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Be Fucking Nice: Joe and The Shitboys

with Joe (Friði Djurhuus – Vocals, event management at TUTL record label), “Ziggy Shit” (Sigmund Zachariassen – Guitar), “Hollie Shit” (Sjúrður E. Samuelsen – Bass), and “Johnny Shit” (Jónsvein Mikkelsen – Drums), with the participation of Maria Mercedes Lindenskov (Marbles Lost, producer).

This is the second part of 3 of our special on faroese contemparay rock and alternative feautring Son of Fortune (part 1), 200 (part 2) and Joe & the Shitboys (part 3). Enjoy!

Traduzione in Italiano / Italian version

It’s the anniversary of Copenhagen’s Ungdomshuset, exactly 15 years since they settled at Dortheavej 61 after the eviction of Jagtvej 69. Friday’s party will feature the Faroese band Joe and the Shitboys. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for to conclude this special on the in the Faroe islands.

The Faroe Islands are a small community, hiding is impossible. Joe (Friði Djurhuus) doesn’t go unnoticed and doesn’t hold back when supporting the local LGBTQ+ movement. The Shitboys are his band of misfits.

 

 

 

The live report of the concert at Ungdomshuset

The band is on the stage and starts playing the groove of “Shitboys Theme”, Joe is missing. “Shitboys in the house!” is chanted from the back of the crowd. Joe makes his way through the audience and starts a playful mosh pit, dancing his way up to the stage. “Shitboys gonna fuck you up!”

 

 

There’s no time to waste; they immediately launch into “The Good Ol’ Days,” “Pull the Trigger,” “Manspredator,” “Personal Space Invader,” “Macho Man Randy Savage,” “The Reason for Hardcore Vibe”. People in the crowd are dancing wildly, swept up by Joe, who never stays still and constantly seeks interaction with the audience. He’s a true stage animal!

 

 

The music pauses, and Joe searches the crowd for Marbles Lost, bringing her up on stage and giving her space to improvise a brief speech about the outdated abortion law that still exists in the Faroe Islands. Marbles Lost didn’t expect this, but she sends her message loud and clear: It’s an obsolete law; let’s do something to change it now!

After this brief intermission, the band immediately continue with some of the their most abrasive songs, including the unreleased “Your Product Sucks,” “If You Believe in Eating Meat, Start with Your Dog,” and “Life Is Great, You Suck”. The audience is invited on stage to conclude with the chants of “Ode to the Shitheads”, the little space is packed by people having fun, it is a great party.

 

 

In just over an hour, the entire discography has been covered, and all sorts of things have happened. Feeling disoriented, I look around at the amused and slightly dazed faces, still buzzing from the wave of energy that just hit us.

 

The Interview: Freedom of Expression

We sit down in the outdoor courtyard in front of the Dødsmaskinen graffiti for some questions. We’re at a party, a nice group is gathered:

Joe (vocals)

Ziggy Shit (guitar)

Holly Shit (bass)

Johnny Shit (drums)

Maria Mercedes Lindenskov (pseudonym Marbles Lost, singer and producer) and Akira H. Carré (photographer with the group) also join us. Maria Mercedes was born and raised in the Faroe Islands but now lives in Copenhagen. Like many others, she came to the city to find her place in the Queer culture and start her musical projects.

 

 

Joe and the Shitboys’ records are as punk as their music. The artwork is a sketch found while cleaning up an art class in Tórshavn. It had a strange grammatical error (“reason” was written as “reson”) and hedge clippers (presumaby intended to be a poorly drawn knife) among various weapons.

“We found it so absurd that we loved it and made it the cover for both of our LPs.”

 

How did Joe and the Shitboys come about?

“One day, we wanted to play something more political and different, less pretentious but really pretentious. We met up and recorded our first 7-inch vinyl single; it took us 2 hours to write and record two songs.

Just before going on our first tour, we realized we needed more than two songs to play. So we wrote our first album in two days, precisely 5 hours on a Friday and 5 hours on Sunday, on Saturday we were off for a party.

That was our first album. We were very surprised that people liked it!”

 

 

You play a very international style of punk. What’s the unique aspect that ties your music to your country?

“Our satirical lyrics are very tied to our society; besides, we have a rather soft sound, and our approach isn’t aggressive. We write songs to annoy Faroese people, and we do it in English to make them even angrier. Also, this way, we can send a ‘Fuck Off’ message internationally and reach a broader audience”

 

… And when you meet the people you’ve annoyed in line at the supermarket?

“It happens at least twice a week; we’ve gotten used to it… you often run into ex-partners too! In Tórshavn, everyone knows everything about everyone, whether someone has been arrested, caused trouble, or attended a party. Supermarket lines are very strange”.

 

Marbles Lost, regarding your pop music, what’s the “Faroese touch”?

“Nordic melancholy is very present in Faroese pop music, and I think it’s also an important element in my music. Also my lyrics are connected to society: one of my songs I love the most is ‘Frítt Val’ (pro-choice), which addresses the issue of abortion law in the Faroe Islands, a law that is very outdated. The song has a hip-hop rhythm, but the lyrics are very punk!” – Joe adds – “Your music is also very queer, which is absolutely atypical for the Faroe Islands!”

 

 

And for you, Shitboys? What’s your favorite Joe and the Shitboys song?

Joe: “Mr. Nobody” will be on our new album, coming out soon.

Johnny Shit: “Your Product Sucks”, it was never recorded. It’s the stupidest and most fun song to play at our concerts. It’s about the massive pile of crappy and lousy products shoved at us.

The song “Your Product Sucks” is not recorded but only played live, it can be listined at minute 6.25 of their recent concert at Reeperbahn.

 

 

 

Let’s talk about the 2023 Gay Pride in Tórshavn; this year, it had significant participation. What do you think about it?

“It’s fantastic that so many people participated. We’ve felt a lot of freedom and support from our community. It was also a great opportunity to discuss the modernization of our abortion law, dating back to 1954, which needs to be changed. We believe that if we worked more on sexual freedom, it would significantly influence the current political debate.”

 

Why is it so important for you to speak and sing about homophobia and sexual freedom?

“For us, it’s essential because we grew up in a conservative society like the Faroe Islands. Social relationships here are very close; we talk a lot amongst ourselves in our small towns, we meet everyone in line at the stores. So for many, it’s more important to maintain the status quo of what’s traditionally accepted by our community than to engage in such challenging issues.”

 

Annika, a friend who has helped me a lot with this feature, tells me that in the small community of the country, there are a lot of casual conversations, but due to the close-knit relationships within the community, people are often reluctant to open up about personal or potentially divisive topics. So, music becomes a way to express what’s in their hearts and it’s not easy to talk about it within their community. It’s not common there to be asked about your ideas and music.

 

 

What contribution do you feel your music has made in evolving these issues within your community?

“Many people leave the Faroe Islands in search of a freer and more inclusive community, often going to Copenhagen or even from Denmark to Germany. Taking the stage, discussing LGBTQ+ rights and condemning homophobia is a way to support these people and make them feel at home in the Faroe Islands. Over the past few years, I’ve met guys who returned to the Faroe Islands after attending one of our concerts and being hit by our performance.”

 

When did you realize that your music could have such a significant impact?

“When we started writing songs, we never thought they could have an impact on the people listening to them.

In 2019, while playing at the Gay Pride, I remember talking to a young trans person. When I met them again two years later, in 2021, they had just turned 18 and showed me the scars on their arms, saying they hadn’t cut themselves since our last concert.

This experience gave me strong motivation to continue making our music.”

 

It’s time to conclude with your final message; the floor is yours!

Joe: “Be fucking nice to people! Let everyone live their lives unless they’re hurting someone else. It should be so simple, but apparently, it’s not!”

Marbles Lost: “Keep your nose to themselves out of other people’s business, which is a way of saying to leave a space for everyone. Even though many don’t realize it, especially some right parties, using the Bible to spread homophobic messages is disgusting, especially when it threatens the rights of others.”

 

It’s time to let the party continue. We take a photo and parts away.

Just a little thing more before closing, Joe and The Shitboys at the opening of the Hvalba tunnel in Suðuroy

 

 

In the other parts

Part 1:

The Faroe Islands between Rock and Melancholy: Son of Fortune

with Benjamin Petersen (Vocals and Guitar; Son Of Fortune, Svartmálm, Annika Hoydal, producer at Bunkarin Studio).

Part 2:

Fingers Pointed Inward: 200 (Tveyhundrað)

with Mikael Blak (Bassist and Multi-Instrumentalist; 200, Eivør, Son of Fortune, Clickhaze, Enekk, Yggdrasil, producer at Bunkarin Studio) and Niels Arge Galán (Vocals, Guitar, and Designer in 200).

 

Acknowledgment

Thanks to Akira H. Carré for sharing the media and Maria Mercedes Lindenskov for joing us. A special thanks to Annika Av Kák Bech for consulting me while writing this article.