Californian band Rufio were recently in the UK supporting legends The Offspring, along with The Start (see interview section.) I got the chance to talk to front man Scott, guitarist Clark, drummer Mike and bassist Jon before the gig at the Manchester Carling Apollo. Cue Clark nearly falling asleep on the sofa, Jon playing guitar and a lot of laughing from a slightly hyper, beer-filled Scott. Read on if you want, but whatever you do, make sure you jam out and have fun!

How are you and how did you come to be supporting The Offspring?

Scott: We're good, thanks.
Jon: Cold!
Mike: Well, Dexter, the singer for The Offspring, owns our label and so I think that was the main reason.
Scott: And The Start.
Mike: Yeah, The Start are on Nitro Records as well.

Are you all fans of The Offspring?

Everyone: Yeah!
Scott: We are definitely fans of The Offspring.

Did you know them before this tour?

Scott: No, not really. We've sort of met the rest of the band, we just haven't met the singer.
Jon: And Chris Higgins.
Scott: Oh yeah, Chris Higgins, the best man in the world! (laughs)

Will you be sticking around afterwards to watch their set?

Clark: Oh yeah, definitely.
Jon: For sure.
Scott: Yeah, I can't wait to see them play.

Do you manage to do that at every gig you play?

Scott: Yeah, it's great getting to watch all the bands.

Are the venues you play over here a lot different to the venues you play usually?

Mike: These are huge venues!
Scott: Yeah! It's cool. The places we play usually aren't big enough to do all that crazy shit on stage.

Have you been to the UK before?

Scott: Yeah.
Jon: This is our second time here.

What do you think of it?

Jon: It's great!
Scott: It's horrible! I hate it!
Clark: It's a horrible country.
Scott: Nah, I love it, it's cool.

Apart from the weather..?

Scott: True! The weather's horrible here. When you come from California...(laughing from the other band members), seriously!
Jon: It's too cold!

What would you say are the big differences between the US and the UK?

Scott: Weather, speech...(laughs).
Clark: Architecture.
Scott: Architecture, hugely.
Jon: And you guys have a Queen. (Silence). And we...don't. (Lots of laughing.)

Do you find it difficult to understand what some people are saying if they come from somewhere with really strong accents?

Mike: Once in a while.
Jon: Scottish people, sometimes, yeah.

And you're going to Scotland this tour..?

Jon: Yeah we've got London twice after this and then we go to Scotland.

What do you think of London?

Jon: It's cool, it's fun.
Mike: I like it.

Do you get the time to walk around and check everything out?

Jon: Last time we didn't, but we've got two London shows coming up so I think we'll have some time to look around.

So you like doing the whole sight-seeing thing?

Scott: Yes. We still haven't really had the chance to go sight-seeing and stuff, we just get to, like, drive through everywhere.

So are you only over here for the gigs or do you get some spare time?

Scott: Pretty much just for the shows. I wish we had more time, because I want to see everything; take some pictures, be a tourist.

You've toured with a lot of famous bands. Are there any tours that stand out for any reason?

Scott: I think the Taking Back Sunday and Brand New tour was the most fun tour ever.
Mike: Yeah, that was really fun.
Scott: It was cool because we all got along and just hung out all the time. That was 45 days and we got to know them really well. Good times!

Have you got any funny tour stories you could tell us?

Scott: We don't really get that many crazy stories to tell.
Jon: We're not that exciting!
Scott: Yeah, all of our stories would be like this: "We're sitting backstage,"
Mike: "And Clark spilled his beer."
Scott: Yeah! "And Clark spilled his beer and we're like, "Woah!! Don't tell your Mom!"" Nothing really ever happens to us.
Jon: Oh, except for Mike driving us into a ditch! (Laughing)
Clark: In the snow. We were already in Canada.
Jon: Yeah and then he had to go and frigging drive us into a ditch! We were sleeping, fell off our seats. It was great.
Scott: I think we were still asleep while we were in the ditch.
Jon: Yeah, it was like 6 o'clock in the morning, it was amazing.

Do you find being on tour a lot very hard or do you just get on with it?

Scott: I think you just get used to it.
Jon: Yeah, get used to the smell.
Mike: Yeah, in fact, you kind of become the smell.
Jon: (Laughing) Yeah, Who are we? We are the smell.
Scott: (Also laughing) It's so true, though!
Clark: Yeah, we're contributing to the depletion of the OZone layer through our bodies.
Scott: I don't understand, don't listen to him!

Is there anything you can't do without when you're on tour?

Scott: (Cough) SEX! (Cough.)
(Lots of laughing from everyone.)
Scott: I'm just kidding! (Lots more laughing.)
Jon: I was thinking it, he said it! (Still more laughing)
Scott: (Trying to stop laughing). Ok, I'm fine! (More laughing.)
Jon: Sleeping in a real bed!
Mike: Without, like, another one of these guys lying next to you!
Scott: (Laughing) I actually curled up with Clark last night, I think! (More laughing.) When I was on tour one time I was sleeping and this guy (indicating Mike) had his wiener out! Sleeping right next to me! (Crazed laughing.)
Clark: Gi-gan-tic!
Scott: (Trying to stop laughing again) Yeah, I put it away for him! (Starts laughing again.)
Mike: Did I ever thank you for that?
Scott: No, you didn't!
Mike: Thanks, man.
Scott: No problem, dude! I got your back!

How did you end up signing to Nitro Records?

Jon: Basically they came to see us play and we said, "Hey, we need a label."
Scott: "Sign us up!" Yeah basically they came to see us play at Chain Reaction.
Clark: Yeah, Chain Reaction, like they know what that is!
Scott: Oh yeah, this famous club!

How long have you been signed to the label?

Jon: About 3 years, I think.
Scott: Wow! I was about to say, "almost 2 years!"

And how long have you been a band for? How did you join?

Mike: About 4 years.
Scott: Yeah, we all went to the same high school. We started out jamming and having fun and now we're just...jamming and having fun!

What kind of music do you like listening to?

Jon: Metal!
Scott: Lots of metal, lots of rock.
Jon: Seriously, I've been listening to so much Elton John lately, though.
Scott: Yeah. I've been listening to really random, stupid rock lately.
Clark: What's stupid rock?
Scott: (Laughs) Like, Bryan Adams! Skid Row.
Clark: Skid Row is not stupid!
Scott: True, true!
Jon: Bryan Adams is not stupid!
Scott: (Laughs) Alright!


What advice would you give to someone just starting out in a band?

Scott: I dunno...have fun. Make lots of friends.
Clark: Jam and have fun!
Scott: (Laughing) Yeah, jam out and have fun! I dunno...make friends, have a good time. (Silence) Jam out. (Laughing.)

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Clark: Shall I just answer this for you!
Scott: (Laughing) Jam out and have fun! And make friends!
Mike: Wear condoms.
Scott: (Laughing) My Mom told me to wear condoms!
Clark: She actually packed condoms for him.
Scott: You know what she said to me before this tour? She said, "Don't make out with any girls who have sores on their lips!" And I was like, "Mom! That's gross!" (Laughs) Yeah... (Realises no one else is really laughing). Yeah...I have a weird Mom.

How do you start writing songs?

Clark: Don't say it!
Scott: We just...(laughs) jam out and have fun! No, we just kind of work off each others ideas, I guess. Just kind of work it out. (Silence) And jam.

If you could meet anyone famous, dead or alive, who would it be?

Scott: Anyone famous?
Jon: Dead or alive?
Clark: Marco Polo.
Scott: Just so I could see who the man from the pool game is! I don't really have many idols...Elvis would be cool!
Clark: He's dead.
Scott: Yeah, but it would be cool, man!
Clark: (Firmly) He's DEAD!
Scott: You're right.
Jon: Woody Allen.
Mike: Lucille Ball.
Clark: What do you mean, Lucille Ball?!
Scott: You know what would be kind of cool? John Lennon.
Jon: Yeah, George Harrison for me.

Have you got a new CD coming out anytime soon?

Scott: We're recording in June.
Mike: Hopefully it'll be out like, October or something.

How long does it take you to set down the tracks?

Scott: Probably like a month, a month and a half. Something like that. It takes a long time to write the music, though. We're like, writing now for it.

Do you ever have any arguments about what you're going to do?

Scott: Never. Never happens. (Laughing) We never argue.
Clark: We're best friends forever.
Scott: (Laughing) No, we all actually hate each other and we argue all the time.
Jon: We're not planning any murders right now.

What have you got planned after this?

Clark: American headlining tour.
Jon: Yeah, we're actually home for about a week and a half and then we go and tour the US for pretty much all of April, then we'll have a month off.
Scott: Then we'll record.
Jon: Then we'll have a couple of weeks off, maybe. Then we do Warped Tour.

Do you think you'll be coming back to the UK anytime?

Jon: Hopefully. Mike: We'll probably come back after the new CD comes out.

Finally, is there anything else you'd like to say?

(Silence.)
Scott: (Laughing) I'd like to say...
Jon: What do you want to say Scott? Just tell her!
Scott: I don't really know, man!
Mike: Erm...
Scott: I like guys.
Mike: OK, he likes guys.
Scott: (Laughing) That's what I'd love to say! That's important.

Thanks a lot to the guys for taking time out from their jamming out and having fun to answer my questions! You can find out more information at www.rufiomusic.com.