Could you please introduce yourself and tell what you do in the band?

We´re Combat 77 from the North of Germany, we play Oi! Music. The line up is Kirsten (vocals), Dole (guitar), Silvio (guitar), Hannes (bass) and Björn (drums). We got together in mid 2007. In 2008 we released our first album called „100% Oi!“ on Sunny Bastards (CD) and Contra Records (LP).

You're pretty young band, how did you get together? You still play in your other bands?

Kirsten and Björn from Hanover played in an Oi! / Streetpunk band called „Vendetta“ some years ago. When the band split up, they still wanted to do Oi! music, but did a band called „Annex5“ in the next years. The idea came back in 2007 so they asked Dole from Hildesheim who plays in „Riot Company“ to join a new project. A short time later the other guitar players joined in as well. In a quite short period of time, songs were made up and the first gigs followed. At the end of the year we recorded 4 songs in a studio in Hamburg and released it as a demo cd. After some label enquiries, Sunny Bastards and Contra Records accepted to release our first album.

How was the instant reaction to you, especially your first demo from last year?

Very positive, since a lot of people already know us from the various bands we did before. We even got some decent gigs straight away.

How was it to play at „Punk & Disorderly“ festival in Germany, with all those big names? Can you explain us the regular feeling of that festival, how does it look like, what is the best part of P&D fest, and what are the misadvantages?

It was great to get the opportunity to play on this festival. Unfortunately we arrived very late (because we totally got lost on our way to Berlin...) and arrived just in time to get on stage and nip the first beer. The sound of the first bands in general was a bit rough but got better throughout the evenings. We got treated fairly and it was good to watch all the other bands very close. One of the highlights surely was the 4 Skins gig later that night, the room was completely packed and there was a good and friendly mood in the audience.

However, he best part of Punk & Disorderly is not only to see bands but to meet up with friends and also to meet new people and party and have fun, and of course to drink Pfeffi (peppermind schnapps). Concerning famous bands you get to see live for the first time, it´s sometimes sad that it turns out that some of them are either a bunch of stuck-ups, assholes or don´t have anything to do with punk rock at all.

What can you tell me about your first album „100% Oi!“? How was it working with Greg as a producer? How are you satisfied by the support of both Sunny Bastards and Contra Records?

We recorded and mixed all the songs in 4 days in Hamburg. Our producer Greg (with whom we worked before on the Annex5 – Sex Rag album) was very relaxed and eager to give us the best sound possible. He is so patient when we are recording, it is unbelievable. Doing this kind of job would turn most people totally insane. Since we practiced the songs a lot before and made up our minds about various recording details, everything went on very smooth. We are very satisfied with the result, and the reviews are very positive.

(for Kirsten) How is it like for a girl to front the band that play such aggresive music at Oi!? Is the skinhead-girls scene strong in Germany? Any unwanted crowd reactions by now? If something like that happens to you, how would you handle the situation?

I have no problem with that. I just do my show with the guys and have fun. I´m sure the skinhead girls´ scene is pretty good, but I can´t say because I´m not a skinhead but a punk girl. No I don´t have any problems and if there are any I either ignore it, give them the finger of tell them to go and fuck themselves.

In your opinion, which are the best Oi! bands of all times? And which are the most underated punk rock bands around?

Best Oi! bands: „Cock Sparrer“, „The Business“, „Condemned 84“, „The Last Resort“, „The Adicts“, „Vice Squad“.

Most underrated bands: A lot of the early 80s England stuff that came around on Lightbeat Records, e.g. „Antisocial“, „Uproar“, „External Menace“. From later times: „Marching Orders“ from Australia and „The Aids“ from the UK.

How do you see underground / independent punk rock scene nowadays, especially in contrast to mainstream „alternative rock“ bands that are gaining a lot of media attention?

Nowadays the so-called „independent“ and „mainstream“ music machinery seems to mix a lot. Independent labels get the chance to work with bigger distributors, and mainstream labels struggle to keep the fan base of their bands alive. Since punk rock started to get big in the media in 1977, bands like „Sham 69“ or „Angelic Upstarts“ went on major labels like Polydor or Warner but were mostly dropped after the first wave of punk came to an end for the big press. It´s good that a great variety of independent labels exist, but sometimes their business deals or attitudes towards their bands is nearly the same as the major labels' behaviour.

There was grunge back in the nineties, alongside the big punk rock explosion with Green Day and The Offspring. Now it's emo / screamo / metalcore... What do you think is „next big thing“? Do you even care? Do you think the success of these bands in some way even helps the underground scene?

Yes, because there are a lot of people who don´t know anything about underground music so far. When they get the chance to listen to „kind-of“ underground sound on MTV they probably buy a punk album next time they visit a record store. As mentioned before, the so-called „sell-out“ began much earlier and didn´t do the underground any harm.

How is your local scene looking like? Any names that stick out from a bunch (bands / labels / zines / anything)?

There is a very good and friendly scene going on with punks and skins going to gigs and hanging out together. In Hanover we have Oi! punk bands like „Guts´n´Glory“ and „Lion Shield“, hardcore bands like „No Time left“ and grindcore bands like „Audio Kollaps“ and „Sanitys Dawn“. Labels are „Epistrophy“ and „Riot Connection Records“, cool record shops are „Rockers“ and „Wasteland“ in the Linden area.

Do you still get the „funny looks“ from „regular people“ just because you dress up and look different? In other words – is „punk look“ still alternative / frightening?

Society in general seems to get more accustomed to different looks these days. In the early 80s this was completely different. Normal people hated us, and this was a lot of fun. But it´s still worth dressing differently in order to show your way of life.

Can punks still make a change in this crazy world? If so – how? From within, or opposing the system directly? Or is it just another alternative lifestyle?

Being punk is still important these days because it is still the most secret threat of society. Punk has changed the system a lot and still will do. In contrast to some fashion lifestyles, punk has an attitude, that´s why so many older people are still around representing their punk way of life.

What do you personally listen to, apart from punk / Oi!?

Not much apart from this. Our bass player Hannes listens a lot to Psychobilly bands and we all sometimes shout some „Mallorca“ songs („Malle, Malle, Malle...“) in the car when we are on tour.

Who do you think is the most punk person, dead or living, without even being a punk, and why?

Harald Junke (R.I.P.) and Gunter Gabriel, two German entertainers, who always gave a damn about what their mainstream fan base thought of them. They got drunk on stage, made a lot of abuses and enjoyed life!

If there was only one day left for all of us at this planet, what would you do?

Get drunk and celebrate the last day on earth!

Any last words? What would be your message to the people who are gonna read this?

Cheers for the interview. I hope we get a chance to play in Croatia some day in the future. Prost!