've talked about it. Hard for Descendents to tour because of Milo. We're toying with the idea of doing Descendents/OFF! on weekends and OFF!/ALL during the week.

Hey everyone! This was fun. Thanks! Now we have to run and get ready for tomorrow! New album and tour! Here we go! Signing OFF! Head to http://offofficial.com/ and join our mailing list! Later!

What are some of your favorite artists/albums/songs from the past couple years?

DEERHUNTER, TV ON THE RADIO, FUCKED UP, THEE OH SEES, TY SEGAL, JAY REATARD, COATHANGERS, MEN, BLEACHED, NO AGE, MIKAL CRONIN, HIGH ON FIRE, TAME IMPALA, POND, TURBONEGRO and many more! Keith

No question, just want to say the new record is pretty fucking rad. Nicely done.

Thanks man! We're stoked on it.

Hey Keith and the OFF! crew, thanks for the AMA! I have quite a few questions for you.

Keith:

Are there hard feelings between you and Greg Ginn?

In the song Jet Black girls, there is a lyric "my life was saved by Darby Crash". In an interview you said he stopped you from jumping out a van on a freeway. Care to elaborate?

How did you feel when "Six Pack" came out?

All of OFF!:

How did you guys come together, did you know each other prior?

What is the process for writing songs?

And please come to Wisconsin sometime!?

NoobiestRedditor, He filed an application for the HUMAN RACE and was denied! Darby grabbed a belt loop on my Levi's and kept me from jumping out of the car on the Santa Monica feeway.......I was completely drunk at 5 in the evening Fun song and at first I didn't really pay that much attention until Chuck Dukowski told me the song was them pointing their collective finger at me! Hey it's all good! We came together in large part due to the Circle Jerks making a terrible decision and leaving me no choice but to start OFF! with Dimitri, Steven and Mario. We all knew each other and there was no difficulty in creating this band. WE WERE ALL INTO THIS! Dimitri and I get together in my living room and he starts whamming on the guitar until we hear something that resembles a riff. While he's doing this i'm going through pages of lyrics, words or looking for lines that can start a set of lyrics. We'll hammer away until we have some flesh on the bones and then try to add hair and teeth. When this is accomplished we'll take a batch of songs into our rehearsal space learn them in a day or 2 and then record them for CD,cassette and vinyl! We are planning on MIlwaukee but we don't know when! Keith

What's the craziest thing that ever happened at a gig?

The cops shut down our LA FFEPs record release party before it happened. Said they'd take our gear if we played a note. They'd heard about it and were ready for us. There was a line around the block. We scrambled fast, found another spot, and told the crowd to head over there. The show must go on.

Keith, you are one of my heroes and a punk legend in my eyes. Thank you for doing this AMA and I have a very important question to ask you:

I have a ticket to see you on May 16 in Philly and I was wondering if the band would like to grab a few beers after the show?

postrock47 a couple of them like an adult beverage or 2 but imma' Diabetic and have to get my rest. I'm sure they'd take you up on this but I can't promise anything as all sortsa' stuff happens after we're through playing! Cheers, Keith

What do you think of other genres of punk, such as folk punk?

If folk punk resembles the genius of a young Bob Dylan, we're all for it. As for categories, we don't really pay attention. Hard to keep up. We just do what we do and dig the bands we like, regardless of genre.

How's Raymond Pettibon doing?

Grungeallaround, I'd imagine he's doing well as he's living in NYC and hopefully we'll get to hang out when OFF! plays the Bowery Ballroom inna' few weeks.........

Our visual 5th member is good. Talked to him the other day. Lives in NY now. Miss him being in LA. Used to hang out at his studio and play wiffle ball. He has a mean curve!

What do you think on Anthony Kiedis's OFF! hat?

It's great. We've sold a lot of hats!

Anthony Kiedis from RHCP wears a hat with your logo a lot. I'm guessing you guys get along pretty well, so I was wondering what's your history with them?

muffinman744, Anthony and Flea are very close friends of mine as i've known them before the RHCPs! Flea played in an incredible band called WHAT IS THIS? who I witnessed at a small bar downtown L.A. with THE FLESH EATERS and an insansely bitchen' band from Australia called THE LIPSTICK KILLERS. Did you know that Flea was also a member of FEAR and the CJs and also could've been in P.I.L.? Keith

Hey, guys. Wasted Years sounds amazing. Who do I have to bribe to get OFF! to play a show in Dayton, OH? I am willing to offer as many as TWELVE cold beers. Also, my band New Regrets--fronted by the legendary Ed Pittman of Toxic Reasons--can open.

In conclusion: beer + old school punk = Dayton. Make it so.

We're totally into playing the land of GBV! One of our favorites! On our list!

Hi Keith and Dimitri, thanks for coming to do an AMA. I've recently started getting into a lot of punk rock/hardcore stuff, OFF! being one of them. You guys are probably have a better idea of what other kinds of bands to check out with the same type of groove - what other stuff you suggest to check out?

Are there any plans to release a cover/originals album with Flag?

First THANK YOU for coming to do an AMA! Rather than tell you about bands of our "Genre" i'll just list bands I listen and keep an open mind as i'm not a "Punk" or a "Hardcore"! SHINS, ALICE COOPER BAND, KINKS, WHO, CAREER SUICIDE, FUCKED UP, BRUTAL KNIGHTS, THEE OH SEES, CRAMPS, TY SEGALL, DEEP PURPLE, GUIDED BY VOICES, BLACK SABBATH, NO AGE, BREEDERS, REDD KROSS/RED CROSS, FLEASH EATERS, ALLEY CATS, BAGS, DILS, AVENGERS, WEIRDOS, MIDDLE CLASS, TV ON THE RADIO, NEGATIVE APPROACH, X, KILLING JOKE and I could go on for another hour but can't as there's too many people on here! Keith

Is it harder to keep constantly tour as you get older? Is it harder or easier to embody a DIY ethic within music in todays day and age or say 30 years ago?

Touring at our age can be tough. 3 of us are dads. We start to miss our kids after a couple weeks. Hard to say goodbye to a crying child. Once we're out there though, it's like being in free fall. We have a good time. People keep coming to the shows so it gives us a purpose and it's an amazing job to have. We still do things very DIY. Our hands are in everything.

[deleted]

ZAchAtTacK760.........No killing spree at Sea World! Those people don't matter in the big picture unless they're planning on releasing the creatures in captivity or starting a viable third party to oppose the republicans and democrats! I'm stressing as OFF! has a tour starting on Wednesday and there's all sortsa' crazy stuff flyin' around! Cheers and have fun, Keith

Mr. Morris, is it true you starred in a porno back in the day?

Mr. matthewmendoza.........i'm not well enough endowed to be prancing about dangling my doodad! Both Don Bowles the drummer from the GERMS and myself played a coupla' older characters in one of Dave Nazworthy's flicks but for us this didn't included any of the old in and out!

Keith! You're my favorite hardcore singer of all time!

1. At your age, does it ever become difficult to keep belching out screaming lyrics as you do on all OFF! records?

2. In your entire career singing, have you ever been scared that you might have lost your voice while singing at a show, or pushed it too far?

Thanks for this AMA, I will be seeing you tomorrow at Amoeba, on the 23rd at the Roxy and at Punk Rock Bowling! Keeping rocking!

punkrockirving, First off THANKS!!! Secondly the challenge at my 58 almost 59 years of age is being able to do this with Diabetes. I'm struggling with my Glucose levels so I have great days and then a few horrible days! I had a difficult time with "WASTED YEARS" as i'd developed a Lung infection so i'm OK now! Thirdly i've lost my voice onna' coupla' occasions but regained it with lotsa' water AND rest! Thanks for paying attention! Cheers, Keith

You guys are cool. I can't wait to see your Philly show on 5/16!

We love PHILDELPHIA! There is a great Taco restaurant about 2 blocks from the venue. I also totally dig on the basement of that Church! I lived and rehearsed inna' CHURCH! Keith

Pat's or Geno's?

What would you guys want to be doing with your life if you were not in bands?

We'd be movie stars or male prostitutes if that didn't work out.

..........or drive Ice Cream trucks!

Dimitri, will we hear more from the Burning Brides?

OFF! takes up most of my time these days and Melanie is a full-time mom. I'm working on a side-project with Matt & Ben from Soundgarden and Alain Johannes (Eleven, QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures). Brides fans will prob dig it. I sure do!

HUGE fan of everything you guys do. Stoked to be seeing you at Punk Rock Bowling in Vegas. I'm in a punk rock n roll band based out of Reno, Nevada called Donkey Jaw. Check us out. My question is to Keith. You have been touring almost your entire life. How do you like life on the road and how have you managed maintain the same level of energy you've had since day one all these wasted years?

Billbro-Baggins.........because of my health issues getting up and screaming my brains out is not only challenging but also envigorating! I love being on tour but can't do the get-in-the-van for 3 or 4 months at a time like it was in the early 80's. Cheers, Keith

[deleted]

vincezodif.........if there is i'm totally unaware of this situation due to the fact that I WAS a raging alcoholic! Keith

Why don't you come to N.Ireland?

We'd LOVE to make it to Ireland, not only to play but to check it out! We can only be gone on the road for a limited time away from our families. Not possible to hit every town. We'll get there someday!

Dimitri: when you're writing OFF! songs, are you writing within a framework or is it simply what comes natural? is it different than what you would come up with for previous projects like Burning Brides?

OFF! a more abbreviated and extreme version of what I was used to, like a quickfire challenge. We impose harsh deadlines on everything to create urgency. This kind of music shouldn't be over-thought. That being said, there's attention paid to song structure. It's more sophisticated than people may think.

[deleted]

Moonlightxxx.......I have noticed Raymond bashing Dave Markey and i'm completely puzzled by this! They were friends! Raymond has given Dave pieces of his artwork so i'm dumbfounded! I can't speak for Raymond as he' can be a very simple guy or insanely complex. Maybe he's going through some difficult times or having taken up the responsibilities of being a dad could have something to do with this. This is brutally difficult for me as they are both my friends! Raymond made me an offer that I don't need to take him up on unless it's an emergency! I wouldn't take advantage of him as both he and I have been through this..... I'm a vocalist just as Mick Jagger's not much of a singer but is a great vocalist! THANKS!!!!!

Keith - How the heck did the collaboration with Debbie Gibson happen?

Debbie was dating the CJs producer and showed up to the studio and it dawned on me to ask her to sing on one of the songs we'd just recorde!

First things first: Holy shit, you guys are absolutely crushing it! I'm an avid listener and have introduced a number of friends to your catalogue. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba and unfortunately haven't been able to catch you guys live yet. Is there anything your fans in cities you've not toured can do to persuade a visit? Also, how has it been getting to know the guys in Cerebral Ballzy and NASA Space Universe? Thanks and keep up the good work!

Thanks for the support! There are so many places we want to play. A tour of Canada should happen. We're working on creating more time for touring in our schedules. Until now, we've had to say no to some stuff. That is starting to change due to the demand and OFF! becoming a priority to the dudes in the band.

What do you think about new pop music (I mean crap like one direction or justin bieber).

PS Thaks a lot for doing this AMA ;)

We're fans of good songs. Beatles were a pop band. Greatest of all time. Today's pop is hard to stomach. Everything seems too American Idol. Don't pay too much attention.

What is the best advice ever given to you?

"Always wear a hard shell helmet" (Neil Peart responding to a fan letter from a very young Dimitri about bicycling)

Keith, I read that you filled in for Anthony Kiedis one night and basically improvised all of the singing. How did that come about?

Murtallica........I was fucked up outta' my mind! Anthony got busted for jaywalking and had an outstanding warrant for his arrest so they asked me to fill in for him. I didn't know any of their lyrics! We were outta' our heads! Cheers, Keith

Dimitri - Which do you prefer: the Mosrite Ventures or Univox Hi Flier? And have you played the Eastwood version of these guitars?

Univox all the way. I like Hi-Fyers better than real Mosrites. Something about the cheapness makes it resonate in a certain way I like. Sonic accidents!

Would either of you say you've mellowed out over time? Like do you all take it a lot easier than when you started?

Well, we certainly have more aches and pains but we just made our heaviest and most brutal album so no.

Hey guys, thanks for doing an AMA. I really hope I can catch your Toronto show in May :).

I've recently launched a social discussion community for music called sourced.fm with the hopes that by providing a place for localized discussions it'll help better connect local music scenes. Its still in a very early version, but we're going to pre-release any features as discussions so people can give feedback before we add features and help us build it and keep it flying straight.

With that said, what is something you feel is lacking from local music scenes that could help local artists develop into working musicians if it were better facilitated? I know its been a while since any of you have had to be considered a "local band", but having developed your own success I'm sure you have a clearer perspective on the shift and what's missing. I've seen a lot of great local artists fizzle and die because they weren't able to make that shift, and its become my goal to help make it easier so I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

Thanks again. I didn't realize you were doing an AMA so today just turned into an Off! day (ha!)

I think all of this boils down to DETERMINATION! I've seen brilliant bands and artists come and go..........FOLLOW YOUR HEART and PAY ATTENTION! I'd like to get deeper into this but i'm being asked to answer a large amount of questions in a very short time! Cheers, Keith

Let me say first off, I'm a huge fan. I love OFF! It gives punk life again. I'm really excited to see an AMA from the punk scene because it seems like something very rare.

What are your personal favorite records of all time?

Keith, when did you start your dreads?

ZeFroag, I'll stick with the first albums I purchased being; 1. THE BEATLES- "SGT. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND" 2. JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE- "ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?" 3. LED ZEPPELIN's first album 4. THE NAZZ- "THE FUNGO BAT SESSIONS" 5. CHUCK BERRY- "GOLDEN SESSIONS VOL.1" 6. THE ROLLING STONES- "LET IT BLEED" But this could all change tomorrow! I've grown dreads or the "Lazy white guy's hairdon't" for about 30 years? Cheers, Keith

Who is your favorite Black Flag singer besides yourself?

Shmantonio........I think Henry's better than Dezzo but not as good as Ron who is better than me but not as good as Henry who I personally think is better than myself but not as good as Dez who is better than Ron but if i'm the best and Henry's is as good as me doesn't that make him better than Ron who really isn't as good as Dezzo who is better than Henry but not as good as Ginn? Have you ever heard Ginn sing BF songs? He's the best!

Your lyrics are obviously somewhat politically motivated, do you guys subscribe to any specific political ideology? Anarchist or other, I don't judge.

anpass..........i'm not buying into "The Lesser Of 2 Evils" manure anymore as it turns out that the majority of them are making their bank accounts fat with money we've given to corporations. We need a "WORKING PEOPLE'S PARTY"! Keith

[deleted]

Melanie and I are pretty busy being parents and I'm slammed with OFF! I started a project with Matt & Ben from Soundgarden and Alain Johannes (Eleven, QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures). We recorded a bit last month and doing more in a few weeks. Really excited about it! Those guys are insane players!

Hey guys, I loved the Decline of Western Civilization concept for Void You Out... Are you planning on making any more comical music videos?

After "Void You Out" we released "Hypnotized" starring David Yow (Jesus Lizard) and Jack Grisham (TSOL) which is pretty entertaining: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iHFKmDRk68

An insanely ridiculous and epic video for "Red White and Black" is being edited now. Should be a hoot! Coming soon!

Do you get to do much record shopping while on the road? If so, where are some of your most favorite record shops?

I used to work at Philadelphia Record Exchange. Great store and people. Learned a lot from those heads. One of them is in a cool band called Strapping Fieldhands. -Dimitri

Do you guys enjoy playing the more fast and hard pumping songs like Void You Out, or the more dark and slow (but still chaotic) songs like Hypnotized?

A good tune is a good tune so we'll take what we can get from the well of inspiration. There are songs that translate better live. Usually the ones that get people moving around the most is what we stick to.

Why in the hell isn't your username "OFFicial"?

Already taken by the bug spray?

Question for Keith: what's your favorite personal memory in punk for the last thirty years?

bjclements.........that it's lasted this long! Singing "Roll Over Beethoven" with CHUCK BERRY!

Keith - how did Jerks on 45 come about?

Frajer i'm not really here to write about the CJs as that's for another time and place but I will say that I didn't get credit for coming up with that idea. One of our managers at the time took credit for something he had extremely little input on. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the CJ guys for providing me the chance to play with Dimitri, Steven and Mario as we've been having an AMAZING time and we're just getting started! Keith

Hey guys! Smitty from BlankTV checking in. We'd love to get some newer OFF! videos on the cannel. ANy chance you could lean on the Vice guys and get them to submit the new stuff? Cheers! Smitty

We'll let them know but give them a shout: [email protected]

How long did it take to record this?

We recorded the basic tracks for 19 songs in 2 days. All the 2nd guitar was done in one night. Keith's vocals took a couple days because he had a lung infection at the time.

Keith

Any chance at a Circle Jerks reunion?

I got the weirdest look when I was in High School for having a CJ sticker on my car.

Ericovich, Not now! Someone's supposed to be working the "12 STEPS" and we'll see what happens. In the meantime i'm INSANELY busy with OFF! and I will not do anything to impede our progress! Cheers, Keith

Erinovich.......I also spent over half of my life having my schedule dictated to me and now i'm free!

Hey Keith!

I saw the Circle Jerks back in the early 80s a few times when you came to New York during Golden Shower of Hits and Wonderful. Those were the best shows I've ever been to and I've seen all the big bands during that time.

Do you remember doing the Rock Palace show on television? How did the Jerks get booked on that and what was the reaction? It seems like most of the audience were expecting a heavy metal band.

We just lucked into that show! They being the people who booked and filmed it loved us for some weird fucked up reason. Maybe it was due to the fact that they wanted us to play 2 songs and we ended up playing 5 or 6? Cheers, Keith

So when is your first ballad going to be released, hasn't been an actual punk band since Black Flag.

There are 2 ballads on the new album, "Exorcised" and "You Must Be Damned." If you're gonna write a punk ballad, keep it evil.

Dmitiri what kind of pedal did you use on the first full lenth?

Hot Cake starting with "Panic Attack" and on everything else since.

Hey Keith when are you going to come play Polliwog Park again?

Al_Bundys_Gi, When the city of M.B. drains it, cleans it and replaces the black bog with some freash water! Keith

What's the future of punk rock?

Ketchup-Packet.........we can't really respond to this as we can't predict the future, don't own a Crystal Ball or read cards. I do know that we're going to continue doing this as long as it's challenging and FUN!

What are your guys' personal favorite songs on the new record? I myself love "Time's Not On Your Side".

Keep at it!!! Love you dudes.

I dig that one too but Keith is saying he doesn't wanna play it live for some reason. Maybe he doesn't want me to take too many solos. I'll try to change his mind!

Any cool memories from the set of REPO MAN?

They dressed us in those custom fit tuxedoes at 10AM on one of the hottest days of Summer AND didn't shoot our scene until about 11:30 at night. Of course our dressing room was the one without air conditioning and we'd been out until 4 or 5 in the morning doing drugs and drinking! We were completely miserable!

You guys are the best thing going right now! I just wanted to say that I was at the FLAG show in Toronto when I bumped into Dimitri watching the band. Dude you were sooo down to earth. We had a few second chat. You didn't even tell me off! when my drunken brain confused Your old band Burning Brides with High on Fire!!!! Can't wait to see you guys in May!

Ha. First time anyone has confused me with Matt Pike.

Why don't you guys do more all ages shows and why don't you guys ever come to cincinnati Ohio???

We always try to play all ages. Sometimes it doesn't work out in every city when we're routing a tour. We'll get to Cincinnati. Go Bengals!

Will you come to my birthday party?

Only if there's a bouncy castle.

For-Four-Fortnights........when? Where? Why? How? Because.........

One more thing I just wanted to say that I am a second generation fan of you keith and have been dying to see in concert ever since I had heard of the band thanks for the music and the work you did with rockstar in grand theft auto 5 (they finnaly put some good music in the game!!!!) I'm a 15 year old kid and live in Cincinnati if you guys come im sure I will be there and just to let you know I was a fan before the game came out

LRS30........THANK YOU!!!!!! Cheers and have fun, Keith

See you boys saturday

Right on! See you there!

[deleted]

16 songs in 23 minutes. "Hypnotized" is over 2 minutes long though. It's our "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." We have short attention spans just like everyone else these days. Better to get to the point. See you Sunday!