Q: Where are the Crumbsuckers from?
A: Chris Notaro Long Island , New York-specifically Baldwin, NY
Q: How did the Crumbsuckers get started?
A: Chris Notaro The Crumbsuckers started as a band of neighborhood friends as a way to pass time and have fun with the music they enjoyed
Q: How long we’re the Crumbsuckers together before you split up?
A: Chris Notaro I believe the Crumbsuckers were together for approximately 7 years.
Q: Are you officially reunited or will it be just the one show?
A: Chris Notaro At this time we are just concentrating on our 1 show at BB Kings on August 3rd, 2006.
Q: Will the Crumbsuckers be touring?
A: Chris Notaro There are no plans for a tour, however, the band wouldn’t rule out doing any shows which could fit into our schedules. If there’s a demand we’d like to fulfil it.
Q: Any plans to release any new material?
A: Chris Notaro There are no plans to release new material at this time, but again, if people want something, we’d consider it, and feel we’d more than be up to it.
Q: How many members are in the Crumbsuckers? Names? Instruments?
A: Chris Notaro The members for the Life Of Dreams album were:
- Chris Notaro - Vocals
- Gary Meskil - Bass
- Chuck Lenihan - Guitar
- Dave Wynn - Guitar
- Dan Richardson - Drums
The Beast on My Back line up was all the same except Rob Koebler replaced Dave Wynn on guitar. Bomb tour line up: Rob Koebler replaced by Marc Piovanetti
The current lineup from left to right is:
- Dan Richardson - Drums
- Chris Notaro - Vocals
- Gary Meskil - Bass
- Chuck Lenihan - Guitar
- Tom K - Guitar
Q: What is the age range of the band members?
A: Chris Notaro Today: I’d say from 35-41
Q: What (if any) is the message behind the Crumbsuckers’s lyrics?
A: Chris Notaro As the main writer of the lyrics, except for songs written by a never recorded 1st singer, Dave Brady, I do have a message. The message that I’ve always wanted to put forth is one of hope and inspiration for people brought down by the ills of our society.
I’d say that the word “positive” best encapsulates my message. If you go to Dark Lyrics, and lookup the lyrics for BOMB, you’ll get an idea of what I write about. Some lyrics on Life Of Dreams may not exactly fall into that category, do to the fact that some were not written by myself.
Q: How many releases do you all have?
A: Chris Notaro 2 Life Of Dreams and Beast On My Back
Q: Who are your biggest influences?
A: Chris Notaro I suppose I was influenced in regards to vocal style, most by John Brannon of Negative Approach.
A: Gary Meskil Old school HC and Punk (Dead Kennedy’s, Misfits, Clash, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, etc…). Some classic rock music too, like Boston, Kiss, Styx, Led Zep, Foreigner, etc….
Q: Of the various tours and shows you have played, what is the most memorable, and why?
A: Chris Notaro Tour would have to be the one supporting Beast On My Back (mainly because it was the only tour I’ve been on! I have especially enjoyed opening for Anthrax at La’mours in Brooklyn, and Megadeth at the Ritz in NYC. Megadeth would be my fave because, I found Dave Mustaine to be a very genuine and good guy. I also had the pleasure of meeting him and his band while recording in California, and upstate NY. I have alot of respect for Dave Mustaine on a number of levels.
Q: What are some of your favorite art, books (please include authors), & movies, if any?
A: Chris Notaro Currently I enjoy reading motivational books and books on business by authors such as Og Mandino, and Zig Ziegler. I feel the greatest book is The Bible, which is more than a book, but the living word of God. Movies: I like mostly comedies and light hearted stuff, I’m not much for depressing stuff only because theres enough potentially depressing stuff in our world already.
Q: In general, what have the Crumbsuckers been up to lately?
A: Chris Notaro I’ve got my own business, selling maintenance products mainly rags and disposable gloves, also married with one child, living on Long Island.
A: Gary Meskil I’ve been a part of the band Pro-Pain for the past 15 years. We are currently working on our 10th studio album.
Q: How do you categorize the Crumbsuckers’s sound when people say “What kind of music is it” Thrash, Punk, Metal, Hardcore, Crossover, What?
A: Chris Notaro Just last night at the Exodus show at BB Kings someone asked me, what I’d consider our music. I was a bit stumped at first only because there’s really no one very definitive answer. Perhaps Thrash,Metal, hardcore, ahh, I think crossover would be a fitting tag.
Q: Any of the Crumbsuckers members from other bands, or currently working on other projects?
A: Chris Notaro
- Gary - Propain
- Dan - Propain, Stereomud, Life Of Agony
- Chuck - Genitorturers, Glitter Guns
Q: Besides Crumbsuckers, what are the various band members into when not, touring, rehearsing, recording music?
A: Chris Notaro I like running my business, it’s satisfying starting something from scratch, working hard and making a living with it, all the while satisfying the consumer. I also enjoy riding my motorcycle and spending time with family.
A: Gary Meskil When I’m not busy with touring, writing, or recording, I enjoy spending as much time with my family as possible. I also dedicate some time to other business ventures both in and outside of the entertainment field.
A: Chuck Lenihan I have my home studio, so I’m always fumbling about
in it with something. Otherwise I enjoy traveling and spending time with my girl, friends and Family… My house is like a zoo as we have 2 dogs, 3 cats, 1 bird and a tarantula. At any given time I can be on thecomputer in the studio and Rozz (the bird) will fly onto my head - I no longer even budge as I’m just used to a bird using my head as a landing
pad!
Q: What is your opinion on the current state of the world? (terror, the war in Iraq, and so on…)
A: Chris Notaro I personally always try and enjoy life despite bad situations, however one cannot escape the fact that we do seem to be in times of turmoil. I believe that conflict, where there are two opposing sides- boils down to a struggle between principalities of Good and evil. I feel this is the case concerning the war between the West and radical muslim terrorists of the mid east. The battle between good and evil takes place in our lives from the moment we are born until the day we die, so I’m not suprised at all by the events taking place in our world today, and fully expect such dire things to arise and transpire. How one handles that is tied in with their particular beliefs.
“The stories been told in the book of old, it’s all been written in the Holy scroll. Evil abounds, it blackens our soul, The time will come to pay the toll. “Evil is the deadly force pushing us down this collision course, you hope and grasp for calmer times, but a life of sin will torture your mind” lyrics from The Longest War - The Crumbsuckers
It’s what I believe, that sin is the cause of the worlds problems.
A: Chuck Lenihan More people would be the benefit of peace if they too had a bird freely land on their heads… There are solutions, but the planet is not ready to embrace them as of yet - as clearly demonstrated in the whirlwind of chaos we all get to so conveniently witness. I chose Art.
Q: Anything I left out that you want to say?
A: Chris Notaro I’d like to say that this is actually my first interview since the announcement of our reunion, so forgive me for being orally oxidized, and I really do appreciate your efforts in providing us this interview. I’d also like to say that I personally come out of the hardcore movement from some 25 years ago. Hardcore was a vehicle for young people to vent their frustrations and provide positive alternatives to negatives they saw. I’ve been going to shows lately to spread the word on our reunion. I get the feeling that in these times, where there seems to be MORE negativity in the world, that the kids I see aren’t replacing negative with positive, but fueling negativity with even more of the same. I ‘m just making a statement on the little I’ve seen of late, I may be wrong. I implore the kids in the scene today, not to be beat down by the world, but to overpower it with wisdom, spirit and above all faith that our lives are never a lost cause. Rip down the negative, but be sure to replace it with something worth while.
