I went about the business of writing my column despite this egregious oversight until the chance for redemption came: No Fraud. Is back. In Sarasota. OMG! The irony is too delicious to ignore and so on Friday night I am dressed in boots and black — with a touch of hot pink — and heading to Pastimes Pub to partake in my first real punk rock show.

I’m running a little late, as usual, so I quickly give my $5 cover to Big Leon at the door and rush to get a view of the stage. Suddenly, I am fully in the pit, pushing and shoving and trying to stay vertical long enough to cross the room. It definitely gets my adrenaline going and when I find to a safe spot and stop to take in the stage I understand. Lead singer Dan Destructo grips the microphone like he’s making love to it (albeit violently) and shouts, sings and chants while the guitars and drums thrash behind him. The dudes in the pit take in the energy from the band and crash into one another with their own ebb and flow. It’s chaotic, it’s loud, it’s raw and it’s real. Photos and Interview with Dan Destructo after the jump!

The guys on the floor don’t care if their shirts gets dirty, or if they leave without a shirt for that matter. The pit has it’s own rules and rhythm, first and foremost: help your fellow mosher when he or she falls — and yes there are a few brave ladies out there; and one very brave lady on stage. No Fraud’s bass player is a pixie in a pink mini-prom dress with leopard print tights and green Keds. She downs beers like a pro and tears it up on the bass while Chococat watches from her guitar strap.

But I’m realizing you never know who is going to turn out to be a punk rocker, like the guy I definitely recognize as a server from the Ritz or Miss Carissa Warfield, a tall, pretty blond who regularly photographs high-society events for a local glossy. During a break, the band throws on some old-school hip-hop cuts and the dance floor stays poppin to jamz like “Tootsie Roll” till No Fraud returns and shuts the place down.

On Monday morning I’m lucky enough to get Mr. Destructo on the phone (thanks, Cakemangler), just back to his adopted home of San Pedro, Cal. from the weekend in SRQ. “Scott” sounds a little gravely (it’s three hours earlier in Cali), but is happy to talk with me more about No Fraud and the band’s upcoming plans.

The Scenestress: So what brought you back to Sarasota this weekend?

Dan Destructo: Initially, I was trying to just get together to write with the drummer, Walt, who still lives in Venice — I enjoy wrtiting with a human and not a drum machine. So we were trying to start demoing some new songs and then, as usual, what happens is it snowballs and starts being shows. The show we did on Saturday at the Joint Collective was like what we used to do back in the day. We wanted to play an all ages show. It was really fun.

Ss: I didn’t hear about the show at Joint until after it happened.

DD: Yea, if you advertise too much it can get out of control and then you have to start turning people away — I dont want anybody’s place to get destroyed.

Ss: What were your influences to start playing music at such a young age? (Dan was 13 when he started writing and playing with the guys that would become No Fraud.)

DD: Boredom. Utter and complete boredom with Sarasota and Venice. It’s not bad, but sometimes you feel a little limited by parents, teachers, preachers, so we started writing music….

Ss: And how does it feel to play and sing the same songs that you wrote almost 25 years ago?

DD: Sometimes it’s great because I can totally let go because it’s all super natural. It can be a little interesting because you kinda get retrospective dealing with emotions from way back then. But 99 percent of it is still dead on. When I was writing I tried to ask myself,  ’Am I gonna believe this 25 years from now?’ and just tried not to say anything out of spite, tried to make it real — no fraud. We know how to make fun of ourselves but it’s crazy because a lot of the stuff we wrote seems to have more political savvy than many politicians do now. Out of the mouths of babes….

…There was a point in time when I was a little, I don’t know if you would say, embittered, and jadded by it. There was a point in time when music played by live humans was kind of out of fashion, and that was more of a bummer than anything, emotionally. But overall, its always been fun; for sure. We never meant to be a commercial success, which was part of what caused some problems on a personal level within the band. We refused some record deals that maybe couldve helped us out, but on the other hand, maybe those bands that did take deals are worse off because they sold out. Anyway, I’m alright!

…The set we played [at Pastimes on Friday] was actually all the songs recorded off our original demo tape from ‘85. We have interest from a few different labels in re-releasing the demos and some extras and are working on new material as well…Now we can send each other songs over the internet, or do video chat. It’s different but it’s cool.

Ss: Do you have any tattoos? Your unmarked chest really stood out during the show.

DD: No, I dont have any tattoos (laughs). It’s becoming more and more part of culture, so now I stand out more. I just never thought it would add to me. Maybe it was my way of being different.

Ss: And what was with the Beanie Babies everyone was throwing during your set at Pastimes?

DD: My parents still live in Sarasota/Venice. My mom had a bunch of Beanies Babies out and was wondering what to do with them. Without asking, I just took them to throw them out at the show. It ties into the tattoo thing — just being whatever the hell you are.

Ss: I’ve discovered via Facebook that your are “in a relationship” with the lovely lady playing bass at the show, Evangeline…

I’ve known her for years, since I moved out here, and I knew she was a bass player, but when we met I wasn’t actually looking for a bass player. It blossomed from there. We needed somebody and she said “let’s try it.” Eva is the first girl ever in the band though. We try to continue break new ground.

-The Scenestress

Learn more about No Fraud at myspace.com/nofraud or become a fan on Facebook.

See more of wildlife/punk rock photographer Mark Burrow’s work at wildlifeservicesfl.com.

And become a fan of The Scenestress on Facebook and follow on Twitter. Because it’s really cool.