Chords for AFI - Interview

_ [E] _ _ [Gb] California's [Ab] AFI, aka a fire [E] inside, formed in [Gb] the summer of [Ab] 1991, jamming in a [E] garage
to help pass the [Gb] time between [Ab] skateboarding sessions.
The [E] band was forced [B] to break up when [Ab] members all moved to different areas to attend college.
[E] But when the [Ab] friends returned home for [Ab] Christmas holidays, [Db] they got together for a one-off reunion gig.
[E] It was the audience [Ab]
response at this show that was so [E] overwhelming they [Abm] decided to quit
school and become a full [Db]-time band.
AFI [E] have toured almost [Ab] constantly since their first tour in [Abm] 1994 and we [Gb] caught up with them
backstage [Ab] to talk about their [Ebm] first trip to Australia.
It's great.
Yeah, it's [G] great.
Yeah, it's really exciting for us to be here.
We've [B] wanted to come here for years but we've never had the opportunity [Db] before and no one
[Ab] would bring us because [B] they said we couldn't warrant a [Gb] draw.
[Abm] They were wrong [E] and now we can.
[B] So we're here.
[Db] Quite clearly [Ab] you can.
A massive turnout [E] for a free [B] live appearance you're doing [Eb] here and of course all your shows
are doing excellently.
Yeah, it's great.
It's really exciting.
What [B] are the Australian [Gb] fans like?
[G] They're very similar to the rest of our [Ab] fans around the world.
I mean, it's really nice [Db] for us to see that [G] we have the same dedication and [Gb] loyalty and
energy from [Em] the crowds [Gb] here that we do [Gbm] in the United States, in Canada, the UK.
_ _ It's amazing to play here for the first time and have so [E] many [Ab] fans.
I think any other [F] place in the world that we played the first time we didn't have any fans. Yeah, [Ab] [Eb] exactly.
And to come here and see [Gb] all the fans with the tattoos already before we've ever even
been [Eb] here, it's really nice.
[Db] It's become common for [Gb] AFI fans to get [Ebm] tattoos of the band from the band's logo to tattooing
over autographs by the band members but what happens if [Eb] it doesn't work out in the end? _
Working out in what way?
I don't [Db] know.
It's kind of like when Johnny Depp got [Ebm] Winona Forever tattooed on his [G] shoulder and then
they split [Eb] up.
What if you stop being their favourite band?
[G] Well that's after the person who's getting the tattoo.
[Gb] We're not making the choice [Eb] for them.
I would think that somebody who is getting the tattoo [Gb] has decided to be dedicated and
loyal to us, has an understanding of the band and realizes [F] what we're all about and made
that decision consciously.
So [Eb] I would think that most people have made [Db] an intelligent decision in that case [Ab] and I
would hope they're not.
[Eb] Sorry.
Worst case scenario I think AFI could probably [Ebm] be chained to some other _ word like [Cm] _ [Ab] mafia contains AFI.
[Gb] There's one.
There you go.
[Eb] For those of you who want out.
_ _ _ While AFI's music is firmly [Ebm] rooted in both punk and hardcore, they can claim fans from
both [Db] subcultures as well as other music [Eb] genres from goth to metal.
Can you tell us about the image of Davey Havoc?
It's just I [Eb] like to present myself the way that I feel [Ab] comfortable.
It's [Ebm] not really conscious.
There's no image.
[Gb] _ _ _
[Ebm] I'm just the way I want.
[Eb] Is it like Brian Mulco from Placebo who recently [Db] told us that he wears makeup [Abm] because it makes
him look better?
Exactly.
[Eb] I mean that's why people wear makeup.
I mean it's an aesthetic enhancement. _
_ My mom, yourself, myself.
_ [N] _