Janelle Borg July 29, 2019
Punk is not Dead: An Interview with local punk legends DRIPHT
Local punk legends DRIPHT need no introduction. Their adrenaline-fuelled live performances perfectly complement their unique style, which fuses punk, ska, reggae and metal. Trackage Scheme sat down with two of the band’s original members, Nick and Michael, ahead of their highly anticipated performance at this year’s Farson’s Beer Festival.
What led to the resurrection of DRIPHT?
Nick: DRIPHT keeps coming back due to the fantastic and energetic gigs we have and the fact that our audience wants to continue supporting us.
Michael – It’s about time! We were starting to miss each other — cheers to Tonio Pace for encouraging us to do so.
In your opinion, how did the Maltese music scene change from when you started the band back in 1998?
Nick: I think it changed a lot, that’s for sure. There was always a lively scene, even in the 90s. We just got better at it, and now there are festivals which are better organised, and more opportunities to promote yourself as a band. More and more local bands are touring abroad…when DRIPHT was touring abroad back in 2006 it wasn’t a very common thing to do. We’re happy that more groups are doing it nowadays.
Michael: More technical, a greater pastiche of sounds and styles, more diverse, more recycling and more opportunities. Nevertheless, a good song is about its magic, and this is timeless.
What would you say has been the highlight of DRIPHT’s career so far?
Nick: We had many great moments. For me, winning the best single award at the BMAs in 2004 with the single ‘Mark Barnsley’, and destroying the award straight after is a definite highlight.
Michael: Every time we play in front of an audience.
What can we expect from Dripht’s upcoming performance at the Farson’s Beer Festival?
Nick: We’re playing most of our songs and a few covers. We didn’t have a lot of time to work on new material since we had to teach all our original tunes to our new member JP ‘Zghiru’. However, we plan to start writing new songs very soon.
Michael: Adrenaline and feel: we bond when we play together… We just do our thing.
What lies in store for DRIPHT’s immediate future?
Nick: Hopefully more gigs and new material…but we really want to do a few more gigs, that’s for sure! 😛
Michael: Having a good time. World domination is so last season.
