ALL AGES met up with Madcap bassist Lee (L) and lead singer/guitarist Johnny (J) backstage at the Metro in Chicago. They played an amazing show making me think I was at a Clash show at times, espicially when they covered "Police on My Back." The bill featured all Victory acts (Catch 22, River City Rebels, and Count The Stars) which we found ironic. Madcap was the only band not on Victory on the tour. ***NOTE***As of May 2003 Madcap signed with Victory Records. Go Figure!!! See the review of their latest Side One Dummy release "East To West" in our review section.

1. Who are your influences?

J - Wow there are so many. I am just glad that we can't name all of them.

L- This changes from day to day really. Right now I am listening to Tom Petty, U2, The Clash, Elvis, Eddy Grant.

2. Do you think the punk rock scene is good or bad right now?

J - Good. I can say that this is the one style of music that never really goes away.

L - It's not good, not bad. It becomes popular then becomes unpopular, then does it all again.

3. How does a punk band in LA go about getting noticed?

J - We just played a lot of shows and didn't wait around for anything.

L- We put out our own stuff too. This way if a label was interested we still had stuff of our own and if not we still had stuff of our own

4. Were any other labels interested in signing you guys?

J - There were a couple and even some majors were approaching us. Side One just seemed like the bands and were more into for the music ratehr than the money.

L - It is a very tough industry to get into, and you have to look out for your own interests when you are signing with a label.

5. Who are your favorite bands to play shows with?

J - Bouncing Souls, Mest.

L - Briggs, Catch 22, and so far it is looking like the River City Rebels may get added to this by the end of this tour.

6. What band alive or dead would you love to play with?

J - Wow there are so many. It would be an allstar band. Joe Strummer and Bruce Springsteen on guitar and vocals,Pete Townsend on lead guitar, Keith Moon on drums, Flea on bass, and V. Ruggiero from the Slackers on keyboards. Madonna would have to be doing something and Elvis Costello would have to be there for some reason too.

L - And Sting can open the show, but only with the Police otherwise he can't play.

7. What was the best part of LA's local scene?

L - There was a surge of underground punk bands and it seemed like everyone always came out to the shows and knew that no matter what bands were playing it was going to be a good time.

8. Do your prefer to play a club or festival type gig like Warped?

J/L - Clubs

9. Is a live show or album more important to the advancement of the career of a band?f>

J- A Live show

L - Album, you can have a good album but when you try to play live can't do it

J- I guess it's 50/50 really, they play off of each other.

10.What is your definiton of selling out?

L - Hypocricy is. Think like if a band is all about anti drugs or whatever and then goes out there and supports drugs all of a sudden.

J - I would say that it is a band who rags on other bands for being on the radio or whatever when that's really all they want to do to.

11.What do you think about downloading?

L - I am all for it. I think the music industry needs a shakeup like this. I mean it only costs a dollar or so to make an album and then certain places charge 20 bucks. This is good for the industry because it needs to change it's ways. I say download all you want to just come out to the shows if you like what you hear and buy a shirt or something. Bands don't make money on albums anyways they make it on tour.

12. What was the first punk song you ever heard?

J - Out of Step by Minor Threat.

L - I saw S Fest when i was like 5 or 7 or something and the Clash played and i was like this is cool, but when i actually knew what punk was it would have to be something by 7 Seconds.

13. If you can be on any television show which would you want to be on?

J- Saturday Night Live or Conan

l - Saturday Night Live.

14.What about the punk scene attracted you to it?

J- The unity of it

L - It was like wow fuck my parents, fuck school, fuck everything. It was that freedom to choose things that made me get into it.

15. Which LA band do you think will hit mainstream next?

J - No idea really. There is not many I am into right now because I am always on tour. I know of some signed bands that are good out of LA like The Briggs and One Man Army.

L - Sugarcult has already hit mainstream other than them and the Briggs I have no idea. We have been on tour for like 3 straight years.

16. If Madcap was no more what would you be doing instead?

J - I would be my own boss with whatever i decided to do.

L- I would be in another band.

17. What do you miss the most about home while you are on tour?

J - Nothing much really. I mean i just got to go to the top of the empire state building which i couldn't have done if i was home.

L - My bed, my toilet, and my girlfriend. At the empire state building i picked up Johnny and hung him over the side railing. Security wasn't too happy about that, but i think we got a few pictures that we will be putting on our website.

18. What do you do inbetween gigs in your van?

J - Play guitar, watch tv, and listen to music pretty much

L- We have a DVD player now and we just got done watching U2's "Rattle and Hum."

19. What CD is currently spinning in your CD Player?

L - Tom Petty

20. What is it like when a kid comes up to you and tells you that you're the reason they started their band?

J - That's the best compliment in the world.

L - When you can do for some kid what your influences did for you there is a no better feeling than that.