What/who inspired you into setting up a record label ?

The Serial Bowl Records Collective grew organically from a small group of individuals who started to put gigs on at the Vaults in Sunderland a couple of years ago. We become a collective because we wanted to organise without hierarchy. Every member has an equal say in the running of SBRC which is completely non discriminatory. As well as putting on gigs we produce a quarterly fanzine and operate a silk screening press for shirts and badges. We are a not for profit DIY label.

What’s been your highlights as a label to date ?

Seeing everyone working collectively is my personal highlight. Being creative is what punk means to me, so seeing people expressing themselves is a highlight for me. Releasing music by Modern Enemy (USA) and Born Shit Stirrers (JPN) was great.

How have you managed to keep a record label running in an age of easy access digital streaming ?

That hasn’t been a major problem for us. We’ve found that people like to have a physical copy in their collection. Some people are intent on buying our full catalogue which is great !

Any funny stories you can tell the readers about your label, or the bands you have put out ?

Oh god I dunno ! We always have a good laugh at the gigs.

The human pyramid at the Revenge gig was class. Dario the singer in Italian street punk band Ill Complesso crowd surfing and actually walking upside down on the ceiling was mad !

Captain Hotknives is always a great laugh. The best fun I’ve had, was at a gig by Scottish bands Wheelchair x4 and Stairmaster involving furry headgear, inflatables and audience members playing the instruments ! The band loved it so much they wrote a song about it called Sunderland.

What inspired the name you have given your label ?

Well that’s a nod to our mate, the late great Dickie Hammond. Guitarist with HDQ and Leatherface amongst others. He called everyone Bowl. ie ‘How’s it going Bowl?’

A Bowl is someone who is maybe slightly unhinged, or shall we say lives life to the full !

The Serial bit was a bit fun cos we are all habitual Bowls !!

Any rad releases you have planned you can tell us about ?

Yes we have some really good things in the pipeline. I’m personally looking forward to the release of the album ‘Isn’t Brazing’ by Japanese hardcore band Daiei Spray. They are massive HDQ fans so it’s great for us to release their music. Also closer to home I’m looking forward to the release of the debut album by Sunderland band Zero Negative. We’ve released their first two eps so it’ll be great to their first long player. I would definitely recommend readers to check them out live as well. There’s loads of other good things happening this year. I’m feeling really positive about it.

If you could put out a record from any band still going/or split up, who would it be?

Oh that’s a good question ! The first thing that springs to mind is ‘California Uber Alles/Police Truck’ by Dead Kennedys, there’s nothing about that record I don’t like.

But if you ask me tomorrow it will be something different.