Some bands are so iconic that introducing them seems equal parts pointless and completely overwhelming.
But I’ll give it a red hot shot. The Offspring are one of the biggest selling punk rock bands of all time. They were pivotal in the 1990s revival of a genre that has shaped popular music today, selling over 40 million albums and flinging hits and headline tours across the globe like giant, musical Frisbees.
Last year they released ninth studio album ‘Days Go By’, and whether a punk purist or pop fan, if you’ve been breathing on this planet in the past 20 years, you know the kids from California are doing more than alright.
“We were a band for ten years before anyone really knew who we were. We were slugging it out in clubs and travelling across the country in vans, always saving up money to do this on our summer vacations and on weekends,” explains guitarist Noodles, who’s been a member of the line-up since 1985 (allegedly because he was old enough to purchase alcohol for the other members) when the band was working under the short-lived guise ‘Manic Subsidal’.
“We got together out of a love of music. It wasn’t a business proposition. We didn’t set out to become rich or famous because we didn’t think that would ever happen to a punk band. So when it did, it was all gravy.”
No strangers to the tour bus, The Offspring will be hitting our shores to headline the Vans Warped Tour this November.
“The first time we were in Australia was in January 1995 for the Big Day Out. We didn’t know what to expect, and we didn’t realise that even songs from [sophomore LP] ‘Ignition’ were recognised down there because of all the surfers who had heard our tracks in surf videos.
"We were so stoked and have been back nine or ten times since. We just love it because everyone’s so warm and friendly and they love to drink, which is great for us!”
Their last record, ‘Days Go By’, was quite possibly the final one the boys will put out with their longstanding label Columbia. In the true spirit of punk rock, Noodles seems unconcerned about what’s going to happen next.
“At this point, all options are open. Either we go back and try and renegotiate a deal with Columbia or work with someone else or maybe even make our music free on the internet.
"In a way it’s very liberating, as well as being scary, not knowing what to do and having to figure it out for ourselves, but you know, we’ve been doing this for quite a while and I’m sure we’ll land on our feet.”
They’ve certainly withstood the longevity test. So what’s the secret to staying relevant to today’s fickle youth, while still pleasing original fans grudgingly pushing the thin line between unruly punk kid and middle-aged suburbanite?
“We always come back to the kind of music we fell in love with as teenagers — melodic, yet aggressive punk rock. But we’re never afraid to mess around. We are not afraid to take chances. We’ll do a fun song, or a reggae song, or a piano song.
"We’re not afraid to mix it up and I think that’s what helps us keep it fresh and hopefully gives the fans a little surprise. I mean, this year we’ve had the best audiences of our career. Absolutely. There’s been a lot of old faces and a ton of new faces. We feed off that. We want them coming back for more.”
There are exciting times ahead. 2014 heralds both the 25th anniversary of their debut self-titled album as well as the 20th anniversary of ‘Smash’, the breakthrough album that transformed The Offspring into household names.
In 1994 it set the record for most albums sold on an independent label, its critical acclaim capturing the attention of the major labels and going six times platinum in the United States.
“We are going to have to do something ridiculous and make some sort of spectacle of ourselves for sure”, Noodles laughs.
Whether or not they make a spectacle of themselves, livers will be crying after they do the loop around Oz this summer.
“That’s how Soundwave was, and if this year is going to be anything like the Warped tour we did in the US in 2005, then it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ll be drinking with everybody.
"There are times when you just need to decompress because it’s crowd after crowd and you just need to take a walk away from everyone and be incognito.”
Unlikely. They’re a band that defies any interpretation of the term ‘incognito’. For over two decades The Offspring have brashly infiltrated popular and punk culture, paving the way for so many to come.
As Noodles reflects on his career, I ask if he ever regrets throwing in the mop and bucket and giving up his pre-Offspring life as an unknown elementary school janitor.
“Ahhh… No.” Fair Enough.
The Offspring will headline The Vans Warped Tour at the Rna Showgrounds on Friday November 29.
