Punk Globe: How did your new band Off! come about?

Keith Morris: Dimitri (DC) and I have been friends from our days as members of V2 Records, he being with one of my favorite bands on the roster, Burning Brides and I doing schlub work @ the company...............I was the A&R Boy! DC was a fan of the Circle Jerks and took it upon himself to motivate us into songwriting/recording mode or getting creative. In the process it became gnarly and a decision was made by the other members to Jettison DC and in their wisdom made a brilliant choice that directly effected me. I've been a member of the CJs for over 30 yrs. And you don't tell the voice of the band or the founding guy that we've decided we're not into what's happening knowing full well that I'd quit. Who's fuckin' dumb enough to make that choice? It's typical with some bands who have a difficult time building momentum and then doing some stupid shit that will kill that forward progress and I grew tired of this incredibly terrible mentality. DC and I had had our talks about something such as this happening and created our plan B..............I made a list of musicians I would play inna' groop with and both Mario Rubalcaba (MR) and Steven McDonald (SMcD) were a the top of the wish list and in! MR phoned me from San Diego when he found out that I wanted his drum participation saying he'd drive up to play with us without hearing any of the songs and SMcD got back to me 2 days after I gave him 3 songs of DC blasting away in my living room. We had our first rehearsal about a month later and OFF! was takin' off!

Above is a video of OFF!

Punk Globe: What was your inspiration for wanting to start a new side project/band w/Dimitri Coats, GUITAR(Burning Brides), Steven Mcdonald, bass(Red Kross), and Mario Rubalcaba(RFTC)?

Keith Morris: OFF! is better than a side project 'cause side project to me sounds like a hip replacement procedure. The energy and urgency of OFF! pretty much negates most of the other stuff i've been associated with and the inspiration comes from how great the guys in the band are as Human Beings and Musicians!

Punk Globe: Where you bored from playing the same Circle Jerks set every tour?

Keith Morris: NO! It was a challenge onna' physical level and figuring outta' way to make it through an entire set. Imma' Diabetic so it's not that easy. We also changed the set every 4 or 5 yrs. Just to break up the monotany!

Punk Globe: HAS Off! given you a new lease on creating new music?

Keith Morris: Yeah and as grueling as our schedule's been it's a real BLAST!

Punk Globe: Who are your influences?

Keith Morris: You really wanna' know? RAY DAVIES & THE KINKS, IGGY & THE STOOGES, LED ZEPPELIN, BLUE OYSTER CULT,THE GUN CLUB, THE WHO, CHUCK BERRY, ROLLING STONES, BEATLES, THE CLASH, WIRE, MONOCHROME SET, GBH, WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS, SONIC YOUTH, CAPTAIN BEYOND, ALICE COOPER, SEEDS, BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD, WAAVES, DUNES, JAY REATARD, BIRDS, FREDDIE KING, CAROUSEL, CAPTAIN AMERICA, EUGENIUS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MEL RAMOS, TEKKONKINKREET, MAGIC DIRT, THE SCIENTISTS, BEASTS OF BOURBON, JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, MASTERS OF REALITY, TRAFFIC, STATUS QUO, THEE OH SEES, WHOA HUNX, AUDACITY, DEERHUNTER, FUCKED UP, NO AGE, X, DEEP PURPLE, MONORCHID, WRANGLER BRUTES, MIKA MIKO, CHARLES BUKOWSKI, FELLINI, BASEMENT 5, BUFFALO DAUGHTER, BUDDY MILES, MOTORHEAD, THE ZEROS, AVENGERS, DICKIES, GOLDEN EARRING, THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES, SYD BARRETT, THE MOVE, TURBONEGRO, FLESHEATERS, ALLEY CATS, AEROSMITH, MOTT THE HOOPLE, HUMBLE PIE, DATSUNS, ICARUS LINE, NEON, REDD CROSS, MC5, TELEVISION, JESUS LIZARD, GUZZARD, FLAMING LIPS, BUTTHOLE SURFERS, LAKERS, LENNY BRUCE, RAIDERS (both Oakland & PAUL REVERE), GUIDED BY VOICES,360'S, NYMPHS, HANGMEN, ROKY ERICKSON, MELVINS, PRETTY THINGS, TUCKY BUZZARD, JO JO GUNNE, BLACK SABBATH, BLACK OAK ARKANSAS, BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB, BLACK MOUNTAIN, BLACK ANGELS, BLACK FLAG, BLACK LIPS, BLACK HAIRDRESSER, BLACK UNDERWEAR, BLACK TEETH & BLACK BOOGER.

Punk Globe: Where are your favorite places to play? Or you want to play?

Keith Morris: The old 9:30 Club in Washington DC, The Masque @ both locations, the Echo in Echo Park, the Outhouse in Kansas and about 4000 other places.

Punk Globe: HOW does it feel to be respected by Chuck Berry, Sir Elton John, Randy Newman, Bill ward drummer for Black Sabbath, the late Joe Strummer, Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, Ryan Adams, Gerard and Frankie of My Chemical Romance, Davila 666, Randy and Dean, the guys from Deer Hunter and a couple other kooks?

Keith Morris: Great!

Punk Globe: Who gave you your first Dreadlocks?

Keith Morris: They weren't given to me! I had to pay out my ass for them. LMAO! I didn't wash my hair for 6 months.

Punk Globe: Brettt Gurewitz (Owner of Epitaph Records) offered Off! a contract to sign with them, why did you turn them down and sign with Vice Music?

Keith Morris: When I played Brett the Off! demo he almost fell outta' his chair. Said he'd not heard anything this good in 4 yrs. which I found to be highly complimentary! He said he'd be totally into working with us and we were psyched to work with him and Epitaph. As with every record label there's a buncha' questionable music on the list of artists but that's just a big "Whatever"! We decided on Vice Music 'cause they're a completely different creature all together. They're about a groop of people we as a band find ourselves not really fitting in with so OFF!'s job is to play the party and win them over. In the Epitaph world we fit right in and most of those peeps enjoy what we do. With Vice we've gotta' prove ourselves! Vice is gonna' have us do some stuff Epitaph wouldn't! Plus Vice has something along the lines of 20 offices around the world. I wanna' play onna' street corner on the sidewalk in front of an office building in Beijing, China!

Punk Globe: How does it feel to be an American Hardcore Legend?

Keith Morris: It still doesn't pay my rent! Although people honk and yell obscenities at me when I'm walkin' down Sunset Blvd. in Silverlake! It's so fuckin' awesome to feel the love!

Punk Globe: How do the other three band members feels about being in The Off!?

Keith Morris: I'd hafta' say.......ASK THEM!

Punk Globe: Has there been any many "major" surprises in your 30+ year career?

Keith Morris: How about the fact that I'm so fuckin' stupid that I've allowed this stuff to go on for as long as it has!

Punk Globe: What happened with the disaster that was "The Black Flag Reunion show"?

Keith Morris: It wassa' total joke! I won't get into any details as I'm writing a book and that situation's one of the chapters in the whatever I'm gonna' call it.

Punk Globe: Was it done professionally in your eyes?

Keith Morris: No The really sad thing was the promoters were the utmost in professionalism!

Punk Globe: Where did you play your first gig?

Keith Morris: My first gig was LOVE @ the Rolling Hills Theatre........They played between 2 movies onna' Summertime Saturday afternoon all for the glorious price of 50 cents.

Punk Globe: What are u currently listening to now?

Keith Morris: ENDLESS BOOGIE and before that was I WAS A KING and before that was THEE OH SEES and before that was THE PHANTOM BAND.........

Punk Globe: Who pushes you to be the artist you always were, and the artist you are?

Keith Morris: I was highly influenced by JOHN JANCAR who was an Art Instructor @ my high school......Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach, Ca. and my parents.

Punk Globe: How did you get into D.JING (CLUB"S, EVENTS, MC-ING)?

Keith Morris: A very large record collection and having been a member of the SoCal club scene for as long as I can remember.

Punk Globe: Are you a Sci Fi fan? If so what do you like?

Keith Morris: H G Wells, Jules Verne, Ray Bradbury, Ray Harryhausen, J G Ballard, Kenneth Robeson, Phillip K. Dick

Punk Globe: what does the future hold for OFF!?

Keith Morris: All sortsa' wonderful and exciting events, parties and all the swell things that come along with the package!

Punk Globe would like to thank John Paul Vera for interviewing the always witty and wise Keith Morris... Be sure to check out his new band OFF!