Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
Norwegian stoner/punk rock outfit Bokassa have been generating fans all over the world thanks to touring, including being support for Metallica and their brand new record All Out Of Dreams. Olav Dowkes, the band’s drummer, was kind enough to spend some time rolling the Dice with us for our latest interview.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the release of All Out Of Dreams. What can you tell us about yourself and your sound?
We are Bokassa from Norway, we have been a band for going on eleven years and have in that time played everything from basements in Norway’s to stadiums in Europe, and everything in between. Our sound encapsulates the best elements of our favorite types of music and blends them together to make a catchy, riffy, heavy and exciting sound that’s both unique and uncompromising.
What have been some of the most memorable moments (most unexpected, weirdest or best) you’ve experienced as musicians?
Touring with Metallica was both unexpected, weird and the best thing to ever happen to us as a band, so that’s really the only correct answer to that question.
We’ve all got a few. What are your biggest regrets: A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?
I mean during our decade of touring we certainly haven’t always had the caliber of professionality from certain crew members that one would like, and in one case that cost us dearly, but then again it taught us that some people shouldn’t be trusted with certain responsibilities. Leaving ourselves too little time for a layover in Frankfurt so we missed our plane home is a regret, thus throwing us into a hellish purgatory of not knowing when Lufthansa would find a plane for us. Having to spend three days in an airport unsure about what is going to happen or if we are making it home at all is not something I would wish on anyone, maybe except for a certain previous crew member.
What album or band or significant singles made you go “Yeah, this is what I want to do” Not just an influence but who or what was the catalyst? On the flipside to that one… Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?
I guess drumming-wise there are always new bands/drummers that inspire me, either with their approach to beats or fills. JP Gaster from Clutch is certainly one that comes to mind, and Joey Castillo from everything from QOTSA to The Bronx and Circle Jerks, and Danzig, Vinnie Paul is also a major influence on my playing, and Ginger Baker, and Bill Ward, and Neil Peart, and Bill Bruford, and Jon Theodore, and Dave Lombardo, and probably a hundred others, haha!
I guess if your readers are unfamiliar with any of those bands or drummers go and listen!
Not to put the cart before the horse, what’s next for BOKASSA now that the record is in people’s hands?
We’re just getting started on the release-tour for our new album All out of Dreams this weekend, and will be touring that until the start of summer, and then doing festivals all around Europe after that, so if you’re in the area come and check us out!
Was there anything we missed or that you’d like to put more focus on?
I reckon that covers it, give us a listen and see if we’re your cup of tea, and follow us if we are. We have some cool studio-footage from the recording of our new album that showcases our humor and inward facing rage when making mistakes.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
