Jess Goldey: My Turn to Win
interview by Jason Walsh
Though the hardcore scene has always been predominantly populated by guys, guitarist Jess Goldey of My Turn to Win has never let the fact that she is a woman slow her down. As a founding member of the Philadelphia based hardcore outfit, she has continued to prove herself as an accomplished guitarist and songwriter, and one of the driving forces that keeps the band always moving forward. Started in 2004 with frontman Dave Rosney, in what the band calls the "summer of positivity," My Turn to Win has released several demos, E.P.s, appeared on a couple compilations, and most recently released their first full-length, "Weight of the World" on Awake/Strong Records, while continuing to tear down venues along the East Coast.
The 23-year-old grew up in the Philadelphia area and is currently an Elementary Education major at Temple University. With the new year around the corner, My Turn to Win looks to do a U.S. tour as well as writing new material for a possible new release down the road. I had a chance to talk to Goldey about how she found hardcore, the origins of the band, and what it's like to be a woman guitarist in one of the most aggressive styles of music.
JW: What is it that drew you to hardcore? Where did you first discover that this was something for you?
JESS: I always liked Y100. That's what I listened to on the radio. Music wasn't really that big of a deal when I was little, but when I was in high school my friend who liked similar music that I did, like alternative stuff, would always wear H20 shirts to school. I was in like 8th grade and I was like "what style is this band H20?" It's like around when "Abstinence" was just coming out. I went home and I downloaded "One Life, One Chance" on my computer, on my 56K modem, and I was hooked from there. I went out and I bought the CD at the Wall or something, and I was just hooked. They've been my favorite band ever since and from that I started loving that kind of music and it just progressed into a whole chain reaction of things. I just loved it, loved everything about it. I played hockey too and this one kid I played with, he told me he used to fill in for Kid Dynamite, so I got into Kid Dynamite from him. He just kept giving me stuff, like Less Than Jake CDs and Suicide Machines and things like that. I know he really liked Madball, and I just started listening to a lot of similar stuff and it just progressed from there. As I got older, like in high school, I started going to shows with people I was friends with and it just blew up from there.
JW: What was it about hardcore music that spoke to you? It's a lot different than some of your standard different styles of music. It is a very aggressive style and what was it about that style that really spoke to you?
JESS: I just love that the songs are really real. I can relate to them, and especially with H20, everything is so positive but at the same time it's aggressive. It's so heartfelt that you don't listen to the music, you feel it. I've compared it to people who don't understand who aren't in this scene, trying to make the analogy, like when you're in your car and you're driving and you turn on the radio because you want something to listen to and you don't really think too much about that. You just turn it on and listen to it. But when I listen to something, I feel it. It's something that I feel and I get chills time and time again. It's just this awesome feeling that I haven't found anywhere else. It's awesome and addictive and everything that anybody could ever want in a music style, in a genre, or y'know, in a lifestyle. It's just amazing.
JW: What made you decide to pick up a guitar and start learning how to play?
JESS: It's kind of funny. When I was in high school, I guess I was a senior, my schedule got fucked up somehow and I had to go into my guidance counselor. They were like, "Oh, we're going to put you in this guitar class," and I was like "O.K.?" I really didn't have any ambition to play guitar, I never really thought about it before, and they put me in this class and honestly, we didn't do anything in there. They gave us these really shitty acoustic guitars and were like "well, here, we're going to teach you how to play," but they didn't really. It was just like the first year they had the class and it was just basically me teaching myself. I thought past it and I would teach them to myself and I grew addicted to this instrument. I was like, "I love this!" For my 16th or 17th birthday, I asked my Mom and Dad for a guitar and they gave me one and I just continued to teach myself. I never really thought of like being in an actual band. At that point I was like, "Aww...this would be awesome if that could happen." I never really expected it to and especially to the degree that it's gotten to. I never imagined to do something like that.
JW: So what kind of guitar did Mom and Dad get you?
JESS: It was a Fender American Strat. A teal color. Beautiful.
JW: Do you still have it?
JESS: I do still have it. I refuse to get rid of it even though I am totally broke. I have a strong attachment to sentimental things and it was my first guitar and we shared so many memories as corny as it sounds (laughs). I don't want to give it away, sell it for something, for money. It's not worth it. It still plays great. My best friend Dave, who sings in the band, he gave me Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickups to put in it and it made it sound amazing. I still love it, I still play it, and I'm never going to get rid of it.
JW: Well, you can't. That would be ridiculous. One, it came from your parents and two, you laid a lot of blood into it. It's your first guitar.
JESS: Yeah!!! I tell people, "I'm broke, I have no money," and they're like "sell something," and I'm like "I don't really have anything to sell that's worth a decent amount of money except for my guitar." They're like, "why don't you sell it? You don't even play it at shows anymore," and I'm like "Hell, no! Get out of here! That means too much to me."
JW: What are you playing now?
JESS: Right now I have an ESP LTD. It's a Les Paul style guitar. It's got a black matte finish with gold trim and gold hardware. It's got EMG pickups and sounds really ballsy. It plays great. I love it so much.
JW: So, how did you hook up with the band? How did that come about for you?
JESS: Well, I started hanging out with Dave in 2004. He used to live at this house that did shows. There was a saying, like "Dave's Night," which was like every Wednesday I think, when people would just go over there and play games. I went one night and met him and we just totally clicked and hit it off and we started hanging out. He was talking about how he wanted to do this band and call it My Turn to Win, named after a Turning Point song. It was originally just him sitting in his boxers or something with an acoustic guitar. I don't even think Dave can play the guitar. It was just him messing around with an acoustic guitar by himself writing songs about positivity and safe sex and stuff like that, like super silly. I guess he wanted to make it a serious thing and I was like, "oh, I can play guitar somewhat," and at that time I was like, "I can't really play guitar all that well, but I'd be really interested." So, I guess through message boards and things, we found our other guitar player and bass player. Our first drummer, Chad, we just knew him, so he was in it, and it just went from there. We've been through a ton of lineup changes, I'm not even sure how many, in the four and a half years we've been a band. Dave and me are the original members from the start and he's my best friend in the whole wide world even though he gets on my nerves and I get on his, but that goes with any relationship, if you know somebody and you're that close with them.
JW: And that's part of being in a band.
JESS: Oh, definitely.
JW: You get a bunch of people together that may have like interests but there's always going to be issues.
JESS: Oh, no doubt. Being in a band is like being in a relationship, but with four other people and sometimes it's going to be difficult. But, whatever, you get through those times just like with any other friendship, relationship, family problem, y'know whatever. Relationships have problems and you work on them and you get over it. Big deal. At the end of the day, you aren't always kissing and making up.
JW: How's this stretch been being in this band? You said you've been doing this for four and a half years. Is it a lot of fun? Does it keep you motivated? What is the reason why you continue to do this?
JESS: There's a lot of reasons why. I guess I can't really pinpoint one. I mean it's fun for the most part. Right now, we have had a solid lineup for a year and a half. We recently went through a drummer change, but there's not even any bad blood between any of our ex-members or anything. It's just that they had to work and couldn't fit it into their schedule or other differences. It wasn't because we hated them or they were angry with us, it just couldn't work for them. I guess really everything does happen for a reason because right now I think we're all pretty much content with the lineup and everybody gets along really well. We're like a happy little family but sometimes we all hate each other, but that's normal. You know we have our quarrels and it's stressful sometimes. It really is all worth it just because playing shows and seeing kids I've never seen before in my life yelling in Dave's face lyrics that he wrote to songs that we all wrote together is awesome. It's an unbeatable feeling, something I never thought would ever, ever dream of happening. I don't even know how to describe it, the feeling I get from playing, being up there sweating, and giving as much as I can. At the end of the set, I feel so dead physically but never more alive. We do this because it's fun and it's what we want to do, and when it stops being fun, and the bad times outweigh the good, then that's when it's not going to happen anymore.
JW: In a style that's dominated by a lot of testosterone, what's it like being a woman playing guitar in a hardcore band?
JESS: I'm not going to lie. There's a lot of attention there, whether it's me or any other female in a hardcore band. A girl can't deny the fact that this world is "dominated" by dudes and you can't ignore that. You kind of just have to accept it and learn to live with it, but at the same time know that you're just as good as any of the dudes. I think it's important to just know that is always going to be there, at least now unless something changes. So, getting mad at something like that, because that's just the way it is, I don't know, I think that's just wasted energy. I think there's a lot of other things you can put you're energy into. The scene's dominated by dudes, like more guys play hockey than girls, something like that, you know what I mean. That's just a fact. That's just how it is, but how it affects me is, well, I don't know? I just want to be considered as an equal and I think that I am. I don't have the attitude like, "oh, I'm better than this dude or I'm better than this guy because I can do this and this and this and he can't." I just want to be like everybody else. I don't have the attitude of "oh, I'm better than him because I'm a girl and I can pull my own weight." Does that make sense?
JW: Yeah it does. Do you feel when you're playing with other bands that acceptance as a peer, and not treated differently because you are a woman? Do you feel that level of acceptance with others in the hardcore community?
JESS: For me personally, I feel accepted, that I've earned my place. I acknowledge that there are guys out there who look down upon girls being in what "dudes" activities are supposed to be. I don't have a better word for that. But I know there are guys out there that are like that, so I just keep that in mind but I don't let that bother me. I know that I hold my own just fine, playing in a band or whatever else. I don't care if a guy or girl wants to judge me for whatever. That's their own problem. If they like me then that's great, if not, I don't feel like I should waste my energy trying to change their opinion. I feel like I can definitely prove to people who think that girls shouldn't do this type of thing, I think I definitely prove them wrong. I've had a lot of girls come up to me and be like, "I want to do that. I want to be just like you." It's such a huge compliment and it's so flattering because I feel like I'm setting a good example. I'm always watching how I am acting, like what I say, especially to young girls who are saying these things and complimenting me. I hope that if I'm influencing them, that I'm saying and doing the right things in a positive way. There is such a thing as good attention and bad attention. There are girls out there that just go to shows who just stand in the back and hold their boyfriend's coats and things and just follow them around like a little puppy dog and they don't really care about the music even though they say they do. You know, like here today, gone tomorrow type of thing. There's so many girls like that, or dudes, doing it for the wrong reasons. Overall, I just want to make a good impression for these girls who say these things to me and I want to give them somebody to look up to and they'll be like, "y'know, I can do this. I can do whatever I want to do and not feel like I should be looked down upon by guys or anybody." Everybody should be able to do what they want to do. If they want to do it, there should be no reason why they can't, as long you are a strong person and follow what you want to do in your heart, there's no reason you should be shut down because people look down upon that sort of thing.
JW: Exactly, and good for you of being an advocate of that. That's the thing, I think all of us have been drawn to this music and this movement because it spoke to us and another thing, it is a sense of unity and coming together and family.
JESS: Exactly. We're all here for the same reasons, whether it's a guy or girl. It doesn't matter. We should all be considered as people here. There's not one gender that's better than the other. If you had your eyes shut and you couldn't tell who was up there on stage, it could be all girls, it could be all guys, you wouldn't know. Purple, gray, brown, black, green. It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like. Everybody should be considered equal and that's that.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
AGNOSTIC FRONT: NEW BLOOD
NEW BLOOD
Interview with Roger Miret
by Jason Walsh
When one thinks about the New York Hardcore scene, one of the first bands that comes to mind is Agnostic Front. Founded by guitarist Vinnie Stigma in 1980, AF added Roger Miret shortly after the group's inception, and through the highs and lows, the two have continued the legacy for nearly three decades. In recent times, they have added a crew of young guns to the lineup, which has rejuvenated these pioneers of the underground hardcore movement in NYC. Drummer Steve Gallo and brother Mike Gallo on bass, along with Joey James on guitar have brought a new voice to the Lower East Side crew, renewing support and continuing the tradition for the band that has inspired hundreds of hardcore outfits around the world.
As the world enters a new year, I had a chance to talk with Miret about Agnostic Front's history and longevity, the newest record, "Warriors," as well as the current tour and future projects that lie ahead. Newly relocated out West, we also discussed his new family, fatherhood, and the success his younger brother, Freddy Cricien of Madball, has had through his influence and support.
JW: So you told me you relocated to Arizona. Why did you decide to move out there?
MIRET: My wife's from out here and she wanted to finish her studies that she started at ASU years ago. I came here to support her and help her finish her studies and while we were here she got pregnant and we had our baby, Abby. Abby is 17-months old and now she's pregnant again and we're having a little boy.
JW: You think you're going to be out there permanent?
MIRET: Well I'm really liking it here, man. I mean it's affordable and right now we're raising a family, so those are things I have to think about. Back home, back east in New York City, it would be a lot to get a two-bedroom apartment, but we'd probably need a three really soon. The cost of living is more affordable and it's really pretty here. We really like it. The only thing that sucks is that we don't really have any family here, but we're creating our own.
JW: It sounds like it. It's a pretty cool area out there, different kind of climate all together, but yet with all your family back in the city, you probably kind of miss the city a little bit, huh?
MIRET: Yeah. I miss the seasons, y'know, when they come around. That's something that we really miss. Other than that, the climate is so nice over here. I like coming home from touring and coming here. I really feel relaxed, y'know.
JW: Kind of a good place to wind down after you've been on the road for a while?
MIRET: Absolutely.
JW: Well, let's talk about this last year. You guys have been pretty busy. Year before you released "Warriors," couple videos out of that, the Black 'n Blue Bowl in Brooklyn, then you guys started a big European tour after that. Talk about this last year. It's definitely been an active one.
MIRET: Well, we've been really busy. Once "Warriors" came out, we hit the markets pretty quick, but what we did was we went to Europe, and started it off in Europe and maintained it. We did Europe like three or four times and then went to South America. We recently just started touring it for the U.S. We divided the tour into four different parts in the U.S. and we just did the first part, which was all Northeast. We're going to Costa Rica this Saturday for one show and then right after that, we start our West Coast leg. Next year, January into February, we'll be doing the south and southeast, and then we'll eventually go to the Chicago area right after that. We're letting the weather go by.
JW: Yeah, that's probably a smart thing. Follow the sun.
MIRET: Exactly.
JW: The response on the record has been good. Have you been hearing some good stuff from the fans out there on the road?
MIRET: Yeah, we are. Personally, I think "Warriors" is our best offering to date. I think it's definitely a very genuine hardcore record and it speaks very much to the hardcore community. Musical wise, I think it's as intense as the lyrics. I mean it's real genuine. There's a lot of passion in "Warriors" and I think people are really starting to pick that up and y'know, enjoying it.
JW: I got a chance to meet Joey and Steve at the Black 'n Blue Bowl. Some really nice guys, and it seems like these new guys that you got in the band are really putting a bit of fire into the band. Do you think that's accurate?
MIRET: I think it's very accurate. "Warriors" is one of the first records ever that was really written by the whole band, as opposed to "Another Voice," which prior to that was written mostly by myself in the studio with my friend, Jamey (Jasta of Hatebreed). With "Warriors" we did the whole writing as a whole band, which is really cool, and you can actually hear the influences that each guy put in. It's funny because the influences they put in, is very much a kickback to the original stuff that Agnostic Front has been doing for years. I think "Warriors" has elements and combinations of all our records, a great collage of it all.
JW: I got that from Steve when he was describing the record. He was like, "I think it takes parts of 'Victim in Pain,' 'Cause for Alarm,' "One Voice,' and it kind of fuses them all together." It's hitting all the different eras of Agnostic Front. Honestly, as a fan, it's an incredible record and I put it at the top of my list as well, of what you guys have done to date.
MIRET: I think so. I mean, like I said, it's a great collage of our history. I think it's a great record and I hope it doesn't fall on deaf ears and that people really give it a chance and really listen to it. For a hardcore record, not that it's my own record, but I mean there aren't many records as strong as "Warrioirs" that are genuine. Everybody wants to do hardcore, play in a hardcore band, but the passion of a lot of these bands is not there or the longevity. I think the longevity and the secret to our legacy in Agnostic Front is the fact we are genuine and we are very passionate to what we do.
JW: And let's talk about that. Longevity. You guys have been doing this for a long time. What keeps you still as passionate about hardcore, and being in the band and doing Agnostic Front coming into 2009?
MIRET: To me, hardcore is something that spoke to me from the very beginning. It's a movement to me. It's not just music, it's not just something that sounds cool, or lyrical wise what was going on in my generation while I was a teen or whatever. Hardcore is something I committed to and I love being a part of to date. I love hardcore, y'know, hardcore is what has fueled my life. Some people went to high school. I never even went to high school. I joined Agnostic Front and that, to me, was the best diploma I ever got. That commitment I took towards the band and even towards our movement is just as intense today as it was years ago. I may not be living in squats or in vans or in abandoned buildings, blah blah blah, but I still have those memories and I still speak for the oppressed. I still put on the TV and I still see this world, y'know, and it may not be the greatest place in the world, this country. We still got a lot of issues here and we're still voicing them and I've seen the changes over the many years in my career of doing this. I've seen that we can't change the world, but we can make a difference and I've seen that. I'm here to continue making that difference for my own children for as long as I can live.
JW: And that's the thing about hardcore music. It's always been the place to voice against the injustices, not so much we might be able to change them, but we can call out what we see and what is wrong.
MIRET: Right.
JW: So let me ask you, back in the day, how did you find hardcore or did hardcore find you? And, how did you come to become in Agnostic Front?
MIRET: Well, I mean, how did I find hardcore? I knew from when I was young, from a really young age, I can almost pinpoint that, I knew that I was definitely going to walk out of step of society. I knew I was a rebel, I knew I was a misfit, I knew I was out of the norm. I didn't like jocks. I just didn't like the normal stuff, so I knew from a very young age I was going to rebel. Once I saw movies, like "The Wild Ones" and stuff like that, that's what I wanted to be, y'know. I wanted to be James Dean. Little by little, through my life and my journeys at school, I discovered punk rock. I discovered punk rock in '78 and I was still like 13-years old, y'know what I mean, and that was what caught me. I was involved with punk rock for many years until I discovered hardcore. I had discovered hardcore by accident. I was listening to the radio and there was a pirate radio show. I forgot the name of it. Some kind of pirate radio in New York, that's how they used to broadcast stuff, and I heard a band called Urban Waste and I was like "that's pretty damn cool, y'know, I've never heard of that band." I was more into the Brit-punk stuff and that's how I discovered hardcore. I went to go see Agnostic Front, and then I went to see all these bands. I wasn't in Agnostic Front then, I was the third singer, and that's how I got into it, and the next thing you know, I realized it was more than just music. It was more of a really strong, tight-knit family. All the bands I liked, all those Brit punk bands I liked, all lived in the U.K. The Ramones were in America. Hardcore was something I came into automatically. It was my youth, and there was only a few bands that were young, and I automatically found this bond to it.
JW: So, it was something at an early age that you could identify with? It wasn't these "rock stars" on pedestals that were unapproachable. It was people that were in your neighborhood.
MIRET: Right, exactly. But even though some of these bands that may seem like rock stars, like the Clash or the Ramones, they still weren't. I didn't feel I had much to relate to them anymore as much as I did when I met the hardcore community. It was people like me and you. I was like, "oh, these people are cool." We all started all these bands and we weren't very good, but one thing led to another, y'know.
JW: And I think the thing about it was it was fun, wasn't it? I mean that's the bottom line.
MIRET: Yeah. Well it was fun, I finally found a group of people that I felt I belonged to, a place I called home. I wrote about it in one of my songs on "Another Voice." I found a whole community of people that I finally felt like this is my home, and these are the people I could protect, and they protected me. I don't know how to explain it. It was a really welcoming feeling and it's always been that way from then and 'til today, y'know.
JW: Speaking of family, Madball is doing incredible, Freddy, your brother is doing awesome. Black 'n Blue Productions is doing great things in the city. As the older brother, you got to be pretty proud of what Freddy's got going on.
MIRET: I absolutely am very proud of Freddy. I mean, I like threw him out there with Agnostic Front. Freddy is one of those single-digit hardcore guys, y'know what I mean, kids that been into hardcore since he was seven. He actually got up and sang with Agnostic Front. It wasn't safe, y'know, I'm not talking about now, I'm talking about when hardcore was dangerous. He loved the music, he loved the movement, and his passion is great, as mine is. It was just great for me to start a band for him, and to see them take that band that we started for him and kind of live in our shadows, and then kind of take it out of our shadows, and create his own monster, that was absolutely very, very cool. I'm very proud of him, of course, and he deserves it. He's as passionate and genuine as I am and everybody else.
JW: Very cool. So this one leg you're going to be touring on is with First Blood from California and you'll be playing in Arizona. How did you hook up with those guys?
MIRET: We did a tour with them in Europe about two years ago. We've been friends ever since then, so it's kind of cool that two years later that we're all going to do something in the States together. We're doing this West Coast leg and hopefully we'll be able to do some of the dates in the South and Southeast too. Those guys are really good guys, Carl and the guys in First Blood are genuine people, so it's going to be fun. I'm hoping that one of Arizona's local bands, North Side Kings will be on the bill too. I always request them. I think they are a great band, a great local band. It's kind of cool to play around here now because I've made some friends around here so it's kind of fun.
JW: After the end of this tour, are you guys going to take some time off, maybe do some recording? What's the future in 2009 for Agnostic Front?
MIRET: Well the future for Agnostic Front right now, 2009, we still have two more legs of the U.S. tour to work on. I'm having a baby in May.
JW: There is that.
MIRET: That's going to hold us up through the summer unless we do some festivals in Europe. We do have a huge tour planned in South America, which is pretty awesome. It's Agnostic Front and Madball doing South America and Central America, something that hasn't been done before. We just did South America and sold out every major city so it was pretty intense. So now, with my brother, it's going to be really something great, y'know. So, that's the plans for October. We are writing some new stuff and it's going to be fun too.
Interview with Roger Miret
by Jason Walsh
When one thinks about the New York Hardcore scene, one of the first bands that comes to mind is Agnostic Front. Founded by guitarist Vinnie Stigma in 1980, AF added Roger Miret shortly after the group's inception, and through the highs and lows, the two have continued the legacy for nearly three decades. In recent times, they have added a crew of young guns to the lineup, which has rejuvenated these pioneers of the underground hardcore movement in NYC. Drummer Steve Gallo and brother Mike Gallo on bass, along with Joey James on guitar have brought a new voice to the Lower East Side crew, renewing support and continuing the tradition for the band that has inspired hundreds of hardcore outfits around the world.
As the world enters a new year, I had a chance to talk with Miret about Agnostic Front's history and longevity, the newest record, "Warriors," as well as the current tour and future projects that lie ahead. Newly relocated out West, we also discussed his new family, fatherhood, and the success his younger brother, Freddy Cricien of Madball, has had through his influence and support.
JW: So you told me you relocated to Arizona. Why did you decide to move out there?
MIRET: My wife's from out here and she wanted to finish her studies that she started at ASU years ago. I came here to support her and help her finish her studies and while we were here she got pregnant and we had our baby, Abby. Abby is 17-months old and now she's pregnant again and we're having a little boy.
JW: You think you're going to be out there permanent?
MIRET: Well I'm really liking it here, man. I mean it's affordable and right now we're raising a family, so those are things I have to think about. Back home, back east in New York City, it would be a lot to get a two-bedroom apartment, but we'd probably need a three really soon. The cost of living is more affordable and it's really pretty here. We really like it. The only thing that sucks is that we don't really have any family here, but we're creating our own.
JW: It sounds like it. It's a pretty cool area out there, different kind of climate all together, but yet with all your family back in the city, you probably kind of miss the city a little bit, huh?
MIRET: Yeah. I miss the seasons, y'know, when they come around. That's something that we really miss. Other than that, the climate is so nice over here. I like coming home from touring and coming here. I really feel relaxed, y'know.
JW: Kind of a good place to wind down after you've been on the road for a while?
MIRET: Absolutely.
JW: Well, let's talk about this last year. You guys have been pretty busy. Year before you released "Warriors," couple videos out of that, the Black 'n Blue Bowl in Brooklyn, then you guys started a big European tour after that. Talk about this last year. It's definitely been an active one.
MIRET: Well, we've been really busy. Once "Warriors" came out, we hit the markets pretty quick, but what we did was we went to Europe, and started it off in Europe and maintained it. We did Europe like three or four times and then went to South America. We recently just started touring it for the U.S. We divided the tour into four different parts in the U.S. and we just did the first part, which was all Northeast. We're going to Costa Rica this Saturday for one show and then right after that, we start our West Coast leg. Next year, January into February, we'll be doing the south and southeast, and then we'll eventually go to the Chicago area right after that. We're letting the weather go by.
JW: Yeah, that's probably a smart thing. Follow the sun.
MIRET: Exactly.
JW: The response on the record has been good. Have you been hearing some good stuff from the fans out there on the road?
MIRET: Yeah, we are. Personally, I think "Warriors" is our best offering to date. I think it's definitely a very genuine hardcore record and it speaks very much to the hardcore community. Musical wise, I think it's as intense as the lyrics. I mean it's real genuine. There's a lot of passion in "Warriors" and I think people are really starting to pick that up and y'know, enjoying it.
JW: I got a chance to meet Joey and Steve at the Black 'n Blue Bowl. Some really nice guys, and it seems like these new guys that you got in the band are really putting a bit of fire into the band. Do you think that's accurate?
MIRET: I think it's very accurate. "Warriors" is one of the first records ever that was really written by the whole band, as opposed to "Another Voice," which prior to that was written mostly by myself in the studio with my friend, Jamey (Jasta of Hatebreed). With "Warriors" we did the whole writing as a whole band, which is really cool, and you can actually hear the influences that each guy put in. It's funny because the influences they put in, is very much a kickback to the original stuff that Agnostic Front has been doing for years. I think "Warriors" has elements and combinations of all our records, a great collage of it all.
JW: I got that from Steve when he was describing the record. He was like, "I think it takes parts of 'Victim in Pain,' 'Cause for Alarm,' "One Voice,' and it kind of fuses them all together." It's hitting all the different eras of Agnostic Front. Honestly, as a fan, it's an incredible record and I put it at the top of my list as well, of what you guys have done to date.
MIRET: I think so. I mean, like I said, it's a great collage of our history. I think it's a great record and I hope it doesn't fall on deaf ears and that people really give it a chance and really listen to it. For a hardcore record, not that it's my own record, but I mean there aren't many records as strong as "Warrioirs" that are genuine. Everybody wants to do hardcore, play in a hardcore band, but the passion of a lot of these bands is not there or the longevity. I think the longevity and the secret to our legacy in Agnostic Front is the fact we are genuine and we are very passionate to what we do.
JW: And let's talk about that. Longevity. You guys have been doing this for a long time. What keeps you still as passionate about hardcore, and being in the band and doing Agnostic Front coming into 2009?
MIRET: To me, hardcore is something that spoke to me from the very beginning. It's a movement to me. It's not just music, it's not just something that sounds cool, or lyrical wise what was going on in my generation while I was a teen or whatever. Hardcore is something I committed to and I love being a part of to date. I love hardcore, y'know, hardcore is what has fueled my life. Some people went to high school. I never even went to high school. I joined Agnostic Front and that, to me, was the best diploma I ever got. That commitment I took towards the band and even towards our movement is just as intense today as it was years ago. I may not be living in squats or in vans or in abandoned buildings, blah blah blah, but I still have those memories and I still speak for the oppressed. I still put on the TV and I still see this world, y'know, and it may not be the greatest place in the world, this country. We still got a lot of issues here and we're still voicing them and I've seen the changes over the many years in my career of doing this. I've seen that we can't change the world, but we can make a difference and I've seen that. I'm here to continue making that difference for my own children for as long as I can live.
JW: And that's the thing about hardcore music. It's always been the place to voice against the injustices, not so much we might be able to change them, but we can call out what we see and what is wrong.
MIRET: Right.
JW: So let me ask you, back in the day, how did you find hardcore or did hardcore find you? And, how did you come to become in Agnostic Front?
MIRET: Well, I mean, how did I find hardcore? I knew from when I was young, from a really young age, I can almost pinpoint that, I knew that I was definitely going to walk out of step of society. I knew I was a rebel, I knew I was a misfit, I knew I was out of the norm. I didn't like jocks. I just didn't like the normal stuff, so I knew from a very young age I was going to rebel. Once I saw movies, like "The Wild Ones" and stuff like that, that's what I wanted to be, y'know. I wanted to be James Dean. Little by little, through my life and my journeys at school, I discovered punk rock. I discovered punk rock in '78 and I was still like 13-years old, y'know what I mean, and that was what caught me. I was involved with punk rock for many years until I discovered hardcore. I had discovered hardcore by accident. I was listening to the radio and there was a pirate radio show. I forgot the name of it. Some kind of pirate radio in New York, that's how they used to broadcast stuff, and I heard a band called Urban Waste and I was like "that's pretty damn cool, y'know, I've never heard of that band." I was more into the Brit-punk stuff and that's how I discovered hardcore. I went to go see Agnostic Front, and then I went to see all these bands. I wasn't in Agnostic Front then, I was the third singer, and that's how I got into it, and the next thing you know, I realized it was more than just music. It was more of a really strong, tight-knit family. All the bands I liked, all those Brit punk bands I liked, all lived in the U.K. The Ramones were in America. Hardcore was something I came into automatically. It was my youth, and there was only a few bands that were young, and I automatically found this bond to it.
JW: So, it was something at an early age that you could identify with? It wasn't these "rock stars" on pedestals that were unapproachable. It was people that were in your neighborhood.
MIRET: Right, exactly. But even though some of these bands that may seem like rock stars, like the Clash or the Ramones, they still weren't. I didn't feel I had much to relate to them anymore as much as I did when I met the hardcore community. It was people like me and you. I was like, "oh, these people are cool." We all started all these bands and we weren't very good, but one thing led to another, y'know.
JW: And I think the thing about it was it was fun, wasn't it? I mean that's the bottom line.
MIRET: Yeah. Well it was fun, I finally found a group of people that I felt I belonged to, a place I called home. I wrote about it in one of my songs on "Another Voice." I found a whole community of people that I finally felt like this is my home, and these are the people I could protect, and they protected me. I don't know how to explain it. It was a really welcoming feeling and it's always been that way from then and 'til today, y'know.
JW: Speaking of family, Madball is doing incredible, Freddy, your brother is doing awesome. Black 'n Blue Productions is doing great things in the city. As the older brother, you got to be pretty proud of what Freddy's got going on.
MIRET: I absolutely am very proud of Freddy. I mean, I like threw him out there with Agnostic Front. Freddy is one of those single-digit hardcore guys, y'know what I mean, kids that been into hardcore since he was seven. He actually got up and sang with Agnostic Front. It wasn't safe, y'know, I'm not talking about now, I'm talking about when hardcore was dangerous. He loved the music, he loved the movement, and his passion is great, as mine is. It was just great for me to start a band for him, and to see them take that band that we started for him and kind of live in our shadows, and then kind of take it out of our shadows, and create his own monster, that was absolutely very, very cool. I'm very proud of him, of course, and he deserves it. He's as passionate and genuine as I am and everybody else.
JW: Very cool. So this one leg you're going to be touring on is with First Blood from California and you'll be playing in Arizona. How did you hook up with those guys?
MIRET: We did a tour with them in Europe about two years ago. We've been friends ever since then, so it's kind of cool that two years later that we're all going to do something in the States together. We're doing this West Coast leg and hopefully we'll be able to do some of the dates in the South and Southeast too. Those guys are really good guys, Carl and the guys in First Blood are genuine people, so it's going to be fun. I'm hoping that one of Arizona's local bands, North Side Kings will be on the bill too. I always request them. I think they are a great band, a great local band. It's kind of cool to play around here now because I've made some friends around here so it's kind of fun.
JW: After the end of this tour, are you guys going to take some time off, maybe do some recording? What's the future in 2009 for Agnostic Front?
MIRET: Well the future for Agnostic Front right now, 2009, we still have two more legs of the U.S. tour to work on. I'm having a baby in May.
JW: There is that.
MIRET: That's going to hold us up through the summer unless we do some festivals in Europe. We do have a huge tour planned in South America, which is pretty awesome. It's Agnostic Front and Madball doing South America and Central America, something that hasn't been done before. We just did South America and sold out every major city so it was pretty intense. So now, with my brother, it's going to be really something great, y'know. So, that's the plans for October. We are writing some new stuff and it's going to be fun too.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Ready two Go...
Ready two Go
by Jason K. Walsh
Though it seems the topic is not discussed as much in recent years, AIDS and the HIV virus still remain as one of most the lethal infections plaguing Americans across the country. According to estimates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from five years ago, there are more than a million people in the U.S. living with HIV and AIDS, and of those staggering numbers, they believe at least one fourth of them are undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. In a more recent study in 2006, they released incidence estimates, which project new infections since the original census, and believe an additional 54,000 citizens suffer from the virus, of which nearly 14,000 are between the ages of 13-29.
Coming into 2009, without a true gauge of those actually affected, those numbers could bring the final totals to nearly one-and-half-million people, with no cure in sight and no forward-thinking policies from the state and federal government to bring an end to this epidemic, as well as no productive means of preventative education.
This lack of momentum towards awareness is one of the reasons why people like Brad Hanson and Marky Ramone came together to start the "Ready two Go" line of safe sex kits. Hanson started Mad BJ, Inc., the company that would later release the kits, after the seeds were planted during a dinner.
"Jim Botsford (Mad BJ's President of Marketing and Strategic Development) and I were dining with friends in St. Paul, Minnesota," Hanson said, "when the conversation turned toward a lighthearted conversation about sex in the spur of the moment. 'Wouldn't it be great to have an emergency sex kit for those times you want to be wildly spontaneous?' Though a lighthearted conversation, I took the idea seriously as I had already lost friends to AIDS and knew firsthand the consequences of not being safe in the spur of the moment."
Hanson and Botsford spent a couple weeks developing their idea before starting the company and moving forward with their plans to not only create safe kits that were "fun" and creative, but providing a "real" solution for consumers as well as vital information about HIV/AIDS and STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases). Thus, the "Ready two Go" kit was born.
"Our products are designed to be discreet to thereby reduce the stigmas that surround purchasing sex products and stylish thereby removing barriers of using a condom," he said. "Through our discreet and stylish safer sex kits, we aim to provide the means to be safe every time."
They envisioned a line endorsed by artists and musicians; individuals of which they felt the younger less informed target audience would relate. Through their public relations firm, they realized they had a connection with Marky Ramone.
"Ironically, Marky was in the market to spread the word about the importance of safer sex," Hanson said. "We all knew that this had to be done in a creative, yet fashionable way. After all, he is Marky Ramone. With several renditions, we finally settled on two kits that would allow both Marky and 'Ready two Go' to engage our key demographic in the importance of practicing safe sex while being discreet."
The former drummer from the Ramones was immediately drawn to the project and felt his participation could help bring more fans to making cautious decisions.
"They contacted me and asked me if I would do it," Ramone said. "You know, I've been involved with a lot of charities and a lot of things over the years and I thought it was a good thing to do from my state of mind because it is helping people. Over the last, I would say, five or six years, politicians haven't been talking about AIDS or research or things like that. They might have given money to it but they put it on the back burner and because of that a lot of people are squeamish to talk about it. But, it is a subject that needs to be addressed and I was approached to lend my name to it and my logo so that's what I decided to do. I knew two people who died of AIDS and it's just as bad as any other disease so to be preferential to any one disease doesn't make sense because it is a killer."
The "Ready two Go" safer sex kits come in small tins with a sliding lid adorned with an individual graphic. Inside are two latex condoms, a tube of lubricant, and a small brochure containing information about STDs, instructions for using the condoms, as well as useful hotline numbers pertaining to diseases and contraception. Marky Ramones' signature tin has the Ramones logo on the tin's lid with the inscription "Too Tuff To Break" as well as a personal message inside that reads "Wrap me good like you know you should!"
"It's a takeoff on one of the albums the Ramones did, 'Too Tough To Die' so it's called 'Too Tough To Break' It's just a clever statement. It's just something that might attract attention and from there you can read and get serious over it, you know what I mean? You got to have some kind of punchline, y'know."
Ramone believes that the product is not meant to endorse promiscuousness, but sound judgment as well as providing relevant information about the diseases out there that can be contracted by having unprotected sex. More importantly, he knows this message can translate to all walks of life.
"And it's not just AIDS," he said. "It's other venereal diseases that unfortunately are out there and the thing is it's not only young people. It's older people in nursing homes too that are getting these diseases because they're having sex and not wearing condoms. Yeah and y'know, whatever I can do to promote safe sex to help then that's the number one priority if it helps save lives."
As part of the "Ready two Go" platform to help raise social wisdom and help out the community, they are donating 10% of the net proceeds to a New York City based organization called CitiWide Harm Reduction. The agency is dedicated to help the poor and disenfranchised members in the city.
In their mission statement, they state they "offer a wide variety of outreach, services, and care, to homeless and low-income drug users living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS" and their programs have been developed to "promote bio-psycho-social wellness in a respectful and nonjudgmental manner and, ultimately, to provide participants the opportunity to develop, establish, and reach positive outcomes for themselves." Growing up in Brooklyn, Ramone appreciates the fact that part of the money raised from the product line will go to helping those who are struggling in the streets.
"In poor neighborhoods and things like that, people can't most of the time afford contraception so they'll have sex no matter what and then all of a sudden you'll have AIDS through obviously sharing needles, drug addiction, so y'know, it all goes hand in hand. I mean you can get AIDS from needles and things like that so it's not just sexual contact."
Aside from Ramone, there are several artists who have lent their unique work to the product line. One of them is Patric Carter, a former Navy SEAL who graduated from SEAL training with former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura. After retiring from military service, Carter's wife had encouraged him to pursue his passion for photography. Sadly, she passed eight years ago, but Carter continued to follow his path towards artistic creativity.
"She was and still is an enduring inspiration to me," he said. "As I developed, I began a fascination with light, and especially shadows, which reveal a whole other world."
Using the stills he captures through the camera's eye, he creates colorful circular pieces through digital manipulation. His extraordinary designs, which he refers to as "image alchemy," are born through experimentation.
"All imagery is based in photography," he said. "I shoot everything from sunsets to flowers, and then I play with them in Photoshop, having no definitive idea of what they will be until I get the good vibes from a piece. I look at it as color therapy, which makes me feel good. I feel my art has therapeutic vibrational healing values for me."
Carter was recruited by the company when they became aware of his unusual style of art. He didn't hesitate to climb onboard.
"A 'Ready two Go' investor saw my art and asked if she could send some imagery to Brad and Jim," he said. "As I have three grandchildren, I want them to have the tools needed to be safe, so that their dreams can come true. Life is too precious to take unnecessary risks. Not only is sex fun, but along with it comes responsibility, not only for yourself but your partner and the other people in your life. As an artist, I hope that I can make these safe sex kit tins attractive and convenient while passing along the message that real men use condoms because we care, and that responsible women insist that their partner is 'Ready two Go.'"
Carter and the "Ready two Go" folks collectively decided to use the image "Vera" from his collection for his signature design, which he says not only reflects his unique style but might "catch the eye" of interested customers. He says his own eye for things out of the ordinary comes from his experience in the military and the age-old soldier credo of "attention to detail" helps him as an artist.
"Being a Navy SEAL you are a trained observer," he said. "Things out of the ordinary could be very detrimental to a mission's success if not noticed. Our skills of immediate analysis, evaluation, and communication of situations are imperative for survival and success. These skills naturally transferred to my photography in ways that I am still discovering."
Now the mission for Americans is to discover how to successfully survive in a day and age when one night's pleasure can be lethal. "Ready two Go" is all about survival, awareness, and education, by providing a sensible means of avoiding dire consequences from lack of preparation. Ramone places the blame on those that Americans look to for guidance.
"Politicians should be doing that but I think in this climate, they're not doing it like they used to," he said. "Maybe because the God-church, Christian right-wing thing, they don't want to promote that in schools or churches and I know those are the places to teach. You know, what does it take? The whole idea of the church and this other thing is to save lives, et cetera. In schools, kids are very open to learning things and I would think that would be one of their top priorities."
by Jason K. Walsh
Though it seems the topic is not discussed as much in recent years, AIDS and the HIV virus still remain as one of most the lethal infections plaguing Americans across the country. According to estimates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from five years ago, there are more than a million people in the U.S. living with HIV and AIDS, and of those staggering numbers, they believe at least one fourth of them are undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. In a more recent study in 2006, they released incidence estimates, which project new infections since the original census, and believe an additional 54,000 citizens suffer from the virus, of which nearly 14,000 are between the ages of 13-29.
Coming into 2009, without a true gauge of those actually affected, those numbers could bring the final totals to nearly one-and-half-million people, with no cure in sight and no forward-thinking policies from the state and federal government to bring an end to this epidemic, as well as no productive means of preventative education.
This lack of momentum towards awareness is one of the reasons why people like Brad Hanson and Marky Ramone came together to start the "Ready two Go" line of safe sex kits. Hanson started Mad BJ, Inc., the company that would later release the kits, after the seeds were planted during a dinner.
"Jim Botsford (Mad BJ's President of Marketing and Strategic Development) and I were dining with friends in St. Paul, Minnesota," Hanson said, "when the conversation turned toward a lighthearted conversation about sex in the spur of the moment. 'Wouldn't it be great to have an emergency sex kit for those times you want to be wildly spontaneous?' Though a lighthearted conversation, I took the idea seriously as I had already lost friends to AIDS and knew firsthand the consequences of not being safe in the spur of the moment."
Hanson and Botsford spent a couple weeks developing their idea before starting the company and moving forward with their plans to not only create safe kits that were "fun" and creative, but providing a "real" solution for consumers as well as vital information about HIV/AIDS and STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases). Thus, the "Ready two Go" kit was born.
"Our products are designed to be discreet to thereby reduce the stigmas that surround purchasing sex products and stylish thereby removing barriers of using a condom," he said. "Through our discreet and stylish safer sex kits, we aim to provide the means to be safe every time."
They envisioned a line endorsed by artists and musicians; individuals of which they felt the younger less informed target audience would relate. Through their public relations firm, they realized they had a connection with Marky Ramone.
"Ironically, Marky was in the market to spread the word about the importance of safer sex," Hanson said. "We all knew that this had to be done in a creative, yet fashionable way. After all, he is Marky Ramone. With several renditions, we finally settled on two kits that would allow both Marky and 'Ready two Go' to engage our key demographic in the importance of practicing safe sex while being discreet."
The former drummer from the Ramones was immediately drawn to the project and felt his participation could help bring more fans to making cautious decisions.
"They contacted me and asked me if I would do it," Ramone said. "You know, I've been involved with a lot of charities and a lot of things over the years and I thought it was a good thing to do from my state of mind because it is helping people. Over the last, I would say, five or six years, politicians haven't been talking about AIDS or research or things like that. They might have given money to it but they put it on the back burner and because of that a lot of people are squeamish to talk about it. But, it is a subject that needs to be addressed and I was approached to lend my name to it and my logo so that's what I decided to do. I knew two people who died of AIDS and it's just as bad as any other disease so to be preferential to any one disease doesn't make sense because it is a killer."
The "Ready two Go" safer sex kits come in small tins with a sliding lid adorned with an individual graphic. Inside are two latex condoms, a tube of lubricant, and a small brochure containing information about STDs, instructions for using the condoms, as well as useful hotline numbers pertaining to diseases and contraception. Marky Ramones' signature tin has the Ramones logo on the tin's lid with the inscription "Too Tuff To Break" as well as a personal message inside that reads "Wrap me good like you know you should!"
"It's a takeoff on one of the albums the Ramones did, 'Too Tough To Die' so it's called 'Too Tough To Break' It's just a clever statement. It's just something that might attract attention and from there you can read and get serious over it, you know what I mean? You got to have some kind of punchline, y'know."
Ramone believes that the product is not meant to endorse promiscuousness, but sound judgment as well as providing relevant information about the diseases out there that can be contracted by having unprotected sex. More importantly, he knows this message can translate to all walks of life.
"And it's not just AIDS," he said. "It's other venereal diseases that unfortunately are out there and the thing is it's not only young people. It's older people in nursing homes too that are getting these diseases because they're having sex and not wearing condoms. Yeah and y'know, whatever I can do to promote safe sex to help then that's the number one priority if it helps save lives."
As part of the "Ready two Go" platform to help raise social wisdom and help out the community, they are donating 10% of the net proceeds to a New York City based organization called CitiWide Harm Reduction. The agency is dedicated to help the poor and disenfranchised members in the city.
In their mission statement, they state they "offer a wide variety of outreach, services, and care, to homeless and low-income drug users living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS" and their programs have been developed to "promote bio-psycho-social wellness in a respectful and nonjudgmental manner and, ultimately, to provide participants the opportunity to develop, establish, and reach positive outcomes for themselves." Growing up in Brooklyn, Ramone appreciates the fact that part of the money raised from the product line will go to helping those who are struggling in the streets.
"In poor neighborhoods and things like that, people can't most of the time afford contraception so they'll have sex no matter what and then all of a sudden you'll have AIDS through obviously sharing needles, drug addiction, so y'know, it all goes hand in hand. I mean you can get AIDS from needles and things like that so it's not just sexual contact."
Aside from Ramone, there are several artists who have lent their unique work to the product line. One of them is Patric Carter, a former Navy SEAL who graduated from SEAL training with former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler, Jesse Ventura. After retiring from military service, Carter's wife had encouraged him to pursue his passion for photography. Sadly, she passed eight years ago, but Carter continued to follow his path towards artistic creativity.
"She was and still is an enduring inspiration to me," he said. "As I developed, I began a fascination with light, and especially shadows, which reveal a whole other world."
Using the stills he captures through the camera's eye, he creates colorful circular pieces through digital manipulation. His extraordinary designs, which he refers to as "image alchemy," are born through experimentation.
"All imagery is based in photography," he said. "I shoot everything from sunsets to flowers, and then I play with them in Photoshop, having no definitive idea of what they will be until I get the good vibes from a piece. I look at it as color therapy, which makes me feel good. I feel my art has therapeutic vibrational healing values for me."
Carter was recruited by the company when they became aware of his unusual style of art. He didn't hesitate to climb onboard.
"A 'Ready two Go' investor saw my art and asked if she could send some imagery to Brad and Jim," he said. "As I have three grandchildren, I want them to have the tools needed to be safe, so that their dreams can come true. Life is too precious to take unnecessary risks. Not only is sex fun, but along with it comes responsibility, not only for yourself but your partner and the other people in your life. As an artist, I hope that I can make these safe sex kit tins attractive and convenient while passing along the message that real men use condoms because we care, and that responsible women insist that their partner is 'Ready two Go.'"
Carter and the "Ready two Go" folks collectively decided to use the image "Vera" from his collection for his signature design, which he says not only reflects his unique style but might "catch the eye" of interested customers. He says his own eye for things out of the ordinary comes from his experience in the military and the age-old soldier credo of "attention to detail" helps him as an artist.
"Being a Navy SEAL you are a trained observer," he said. "Things out of the ordinary could be very detrimental to a mission's success if not noticed. Our skills of immediate analysis, evaluation, and communication of situations are imperative for survival and success. These skills naturally transferred to my photography in ways that I am still discovering."
Now the mission for Americans is to discover how to successfully survive in a day and age when one night's pleasure can be lethal. "Ready two Go" is all about survival, awareness, and education, by providing a sensible means of avoiding dire consequences from lack of preparation. Ramone places the blame on those that Americans look to for guidance.
"Politicians should be doing that but I think in this climate, they're not doing it like they used to," he said. "Maybe because the God-church, Christian right-wing thing, they don't want to promote that in schools or churches and I know those are the places to teach. You know, what does it take? The whole idea of the church and this other thing is to save lives, et cetera. In schools, kids are very open to learning things and I would think that would be one of their top priorities."
MARKY RAMONE
Interview with Marky Ramone
by Jason Walsh
I got a call from Marky Ramone on a cold, Sunday night to talk to him about his participation with a company called "Ready Two Go." They had just released a signature line of condoms of various artists, himself being the most notable, in an attempt to raise awareness about AIDS and STDs, as well as helping support a local charitable organization in New York City. This was one of several interviews I did for a piece that will be later published in AMP Magazine and I decided to transcribe the entire interview to pass along to friends, family, whomever that might be interested in reading it.
Aside from the condoms, we discussed his current projects, how he came to become a Ramone, and for the sake of my father, we started with Brooklyn.
MARKY: Hi Jason.
JW: Hey Marky. How you doing tonight?
MARKY: How are you?
JW: Are you still up in New York now?
MARKY: Oh yeah.
JW: How's the weather up there?
MARKY: A little chilly. I was a way for a while when the weather was warm and then when I got back you really noticed it. I guess you could say that it's gotten chilly, yeah.
JW: Is it snowing up there right now?
MARKY: No, it's about 44-45 degress.
JW: Yeah, I'm down in Virginia and I just saw a video of Albany which is just getting pounded by snow.
MARKY: Oh probably up there, yeah. Not here.
JW: Yeah, I was wondering how it was in the city. My dad grew up in Brooklyn and I grew up in Jersey and Philadelphia area.
MARKY: Ah, Brooklyn. Yeah, that's where I was raised.
JW: What part of Brooklyn are you from originally?
MARKY: Flatbush.
JW: My dad was down in the Bay Ridge area.
MARKY: Oh, OK. I know exactly where it is.
JW: So I'm doing a piece about the "READY TWO GO" line for AMP Magazine. So, basically how did you get involved with this program?
MARKY: Well they contacted me and asked me if I would do it. You know, I've been involved with a lot of charities and a lot of things over the years and I thought it was a good thing to do from my state of mind because it is helping people. Over the last, I would say, five or six years, I don't know, politicians haven't been talking about AIDS or research or things like that. They might have given money to it but they put it on the back burner and because of that a lot of people are squeamish to talk about it. But, it is a subject that needs to be addressed and I was approached to lend my name to it and y'know, my logo so that's what I decided to do. I knew two people who died of AIDS and it's just as bad as any other disease so to be preferential to any one disease doesn't make sense because it is a killer.
JW: The thing is it's not so much promoting sexuality or promiscuousness, but just kind of encouraging responsibility.
MARKY: Of course, and it's not just AIDS. It's other venereal diseases that unfortunately are out there and the thing is it's not only young people, it's older people in nursing homes too that are getting these diseases because they're having sex and not wearing condoms. Yeah and y'know, whatever I can do to promote safe sex to help then that's the number one priority if it helps save lives.
JW: Now the cool thing is this organization is very much about awareness and trying to put out the message. It's not so much that they're just trying to put out a product but they're trying to lend a message to people.
MARKY: Yes. Politicians should be doing that but I think in this climate, they're not doing it like they used to. Maybe because the God-church, Christian right-wing thing, they don't want to promote that in schools or churches and I know those are the places to teach. Y'know, what does it take? The whole idea of the church and this other thing is to save lives et cetera. In schools, kids are very open to learning things and I would think that would be one of their top priorities.
JW: Now you're a person that's known by several generations. A lot of these young kids, obviously didn't get a chance to see the Ramones.
MARKY: But they know who they are. They have the records and t-shirts and all the other stuff, but I mean if I can get to them, or anybody, it doesn't matter what age or what music they like, then my task is something that's positive and would have an effect.
JW: I saw that 10% of the net proceeds are going to an organization called City Wide Harm Reduction, a program up there in NYC, that not only provides information to individuals in the city, you know that are homeless, low-income, who might be struggling with drug addiction, and it actually helps these people out in a way that some people might not understand. Tell me what you think about that, with the donation going to them.
MARKY: In poor neighborhoods and things like that, people can't most of the time afford contraception so they'll have sex no matter what and then all of a sudden you'll have AIDS through obviously sharing needles, drug addiction, so y'know, it all goes hand in hand. I mean you can get AIDS from needles and things like that so it's not just sexual contact.
JW: So I got to ask you about this. I saw on your model the tag line is "Too Tough To Break." What's that all about?
MARKY: It's a takeoff on one of the albums the Ramones did, "Too Tough To Die" so it's called "Too Tough To Break." It's just a clever statement. It's just something that might attract attention and from there you can read and get serious over it, you know what I mean? You got to have some kind of punchline, y'know.
JW: And that's the thing, it's a serious situation but still making light of it.
MARKY: Yeah, making light of it because maybe at this point, I hope that's the right approach to get people's attention.
JW: The other thing I also noticed was one of the other promotions that they're throwing out there is that every hundredth customer wins an autographed pair of Vic Firth drum sticks.
MARKY: Oh yeah.
JW: How'd that come about?
MARKY: Oh, I wanted to do that. I thought it was a good idea and it just promotes more of this awareness and I'm willing to do that whenever I can.
JW: Aside from this, you've been pretty busy lately?
MARKY: Oh yeah.
JW: You did the Teenage Head thing, You're doing the Marky Ramone and Friends thing. And are you still doing the radio show?
MARKY: Oh yeah at Sirius radio, the only punk rock channel from East to West Coast, all over the country. That's Faction 28. Four years, I get to choose my own songs and it's on twice a week for two hours. It's just another facet of the business that I'm in that I really enjoy doing. When I was a little kid, I used to listen to all these great DJs and I grew up on that, y'know.
JW: So, something you enjoy doing still?
MARKY: Yeah, yeah. Not as much as drumming, but I like them both. Obviously, that's what I do is play the drums and that will be part of it in the DJ stuff. I also do DJ appearances at certain parties and situations so the vastness of the music business never stops. You have to be involved, y'know.
JW: Coming up in the New Year, what's Marky Ramone going to be doing? Are we going to see you hitting the road or anything?
MARKY: A new DVD will be coming out about my times in the punk scene all the way up 'til now, when I started as a kid and everything with the Ramones, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, CBGB's, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, y'know, all the stuff. All the way up to doing the radio show and just basically the beginnings of the punk scene in New York City and CBGB's. If anybody wants to find out more about this they can go to myspace (http://www.myspace.com/markyramone) and that's where you can check out the condoms too.
JW: Very cool.
MARKY: And I'll be coming out, believe it or not, with a Tommy Hilfiger clothing line of leather jackets that I designed and a pair of jeans that I designed and two or three new t-shirt designs.
JW: Are you still doing the Marky Ramones and Friends project you were doing?
MARKY: Oh yeah, yeah. Still touring. I will be touring. I just did Argentina. It was a big deal this year, 2008. Beijing, I did Dubai, I did Spain, Italy, so I'm probably going to hit the States in April or May.
JW: Who is doing that with you?
MARKY: Some people from a band called AntiProduct, a girl bass player and a guy on guitar. They're really, really good. They have to be good in order to do this kind of music and I might use Michael Graves as lead singer.
JW: Just for a little background. You started off in Dust, you did Richard Hell and the Voidoids. How did you come to become in the Ramones? How did that start for you back in the day?
MARKY: They used to come and see me play with my band before they started the Ramones and we all knew each other, so when Tommy (Ramone) wanted to produce, they just came up and asked me and that's the way it went. Dee Dee was first, then John, and then the next thing I knew, I was in the band. So, I ended up with them for fifteen years and close to 1700 shows, so that's really how it was.
JW: That must have just been an incredible experience for you?
MARKY: Oh yeah, I mean it's something you work hard for and continue doing and the fruits of your labor pay off.
by Jason Walsh
I got a call from Marky Ramone on a cold, Sunday night to talk to him about his participation with a company called "Ready Two Go." They had just released a signature line of condoms of various artists, himself being the most notable, in an attempt to raise awareness about AIDS and STDs, as well as helping support a local charitable organization in New York City. This was one of several interviews I did for a piece that will be later published in AMP Magazine and I decided to transcribe the entire interview to pass along to friends, family, whomever that might be interested in reading it.
Aside from the condoms, we discussed his current projects, how he came to become a Ramone, and for the sake of my father, we started with Brooklyn.
MARKY: Hi Jason.
JW: Hey Marky. How you doing tonight?
MARKY: How are you?
JW: Are you still up in New York now?
MARKY: Oh yeah.
JW: How's the weather up there?
MARKY: A little chilly. I was a way for a while when the weather was warm and then when I got back you really noticed it. I guess you could say that it's gotten chilly, yeah.
JW: Is it snowing up there right now?
MARKY: No, it's about 44-45 degress.
JW: Yeah, I'm down in Virginia and I just saw a video of Albany which is just getting pounded by snow.
MARKY: Oh probably up there, yeah. Not here.
JW: Yeah, I was wondering how it was in the city. My dad grew up in Brooklyn and I grew up in Jersey and Philadelphia area.
MARKY: Ah, Brooklyn. Yeah, that's where I was raised.
JW: What part of Brooklyn are you from originally?
MARKY: Flatbush.
JW: My dad was down in the Bay Ridge area.
MARKY: Oh, OK. I know exactly where it is.
JW: So I'm doing a piece about the "READY TWO GO" line for AMP Magazine. So, basically how did you get involved with this program?
MARKY: Well they contacted me and asked me if I would do it. You know, I've been involved with a lot of charities and a lot of things over the years and I thought it was a good thing to do from my state of mind because it is helping people. Over the last, I would say, five or six years, I don't know, politicians haven't been talking about AIDS or research or things like that. They might have given money to it but they put it on the back burner and because of that a lot of people are squeamish to talk about it. But, it is a subject that needs to be addressed and I was approached to lend my name to it and y'know, my logo so that's what I decided to do. I knew two people who died of AIDS and it's just as bad as any other disease so to be preferential to any one disease doesn't make sense because it is a killer.
JW: The thing is it's not so much promoting sexuality or promiscuousness, but just kind of encouraging responsibility.
MARKY: Of course, and it's not just AIDS. It's other venereal diseases that unfortunately are out there and the thing is it's not only young people, it's older people in nursing homes too that are getting these diseases because they're having sex and not wearing condoms. Yeah and y'know, whatever I can do to promote safe sex to help then that's the number one priority if it helps save lives.
JW: Now the cool thing is this organization is very much about awareness and trying to put out the message. It's not so much that they're just trying to put out a product but they're trying to lend a message to people.
MARKY: Yes. Politicians should be doing that but I think in this climate, they're not doing it like they used to. Maybe because the God-church, Christian right-wing thing, they don't want to promote that in schools or churches and I know those are the places to teach. Y'know, what does it take? The whole idea of the church and this other thing is to save lives et cetera. In schools, kids are very open to learning things and I would think that would be one of their top priorities.
JW: Now you're a person that's known by several generations. A lot of these young kids, obviously didn't get a chance to see the Ramones.
MARKY: But they know who they are. They have the records and t-shirts and all the other stuff, but I mean if I can get to them, or anybody, it doesn't matter what age or what music they like, then my task is something that's positive and would have an effect.
JW: I saw that 10% of the net proceeds are going to an organization called City Wide Harm Reduction, a program up there in NYC, that not only provides information to individuals in the city, you know that are homeless, low-income, who might be struggling with drug addiction, and it actually helps these people out in a way that some people might not understand. Tell me what you think about that, with the donation going to them.
MARKY: In poor neighborhoods and things like that, people can't most of the time afford contraception so they'll have sex no matter what and then all of a sudden you'll have AIDS through obviously sharing needles, drug addiction, so y'know, it all goes hand in hand. I mean you can get AIDS from needles and things like that so it's not just sexual contact.
JW: So I got to ask you about this. I saw on your model the tag line is "Too Tough To Break." What's that all about?
MARKY: It's a takeoff on one of the albums the Ramones did, "Too Tough To Die" so it's called "Too Tough To Break." It's just a clever statement. It's just something that might attract attention and from there you can read and get serious over it, you know what I mean? You got to have some kind of punchline, y'know.
JW: And that's the thing, it's a serious situation but still making light of it.
MARKY: Yeah, making light of it because maybe at this point, I hope that's the right approach to get people's attention.
JW: The other thing I also noticed was one of the other promotions that they're throwing out there is that every hundredth customer wins an autographed pair of Vic Firth drum sticks.
MARKY: Oh yeah.
JW: How'd that come about?
MARKY: Oh, I wanted to do that. I thought it was a good idea and it just promotes more of this awareness and I'm willing to do that whenever I can.
JW: Aside from this, you've been pretty busy lately?
MARKY: Oh yeah.
JW: You did the Teenage Head thing, You're doing the Marky Ramone and Friends thing. And are you still doing the radio show?
MARKY: Oh yeah at Sirius radio, the only punk rock channel from East to West Coast, all over the country. That's Faction 28. Four years, I get to choose my own songs and it's on twice a week for two hours. It's just another facet of the business that I'm in that I really enjoy doing. When I was a little kid, I used to listen to all these great DJs and I grew up on that, y'know.
JW: So, something you enjoy doing still?
MARKY: Yeah, yeah. Not as much as drumming, but I like them both. Obviously, that's what I do is play the drums and that will be part of it in the DJ stuff. I also do DJ appearances at certain parties and situations so the vastness of the music business never stops. You have to be involved, y'know.
JW: Coming up in the New Year, what's Marky Ramone going to be doing? Are we going to see you hitting the road or anything?
MARKY: A new DVD will be coming out about my times in the punk scene all the way up 'til now, when I started as a kid and everything with the Ramones, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, CBGB's, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, y'know, all the stuff. All the way up to doing the radio show and just basically the beginnings of the punk scene in New York City and CBGB's. If anybody wants to find out more about this they can go to myspace (http://www.myspace.com/markyramone) and that's where you can check out the condoms too.
JW: Very cool.
MARKY: And I'll be coming out, believe it or not, with a Tommy Hilfiger clothing line of leather jackets that I designed and a pair of jeans that I designed and two or three new t-shirt designs.
JW: Are you still doing the Marky Ramones and Friends project you were doing?
MARKY: Oh yeah, yeah. Still touring. I will be touring. I just did Argentina. It was a big deal this year, 2008. Beijing, I did Dubai, I did Spain, Italy, so I'm probably going to hit the States in April or May.
JW: Who is doing that with you?
MARKY: Some people from a band called AntiProduct, a girl bass player and a guy on guitar. They're really, really good. They have to be good in order to do this kind of music and I might use Michael Graves as lead singer.
JW: Just for a little background. You started off in Dust, you did Richard Hell and the Voidoids. How did you come to become in the Ramones? How did that start for you back in the day?
MARKY: They used to come and see me play with my band before they started the Ramones and we all knew each other, so when Tommy (Ramone) wanted to produce, they just came up and asked me and that's the way it went. Dee Dee was first, then John, and then the next thing I knew, I was in the band. So, I ended up with them for fifteen years and close to 1700 shows, so that's really how it was.
JW: That must have just been an incredible experience for you?
MARKY: Oh yeah, I mean it's something you work hard for and continue doing and the fruits of your labor pay off.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Far From Finished
interview by Jason Walsh
A band with fierce determination began on the mean streets of New York before relocating to Boston. With more adversity than a Martin Scorsese film, Far From Finished struggled on to make their mark on the East Coast's street punk scene, showcasing their underground roots with flawless musicianship to create a unique sound that has been annihilating venues across the nation and throughout the world. Less than a month after their first release in 2005, "Eastside of Nowhere," the band embarked on their first tour and somewhere along a Pennsylvania interstate, their van collides with a deer, sending the van, trailer, and five members hurtling down a cliff to an untimely death. Somehow, they all survived, and so has the band.
Prior to their European tour, I caught up with Far From Finished at the Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia. Supporting Smoke or Fire, they played along with locals The Reserve and Friendly Fire. I had a chance to talk with the band's two newest guns, lead guitarist Adam Porris from Cleveland and rhythm guitarist Oscar Capps from Philadelphia. We talked about touring Europe, their friends from Boston, a new record in the not-so-distant future, and yes, even shitting on the side of the road.
JW: So you guys are kind of the new guys in the band
OSCAR: Pretty much. They threw us to the wolves with you, huh? (laughs)
JW: And I was just telling your guys last week I interviewed Madeline Albright and she was pretty tough so you guys should be a cakewalk.
OSCAR: Is she a cunt or what?
JW: No she was nice, but everything was Obama.
OSCAR: Oh yeah.
JW: Nanananana....foreign policy...Obama.
OSCAR: Obama, Obama.
JW: So you did a little short stint before you came down here?
OSCAR: Yeah, it was just four dates with Smoke and Fire. We did Boston, the Middle East, fucking awesome show. Then we did Philly at the Fire and that's always fun for me playing Philly.
JW: Home game.
OSCAR: Home game for me. So two home games in a row. Everybody else is from Boston. I'm from Philly. That was an awesome show. Great energy from the crowd. Then we got to get drunk, ridiculously intoxicated at my house.
JW: So you still have family there?
OSCAR: Yeah.
JW: Do you stay there still?
OSCAR: Oh yeah, yeah. I just bought a house in Audobon, New Jersey, right across the Walt Whitman and I can make the commute, more than I'd like to, but enough to keep it going, y'know. And then...ummm...what was last night?
ADAM: Baltimore.
OSCAR: Baltimore, then Richmond, and back home, and then we go to Europe. We have four weeks over there headlining. It's going to be our second headlining tour.
JW: Is this your first time or second time going with the band over to Europe?
OSCAR: This is my third time going to Europe.
ADAM: Second time.
JW: What's it like going over there? It's got to be a lot of fun.
OSCAR: Europe's a blast. Over here, like this show is cool when you find clubs that actually take care of you, y'know like appreciate everything, it reminds you of being over there. They really go out of there way to make you feel like you're at home. Most of the clubs have band flats or they spring for a hotel. It's always whatever you need they get for you.
JW: So as Americans, we could learn from that?
ADAM: Just the little things. The really little things. The first thing I check is a bathroom with a door that locks or like hand soap. I'm like, "Oh my God! A bathroom with hand soap. This is amazing." The first time we got there, that was the first thing I said to the bass player (Pesky), "Europe is awesome." They really take care of you. It's amazing. There just so excited to have you over there and it's a great feeling.
OSCAR: A bathroom with hand soap? This comes from the dud that shits on the side of the road. (laughter)
JW: (quickly changing subject) So, how long you guys going to be in Europe?
OSCAR: It's going to be four weeks. We have a couple shows with Rat City Riot, the Casualties, and, uh, anybody else over there?
ADAM: Descontrol
OSCAR: Descontrol man, is one of my favorite bands. They're from Basque country in Spain. They're like the only street punk band that sings in the Basque native language. We're playing in Sala 360.
ADAM: I've never been to this part of Spain but they talk about this as their favorite place to tour. It's great. It does take a day to drive in there and to drive out which sucks because we get all that down time when we could be playing.
OSCAR: Basque country. The people just go off in Basque land. It's that revolutionary feeling every day of the year and like punk rock just totally fits the type of people they are and that culture, y'know. They embrace it.
JW: How long have you been playing music?
OSCAR: I've been playing guitar since I was twelve and music 's always been a part of my life. I know it sounds like cliche but I don't even know if I'd be alive if it wasn't for music. It's one of the only things that keeps me from just fucking going off the deep end sometimes. Y'know, like if it wasn't for music and my family and like friends. Friends and family are like the same to me.
JW: Did you think when you were growing up and you were first picking up the guitar, trying to do the band thing, that you'd be going to Europe and doing these tours over there? Did you ever think it would come to something like that being a kid from Philly?
OSCAR: Yo, being a kid from Philly I know the first time you get off the block is like a whole new fucking world. I was lucky enough, y'know, my wife went to school in Ireland, so that was my first taste of another country's culture. Every time I get out of the country is just a blast.
JW: You know I had to join the military for that experience. How about you, Adam? When you were growing up, doing music, did you ever think you'd be going on tour in Europe and going across the country and doing the things you are doing now?
ADAM: Not a chance in hell. I was a little Jewish kid from the suburbs and if you told me when I was 15 that I would be touring the world in a rock band I'd be like "Ahhh...go fuck yourself. No way. Not a chance in hell." It's a dream beyond dreams. I couldn't ask for anything more. That's why would sleep in vans and not shower for days, so you could play music.
OSCAR: Shitting on the side of the road.
ADAM: Shitting on the side of the road. It's the best. I couldn't ask for more in life. Period.
JW: How did you hook up with the band?
ADAM: I moved to Boston in 2002. I went to school there and I auditioned for the band first time for his (Oscar's) guitar spot, but I'm not really good at playing rhythm guitar so it didn't work out too well. After their guitar player left, right before my first tour with them, this is like two weeks before the tour with the U.S. Bombs, I got a call from Marc (Cannata) the drummer and it just clicked from there. That's how I started playing with them.
OSCAR: Adam played in band called Lost City Angels with Sweeney Todd from Everybody Out and the Dead Pets and Rick Barton, formerly of the (Dropkick) Murphys and Everybody Out, which is one of my favorite bands right now. They're another band that just has great energy, y'know, like onstage. Every time you're around those guys, y'know Sweeney's so charismatic and always just takes the audience by the throat and fucking squeezes them.
ADAM: Sweeney is the man onstage. Scottish...Scotsman. And then there's Rick Barton, who is just another character, he's like "Hey! How ya doing?" I remember being in the back of a van one time with Rick and Sweeny in the front seat and they were just talking and Rick's like, "Hey! Sweeney, see that big field over there? I'm gonna buy it and just put a big roller coaster in there" and Sweeney's like "Aww, that sounds fucking great, man," and I'm like "what the hell is going on here?"
JW: So tell me about life in Boston, not being from Boston, being from the Midwest, from Ohio, and living in Boston. What's that like?
ADAM: I love it. Coming from the Midwest, midwesterners have a really natural way of being nice to everyone. It's just part of the Midwest. Then getting to Boston and you're just on a train and people are like "get the fuck out o' my way, fucking retard," and you're like "oh god."
OSCAR: Go Sox.
ADAM: Yeah, "Go Sox. Move it to the rear of the train!" I really love living in that city. I feel like I'm at home once I'm there. I'm just at a really good point playing in the band and living in Boston. It's great.
JW: What part of Boston do you stay at?
ADAM: I live in Allston which is between BU (Boston University) and BC (Boston College) which sucks because there's a bunch of college yahoos everywhere. There's some fucking Ya-dudes and it's kind of a pain in the ass.
JW: Your last record, "Living in the Fallout" came out this year. Tell me about the record. How did it do for you guys.
OSCAR: We get awesome response, y'know, from everybody that hears it. We're definitely making true believers out of people and I think it's just a matter of taking that same mentality that Marc had writing the album and just not duplicating that but starting from there and taking it to the next level for the next record. We're going to start demoing when we get back from Europe and recording eventually.
JW: How long does it take collectively to do a record?
ADAM: It's going to take about a year and a half from pre-production all the way 'til finish. You do the pre-production, you demo the songs, y'know about three tracks, and then you shop around for labels and once you finally find a deal you like, then from there it's actually recording it, getting a sound you like, and it's a long process. Marc's talked about it, the album's actually written, it's just a matter of us to get in there and start playing and learning the songs and from there.
JW: So you guys don't have a label you're actually working through right now? You're just going to put the music together and find one that works?
OSCAR: We're on Think Fast Records right now. How the last record came out, it was originally supposed to be out on Sailor's Grave and then shit went under with that label. They had an entire finished package with everything, artwork and all, and it wasn't getting released. It took a while for them to find somebody and we were lucky enough to have Think Fast pick it up and those guys have been awesome to us.
JW: And that's funny. Think Fast!
OSCAR: Yeah, yeah. Exactly. There you go.
JW: What else would you like to tell people? Why should they check you out? What are you guys all about.
OSCAR: You need to come out to our shows because whether it's 15 people in a hole in the wall or a couple thousand people, it doesn't matter because we give the same energy every night and it's a celebration and a good time. Have a couple beers with us and come out. It's a crazy live show. I can't control myself on stage. I act like a fucking retard. I think I'm Pete Townshend for 35 minutes.
JW: And that's not necessarily a bad thing, right?
OSCAR: A bad thing? Hey, you be the judge, y'know.
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies
interview by Jason Walsh
It was the early 1980s when a group emerged from the tough streets of Venice in Los Angeles to become one of the most influential hardcore punk bands of all time. In this place where gangs ran wild, the Dogtown boys were defining a generation with the underground skateboarding culture, surfers could be killed for being from the "Valley," and not a building in sight was free of graffiti, Suicidal Tendencies brought their brand of West Coast social and political commentary to an anxiously awaiting audience around the world. Songs like "I Saw Your Mommy," "I Shot Reagan," and "Institutionalized" became instant classics and anthems in the arising hardcore scene, that had freed itself from punk pioneers like the Sex Pistols and Ramones in search of something faster, harder, and stronger.
Now, almost thirty-years later, frontman and founder Mike Muir continues this tradition through all the adversity that has surrounded the band since its inception. Continually linked by the media and critics to gangs, violence, and "supporting suicide," Suicidal Tendencies has endured and evolved, seeing numerous lineup changes, but with the same singular goal: to point out the wrongs in the world around us and to continue the fight against them, while keeping the music fast and heavy.
This year has been a busy one for the band, touring extensively abroad and along the West Coast. But the band decided to close out the year with fifteen dates in predominately East Coast venues, touring with Madball and Whole Wheat Bread, as well as a few gigs with Terror and Death by Stereo.
I had a chance to talk with Muir before the tour began, to find out what it is that keeps him "still cyco after all these years."
JW: You guys just got back from Europe? How did that go and where did you go?
MIKE: We went to France for a couple weeks. We're probably one of the only bands that does things like that. Years ago we played Paris and a promoter there was talking about doing ten shows in France and we talked to our agent who was English and he said, "Ahh, nobody does that. The French are just crazy. Y'know they say things like that but it's not possible." We switched agents and we did it one time and one time did twenty shows in a month, all just in France. So, we just did that for a couple weeks and it was cool.
JW: So I'm assuming those folks over there dig you guys?
MIKE: Yeah, I guess when France is in its own world. When it loves you, it loves you, y'know. Jerry Lewis and Suicidal I guess. But, it's kind of a pattern that we've established and it always makes a lot of sense and we actually know quite a few people, so it's always been pretty cool.
JW: What made you guys decide to do this U.S. tour at the end of the year?
MIKE: Basically, I think it starts off the beginning of last year. I was actually in Australia and had my second back surgery and we got offered to do these festivals in Australia, these five shows, and so (my) back was feeling good, talked to the family and they said, "Well, now is about as good a time and a good a place to try it." So, called everybody up and said "Hey, can we get ready to do that?" So we did those dates and then we did a couple weeks in France in April, then May, went and did Europe. In the summer time, we headlined the three West Coast dates of "The Sounds of the Underground" tour. We did that and we started getting calls about doing some West Coast dates, so we did that at the end of the year. Once you start touring the States, then everybody else started calling so we were like "so, we haven't been back East for a long, long time." Tired of getting the nasty emails so we said let's go there before the record's out and for a band like us I think that's really important so that people can see we're there for the right reasons. Not just to be there, wait 'til the records out and you go there because there's a record out. The J-O-B thing. We're more out to make a statement and prove a point than to do a J-O-B.
JW: Now, going back to '81, did you ever think in your mind you'd be doing this, this many years later?
MIKE: No, y'know and the first I guess legitimate punk band thing we did was a Flipside interview and they said, "What do you think the band will be doing in five years?" and I go "I don't think we'll be a band." They said "Why is that?" and I go "Well, y'know we don't plan it out. It's not a career. It's not something like that and if you try to plan out a five-year plan or something and rushing for it and it doesn't work." They said, "Well, if you are a band, why do you think you'll be a band" and I said "Well, I'll be a band because I know we haven't regretted anything." They said "When will you stop?" and I said what I was saying before, "When it becomes a J-O-B," a JOB for people that can't spell (laughs) So, I think that's kind of the situation, we've never kind of looked at it that way. We've always looked at it as a challenge and an opportunity to do things different, where I think a lot of people, they follow what they do, and if it's successful, then they do it a little bit more and then they try to put a little more sugar on it, y'know. We've always kind of in a way turned our back on what other people thought was successful and redefined what's success on our terms which I think is far more important than musical terms. Going back to the early 80s through the 90s and 2000, there's a lot of "successful at-the-time" groups and trends and this and that, which people laugh at now, y'know, and no one takes serious. I don't want to be a momentary thing. It's a long-term thing which proves your viability.
JW: And is it still fun for you? Do you wake up and are you excited about still doing this?
MIKE: I think to me it's kind of a ball. Sometimes you don't realize things are happening. You know when I had the second back surgery, I pretty much thought that was it. It's interesting when you talk to people how the number one thing is people always say "Ahh, I wish I could have saw you guys one more time" and that kind of thing and tell the stories of what the band means and y'know, you kind of feel good. And then you go, I don't want to be nostalgic and stuff. I think I've found now that we've done quite a few festivals and things like that where you're playing sometimes in front of kids that don't know who you are because you haven't done a record in ten years. They're 14 years old, so they were 4 years old when you did your last record. They may have seen the Suicidal somewhere or heard about it but it doesn't fit into what their peers or the trends that their into and stuff, so they assume they must not like you because they don't know who you are, but they'll check it out, or maybe one of their cousins will. You know, afterwards you can see the change in attitude that they have. I think too, taking it a step further, is one someone is talking and maybe around a bunch of people and says "Yeah dude, I got your first record in '83" and they're like looking and you can see them using their fingers trying to count and they're like "What? Wait, how could you guys been a band for 25 years?" and y'know a couple of the guys in the band are 25 years old and that makes a difference too. I think the people realize that we're not just that old band that's just out there because they never went to school and they got nothing else that they can do. I think that's the thing with the band. Everybody musically and otherwise has a lot of things they've done and can accomplish and we want to be there to accomplish what we think is important and I think that comes across. So, after you do a show and you see that people, even sometimes people that are big fans of the band, that are going, "Ahh...I'll see you one last time" were like "DUDE! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT, MAN!" You can see the excitement that they have that even they're surprised and they're big fans. That's a great feeling.
JW: So obviously, you still believe in what it is you're doing?
MIKE: Ah, definitely. I think that now is kind of the excitement. It's almost like we really want the new record to get out. It's kind of like you feel like you got something special at the party and you're ready to bust it out and you're going to surprise a bunch of people and I think that's the way it should be. Piss off some people, surprise some people, annoy some people. You know what I mean. It's not going to be for everybody but there's going to be a lot of people that are going to be screaming and shouting and blasting it loud and I think that's important.
JW: When you were a young kid, 15-16 years old in Venice, how did this come about? How did you guys come about starting the band?
MIKE: When I was 16, I moved in with my brother in Venice and one of our friends had drums and they were going to kick him out of the apartment. His mom said "you got to get rid of these drums, they're going to evict me and stuff." So I said "ahh, bring them here" so we put the drums in our kitchen. Drums are something that anybody sees that they have to start hitting on them, y'know. They can't play but they just start pounding. Then (Mike) Ball is like, "I got a guitar and this and that." We kind of just got a few friends together and we're just messing around. It's kind of like someone just playing basketball at the park. They're not doing it to be in the NBA, it's just kind of fun. We used to have rent parties every month, charge people, get money, and pay our rent. So we were like, "well hey, one of the rent parties, hey you know what, let's just play at the rent party, we'll scare a bunch of people away and charge more people to come in (laughs) because it's kind of a small backyard." We did that and they got so big that we started renting out halls around where we were and the a lot of the people that were first getting into Suicidal with all the hand-drawn shirts and all that, were starting to get into the punk rock scene. So all of a sudden, there were these people who stuck out to the mohawk and leather jacket crowd. So, a couple promoters back in the day, back then they put ten bands on a bill, were like "oh, let's throw them on the bill." We'd open up, did about three or four shows, and after we played everyone left, and pretty much it went from there.
JW: In those early days before you guys were getting noticed around the country, was it pretty tough getting shows?
MIKE: Well, I think it depends on what you call shows. Like I said, what we did was we actually rented out halls and did our own shows. We started getting put on the shows in L.A. and then got to the point where we basically couldn't play anywhere because we got too big and kind of notorious and none of the big venues would have us play and there's no way we could play the small ones. We've always had a problem, to a certain degree, with certain venues in certain areas and playing and things like that. I'd say a lot of it has died down and the irony is a venue we were going to play in Worcester, Massachusetts, they said we could do it but Madball couldn't. We got a chuckle out of that so we passed on the venue.
JW: Why did they say Madball couldn't do it?
MIKE: I guess there must have been a problem or something before. I don't know. We just had a laugh. We're like going, "that's a first."
JW: That's funny. The Venice band is fine, but don't let those guys from New York play.
MIKE: (laughs) Yeah. We got a chuckle out of it.
JW: Coming into the New Year, you guys haven't put anything out in a while. Is there any talk about going in the studio and recording?
MIKE: We got the new records already done. We've already just mastered it this week. We got actually a number of things. We did a compilation that's got some new Suicidal, new Infectious Grooves and Cyco Miko that's going to be done pretty soon. We're just deciding how we're going to put it out and handle it. As far as records, we have distribution deal going. So, next year we got a live DVD, two Suicidal records, two Cyco Miko records, two Infectious Grooves records. All the stuff is from 80-100% done, so we got a lot of stuff on tap and I think it's going to be really cool stuff.
JW: Wow. That is a lot of stuff. And you guys are doing this all on your own label, the Suicidal Records label?
MIKE: Yeah, did it all on our label. Keeping us quite, quite, quite busy.
JW: It sounds like it. That's a lot of stuff. So, are you enjoying doing everything independently on your own label and all that and not having to deal with all the bigger labels and all the headaches that go along with that?
MIKE: Well y'know, honestly we never really had any problems too much with the majors. It was other people. We kind of had to steer them into our direction. We had more problems when we were on the independents before we got on the majors. When we started doing our own thing again in the late 90s, we had a lot more problems with independents. I mean I could tell you all kinds of stories of the majors being shysters, oh my gosh, independents are way more shysters and stuff. Some just crazy stuff. People just going bankrupt left and right. We had a situation where when we first started Suicidal Records, one of the distributors called us and said, "You have to bring the records! You have to! We'll give you a check! Bring it down today! We need it so bad! We meesed up! It's going to cost us jobs! You know four people will lose their jobs!" This whole pity story took down a few thousand records and then they went bankrupt so they were just doing a shyster maneuver on us and stuff. Doors were all closed on Monday and the check of course was no good. So, you have to deal with stuff like that and even going through getting our distribution deal, there's only a few, what we would call, reputable kind of distribution companies. You go through things and you just meet people, and it's not just the record, it's the way I grew up. You're just like, "What's that smell?" (laughs)
It's like, "Dude, I grew up in Venice, man. Don't try to pull that on me, y'know." It's just like principle, y'know, kind of like when you walk in to a place and a used car salesman comes up with that super fake smile and looks at you like you're stupid and you're going to be paying his bills and you're like, "Ah, dude. Don't pull that on me, y'know. I'm leaving." (laughs) It's life, y'know, and you have to always be on the lookout for bullshit, and in the same sense, you got way more work and it's all in your hands, so ultimately you have to do it because I don't want someone else making the decision or someone trying to talk me into something I'm not going to do, or trying to explain to somebody why I want to do something that doesn't make any sense to them but it makes sense to me and helps me sleep better.
JW: And it just seems like from what you're saying it just feels better for you to keep the control at home.
MIKE: Yeah, and it's weird because a lot of times you'll read things, not just music but anything, and you go, "that person is so full of crap." But for us, it's actually really no pressure because so few people sell records. People aren't buying records. It makes things so easy, whereas when you're on a major or when in the past, you got to do that record every year or two years and the tour and setup before the record's out. It's just like a daily schedule planner and it's just kind of like "what I do today" kind of thing. I think sometimes that makes things tougher and I think for us it's like we're putting out a record for the right reason because we think there's a lot of people that are going to hear it, not only are they going to like it a lot, but it's going to give people a lot of ammunition to compare Suicidal with other things that they like, but they don't have a chance to hear what we're doing. I think it's going to tighten up the game, so to speak, and there's a lot of people that I think some of the songs definitely will do them a lot of good hearing. There's a lot of times when things happen and you just listen to people's conversations and you go, "Dude, I would love to give them this song right now because it totally applies." I think it's the proud papa so to speak kind of thing. I think it's also, like my Dad sometimes, the truth is out there and you're not going to kick someone when they're down but kick them because they're not getting up, and it reminds them that they need to get up.
SUICIDAL/MADBALL Tour 2008
interview by Jason Walsh
It was the early 1980s when a group emerged from the tough streets of Venice in Los Angeles to become one of the most influential hardcore punk bands of all time. In this place where gangs ran wild, the Dogtown boys were defining a generation with the underground skateboarding culture, surfers could be killed for being from the "Valley," and not a building in sight was free of graffiti, Suicidal Tendencies brought their brand of West Coast social and political commentary to an anxiously awaiting audience around the world. Songs like "I Saw Your Mommy," "I Shot Reagan," and "Institutionalized" became instant classics and anthems in the arising hardcore scene, that had freed itself from punk pioneers like the Sex Pistols and Ramones in search of something faster, harder, and stronger.
Now, almost thirty-years later, frontman and founder Mike Muir continues this tradition through all the adversity that has surrounded the band since its inception. Continually linked by the media and critics to gangs, violence, and "supporting suicide," Suicidal Tendencies has endured and evolved, seeing numerous lineup changes, but with the same singular goal: to point out the wrongs in the world around us and to continue the fight against them, while keeping the music fast and heavy.
This year has been a busy one for the band, touring extensively abroad and along the West Coast. But the band decided to close out the year with fifteen dates in predominately East Coast venues, touring with Madball and Whole Wheat Bread, as well as a few gigs with Terror and Death by Stereo.
I had a chance to talk with Muir before the tour began, to find out what it is that keeps him "still cyco after all these years."
JW: You guys just got back from Europe? How did that go and where did you go?
MIKE: We went to France for a couple weeks. We're probably one of the only bands that does things like that. Years ago we played Paris and a promoter there was talking about doing ten shows in France and we talked to our agent who was English and he said, "Ahh, nobody does that. The French are just crazy. Y'know they say things like that but it's not possible." We switched agents and we did it one time and one time did twenty shows in a month, all just in France. So, we just did that for a couple weeks and it was cool.
JW: So I'm assuming those folks over there dig you guys?
MIKE: Yeah, I guess when France is in its own world. When it loves you, it loves you, y'know. Jerry Lewis and Suicidal I guess. But, it's kind of a pattern that we've established and it always makes a lot of sense and we actually know quite a few people, so it's always been pretty cool.
JW: What made you guys decide to do this U.S. tour at the end of the year?
MIKE: Basically, I think it starts off the beginning of last year. I was actually in Australia and had my second back surgery and we got offered to do these festivals in Australia, these five shows, and so (my) back was feeling good, talked to the family and they said, "Well, now is about as good a time and a good a place to try it." So, called everybody up and said "Hey, can we get ready to do that?" So we did those dates and then we did a couple weeks in France in April, then May, went and did Europe. In the summer time, we headlined the three West Coast dates of "The Sounds of the Underground" tour. We did that and we started getting calls about doing some West Coast dates, so we did that at the end of the year. Once you start touring the States, then everybody else started calling so we were like "so, we haven't been back East for a long, long time." Tired of getting the nasty emails so we said let's go there before the record's out and for a band like us I think that's really important so that people can see we're there for the right reasons. Not just to be there, wait 'til the records out and you go there because there's a record out. The J-O-B thing. We're more out to make a statement and prove a point than to do a J-O-B.
JW: Now, going back to '81, did you ever think in your mind you'd be doing this, this many years later?
MIKE: No, y'know and the first I guess legitimate punk band thing we did was a Flipside interview and they said, "What do you think the band will be doing in five years?" and I go "I don't think we'll be a band." They said "Why is that?" and I go "Well, y'know we don't plan it out. It's not a career. It's not something like that and if you try to plan out a five-year plan or something and rushing for it and it doesn't work." They said, "Well, if you are a band, why do you think you'll be a band" and I said "Well, I'll be a band because I know we haven't regretted anything." They said "When will you stop?" and I said what I was saying before, "When it becomes a J-O-B," a JOB for people that can't spell (laughs) So, I think that's kind of the situation, we've never kind of looked at it that way. We've always looked at it as a challenge and an opportunity to do things different, where I think a lot of people, they follow what they do, and if it's successful, then they do it a little bit more and then they try to put a little more sugar on it, y'know. We've always kind of in a way turned our back on what other people thought was successful and redefined what's success on our terms which I think is far more important than musical terms. Going back to the early 80s through the 90s and 2000, there's a lot of "successful at-the-time" groups and trends and this and that, which people laugh at now, y'know, and no one takes serious. I don't want to be a momentary thing. It's a long-term thing which proves your viability.
JW: And is it still fun for you? Do you wake up and are you excited about still doing this?
MIKE: I think to me it's kind of a ball. Sometimes you don't realize things are happening. You know when I had the second back surgery, I pretty much thought that was it. It's interesting when you talk to people how the number one thing is people always say "Ahh, I wish I could have saw you guys one more time" and that kind of thing and tell the stories of what the band means and y'know, you kind of feel good. And then you go, I don't want to be nostalgic and stuff. I think I've found now that we've done quite a few festivals and things like that where you're playing sometimes in front of kids that don't know who you are because you haven't done a record in ten years. They're 14 years old, so they were 4 years old when you did your last record. They may have seen the Suicidal somewhere or heard about it but it doesn't fit into what their peers or the trends that their into and stuff, so they assume they must not like you because they don't know who you are, but they'll check it out, or maybe one of their cousins will. You know, afterwards you can see the change in attitude that they have. I think too, taking it a step further, is one someone is talking and maybe around a bunch of people and says "Yeah dude, I got your first record in '83" and they're like looking and you can see them using their fingers trying to count and they're like "What? Wait, how could you guys been a band for 25 years?" and y'know a couple of the guys in the band are 25 years old and that makes a difference too. I think the people realize that we're not just that old band that's just out there because they never went to school and they got nothing else that they can do. I think that's the thing with the band. Everybody musically and otherwise has a lot of things they've done and can accomplish and we want to be there to accomplish what we think is important and I think that comes across. So, after you do a show and you see that people, even sometimes people that are big fans of the band, that are going, "Ahh...I'll see you one last time" were like "DUDE! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT, MAN!" You can see the excitement that they have that even they're surprised and they're big fans. That's a great feeling.
JW: So obviously, you still believe in what it is you're doing?
MIKE: Ah, definitely. I think that now is kind of the excitement. It's almost like we really want the new record to get out. It's kind of like you feel like you got something special at the party and you're ready to bust it out and you're going to surprise a bunch of people and I think that's the way it should be. Piss off some people, surprise some people, annoy some people. You know what I mean. It's not going to be for everybody but there's going to be a lot of people that are going to be screaming and shouting and blasting it loud and I think that's important.
JW: When you were a young kid, 15-16 years old in Venice, how did this come about? How did you guys come about starting the band?
MIKE: When I was 16, I moved in with my brother in Venice and one of our friends had drums and they were going to kick him out of the apartment. His mom said "you got to get rid of these drums, they're going to evict me and stuff." So I said "ahh, bring them here" so we put the drums in our kitchen. Drums are something that anybody sees that they have to start hitting on them, y'know. They can't play but they just start pounding. Then (Mike) Ball is like, "I got a guitar and this and that." We kind of just got a few friends together and we're just messing around. It's kind of like someone just playing basketball at the park. They're not doing it to be in the NBA, it's just kind of fun. We used to have rent parties every month, charge people, get money, and pay our rent. So we were like, "well hey, one of the rent parties, hey you know what, let's just play at the rent party, we'll scare a bunch of people away and charge more people to come in (laughs) because it's kind of a small backyard." We did that and they got so big that we started renting out halls around where we were and the a lot of the people that were first getting into Suicidal with all the hand-drawn shirts and all that, were starting to get into the punk rock scene. So all of a sudden, there were these people who stuck out to the mohawk and leather jacket crowd. So, a couple promoters back in the day, back then they put ten bands on a bill, were like "oh, let's throw them on the bill." We'd open up, did about three or four shows, and after we played everyone left, and pretty much it went from there.
JW: In those early days before you guys were getting noticed around the country, was it pretty tough getting shows?
MIKE: Well, I think it depends on what you call shows. Like I said, what we did was we actually rented out halls and did our own shows. We started getting put on the shows in L.A. and then got to the point where we basically couldn't play anywhere because we got too big and kind of notorious and none of the big venues would have us play and there's no way we could play the small ones. We've always had a problem, to a certain degree, with certain venues in certain areas and playing and things like that. I'd say a lot of it has died down and the irony is a venue we were going to play in Worcester, Massachusetts, they said we could do it but Madball couldn't. We got a chuckle out of that so we passed on the venue.
JW: Why did they say Madball couldn't do it?
MIKE: I guess there must have been a problem or something before. I don't know. We just had a laugh. We're like going, "that's a first."
JW: That's funny. The Venice band is fine, but don't let those guys from New York play.
MIKE: (laughs) Yeah. We got a chuckle out of it.
JW: Coming into the New Year, you guys haven't put anything out in a while. Is there any talk about going in the studio and recording?
MIKE: We got the new records already done. We've already just mastered it this week. We got actually a number of things. We did a compilation that's got some new Suicidal, new Infectious Grooves and Cyco Miko that's going to be done pretty soon. We're just deciding how we're going to put it out and handle it. As far as records, we have distribution deal going. So, next year we got a live DVD, two Suicidal records, two Cyco Miko records, two Infectious Grooves records. All the stuff is from 80-100% done, so we got a lot of stuff on tap and I think it's going to be really cool stuff.
JW: Wow. That is a lot of stuff. And you guys are doing this all on your own label, the Suicidal Records label?
MIKE: Yeah, did it all on our label. Keeping us quite, quite, quite busy.
JW: It sounds like it. That's a lot of stuff. So, are you enjoying doing everything independently on your own label and all that and not having to deal with all the bigger labels and all the headaches that go along with that?
MIKE: Well y'know, honestly we never really had any problems too much with the majors. It was other people. We kind of had to steer them into our direction. We had more problems when we were on the independents before we got on the majors. When we started doing our own thing again in the late 90s, we had a lot more problems with independents. I mean I could tell you all kinds of stories of the majors being shysters, oh my gosh, independents are way more shysters and stuff. Some just crazy stuff. People just going bankrupt left and right. We had a situation where when we first started Suicidal Records, one of the distributors called us and said, "You have to bring the records! You have to! We'll give you a check! Bring it down today! We need it so bad! We meesed up! It's going to cost us jobs! You know four people will lose their jobs!" This whole pity story took down a few thousand records and then they went bankrupt so they were just doing a shyster maneuver on us and stuff. Doors were all closed on Monday and the check of course was no good. So, you have to deal with stuff like that and even going through getting our distribution deal, there's only a few, what we would call, reputable kind of distribution companies. You go through things and you just meet people, and it's not just the record, it's the way I grew up. You're just like, "What's that smell?" (laughs)
It's like, "Dude, I grew up in Venice, man. Don't try to pull that on me, y'know." It's just like principle, y'know, kind of like when you walk in to a place and a used car salesman comes up with that super fake smile and looks at you like you're stupid and you're going to be paying his bills and you're like, "Ah, dude. Don't pull that on me, y'know. I'm leaving." (laughs) It's life, y'know, and you have to always be on the lookout for bullshit, and in the same sense, you got way more work and it's all in your hands, so ultimately you have to do it because I don't want someone else making the decision or someone trying to talk me into something I'm not going to do, or trying to explain to somebody why I want to do something that doesn't make any sense to them but it makes sense to me and helps me sleep better.
JW: And it just seems like from what you're saying it just feels better for you to keep the control at home.
MIKE: Yeah, and it's weird because a lot of times you'll read things, not just music but anything, and you go, "that person is so full of crap." But for us, it's actually really no pressure because so few people sell records. People aren't buying records. It makes things so easy, whereas when you're on a major or when in the past, you got to do that record every year or two years and the tour and setup before the record's out. It's just like a daily schedule planner and it's just kind of like "what I do today" kind of thing. I think sometimes that makes things tougher and I think for us it's like we're putting out a record for the right reason because we think there's a lot of people that are going to hear it, not only are they going to like it a lot, but it's going to give people a lot of ammunition to compare Suicidal with other things that they like, but they don't have a chance to hear what we're doing. I think it's going to tighten up the game, so to speak, and there's a lot of people that I think some of the songs definitely will do them a lot of good hearing. There's a lot of times when things happen and you just listen to people's conversations and you go, "Dude, I would love to give them this song right now because it totally applies." I think it's the proud papa so to speak kind of thing. I think it's also, like my Dad sometimes, the truth is out there and you're not going to kick someone when they're down but kick them because they're not getting up, and it reminds them that they need to get up.
SUICIDAL/MADBALL Tour 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Through Thick and Thin
Through Thick and Thin...
by Jason K. Walsh
photos by Samma Jamma
"You were there through it all, now it's my turn...
you're not in this all alone,
just look around, and you'll see...
the answers right before your eyes,
I'm here for you, and you for me."
- "Good Lookin' Out" by Sick of it All
Unity is defined as a state of being one. As nearly a thousand souls descended on a small club in northwest Brooklyn, there was one singular goal: to help some friends in need.
"We can count on each other when things get rough," said Lou Koller of Sick of it All. "But we've known that for years. This was an opportunity to help give them a fighting chance."
Sick of it All was one of eleven bands that played the benefit show at Studio B this past September. Initially, the event was scheduled to help a dear friend in the New York hardcore community, Thomaso Skorupski, known affectionately to his friends as "Dr. Tom."
"I have been friends with Dr. Tom for many, many years," said Koller. "He's been in the hardcore scene for a long time. Whenever anyone had a problem, he was there for them. Didn't matter when, what time, day or night, or if you had insurance or not. He'd check you out, tell you what he thought, and not charge you. Several times he helped me and the other members of Sick of it All."
Skorupski grew up in Jersey City, moving to Florham Park, New Jersey in his teens. He discovered hardcore when he was fourteen and quickly became friends with those involved in the thriving underground scene. He played drums in a band called Chronic Fear in the early 80s, but followed his lifelong ambition to become a doctor, graduating from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1999.
Now licensed, he began giving back to the community that had given so much to him throughout his lifetime. One of the perils of being a professional musician in an underground band, even with a label backing, is the lack of health insurance. When his friends in the NYHC scene became ill, needed consultation, or advice, they came to "Dr. Tom."
"He's always been helpful as a friend and as someone to talk to," said Craig Setari of Sick of it All. "He's always been there whether personal, medical, or emotional. He's a great person to talk to. He's a man with heart."
Though busy with his new career in the medical field, Skorupski always made time for his friends, their families, even roadies on the tours, when the need arose. As a physician, he was able to provide them with the primary care that they did not have before.
"I would be able to help them out," he said. "You know, where they would otherwise be sitting in an emergency room paying astronomical amounts of money and they don't have insurance. I just try to fill the gap so that they're healthy enough to get out there and play the shows. It works out well and that's just kind of always the way it was."
His professional experience had shown him the ugly side of the entertainment industry, a far cry from the pride and appreciation he felt from those within the New York "family."
"I used to work at the Waldorf Astoria," he said. "I was a doctor there treating celebrities. That was kind of crazy. These high-powered people and just really ungrateful for everything you did for them, and then treating your friends, who are totally grateful, makes you feel good."
Another of the bands on the benefit's bill was Maximum Penalty. Frontman Jimmy Williams met "Dr. Tom" through mutual acquaintance Rob Defrosia of Lethal Aggression. Williams said he was a man who always showed "unconditional love."
"He's helped a lot of people with medication and free exams without asking for any money," Williams said.
Skorupski and Williams friendship became tighter when they came together in 2005 forming Ironbound NYC, which also featured members of Sick of it All and Killing Time. The project saw Williams picking up the drum sticks and Skorupski fronting the band, a tribute to the glory days of the NYHC Sunday matinees. "With a Brick," their debut record was released on Thorp Records the following year.
"I knew his condition was worsening," Williams said. "I decided it was time to give back. We needed to help a friend who was in desperate need and who's helped so many others."
Skorupski has a form of muscular dystrophy called combined hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy. He has been suffering from this affliction since his teens.
"It requires a lot of corrective surgeries," Skorupski said. "It's a disease that affects from my knees down. It causes me to have high arches and I've had multiple surgeries all throughout my life since I was fifteen-years old. I've had like seven surgeries because of it. I can walk and you would never really notice it unless I took my shoes off."
Without treatment, Skorupski said the consequences could be dire.
"You wouldn't be able to walk or work," he said. "I work ninety hours a week as an emergency physician and as an addiction psychiatrist, so I work a lot. I'm on my feet a lot."
This past year, Skorupski has had two corrective reconstructive surgeries. The procedure is called a triple arthrodesis, or triple bone fusion, where surgeons fuse the bones together to get rid of the high arch and make it straight. Because of this condition and the surgeries, he was out of work for some time, and now the man who helped so many without medical coverage was in the same predicament.
"That's what the benefit was about," he said. "They kind of put it together, everyone came through, and you know it was a really great show."
Williams originally planned on organizing the event, but approached the folks at Black 'n Blue Productions, the New York based outfit run by "Cousin Joe" Cammarata and Freddy Cricien of Madball.
"Cousin Joe had called me and offered to help," said Williams. "So we made a couple calls to a bunch of bands and put it together."
BnB Productions was down for organizing the event and contributing to the cause. Renown for throwing big bashes in the city, like the annual Black 'n Blue Bowl, formerly dubbed the Superbowl of Hardcore, a benefit like this to help their own was set in motion without a thought.
"There is nothing more important in this world than helping others," said heidiminx, Black 'n Blue's director of marketing and public relations. "The hardcore community has always watched out for its own, and Tom had been so wonderful to so many of us over the years."
Co-founder of Black 'n Blue, Freddy Cricien, grew up in the NYHC hardcore scene through his older brother, Roger Miret of Agnostic Front. Now successfully fronting his own band, Madball, for more than a decade and proud contributor to the scene with BnB, he was honored to give back to someone who has given so much unselfishly in the past.
"In the time I've known him, he's been a great help to me and my friends," Cricien said. "I also know he's been very helpful to other individuals and bands in the past and present. He's offered his advice and services in the medical area, which is cool for a bunch of people, who more often than not, don't have insurance. Aside from that, he's a polite, respectful guy, which always goes a long way. Why wouldn't we help? That's the type of company and individuals we are."
"want to give in, want to give up
despair washes over you...
where do you go, what will you do?
your mind is racing,
in a million directions all at once...
where will you turn?"
With the benefit set, the bands booked, the venue ready, everyone just waited for the approaching day. However, fate took a turn, and another friend was in great need, so Dr. Tom took it upon himself to once again help a brother.
"When they told me about the benefit, I knew Walter and I knew he had liver cancer."
Walter "Monsta" Ryan is a NYC native, who grew up in the East Bay area of San Francisco. He has played drums in more bands than most can count and his resume spans across the hardcore, metal and hiphop worlds. Like Dr. Tom, he is a proud member of New York's DMS crew, a collective amongst the musicians, family, and friends within the NYHC scene.
Machine Head. Merauder. Murderer's Row. Madball. Powerhouse. Possessed. Subzero. The Lordz of Brooklyn. Danny Diablo and the Shotblockers. Bonecrusher. Harley's War. Just a few of the outfits Walter has pounded for, but now, in trying times, his friends, more so his family, came to help.
"I just decided I wanted to split the benefit with him," Skorupski said. "I went back to work and I'll be O.K. His situation was a little different so I decided to split 50-50 down the line."
Dr. Tom once again proved himself to be a man of integrity, prescribing the best remedy he could for one of his own in trouble.
"I know Walter from DMS and he's part of the crew," he said. "I knew he was struggling and I just called him up and asked him if that would help him out. I just felt like it was a little selfish of me to take it all for me when I can split it with him, so that's what I did."
Cricien was also proud to add their longtime DMS brother to the benefit.
"The idea came about when Dr. Tom offered to give part of the proceeds to Walter, which was a very honorable thing to do," Cricien said. "Originally, we were going to do a separate benefit for Walter. We had found out about his situation shortly after Dr. Tom, but when the suggestion was made, it made more sense to combine it and try to make it one big show."
Cricien has known Ryan for a long time and felt privileged to have the opportunity to lend a hand.
"Walter and I go way back," he said. "He's played in numerous bands, including Madball for a stint. We met while on tour in Europe. He was with Machine Head at the time. We hit it off and soon after he moved to NYC. He's been a friend ever since. It's unfortunate that he's going through these rough, rough times, but we hope and know he'll pull out of it."
Ryan first met "Dr. Tom" in 2003, through Jimmy Williams of Maximum Penalty. When Williams learned of Ryan's medical condition, he realized an introduction was in order.
"I told Jimmy I had gotten Hepatitis C and I started to get cirrhosis in my liver," Ryan said. "Jimmy had gone through the same thing. He's like 'yo, talk to my buddy, he might have a little insight for you.' We sort of talked over the phone and just became cool. He was extremely helpful and that's the reason why I went and got checked."
Under Dr. Tom's advisement, Ryan went to see physicians about his condition, but an even more fatal blow was discovered within his own family.
"I started getting tested," he said. "They did all kind of biopsies on me, the whole nine, everything. I found out right after that that my father was real sick and he just started pretty much dying."
Ryan's father, a veteran of the Vietnam War, had also been diagnosed with liver cancer. When he discovered the severity of his father's condition, he put aside his own concerns for himself and focused on family.
"I kind of veered away from my health issues and kind of stuck around with my father and tried to help my mother with that," he said. "I think anybody would do that in that situation. It's easier to focus on other people than yourself with that type of stuff."
During this period, Ryan was playing with Subzero, a New York hardcore band with Lou DiBella, a fiercely determined frontman who battle leukemia twice and won the fight. DiBella wrote a song, "Liohearted," which is an anthem about strength through adversity and an ode to his personal struggle against cancer. They had a video shoot scheduled for the song at the now abandoned CBGB's in Manhattan's Lower East Side, a mecca for the undeground music scene in New York. That day became an important chapter in Ryan's life.
"A week before the place would totally close down, I pull up to the front of the club and right before I get out to get my drums and start unloading I get a phone call. It's from my sister. She said, 'dad just passed away.' I was like, 'O.K. I'll talk to you later' and I just hung up. I kind of like numbed myself out a little bit and then I went in there and I shot the video and we played the show and halfway through the set, Lou passed the mic to me and I told everyone what happened. The whole place went nuts and erupted and I could have sworn that my father entered my body for the rest of the set and I just went nuts playing. Every time I see that video I think about my father because he died of liver cancer that morning when I was doing a video shoot about cancer survivors and little did I know that I had it at the time."
Ryan is in the beginning stages of liver cancer and luckily was diagnosed in its early state. He began chemotherapy this past May and injects himself with interferon shots four times a month, as well as taking six ribavirin pills daily. This cycle of treatment will continue for a full year as doctors will continue to monitor the toxins in his body. Like many that begin such a program with chemotherapy, the treatment is more times tougher on the patient than the disease.
"There's some days when I'm just shot and can't move and can't get up and literally bed ridden," he said. "Then there's days when I'm just feeling really tired and run down and my whole body is sore and aching. Then there are days when I feel like me, except for a little bit tired. The last couple of days, I've been feeling almost like my normal self again."
The toughest challenge Ryan faces is the inertness. For a man who has spent so much of his life on the road, touring, playing, and constantly striving forward and on to the next challenge, the treatment has brought him to a standstill, along with new adversities.
"I can't play drums. I can't tour. I can't leave New York. I can't work. Kind of a bummer because I got bills like anyone else and I got bills from back in the day when I first started getting seen by the doctors."
Between the injections, medication, blood tests, and office visits, the monthly bill runs between $7000-$9000. When Ryan first started his treatment, he was covered by Medicaid, but unknowingly his policy expired. He reapplied but the turnaround on coverage is far from immediate.
"Between that time it takes a little while to get that card in your hand," he said. "So every time I had to go to the doctors, I had to pay, pay, pay big time and it's mad loot."
Enter the benefit. Unable to cover the extreme costs of his current treatment, and with a stack of lingering bills, not only from his own medical expenses, but his father's as well, Ryan was financially destitute.
"That's where the guys stepped up," he said. "I'm still waiting on my card now. I just told the doctors what's going on and with what these guys gave me, I just threw money at them."
"It's hard to open up, just try and you'll see,
True friends will always be there...
there's no doubt,
good lookin' out...
when life's not fair,
True friends will always be there."
September 27, 2008. For a mere $20, somewhere between 700-800 hardcore fans entered the doors at Studio B in Brooklyn to see Sick of it All, Murphy's Law, Maximum Penalty, Subzero, Billyclub Sandwich, Jasta, Lethal Aggression, Backtrack, Turn it Up, Krust, and a special Cro-Mags jam featuring John Joseph, Mackie, AJ, and Craig Ahead.
"The benefit went well," said Cricien. "I would say yes, it was a success. I mean we would always like to do more, but the turn out was good. Money was raised and I think we (BnB) and all the bands did our part. I'm sure Dr. Tom and Walter both appreciated it."
Dr. Tom agreed that the turnout was great and was very appreciative of all the support the city showed that day.
"I think it went off well, everybody came out for it, and it was great," he said. "I mean I love those guys like brothers. We take care of each other and it just shows the New York hardcore scene is full and alive and this is just one aspect of the good thing that comes out of hardcore. We really do stand for taking care of each other and have each other's backs."
Contributions for Ryan can still be made through Black 'n Blue productions at their website: www.blacknblueproductions.net. Cricien said that even though the show is over, the cause is still ongoing, and encourages people to continue the support.
"This is just another positive example that hardcore is alive and well," he said. "It also has a heart and that's the one thing I will say about the hardcore community, especially the New York faction. We take care of our own."
Lou from Sick of it All also had some words to pass along to Ryan and Dr. Tom.
"We have a chance to help some of our friends while they're here," he said. "Cause a lot of these, unfortunately, are done for the families after the person has passed on. I hope they both get well and hope they can beat their problems and we're all here for them."
Ryan's progress continues to move in a positive direction as well. Another benefit was held shortly after in upstate New York, featuring bands like Setback, Subzero, Abrasive Thoughts, and 4 In The Chamber, and others are being planned as well, in places like Detroit, California, and Connecticut, so he can concentrate on recovery and not have to worry about money.
"Right now as it goes, the doctors told me that my hepatitis and my cirrhosis are undetectable," Ryan said. "They said I have to keep doing this process until May of next year and they think it will completely wipe out the cancer and everything. So, I'm really excited, real happy, and I'm just doing whatever the doctors been telling me to do."
Once this fight was been won, Ryan says he will again be doing what he loves.
"I'm going to continue to play," he said. ”When I get better, I'm going to be right back in there."
And, he cannot begin to express his gratitude for everyone who took the call to arms for his cause.
"It meant a lot to me," he said. "I'll never be able to tell anybody in words how good it felt. When people come together like this for a specific reason to help you out, it just goes to show how much love and respect they have for you as a person. Those are my brothers at Black 'n Blue. I appreciate everything they've done for me. They're my family. Much love to my boys. Thanks a lot fellas. See you soon."
by Jason K. Walsh
photos by Samma Jamma
"You were there through it all, now it's my turn...
you're not in this all alone,
just look around, and you'll see...
the answers right before your eyes,
I'm here for you, and you for me."
- "Good Lookin' Out" by Sick of it All
Unity is defined as a state of being one. As nearly a thousand souls descended on a small club in northwest Brooklyn, there was one singular goal: to help some friends in need.
"We can count on each other when things get rough," said Lou Koller of Sick of it All. "But we've known that for years. This was an opportunity to help give them a fighting chance."
Sick of it All was one of eleven bands that played the benefit show at Studio B this past September. Initially, the event was scheduled to help a dear friend in the New York hardcore community, Thomaso Skorupski, known affectionately to his friends as "Dr. Tom."
"I have been friends with Dr. Tom for many, many years," said Koller. "He's been in the hardcore scene for a long time. Whenever anyone had a problem, he was there for them. Didn't matter when, what time, day or night, or if you had insurance or not. He'd check you out, tell you what he thought, and not charge you. Several times he helped me and the other members of Sick of it All."
Skorupski grew up in Jersey City, moving to Florham Park, New Jersey in his teens. He discovered hardcore when he was fourteen and quickly became friends with those involved in the thriving underground scene. He played drums in a band called Chronic Fear in the early 80s, but followed his lifelong ambition to become a doctor, graduating from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1999.
Now licensed, he began giving back to the community that had given so much to him throughout his lifetime. One of the perils of being a professional musician in an underground band, even with a label backing, is the lack of health insurance. When his friends in the NYHC scene became ill, needed consultation, or advice, they came to "Dr. Tom."
"He's always been helpful as a friend and as someone to talk to," said Craig Setari of Sick of it All. "He's always been there whether personal, medical, or emotional. He's a great person to talk to. He's a man with heart."
Though busy with his new career in the medical field, Skorupski always made time for his friends, their families, even roadies on the tours, when the need arose. As a physician, he was able to provide them with the primary care that they did not have before.
"I would be able to help them out," he said. "You know, where they would otherwise be sitting in an emergency room paying astronomical amounts of money and they don't have insurance. I just try to fill the gap so that they're healthy enough to get out there and play the shows. It works out well and that's just kind of always the way it was."
His professional experience had shown him the ugly side of the entertainment industry, a far cry from the pride and appreciation he felt from those within the New York "family."
"I used to work at the Waldorf Astoria," he said. "I was a doctor there treating celebrities. That was kind of crazy. These high-powered people and just really ungrateful for everything you did for them, and then treating your friends, who are totally grateful, makes you feel good."
Another of the bands on the benefit's bill was Maximum Penalty. Frontman Jimmy Williams met "Dr. Tom" through mutual acquaintance Rob Defrosia of Lethal Aggression. Williams said he was a man who always showed "unconditional love."
"He's helped a lot of people with medication and free exams without asking for any money," Williams said.
Skorupski and Williams friendship became tighter when they came together in 2005 forming Ironbound NYC, which also featured members of Sick of it All and Killing Time. The project saw Williams picking up the drum sticks and Skorupski fronting the band, a tribute to the glory days of the NYHC Sunday matinees. "With a Brick," their debut record was released on Thorp Records the following year.
"I knew his condition was worsening," Williams said. "I decided it was time to give back. We needed to help a friend who was in desperate need and who's helped so many others."
Skorupski has a form of muscular dystrophy called combined hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy. He has been suffering from this affliction since his teens.
"It requires a lot of corrective surgeries," Skorupski said. "It's a disease that affects from my knees down. It causes me to have high arches and I've had multiple surgeries all throughout my life since I was fifteen-years old. I've had like seven surgeries because of it. I can walk and you would never really notice it unless I took my shoes off."
Without treatment, Skorupski said the consequences could be dire.
"You wouldn't be able to walk or work," he said. "I work ninety hours a week as an emergency physician and as an addiction psychiatrist, so I work a lot. I'm on my feet a lot."
This past year, Skorupski has had two corrective reconstructive surgeries. The procedure is called a triple arthrodesis, or triple bone fusion, where surgeons fuse the bones together to get rid of the high arch and make it straight. Because of this condition and the surgeries, he was out of work for some time, and now the man who helped so many without medical coverage was in the same predicament.
"That's what the benefit was about," he said. "They kind of put it together, everyone came through, and you know it was a really great show."
Williams originally planned on organizing the event, but approached the folks at Black 'n Blue Productions, the New York based outfit run by "Cousin Joe" Cammarata and Freddy Cricien of Madball.
"Cousin Joe had called me and offered to help," said Williams. "So we made a couple calls to a bunch of bands and put it together."
BnB Productions was down for organizing the event and contributing to the cause. Renown for throwing big bashes in the city, like the annual Black 'n Blue Bowl, formerly dubbed the Superbowl of Hardcore, a benefit like this to help their own was set in motion without a thought.
"There is nothing more important in this world than helping others," said heidiminx, Black 'n Blue's director of marketing and public relations. "The hardcore community has always watched out for its own, and Tom had been so wonderful to so many of us over the years."
Co-founder of Black 'n Blue, Freddy Cricien, grew up in the NYHC hardcore scene through his older brother, Roger Miret of Agnostic Front. Now successfully fronting his own band, Madball, for more than a decade and proud contributor to the scene with BnB, he was honored to give back to someone who has given so much unselfishly in the past.
"In the time I've known him, he's been a great help to me and my friends," Cricien said. "I also know he's been very helpful to other individuals and bands in the past and present. He's offered his advice and services in the medical area, which is cool for a bunch of people, who more often than not, don't have insurance. Aside from that, he's a polite, respectful guy, which always goes a long way. Why wouldn't we help? That's the type of company and individuals we are."
"want to give in, want to give up
despair washes over you...
where do you go, what will you do?
your mind is racing,
in a million directions all at once...
where will you turn?"
With the benefit set, the bands booked, the venue ready, everyone just waited for the approaching day. However, fate took a turn, and another friend was in great need, so Dr. Tom took it upon himself to once again help a brother.
"When they told me about the benefit, I knew Walter and I knew he had liver cancer."
Walter "Monsta" Ryan is a NYC native, who grew up in the East Bay area of San Francisco. He has played drums in more bands than most can count and his resume spans across the hardcore, metal and hiphop worlds. Like Dr. Tom, he is a proud member of New York's DMS crew, a collective amongst the musicians, family, and friends within the NYHC scene.
Machine Head. Merauder. Murderer's Row. Madball. Powerhouse. Possessed. Subzero. The Lordz of Brooklyn. Danny Diablo and the Shotblockers. Bonecrusher. Harley's War. Just a few of the outfits Walter has pounded for, but now, in trying times, his friends, more so his family, came to help.
"I just decided I wanted to split the benefit with him," Skorupski said. "I went back to work and I'll be O.K. His situation was a little different so I decided to split 50-50 down the line."
Dr. Tom once again proved himself to be a man of integrity, prescribing the best remedy he could for one of his own in trouble.
"I know Walter from DMS and he's part of the crew," he said. "I knew he was struggling and I just called him up and asked him if that would help him out. I just felt like it was a little selfish of me to take it all for me when I can split it with him, so that's what I did."
Cricien was also proud to add their longtime DMS brother to the benefit.
"The idea came about when Dr. Tom offered to give part of the proceeds to Walter, which was a very honorable thing to do," Cricien said. "Originally, we were going to do a separate benefit for Walter. We had found out about his situation shortly after Dr. Tom, but when the suggestion was made, it made more sense to combine it and try to make it one big show."
Cricien has known Ryan for a long time and felt privileged to have the opportunity to lend a hand.
"Walter and I go way back," he said. "He's played in numerous bands, including Madball for a stint. We met while on tour in Europe. He was with Machine Head at the time. We hit it off and soon after he moved to NYC. He's been a friend ever since. It's unfortunate that he's going through these rough, rough times, but we hope and know he'll pull out of it."
Ryan first met "Dr. Tom" in 2003, through Jimmy Williams of Maximum Penalty. When Williams learned of Ryan's medical condition, he realized an introduction was in order.
"I told Jimmy I had gotten Hepatitis C and I started to get cirrhosis in my liver," Ryan said. "Jimmy had gone through the same thing. He's like 'yo, talk to my buddy, he might have a little insight for you.' We sort of talked over the phone and just became cool. He was extremely helpful and that's the reason why I went and got checked."
Under Dr. Tom's advisement, Ryan went to see physicians about his condition, but an even more fatal blow was discovered within his own family.
"I started getting tested," he said. "They did all kind of biopsies on me, the whole nine, everything. I found out right after that that my father was real sick and he just started pretty much dying."
Ryan's father, a veteran of the Vietnam War, had also been diagnosed with liver cancer. When he discovered the severity of his father's condition, he put aside his own concerns for himself and focused on family.
"I kind of veered away from my health issues and kind of stuck around with my father and tried to help my mother with that," he said. "I think anybody would do that in that situation. It's easier to focus on other people than yourself with that type of stuff."
During this period, Ryan was playing with Subzero, a New York hardcore band with Lou DiBella, a fiercely determined frontman who battle leukemia twice and won the fight. DiBella wrote a song, "Liohearted," which is an anthem about strength through adversity and an ode to his personal struggle against cancer. They had a video shoot scheduled for the song at the now abandoned CBGB's in Manhattan's Lower East Side, a mecca for the undeground music scene in New York. That day became an important chapter in Ryan's life.
"A week before the place would totally close down, I pull up to the front of the club and right before I get out to get my drums and start unloading I get a phone call. It's from my sister. She said, 'dad just passed away.' I was like, 'O.K. I'll talk to you later' and I just hung up. I kind of like numbed myself out a little bit and then I went in there and I shot the video and we played the show and halfway through the set, Lou passed the mic to me and I told everyone what happened. The whole place went nuts and erupted and I could have sworn that my father entered my body for the rest of the set and I just went nuts playing. Every time I see that video I think about my father because he died of liver cancer that morning when I was doing a video shoot about cancer survivors and little did I know that I had it at the time."
Ryan is in the beginning stages of liver cancer and luckily was diagnosed in its early state. He began chemotherapy this past May and injects himself with interferon shots four times a month, as well as taking six ribavirin pills daily. This cycle of treatment will continue for a full year as doctors will continue to monitor the toxins in his body. Like many that begin such a program with chemotherapy, the treatment is more times tougher on the patient than the disease.
"There's some days when I'm just shot and can't move and can't get up and literally bed ridden," he said. "Then there's days when I'm just feeling really tired and run down and my whole body is sore and aching. Then there are days when I feel like me, except for a little bit tired. The last couple of days, I've been feeling almost like my normal self again."
The toughest challenge Ryan faces is the inertness. For a man who has spent so much of his life on the road, touring, playing, and constantly striving forward and on to the next challenge, the treatment has brought him to a standstill, along with new adversities.
"I can't play drums. I can't tour. I can't leave New York. I can't work. Kind of a bummer because I got bills like anyone else and I got bills from back in the day when I first started getting seen by the doctors."
Between the injections, medication, blood tests, and office visits, the monthly bill runs between $7000-$9000. When Ryan first started his treatment, he was covered by Medicaid, but unknowingly his policy expired. He reapplied but the turnaround on coverage is far from immediate.
"Between that time it takes a little while to get that card in your hand," he said. "So every time I had to go to the doctors, I had to pay, pay, pay big time and it's mad loot."
Enter the benefit. Unable to cover the extreme costs of his current treatment, and with a stack of lingering bills, not only from his own medical expenses, but his father's as well, Ryan was financially destitute.
"That's where the guys stepped up," he said. "I'm still waiting on my card now. I just told the doctors what's going on and with what these guys gave me, I just threw money at them."
"It's hard to open up, just try and you'll see,
True friends will always be there...
there's no doubt,
good lookin' out...
when life's not fair,
True friends will always be there."
September 27, 2008. For a mere $20, somewhere between 700-800 hardcore fans entered the doors at Studio B in Brooklyn to see Sick of it All, Murphy's Law, Maximum Penalty, Subzero, Billyclub Sandwich, Jasta, Lethal Aggression, Backtrack, Turn it Up, Krust, and a special Cro-Mags jam featuring John Joseph, Mackie, AJ, and Craig Ahead.
"The benefit went well," said Cricien. "I would say yes, it was a success. I mean we would always like to do more, but the turn out was good. Money was raised and I think we (BnB) and all the bands did our part. I'm sure Dr. Tom and Walter both appreciated it."
Dr. Tom agreed that the turnout was great and was very appreciative of all the support the city showed that day.
"I think it went off well, everybody came out for it, and it was great," he said. "I mean I love those guys like brothers. We take care of each other and it just shows the New York hardcore scene is full and alive and this is just one aspect of the good thing that comes out of hardcore. We really do stand for taking care of each other and have each other's backs."
Contributions for Ryan can still be made through Black 'n Blue productions at their website: www.blacknblueproductions.net. Cricien said that even though the show is over, the cause is still ongoing, and encourages people to continue the support.
"This is just another positive example that hardcore is alive and well," he said. "It also has a heart and that's the one thing I will say about the hardcore community, especially the New York faction. We take care of our own."
Lou from Sick of it All also had some words to pass along to Ryan and Dr. Tom.
"We have a chance to help some of our friends while they're here," he said. "Cause a lot of these, unfortunately, are done for the families after the person has passed on. I hope they both get well and hope they can beat their problems and we're all here for them."
Ryan's progress continues to move in a positive direction as well. Another benefit was held shortly after in upstate New York, featuring bands like Setback, Subzero, Abrasive Thoughts, and 4 In The Chamber, and others are being planned as well, in places like Detroit, California, and Connecticut, so he can concentrate on recovery and not have to worry about money.
"Right now as it goes, the doctors told me that my hepatitis and my cirrhosis are undetectable," Ryan said. "They said I have to keep doing this process until May of next year and they think it will completely wipe out the cancer and everything. So, I'm really excited, real happy, and I'm just doing whatever the doctors been telling me to do."
Once this fight was been won, Ryan says he will again be doing what he loves.
"I'm going to continue to play," he said. ”When I get better, I'm going to be right back in there."
And, he cannot begin to express his gratitude for everyone who took the call to arms for his cause.
"It meant a lot to me," he said. "I'll never be able to tell anybody in words how good it felt. When people come together like this for a specific reason to help you out, it just goes to show how much love and respect they have for you as a person. Those are my brothers at Black 'n Blue. I appreciate everything they've done for me. They're my family. Much love to my boys. Thanks a lot fellas. See you soon."
Sunday, November 16, 2008
THE 12th ANNUAL D-LOW MEMORIAL FESTIVAL
SOULFY RETURNS HOME TO ARIZONA FOR FALLEN FAMILY MEMBER'S MEMORIAL
by Jason K. Walsh
It has been a very busy year for Max Cavalera: a long-awaited reunion with brother and former Sepultura bandmate, Iggor for the Cavalera Conspiracy project, the release of a new Soulfly record, tours worldwide for both, and now the 12th Annual D-Low Memorial Festival will wrap it all up in Tempe. The tribute to Cavlera's departed stepson and best friend, Dana Wells a.k.a. D-Low, will feature both Cavalera Conspiracy and Soulfly, as well as Sacred Reich and Incite.
"It's the Dana show," Cavalera said. "All the songs are about Dana. It's not really even a Soulfly show. It's more of a memorial show, a little bit of a different kind of show, but I really dig it. I really like doing it every year. It's a tradition and it should be a lot of fun. It's going to be a killer show."
It was 1996 when Dana Wells was tragically slain in a fatal car accident in which there is still, to this day, beliefs by the family and members in the community that Wells and his two passengers were targeted by local gang members. There have been no arrests in the case and the two surviving passengers in the vehicle, driven by Wells, maintain they both suffered amnesia in the events leading up to the wreck.
Cavalera was on tour with Sepultura, when he and wife Gloria, then manager of the band, received the news of Dana's passing. Just having arrived in London for the Donnigton Metal Festival, the two returned to the States, by way of a private jet lent to them by Ozzy Osbourne, who has also playing the festival. After the funeral, they spent a great deal of time with the legal proceedings that followed, yet would never unearth those responsible in the collision. Then, in a controversial decision by the band without Max's consent, Gloria was fired that same year. In one of the most bitter breakups in the annals of metal history, Max Cavalera, who founded Brazil's Sepultura in the 80s with his brother and two close friends, departed the band following Gloria's ousting and later went on to form Soulfly.
Now twelve years later, Soulfly has become one of the metal community's premiere acts, while Sepultura continued on without Cavalera, with limited success and became more a bitter memory to metalheads of the better days long passed. "Conquer," released this year on Roadrunner Records, is Soulfly's sixth studio release and according to Cavalera continues where they left off on their last record.
"I think it's really a continuation of 'Dark Ages,'" he said. "This got deeper into everything we started with 'Dark Ages.' To me, it's really awesome to go even heavier and even faster, more experimental even with 'Conquer.' Everything about it I think was really exciting, from the album cover to the themes to the songs to the way everybody plays on it to the way the songs came out. It's really exciting kind of watching the album grow from the beginning to the time it was finished."
The "Conquer" tour kicked off this November in Victoria, Texas, which is one of the many unorthodox cities on the tour. Cavalera chose to pick locations and venues the band might not usually hit so they could see fans that might miss their shows.
"I'm excited for the tour," he said. "I look at the dates and I know there's a lot of places where I normally don't play or haven't played in a long time. That's really exciting to me because we'll be hitting some crowds that normally have to drive to see us, so we're actually going to where they are. It's a very cool thing to do this kind of tour. Some bands don't do this anymore. They just play the big cities. But, I think it's pretty cool because coming from Brazil, I know how it is to go to a show especially when the band doesn't come there very often. I know the feeling of it, so it should be killer."
Along this tour that leads to an end at the festival in Tempe, regional metal talents will be afforded a unique opportunity.
"We also have local bands playing on all the shows too," he said. "That's cool because you have local bands opening the show and playing in front of more people than they normally play and that's always good, you know. That's how it started for us like twenty years ago in Brazil. It's the way to do it, if you have a chance to open for somebody."
The D-Low Memorial was originally scheduled for August at the Marquee Theatre but unscheduled divine intervention moved the date back.
"It was postponed because lightning hit the building and I think it took the power off the whole neighborhood," Cavalera said. "So, it was kind of a crazy thing to happen. The show is going happen now on November 29, the last show of this tour, and yeah, we have Sacred Reich on it too, which is an old band from the past from the thrash times, back in the thrash days, so it should be a lot of fun."
Cavalera Conspiracy made their first appearance at last year's Dana memorial, and was followed by the album, "Inflikted" as well as a supporting world tour. This was the first time the two brothers from Brazil, Max and Iggor, stepped on a stage together since the fallout of Sepultura. Cavalera Conspiracy will be making a return appearance to the festival this year and although the future of the band is uncertain, brother Max alluded to possibly continuing the project.
"Yeah probably, man. It was really fun, you know, and I just love playing music. The more, the better, just keep doing it. That's what I am here for."
THE 12th ANNUAL D-LOW MEMORIAL FESTIVAL
featuring CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SOULFLY, SACRED REICH, INCITE
NOVEMBER 29
6:30 PM
THE MARQUEE THEATRE
730 N. MILL AVE.
TEMPE, AZ 85821
by Jason K. Walsh
It has been a very busy year for Max Cavalera: a long-awaited reunion with brother and former Sepultura bandmate, Iggor for the Cavalera Conspiracy project, the release of a new Soulfly record, tours worldwide for both, and now the 12th Annual D-Low Memorial Festival will wrap it all up in Tempe. The tribute to Cavlera's departed stepson and best friend, Dana Wells a.k.a. D-Low, will feature both Cavalera Conspiracy and Soulfly, as well as Sacred Reich and Incite.
"It's the Dana show," Cavalera said. "All the songs are about Dana. It's not really even a Soulfly show. It's more of a memorial show, a little bit of a different kind of show, but I really dig it. I really like doing it every year. It's a tradition and it should be a lot of fun. It's going to be a killer show."
It was 1996 when Dana Wells was tragically slain in a fatal car accident in which there is still, to this day, beliefs by the family and members in the community that Wells and his two passengers were targeted by local gang members. There have been no arrests in the case and the two surviving passengers in the vehicle, driven by Wells, maintain they both suffered amnesia in the events leading up to the wreck.
Cavalera was on tour with Sepultura, when he and wife Gloria, then manager of the band, received the news of Dana's passing. Just having arrived in London for the Donnigton Metal Festival, the two returned to the States, by way of a private jet lent to them by Ozzy Osbourne, who has also playing the festival. After the funeral, they spent a great deal of time with the legal proceedings that followed, yet would never unearth those responsible in the collision. Then, in a controversial decision by the band without Max's consent, Gloria was fired that same year. In one of the most bitter breakups in the annals of metal history, Max Cavalera, who founded Brazil's Sepultura in the 80s with his brother and two close friends, departed the band following Gloria's ousting and later went on to form Soulfly.
Now twelve years later, Soulfly has become one of the metal community's premiere acts, while Sepultura continued on without Cavalera, with limited success and became more a bitter memory to metalheads of the better days long passed. "Conquer," released this year on Roadrunner Records, is Soulfly's sixth studio release and according to Cavalera continues where they left off on their last record.
"I think it's really a continuation of 'Dark Ages,'" he said. "This got deeper into everything we started with 'Dark Ages.' To me, it's really awesome to go even heavier and even faster, more experimental even with 'Conquer.' Everything about it I think was really exciting, from the album cover to the themes to the songs to the way everybody plays on it to the way the songs came out. It's really exciting kind of watching the album grow from the beginning to the time it was finished."
The "Conquer" tour kicked off this November in Victoria, Texas, which is one of the many unorthodox cities on the tour. Cavalera chose to pick locations and venues the band might not usually hit so they could see fans that might miss their shows.
"I'm excited for the tour," he said. "I look at the dates and I know there's a lot of places where I normally don't play or haven't played in a long time. That's really exciting to me because we'll be hitting some crowds that normally have to drive to see us, so we're actually going to where they are. It's a very cool thing to do this kind of tour. Some bands don't do this anymore. They just play the big cities. But, I think it's pretty cool because coming from Brazil, I know how it is to go to a show especially when the band doesn't come there very often. I know the feeling of it, so it should be killer."
Along this tour that leads to an end at the festival in Tempe, regional metal talents will be afforded a unique opportunity.
"We also have local bands playing on all the shows too," he said. "That's cool because you have local bands opening the show and playing in front of more people than they normally play and that's always good, you know. That's how it started for us like twenty years ago in Brazil. It's the way to do it, if you have a chance to open for somebody."
The D-Low Memorial was originally scheduled for August at the Marquee Theatre but unscheduled divine intervention moved the date back.
"It was postponed because lightning hit the building and I think it took the power off the whole neighborhood," Cavalera said. "So, it was kind of a crazy thing to happen. The show is going happen now on November 29, the last show of this tour, and yeah, we have Sacred Reich on it too, which is an old band from the past from the thrash times, back in the thrash days, so it should be a lot of fun."
Cavalera Conspiracy made their first appearance at last year's Dana memorial, and was followed by the album, "Inflikted" as well as a supporting world tour. This was the first time the two brothers from Brazil, Max and Iggor, stepped on a stage together since the fallout of Sepultura. Cavalera Conspiracy will be making a return appearance to the festival this year and although the future of the band is uncertain, brother Max alluded to possibly continuing the project.
"Yeah probably, man. It was really fun, you know, and I just love playing music. The more, the better, just keep doing it. That's what I am here for."
THE 12th ANNUAL D-LOW MEMORIAL FESTIVAL
featuring CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, SOULFLY, SACRED REICH, INCITE
NOVEMBER 29
6:30 PM
THE MARQUEE THEATRE
730 N. MILL AVE.
TEMPE, AZ 85821
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
cedar park, tx summer 2010
the Exorcist stairs
georgetown, washington d.c.
and the emmy goes to...
winner in willoughby, 2007