You know there’s something missing in your life, don’t you? It’s a large gentleman shouting “I GOT A GIANT BALL BAG!” over a racket that sounds Satan gunning the engine of his Harley. Welcome the world of Oaf, and bassist/”singer” Dom Lawson is here to give you the lowdown...
First of all, who does what in your band?
I play all the bass guitar parts and do the vast majority of bellowing and screeching. My very good friend James plays the drums and emits the occasional shriek. It’s a very efficient system. Where are you from?
We both live on the South Coast. James lives in Brighton, and I live a few miles west in Shoreham-By-Sea. We went to school together in Hemel Hempstead, so we’ve known each other for over 25 years now. Scary stuff.
How long you been together?
The band came together in 2007. It has taken us a spectacularly long time to get our shit together, but then neither of us have any desire to be pop stars and we really do this as a release from the frustrations and annoyances of everyday life. That, and we love making a racket together and have very similar ideas of what good and/or horrible music sounds like.
Who are your main inspirations for Oaf?
Musically, it’s Nomeansno, Cardiacs, Dead Kennedys, Big Black, Mclusky, Bog Shed, Devo, Gang Of Four, Wire, Silverfish, Rapeman, Foetus, John Zorn, early Napalm Death, loads of punk stuff like The Exploited, One Way System and Subhumans, lots of prog stuff like King Crimson, Van Der Graaf Generator and Gentle Giant, and a few slightly less obvious things like Scott Walker, Tom Waits and Willie Nelson. We both have pretty broad tastes in music. Lyrically, I’m inspired by bitter disappointment, impotent rage, a steadily escalating sense of existential dread, dreams about genital deformity and snooker.
What do you think makes Oaf stand out?
The fact that there is no one else doing what we’re doing. I’m sure the more discerning punter could point out a few obvious reference points in our music, but overall we’re doing something original. I realise we’re not the first two-piece band, or even the first band with just bass and drums, but what we do with that formula is pretty damn original, I’d say. I don’t think anyone else writes songs like ours either. And our sense of humour, as bleak as it is, seems to be something that appeals to people too.
You have some pretty interesting song titles! Are they deep social satire, or an excuse to shout?
No, there’s no real social satire in the lyrics. I suppose you could argue that the whole thing is quite cathartic, and I do enjoy having a good scream up, but it’s not really that either. All the songs are about different things. ‘A Euphemism For Tits’ is about how irritating people generally are. ‘Giant Ballbag ‘ is about how annoying it is to be awkward and self-conscious and yet simultaneously outraged by the idea that other people’s opinions should control the way you behave in any way. ‘The Black Whale‘ is about how listening to Van Der Graaf Generator and drinking Guinness will make you smarter and happier. ‘I’m Retarded’ is self-explanatory. And so on.
Could you describe the live Oaf experience?
We’ve done a pitiful number of gigs so far, but I think we’re a pretty splendid live band. We’re very noisy and a little bit obnoxious, but rather cheerful and affable too. It’s a right old racket, but nothing to get upset about.
Getting Justin Hawkins as a guest artist is quite a coup. Who next, Tom Jones? Celine Dion?
Getting Justin on board wasn’t so hard. He’s a friend and a lovely chap, so we only had to ask once…and he did an amazing job, let’s face it. That’s Olympic-standard soloing, that. Next time round we’re aiming high. David Bowie, maybe? Failing that, the bass player out of GBH.
How’s the positive reception to ‘Botheration’ felt?
It’s always lovely when people say nice things about your band. It’s even more lovely when people actually buy the record. To be honest, we are not expecting to sell more than a few hundred copies of Botheration in total, so any support we get is gratefully received. It would be easy to get carried away and start kidding ourselves that the vociferous patronage of a bunch of people on Twitter and a few glowing reviews are going to turn us into rock stars over night, but we are under no such illusions. I’m sure a vast majority of people would think that what we’re doing is awful, and rightly so. We’re not aiming for mass acceptance. A curry, a pint and a few rousing cheers will do just fine for now.
What’s next for Oaf?
We’re playing a few gigs in August…starting this Wednesday in sunny Stoke. We should have a few more later in the year too. The second album is all but written, but I need to actually teach James the songs before we do anything silly like book a studio. But we will definitely be recording the next one with Russ Russell. We love Russ. He is the third member of Oaf, basically.
Finally, is there anyone you want to thank?
No. Fuck ‘em all. We built this city on drum ‘n’ bass. The glory is all ours.
Oaf’s ‘Botheration’ is out right this minute, so you should go and buy it. They’re also on tour, so check out tour dates on www.myspace.com/oafuckoff. Especially if you live in Milton Keynes, because you’re probably in dire need of entertainment.
Breaking The Waves 
How’s the positive reception to ‘Botheration’ felt?
