Rocker Mark Adkins of Guttermouth back on track

Two years ago, the frontman of US punk rock band Guttermouth hit headlines after a disastrous performance in Victoria during what was supposed to be the band’s farewell tour of Australia.

Reports from the show detailed Adkins ‘‘slurring words, missing lines, falling over’’ and generally being a bit of a trainwreck.

At the time, Adkins blamed his behaviour on a mysterious medication given to him by a fan after he complained about feeling unwell but now concedes he actually drank too much before the show.

‘‘Let’s just say ‘goon bag’,’’ Adkins says sheepishly, referring to the Aussie slang term for cask wine.

‘‘Put it this way: it was only one show that went awry. Guess what – everyone has a rough day at the office, don’t they? Every once in a while don’t you have a bad day? You’re human too? God damn it, guess what? So are we.’’

Adkins is quick to point out that it was not all bad news following the show.

‘‘You know what? Ticket sales actually went up for the shows after that because everyone wants to see a trainwreck.

‘‘All the journalists at the time were like ‘Oh, poor musicianship’’ and blah blah blah. Look at it for what it really is, you know, don’t try and dissect it and be so over-the-top with it.’’

Adkins is in the middle of a 24-city US tour when he speaks to Weekender.

In turns out that the farewell tour they embarked on in 2013 was, in fact, not to be the final goodbye after all for the veteran punk rock band which formed in California in 1988.

Adkins says he had all intentions of giving up his punk rock career and settling down but now describes that idea as more of a case of ‘‘girlfriend-itis’’.

‘‘It’s embarrassing but, truth be told, I thought I’d found the perfect woman and thought I was ready to sit around and watch television and drink beer but it turned out I was bored out of my mind.

‘‘I need to be occupied at all times – it’s just the way I was pre-wired as a kid. I think there’s maybe something a little loose up there so I’m not one who can sit down and relax and read a romance novel – I just don’t have that in me.

‘‘This is who I am – being out on the road – this is what I love doing, so I’ve got my shit back together and got back on track, man.’’

Getting back on track has taken some time, though.

Shortly after the band’s controversial tour of Australia, Adkins found himself at the lowest point of his life, homeless and begging on the streets of Mexico. He eventually ended up in a Tijuana jail where he was beaten up by fellow inmates.

It’s a long story, he says, but he learnt his lesson after Guttermouth drummer Alex Flamsteed bailed him out.

‘‘Everything is back on track,’’ Adkin says. ‘‘I had a little idle time, you know, and I still get in trouble here and there, but after I got rid of the girl problem, then I had lots of free time on my hands and I meander down to places I shouldn’t be [Mexico], have a little too much fun and a little too much fun winds into a little too much trouble, and then you become a human dartboard and it’s not a good scene.

‘‘That’s another thing that makes you realise ‘Gee, what am I doing with myself? Wake the f--k up, Mark’ and so I did.

‘‘I’m thankful to have good guys behind me because we all make stupid mistakes once in a while. I just happened to make a big one.’’

Guttermouth are back in Australia for a national tour, which includes a week-long recording block in Brisbane to lay down tracks for an exclusive Australia-only release.

It’s big news for fans of the band considering they have not released a new album since 2006’s Shave The Planet.

‘‘People can expect what we do. We’re Guttermouth – we’re well rehearsed and ready to go,’’ Adkins says.

‘‘As soon as I got my shit back together, I turned it back on and I give it 110per cent. It’s as simple as that.’’

Guttermouth perform at The Small Ballroom on Sunday with Mucho Sonar, Wiseheimer and Dog Act. Bookings online at oztix.com.au.