Could you please introduce yourselves? How many people have your band? Your business??? How old are you?

Ok, I’m Mex (28 years old, systems engineer in an ISP Company) and I used to play bass in Styrian Bootboys until the big line-up change 2 years ago. Now I’m the lead vocalist in the band.
The other guys in the band are:

Phil (21, student) - guitar
Geri (25, always unemployed) - guitar
Hannes (20, student) - bass
Lukas (17, goes to school) - drums

Your image on the photo is strictly skinhead’s. Is everybody from the band skinheads?

Well, we used to be an all Skinhead band, but this has changed a little bit... For now I’m the only Skinhead in the band , Geri used to be one for a very long time but he grew a Mohawk one year ago so he changed his outfit a little bit but I think in his heart he’ll stay skinhead forever!
Phil, who’s the only one left, from the original Line-up except me, never was a Skinhead and Lukas and Hannes are also Punkrockers.

Tell me something interesting about Eisenerz city… (How far is it from Czech borders)?

Eisenerz is a fucked up old town which lived from the steel industry and its "iron mountain", but that’s long ago. For example we had 14000 people there 20 years ago, now its not even 6000! We have not much to do in our city but we’ve got some pubs and everyone knows each other so we’ve got a little scene about 30 Skins, Punks and Drunks which is more like a family and so it’s really ok.

What about scene in Austria? Small or large? I know only Oi!thePrint but nothing more…Have you any well or not-so well known bands?

The scene in Austria could be much better. There are a lot of gigs especially in Graz and Vienna, but the funny thing is that most good gigs are on weekdays and then it’s very hard for some people to visit these shows because of their work etc.. We played in Graz on a Wednesday for about 40 people.
For Oi!/Streetpunk it’s even harder because there are a lot of punks and other people who are afraid of this kind of music. They think it’s the sound for some mindless Skinheads who dance to songs which are just about fuckin, beating up people and drinking a lot... I don’t give a shit on this people but I don’t know why they are calling themselves punks ....

Are any boneheads in your area? Have you any problems with them?

NO! There used to be a lot a few years ago but somehow we’ve managed to clear our city and the towns we used to drink in from those assholes. Some went to jail for robbing old grannies and the others changed their style into some black-metal guidos. I think the last I’ve seen in Styria where 3 years ago and they where some 14 year old boys with white power patches who where not aware in what they are into.

Your opinion on Haider? Is this really 2nd coming of the beast after Hitler how media often wrote? Why so many people voted him???

For me he’s just another idiot of politician who wants to get publicity and I don’t agree with the opinions and programs of his party. The whole ÖVP - FPÖ government sucks! They support the rich not the people. I really can’t explain why they had so much success... We would never vote for them. I think the problem is that many Austrians are tired of politics and so they didn’t use the elections to raise their voice against him. They didn’t vote for anybody and this made it look like all of them are Haider sympathisants.

It’s the same within the Oi /Punk Scene. I can’t stand people who say I’m into Oi! or I´m an Oi-Skinhead (what’s that ? ) and have no political opinions of their own. It ´s crap because being punk or skinhead means to us to stand up and raise his voice against the shit which happens around all of us!!

For Haider I don’t think he’s a second Hitler but I’m sure he has very well established links to the extreme right wing fractions all across Europe.

As our neighbours sure you know Temelin. Are you against this soviet-american build?

In general I’m against nuclear power especially when the power plants are unsafe and endanger whole regions. There are lot of better ways to produce electricity and so on , so in my opinion they should shut down Temelin...

Are you interested in football? Which club do you prefer?

Austrian football sucks and I’m not really in it. I’m not supporting a special team but when we go to a football match it’s for the GAK or DSV Leoben, but more to meet the lads and drink some beers than to watch the match.

With which bands would you like to play?

I’ve no preferred band we want to play with, it doesn’t matter... The only thing that matters is that we have fun when we are playing and the people who come to our shows have fun too!!!

We played about 30 gigs with some well known bands and new ones and every one of those bands where great and nice guys, the fun you have on a gig is most important!

Your discography?

2000 - A tribute to Cock Sparrer-Compilation (song: Get a rope)
2000 - Bootboys 96 EP
2001 - Bottled with Pride CD/LP
2003 - Moloko Plus Nr.29 CD Compilation
2003 - Boots on the Streets Compilation

We currently work on our new Lonplayer called Violence and Profit. I think we should manage it to get it released at the end of the year, but especially in summer we’re really lazy cunts. We have to do two more studio sessions and then it’s ready (I hope so haha!)

In the song „Oi! my friend“ you sing by two voices. Are the other songs different or the same?

We have a lot of songs with two different voices and it hasn’t changed on the new record. The only thing is that Phil and me replace our old vocalists.

How long is Styrian Bootboys existing?

I founded the band with 2 friends of mine in March 1999. Then Phil started to play guitar and 2 months ago the amount of band members grew to 6! I hope that we can hold the current line-up constantly because our new songs are in my opinion the best we ever played. I think every band says that before the release of a new record, hehe.

When skinhead starts to be a non-skinhead?

I don’t know if I understood the question in the right way. When it comes to racism, nationalism and extreme (especially right wing) politics.

Which part of woman’s body are you keen on? :-)

I’ve not really a favourite part of a woman’s body. I like and respect a woman as a person of her own and not as a sex object. Of course I like nice looking girls, but every girl should be respected and treated very nice.

I’m together with my girlfriend for 6 years now.

Do you love any land in this blue planet? And why?

I love the region and the city where I grew up, because of my friends and my family. There are everywhere nice places to stay but your hometown rules!

Why did you decide to become skinheads?

I’m Skinhead for 13 years now. When I started to wear boots and braces it was to stand out from the mainstream, listen to good music and dress smart. Over the years I met friends form everywhere and now I just can’t imagine leading another life!! Of course you have to do your work and all the other things "normal" people do. But being part of the biggest subculture in the world means to be someone special, endless fun and many problems-that’s life!!

Your musical inspiration?

We’ve all our favourite bands and our taste in music differs between the band members, what we’ve all in common is that we like the old stuff very much, bands like Cock Sparrer, 4-Skins, The Oppressed, Combat 84, Business etc....... It depends on the mood we’re in but we listen to everything from Rock´n Roll to Ska, Skinhead Reggae, Oi!, HC; Punk, Garage...

Is it easy to live in Austria?

If you want to get rich by playing in a shitty little streetpunk band then, No! I think it is ok! We’ve been lucky to get born in a stabilized country without war, too many crimes and there are no starving people on the streets, you even can get some good job if you want to!

Your message to all skinheads and to the readers of S-R?

Stay how you want to be and do the things you wanna do! Keep the faith!

Thank you Petr for the interview and the interest in our band!