For Sale: Datsun 1970 240z,rocking red rice rocket. Classic automobile. Realistic offers, will accept cash or chicken.

The Datsuns are one fucking hell of a rock and roll band. What can I say? … these guys have got their number 2's all in the one place.

We caught up with Phil & Dolf Datsun on our recent Hi-Tones, P.o.W tour. Read on to find out a bit more about this fully independent little HELLSQUAD.

Warning: This article contains humour that is not politically correct. It also contains damning evidence that links at least one Datsuns member to the killing of several innocent rabbits. If you are a wishy washy care bear please leave now!

Dolf: I'll just sraighten myself out a little bit here Ha ha.

Phil: Yep, all from Cambridge.

GONE: So you've known each other forever or what?

Dolf: I've known Phil since I was like . . .

Phil: 12 aye? We met Matt when we we're about 15.

GONE: When did you get together and start making music then?

Phil: '95. Yeah the end of '95 was it?

Dolf: Yeah.

GONE: But you weren't The Datsuns back then?

Phil: Nah nah. We were playing in a band called 'Trinket'.

GONE: Was Christian in Trinket? Where did you hook up with him? Cause he's a little older than you cats isn't he?

Dolf: My brother was in another band at that time (with Christian). Sharing practice rooms and stuff. He said. He said. Ha ha he didn't say anything. We saw him (Cristian) playing and we thought 'fuck yeah he's cool. Knows his shit you know? Plus he was into cool music. We were only just starting to get into more alternative shit at the time cause we were only like about 14 or 15 whatever.

GONE: What were you listening to back then?

Phil: Fucken heaps of like … I was always into old AC/DC and stuff. Then stuff like Ash and all that kind of thing.

Dolf: You know like Weezer and just whatever we heard that we liked.

GONE: When 'grunge' went all mainstream you would have got exposed to all those bands.

Phil: Oh yeah Nirvana and that for sure.

Dolf: I liked Green Day and that sort of shit!!

GONE: We'll forgive you.

Dolf: The thing is we just wouldn't have known any better.

Phil: The first 2 tapes I ever brought were these 2 old AC/DC albums!

GONE: Ledge.

Phil: Yeah, 'back in black' and ah 'blow up your video'. Ha and then I got into what people were listening to at school but then I realised it was so dumb! I had to go out & find something better.

Dolf: Nothing at all. That's what we were listening to!

GONE: Where did you first hear them? In Hamtown at the varsity?

Dolf: Nah I saw them in a magazine and I thought ' fuck yeah they look cool. That's gonna be cool! I hunted down the record. When I got it I was just like FUCK YEAH!!. These guys rule!

Phil: Then we got onto other New Zealand stuff.

GONE: When did you first hear bands like Shaft or say The Hi-Tone Destroyers?

Dolf: Oh shortly after that cause you know just being in that whole 'Frisbee' scene.

GONE: How did you get hooked up with those guys?

Dolf: We would have been into Nothing at All for about 6 months and we went to see them at shows and that. The music was fucken cool but I just remember thinking 'wow these dudes will just talk to us' you know they didn't just look down at us and think 'oh heres some kids.' It was totally like . . .
Phil: On the same level.

Dolf: Yeah on the same level. Cool. Like John (Baker) you know. I'm thinking 'wow this bands manager just rang me up!' Talking to fat Elvis on the phone. He'd ring me up at 11:30. 11:30 at night and my parents would go 'who the fuck was that!' I'd go (timid voice) ' Oh it was this guy John Baker' We played some cool shows with Nothing at All.

GONE: Were you still called Trinket at that point?

Dolf: Yeah. Looking back the music we were playing was total shit, but it was fucken cool. A party time. We were still playing with Nothing at All man! They were just playing real cool shit.

GONE: What do you guys think about the New Zealand underground at the moment? It's pretty amazing huh?

Phil: Yeah amazing.

Dolf: Total quality. I could name twenty bands just like that.

GONE: Yeah it's so funny cause the media just doesn't know it exists at all. Cause their so fucken useless. Anyway before I get carried away . . . You guys have released two singles?

Phil: Fuck yeah! Through HELLSQUAD.

GONE: You guys have a pretty sound plan I reckon, 2 hot 7 inches, plus for young cunts you are fully switched on independent cats doing your own thing who take one hell of a lot of pride in what your doing.

Phil: Plus we don't owe anyone money.

GONE: Yeah you guys are on track for sure.

Dolf: We could almost be from Christchurch!

GONE: Ha! . . . But your not!. You would need to be about ten times slacker!

Phil: Laughs. Were from Cambridge.

Dolf: Another 'English' little town. Hmmmm . . . both very English fucken towns.

GONE: Your singles, have you got many left? What did you do, runs of 300?

Phil: Yeah 300, laughs, nah there's none left, we've sold out.

Dolf: Whoa! Number one!!

GONE: When are you going to re-release those?

Phil: Hopefully really soon. Were going to release another single soon then were gonna try and get some money to re-press those.

GONE: Where can people buy those? We'll buy some to sell.

Phil: Off you guys. Off Crawlspace, but just mainly at our shows.

GONE: Can you get them at Galaxy in Christchurch.

Phil: Probably if they're cool.

GONE: Apart from looking for a job full-time cause that's your responsibility to your employers. Umm.

All: Laughs.

GONE: Ha ha. You guys take the band pretty seriously. Definitely as serious as anyone I know.

Phil: I'm totally ready to drop everything for a band practice. It's just you know . . . if I'm gonna make it at something why can't it be the thing that I fucken really love to do? So I might as well just put everything into it.

GONE: Fucken A !! (High five's Phil) You know it.
We think you guys are definitely on the right track, and even your video is cool. (Nb: OX thinks that on the whole 94.5% of video's really suck shit). Mainly because it isn't a pretentious piece of shit it's just what you guys are. 4 guys rocking out . . . live, you know it's like a 'video' of a band playing rather than a product. Plus it's a great advertisement for your shows since you guys play heaps. Now ahh Dolph your moving upto Auckland real soon, what's next any tours happening soon?

Phil: Yeah were organising a tour to Australia again in December.

GONE: Have you played there already?

Phil: Yeah we've been there twice. To Melbourne.

GONE: How did it go? Did you get some good crowds and shit.

Phil: We only got a little bit of press before we went there and while we were there. The big thing is like word of mouth. We'd play a show and the next night the same people that went to that show would be at our next show. People just bring their friends and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. It's fucken great.

Dolf: At the start we were at bigger venues and then it tapered off to smaller ones again. So that like by the end of it we were playing like the tiniest spots and then more and more people kept coming in and it ended up in the smallest venues just jammed. Fucken jammed! Really good. Probably not really that many people.

Phil: This time I think were gonna try and play a few other places around Melbourne.

GONE: So how long is the tour?

Phil: Two, three weeks.

GONE: What about day jobs and shit? What are you guys up to during the day at the moment? How's the squash Phil? You told me you'd worked as a squash coach in the past.

Phil: It's kind of weird cause whenever I'm at shows and stuff and start talking to people and they sort of ask you what else you do I'm like 'I play squash full-time'. They usually go ' no you don't, fuck off, you don't play squash. Your in a band.' I'm like 'yeah yeah I actually do play squash.'Laughs. It's reversed though, with people I know who I play squash with they can't imagine that I'm in a band. They're like 'Why would you be in a band. You play squash.!!'. Now I'm just teaching little kids. Not really playing so much.

GONE: Rolling their oldies aye? Nice work.

Phil: I just basically want to do more band stuff.

GONE: What about any other stuff you guys get into? Sports ,hobbies. Any interesting sexual perversions you'd like to own up to?

Phil: Matt likes making canons and shit.

GONE: Oh yeah you mean like making mortars out of cans and stuff.

Dolf: Blowing shit up in the bush.

Phil: Goes hunting.

Dolf: He's a genuine rootin', tootin shootin hunting man!! Laughs. We used to enjoy a bit of Pukeko!! Action with the .22 .

GONE: So he's a good rugged Kiwi bloke.

Dolf: I've spent many a fine afternoon strolling around the countryside to shoot a rabbit!

GONE: Nice. Yeah me too I don't claim to be Daniel Boone or anything, but I've done a bit of hunting!!. Pig hunting is loose shit man. Wild pigs have no respect for indie credibility or anything man, they just wanna kill you!

Dolf: Nah they don't give a fuck!

GONE: Anyway lets get back on the track here . . . What does Matt do for a job? Isn't he a plumber or something.

Phil: He works fucken hard out!!

Dolf: He's a hard working man. Yep. Nothing wrong with that. Laughs.

GONE: Maybe we'll see a Jimmy Barnes cover from Matt some time!!

All: Laughs.

GONE: What about Christian what does he do for a crust?

Dolf: He's in the second year of a degree at varsity. In fact he is probably at a lecture right now. Laughs.

GONE: Anyone you'd like to thank?

Dolf: Thomas, our manager.

GONE: Yeah he seems pretty onto it. He'd be stoked though you guys put a thousand percent into it so that must make it worth his while. Is Tom out there shopping you guys around to labels and stuff?

Phil: Yeah Tom does some real fucken good work.

GONE: How old is Tom? Was he at the gig? (Palace of Wisdom / Hi-Tone Destroyers / Datsuns in Hamilton 10 days previous).

Dolf: Ah 31, no he wasn't he's just got a new baby.

GONE: Did he trade his old one in?

Both: Laughs . . . sick!!

GONE: Don't get me wrong I love babies . . . I couldn't eat a whole one though!! Sorry I couldn't help myself, you guys just walked right into my arsenal of evil baby jokes. Hey, I know, what about gigs you've played that really stand out?

Phil: We did cool shows with nothing at all. We've done cool shows with a band from Canada called the 'Smugglers'. They are cool.

Dolf: Doctor Explosion from Spain. Ummm playing with The White Stripes.

Phil: We've done heaps of cool shows in Hamilton at Ward Lane, like our own shows that have been really cool.

GONE: Like last week with The Hi-Tones and Palace of Wisdom?



Dolf: That's a fucken stand out night in my life time!! Ha Ha.

GONE: A pretty crazy night. Laughs. Hey thanks guys lets get on to lunch aye?

photos by ox and ben