Brian:  I joined for the chicks, but I now I realized I missed the small print. Seriously, I was quite excited to join on. I had been to a few BDF shows, and I was the only one showing any energy in the one-man (me) pit. I was going to fill in for Richie Rheingold on vocals one night but that show got cancelled. So when Rich Guinness went MIA and the band asked me to sit in, I was all about it. Then again, Guinness had history with the band so it was tough to be a fan that�s taking over where a founding member left off. After the first session I knew it was a great fit and I�m excited to bring my sound to BDF.

Q: Care to mention a few of your favorite bands or musical influences?

Brian:  Well Bad Religion, Millencolin, NOFX, and definitely the Dead Milkmen can take most of the credit/ blame for being influences. But I�m into a lot of other stuff, like the Beatles, REM, and Cracker. I think that�s important, having non-punk influences. That�s how the music develops. The Ramones liked the Ronnettes and that helped fill their sound. I also hate Sonic Youth. I want to break their old, brittle hips until they agree to make a cohesive song.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your solo career? How does it differ from being in BDF?

Brian:  Well I do some one-man shows with an acoustic guitar and me singing. A review once said I �approximated a meeting between John Denver and Green Day.� Green Day is about as punk as the Osbourne kids, but that John Denver was all strung out and crashed his plane. Now THAT�S hardcore. It�s different to do a whole show where you are the one and only focus, but it's rewarding too. I love the energy of the full BDF band, though. It gives me the freedom to hop around and drink beers in the middle of songs. On my debut night it didn�t surprise me to see my fingers bleeding so badly. I felt no pain. I was too charged up and into the music. And the crack. That helped.

Q: Do you generally tap into the same musical influences when playing for yourself or with the band?

Brian: Well playing open chords on an acoustic and playing power chords on an electric are inherently different, but I don�t think I can avoid keeping them separate. My solo work has taken some more aggressive turns since playing with BDF, and lately we�ve been working on some extended intros and harmonization with new and old BDF songs. They help each other along and challenge both parts of my brain. Then again I�ve covered Bad Religion, Screeching Weasel, Sublime, and other punk bands in my solo shows�

Q: Going from a fan of BDF to a member of BDF seems like a pretty big step. How has your BDF experience been going so far? Any trouble adapting to the group atmosphere?

Brian: Well I came aboard all wide-eyed and excited, like Scrappy Doo on his first mystery. I saw (and still see) a lot of talent and future in the band. That means I have faith we can take it to another level. But I soon learned it was a bunch of friends that happened to become a band, and I found that my perspective as a fan was really different. Everything is going great and I�m at the point where I don�t have to feel so self-conscious, and that means getting involved with the songwriting. I�m hyped about that. It took me a while to say �Hey, wait, I didn�t write these, they all know them already, and I am fucking clueless.� I still am fucking clueless but I now know the other guys are too. They just fake it better. And Michelob plays mecha-loud so that helps me kinda glide over fuckups.

Q: Do you have a favorite BDF song? Has your opinion on some songs changed since you went from fan to band member?

Brian: Classics like �Meet Me At The Bar� and �This One�s on the House� are still favorites of mine, along with �Bitch Stole My Dog� that may turn up in one of my solo shows soon. Some of the new ones like �Blackout� and �the Longest Pee� are choice tidbits, too. It does suck for some songs like �This Is Not a Love Song� which was added to the setlist last-minute on my debut night. I played the intro but soon got lost. But at times like that I let Steve carry all the weight and jump into the pit.

Q: There are some rumors going around that you might have a shortage of clotting white blood cells which causes you to bleed easily and heavily. Would you like to address those rumors?

Brian: No, those rumors are not true. There are also rumors that my birth control pill were causing the irregular bleeding, but that�s bollocks, too. I�ve bled on several occasions, and always break strings, and more recently, my whole goddam guitar. But I think that just shows the rest of the guys that I�m committed. Or that I should be committed. Listen to me trying to be all hardcore. Basically I can�t hold my pick properly.

Q: Where do you see yourself and BDF going in the near future?

Brian: I dunno, but I�m guessing either to the Abbey or 119, depending on who has the colder Yuengling! After that, maybe practice. Seriously, I think we can go places, and with recent jams with Moosehead I think we reinvent ourselves another 40 times over and still rock the stones out of your mother�s gall bladder. But I'll keep checking the message board just in case they want to shitcan me.

Many thanks to Brian for his candid look into his rock 'n' roll life! BDF looks forward to a long and prosperous relationship with him! Thanks, Brian!