DEVIL'S ISLAND featuring The Groggy Dogs
Welcome to this weeks edition of Devil's Island! Every week we maroon a band or artist on the island and see what they get up to, how they cope with being all alone on a small island in the middle of the ocean. It's not your average desert island and we'll see just how each person copes with the extreme conditions.
This week when we arrived at Devil's Island we find The Groggy Dogs sat on the beach. The island is far from their home, so how did they end up here and how did they cope with life on Devil's Island?
Find out now...
The Groggy Dogs: Answering: Cap’n Mauro, singer, guitarist and songwriter
Welcome to The Razors'e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don't worry about it's name I'm sure it's not as bad as that would suggest.
You're marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you chose one album that you couldn't live without. Which album did you each chose and why?
The Warrior’s Code by Dropkick Murphys.
It was my gateway into Celtic punk. The first time I heard it, something just clicked and I thought, “yeah, this is my life now.” The gang vocals, the melodies, that rough working-class energy… it made me want to start shouting choruses with my friends and never stop. If I’m stranded on an island, I need something that still makes me feel ready for battle.
Just behind that palm tree is a shack for each of you to stay in, with enough space for you to put up a poster on the wall of one album cover. What album cover do you each chose?
10,000 Days by Tool.
Tool always had insane artwork, but this one really stuck with me. It’s mysterious and kind of unsettling, like you’re staring into another dimension. I could probably spend years on that island just looking at the cover and still finding new details. It’s art and entertainment at the same time.
There's also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to choose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What's your tipple of choice?
We’re pirates. There’s only one correct answer.
Rum. Straight. No ice, no fancy stuff. Just fuel.
Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. What’s the merch and for what band?
Just a solid band T-shirt. Something comfortable and tough enough to survive the island. At that point it’s not merch, it’s survival equipment. As long as it’s from a band I love, I’m happy.
You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?
Honestly, my own bandmates. No doubt.
We’re a bunch of idiots together in the best possible way. If I’m going to be stuck forever somewhere, I want to be laughing the whole time. I wouldn’t trade that crew for anyone.
There's a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?
Insoportablemente Vivo by La Renga.
That one takes me straight back to my teenage years and my Argentinian roots. Hearing thousands of people singing every word gave me chills. That live show didn’t just impress me, it changed me. It’s one of the reasons I even wanted to be in a band in the first place.
You're getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?
I’d send the message to the guys in Raebellion.
One of our crew plays in both bands and he’s the youngest, so they’d definitely come looking for him. It’s half friendship, half strategy. I know they’d show up with a van, beers, and somehow turn the rescue into a party.
You've been stuck here a while and food supplies are running low. There's only one thing for it... which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?
Let’s be realistic. I’m the biggest guy in the band.
If food runs out, the Cap’n goes on the barbecue. Maximum rations for everyone. I’ll sacrifice myself like a true pirate captain, feeding the crew one last time. Dark, but efficient.
Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?
I’d save Dimebag Darrell from Pantera.
Not just because he was an insane guitarist, but because of his spirit. Every story about him is the same, play loud, laugh hard, party like there’s no tomorrow. That’s exactly what music should feel like.
If I’m stuck on a cursed island, I don’t want a philosopher. I want Dime with a guitar, a bottle, and a broken amp, turning the beach into the loudest, messiest, most glorious party possible until the very end.
If we’re going down, we’re going down riffing.
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