Interview with Billy Crooked, singer of The Vacancies, on their fall tour with Pennywise and Circle Jerks.

How has this tour been for you compared to your last tour (summer)?

Billy Crooked:

Well, the biggest difference is, of course, the length. The Adolescents/ Street Dogs tour was 6 weeks and we are only doing 1 week with The Circle Jerks and Pennywise. Spending over a month with bands really has a family feel to it, where one week barely gives you time to get to know everyone. The venues were great and the crowds too. We are certainly looking forward to getting back on the road as soon as our new record is done.

How are the Circle Jerks and Pennywise to tour with? Are the crowds any different than your last tour? Any different cities you got to go to?

Billy Crooked:

All the cities we played are cities we've been to before, but most of the venues were different. The crowds were similar just a little bigger. The bands were awesome! We met some great people and got to meet Keith Morris which was an honor.

Did you ever end up getting wifebeaters into your merch? (hot pink ones? lol)

Billy Crooked:

Not yet. We are in the process of getting more merch, it just takes a while 'cause it's so expensive. We'll get hot pink wifebeaters just for you. We got some new stickers made and are working on some shirt designs.

What's the rest of the year looking like for you in terms of recording, shows, family, etc.?

Billy Crooked:

Well, hopefully we will just focus on the new album for the rest of the year. We have a ton of new songs that we are excited to lay down in the studio. If a great tour comes up we may do that, but as it looks right now it's all about the record.

What happened to touring with Joan Jet--weren't you supposed to tour with her this fall?

Billy Crooked:

We were going to but it didn't work right with schedules. It went from a week worth of shows down to just one and then the Pennywise tour thing came up so we did that instead. We love playing w/ Joan and there will be other opportunities in the future.

Are you writing any new songs?

Billy Crooked:

We started writing before A Beat Missing or a Silence Added was even released. I think we are always writing just because we love to and will continue to until we have to stop for production. It also makes things a lot less pressured than to have to hurry and write an album.

What's your new cd gonna be like?

Billy Crooked:

It's kind of hard to say. We certainly haven't changed our style of music or anything drastic like that, I think we have just gotten better as song writers and also added another guitar player who writes great songs. So the overall feel may be a little different but it will no doubt sound like a Vacancies record.

I saw those pix of you on your website--who conceptualized that military style theme?

Billy Crooked:

I think it just happened because of the mindset we have had ever since our country's been at war. We are all kind of "soldiers" and in this thing together, ya know? That and our love for The Clash!

Anything else you would like to add?

Billy Crooked:

Take care of each other! And support local music. Thanx.