Dogs Bollocks
By Christopher Duda
(SugarBuzz Toronto)
Live Photos by Fredy Villiger
SugarBuzz Magazine
DOGS BOLLOCKS
(the) dogs bollocks - a term used to denote something that is 'the best' or exceptional. eg "Daves new stereo is the dogs bollocks". Sometimes shortened to 'the dogs' or 'the bollocks' and often changed to similar sayings ie. 'the mutts nuts', 'the dogs danglies'
dog's bollocks
May be derived from being the opposite of cat's whiskers
Noun
dog's bollocks (plural only)
1. (plural only; not used in singular form, UK, vulgar slang) Something that is considered the best of its kind.
That new flat screen TV you bought is the dog's bollocks.
2. (typography, UK, vulgar slang) A colon followed by a dash (:—).
Synonyms
• (slang: the best): the bollocks, the dog's, the bee's knees, the bollocks (coarse slang), the business
1. Dogs Bollocks is made up of members of various other bands. How did the band come together? Wasn’t it initially just a side project?
St. Sebastian: Kid Kristal, Hede and I met up in a bar, drank some beer, went down to the rehearsal room and immediately clicked as if we’d been playing together for years. It felt good to rock together and it felt like the best thing all of us ever have done. So that’s how side projects become the center.
2. How would you describe your sound?
St. Sebastian: That’s always 
a hard one. We don’t try to sound like anybody but ourselves. So as we all come from different bands I guess the sound could be described as: Fucking Bitch Queen, Zamarro Beautiful
Kid Kristal: Straight in your face R'n'R. That's it!
Matt Rayas: I would call it, Moisty-Vaginas-Sound,
St. Sebastian: ...so you mean like squelch, pflotsh, shmatsh, flitsh...hmm well now that I think about it, that's exactly what we sound like.
Hede: Glam-Punk-Rock - it's a mix of all the stuff we like
3. How did Jack Endino come to show some interest in the band?
St. Sebastian: We know him he likes us!
Kid Kristal: Ask Hede for this one.
Hede: I got in contact with Jack Endino, because LUNAZONE were looking for a producer/engineer for their upcoming album in 2000. I was doing the label and some management-stuff for them at that time. Why not try to get in touch with some-one like Endino? The result was that Endino recorded and produced the “Rockahula”-album of LUNAZONE.
At the time when LUNAZONE split up, me and Markus started ZAMARRO (the band was first called ZORRO (but then we had some problems concerning the name, so we changed into ZAMARRO).
We sent Jack our demos and asked him to record an album with us. He was into it – so we did, and as we were having so much fun we
did the second one (“The Beast is on your Track) with him too.
Then we started with DOGS BOLLOCKS – and for sure I was going to sending him our demo. His answer: “If you can come to Seattle “I’ll do the album””. Yeeha
4. Why did Giusy Ariniello leave the band in 2010?
St. Sebastian: • We knew him, we hate him! No no no only joking. He basically felt like he wasn’t putting as much in the band as we were, and
that he wasn’t as committed as we were. And he didn’t want to become a
burden. So yeah: get out before you get kicked out!
Kid Kristal: I think because he's a pussy...studying instead of playin' in a band...pfff
5. How was Matt Rayas chosen as the new singer?
St. Sebastian: • We heard him and were blown away. What a fucking mountain of a voice. And he’s a fucking nice guy as well.
Kid Kristal: One phone-call + one rehearsal = a new fucking good singer. Sometimes it can be so easy...
6. What has reaction been to the new cd “New Saints”?
St. Sebastian: • as we are very proud of our new record we are please
that loads of other people also think that the record is the dogs
bollocks, or the bees knees ! Yes the record has received the high praise
and love it fucking deserves
7. Who influences you musically? I hear Motorhead influences in your music. Are they influential to the band?
St. Sebastian: Again we are very different, all of us, so there’s loads of different influences kicking around and sometimes an influence like Motörhead wins the songwriting battle and sometimes Alice Cooper or Iron Maiden
Kid Kristal: I think it's different for everyone in the band. My influences are the Stooges, Dead Boys, MC5 and some newer stuff like the Hellacopters, Backyard Babies and The Datsuns.
Matt Rayas: Once someone said are characters aren`t homogeneous at all. And I agree with that, we all have a different taste of music. So I think it`s not possible to say which freaking band influences our sound the most.
Hede: We listen to a load of 
new (and also older) releases in the van. Sometimes everyone's into it - sometimes not ...!
8. What is the musical landscape of Switzerland?
St. Sebastian: • Fucking barren! A desert with very few watering holes, one of them is, thank fuck, Basel.
Kid Kristal: Mr. Sebastian is right. There are not many good bands here in Switzerland. A lot of "Indy"-Shit and crappy Pop bands...we've got the problem today that everyone thinks he can play in a band...the next problem is that they don't start a fucking punk band with three chords. No, they want to sound like Coldplay...terrible.
Matt Rayas: Just like a vacuum cleaner, it sucks.
Hede: The mainstream in Switzerland really sucks, but there are also a few good bands like THE VIBES, PORNOLE, THE REDNECK ZOMBIES and others. There are some great metal-bands around like GURD, CORONER (they just did a reunion), SLUDGE.
9. Any tales of debauchery, sin, lust, sex and goat fucking virgin killers from hell?
St. Sebastian: A rock’n’roll gentleman enjoys and keeps his fucking mouth shut!
Kid Kristal: I`m not quite good in 
remembering but I`m sure there were some great ones.
10. Whom have you shared the stage with and whom would you love to share the stage with?
St. Sebastian: We don’t like to share the stage - we like to dominate it.
11. Was punk ever important to any of you musically?
St. Sebastian: • oh yes indeedy! Not just musically. but don’t forget what was called punk was a very diverse music scene from bands like the clash, to the damned, siouxsie and the banshees, new york dolls, dead kennedys or the ramones, man that’s some very different music, but what was the link or glue if you like that kept the scene together and which is so very important in influencing us?
The fucking attitude, that's what!
Kid Kristal: A good song has three chords...sometimes four...that's how it is!
Two examples: Looking at you - MC5 - 2 chords and Blitzkrieg Pop - Ramones - 4 chords
Hede: That was the music I started with - and I'm still into it. Straight forward - just let it go...
12. Are there plans to play or crack North America?
St. Sebastian: • Yeah you best be aware! No seriously we are hoping that at the beginning of next year to come over and play some shows and drink your pisswater….eh…beer
Hede: If we find some label who can help us get the album "officially released" in USA, we hope to be on the road in the homeland of Rock'n'Roll soon.
13. What is your drink of choice?
St. Sebastian: • At the moment expensive rum or Pernod
Kid Kristal: Gin Tonic
Matt Rayas: Laski Matti (Beer with Aperol)
Hede: Beer – and sometimes a Säntis Malt (an excellent Swiss Wisky)
14. What gear to
you use?
St. Sebastian: Full steam ahead...oh now I get it you mean equipment. Well I play a fender jazz over an old sunn amplifier which I love, and of course an 8x10 ampeg fridge!
Kid Kristal: Marshall JCM Slash
Fender Twin Reverb - 1978
Orange OTR 120 (for the studio, I use this one live with the Bitch Queens)
Orange & Marshall Cabinet
Gibson SG
Schecter Ultra III
Daguet Guitars (only in the studio - custom made guitars from my friend R. Daguet in Paris)
Hede: always the 5th!
(Drums: Tama, Paiste (Made in Switzerland), EVANS-Heads)
15. How does the second record differ than the first “Smokin”?
St. Sebastian: • a part from the obvious: different singer. I believe we have, on the new record, really found our style and found our sound. New Saints is the first through and through Dogs Bollocks album.
16. How was the 
name for the band chosen?
St. Sebastian: • Basically it was an arrogant joke! And arrogance is always cool in rock’n’roll and canines are also!
17. Who gets the most groupies in the band?
St. Sebastian: I do! Well I guess Melchior, matt and hede’s answers are the same!
Kid Kristal: St. Sebastian gets the most...but they're all fat, old and ugly. So it's easy for him to win this competition.
Matt Rayas: Yeah that`s true St.Sebastian wins in quantity but I win in quality (sometimes).
Hede: Yea, St. Sebastion - he is the "King of Moonshine-Babies"!
18. Parting thoughts?
St. Sebastian: Keep up the good work. It’s us against the rest of the world and the world can go and fuck itself! Cheers
