Some words in a Karaoke Bar with JIMMY G of Murphy's Law
interview by Jason Walsh
Murphy's Law kicked off a big independently produced tour of the U.S. this May in Virginia Beach. They opened for Strung Out, who was currently touring with Pennywise, but took the day off to play with "family." Strung Out guitarist Rob Ramos is Jimmy's cousin and it felt like the perfect spot for a reunion of sorts. Steppin' Out is an all-ages venue for touring hardcore and metal bands in VA Beach, but the front of the building is a karaoke bar, where you can experience some of the most excruciating renditions of American Pop Culture. Between Dire Straits, Skynrd, and Culture Club, we found a chance to talk about music and the ills of the modern world.
JW: Welcome back to Virginia, man.
JIMMY G: It's great to be here.
JW: Did you hit the beach early this morning? Did you get a chance too see the water?
JIMMY G: We broke day, dude. We stayed up until ten in the morning and did things and drank, a lot, and then jumped in the water and it's fucking freezing.
JW: Yeah, it's still like sixty-something degrees.
JIMMY G: But, as always tradition for the twenty years I've been coming here or so, there's porpoise out there, helicopters flying by, and we stayed up from where the jets fly so we could get some sleep.
JW: So, you're just starting up a bunch of shows coming up, playing for like three months...
JIMMY G: 65 shows in America. No label, no agent, no record, no nothing. We're just doing, because we can. Maybe the kids will see that and they'll understand that they can do it too.
JW: Why do you keep doing this?
JIMMY G: Because I'm a terrible carpenter. This is my job. This is all I know how to do, really, I have to face it. I tried to be a carpenter, I tried to get other jobs, I hate doing other jobs. I was going to be an elevator mechanic when I started Murphy's Law, but this is what I do.
JW: Do you wake up every morning and still love doing this, I mean it's a part of you?
JIMMY G: Yeah...yeah. I hate it and I love it. Like tonight I hated it because there's a whole new generation of kids in Virginia Beach. We've been playing here for years and these kids don't even know who we are. I'd rather abuse them, and let the other men and women that know us for years, y'know, KNOW.
JW: The thing is different cities, different venues, bring out different things.
JIMMY G: I have a special thing for Virginia Beach. I've always had great times here my whole life, so regardless of how the kids feel, if I have three people here, they're still my friends. The kids with their arms folded, they were trouble. I like it here.
JW: The thing is hardcore is continuing to evolve. Did you ever think back when you started this...
JIMMY G: Might also have devolved too. I don't like that it's become metal. I consider Murphy's Law a hardcore punk rock band. Hardcore now is just metal. It's a bunch of guys who don't want to have long hair barking like dogs and I hate to say that, I'm sorry, but, it used to be the most different person wins. Everybody's just following like sheep.
JW: There's too many bands that sound the same.
JIMMY G: Which makes me look good because I go up and I just abuse people and fuck with people and I get away with it, and also teach a lesson.
JW: So what could the kids, that are coming up and starting bands, what could they learn from you as far as, for example, doing what you want to do?
JIMMY G: It's so much easier for them now because they have digital technology, which I never had years ago. I was an analog guy. But now you can record your record in your basement with Pro Tools. You can put out your record and have it pressed with a company that will shrink-wrap it and put it out and distro with independent distro kids. You don't need a record label anymore.
The thing with me, I grew up in the 80s during the record labels, and it was like the guy who cleaned the piss biscuits in the fucking bathroom had medical coverage and a 401K plan but the bands didn't. But yet, the bands are what makes the record label. Bands get treated like shit in America.
JW: And the record industry, with the internet and all that...
JIMMY G: The record industry is over now. And even with a band, like, you spend $150,000 doing a record and the first CD you put out is a master, for all the other kids to distribute around. The kids don't understand. I mean it's kind of cool the kids can just take it, and take it, but they don't understand it's yanking it from the band and the band gets fucked. It's like calling a plumber and having the plumber fix your toilet for free. They don't understand the concept.
Now we're on tour right now, hotels are like twice what they were because of the price of gas. Gas is like four and change a gallon. In Europe, we go on the Audobon and we go as fast as we want without the threat of police pulling us over. In America, in one day, I saw six people pulled over. I could be in Europe for two months and see one person pulled over for going fast. We get fucked, man. We get raped here.
JW: In this day and age, with everything that's going on, it's tough touring, it's not easy is it?
JIMMY G: No, it's harder than ever. It's still $10 to get in, but it's four times as much (to tour) as it used to be. I love my country. I hate my government, dude. They don't support me. If I have to go to the doctor, I get no coverage. In Canada, Europe, they have social medicine. We don't. Never mind me as a musician. Our soldiers, while I'm in Virginia Beach now, a lot of vets, a lot of soldiers here, the big guy with me, T (their roadie), a Green Beret who fought in Grenada, and to get medical coverage, you got to beg for it. You fight for your country, you got to beg for medical coverage? It's sad that our friends are defending our country from another country. They should be here. We're spending trillions of dollars because of this fucking cocksucker oil baron. We're defending a country that they pay a dollar a gallon, or fifty cents a gallon. What's the problem here? We're borrowing money from China. We can't buy cigars from Cuba but we can borrow money from China to protect our interests in America. Don't get me into this, please. I'm just saying.
JW: No, I hear you. I'm a veteran.
JIMMY G: Our military guys out there will understand. I think our defense starts at home. Like have a fucking soldier in every subway station, in every airport, not there, getting killed, getting blown up every day.
JW: And we liberated this country, to free them...
JIMMY G: Fuck them. They're never going to be liberated.
JW: We should have at least gotten cheaper gas out of the deal.
JIMMY G: They want us all dead. They don't like our way of living, but we let them live here. They told us this years ago. Listen to the Clash songs. We hired the Afghan rebels to fight the Russians and they fought the Russians and won, and then said they were going to come after us.
Listen to the Clash songs, you punk rock assholes. They said they'd come after us. September 11th? The World Trade Center was blown up before that and then blown up again. After the first mistake, we shouldn't make two. We're Americans. We're smarter than that. We're a country of everybody, and these religious extremists should not control our world and we shouldn't be there in their country trying to correct their world.
We should be here getting rid of gangs in L.A. When I go to Detroit, it's like a ghetto. Why are we trying to rebuild Iraq when we can be rebuilding Detroit?
All our industry has been pushed out to other countries. Mexico and every one is sneaking in. Let's make Mexico part of America. Puerto Rico too. Make them accountable. Very controversial. Sorry fuckers...
JW: It's good though...it's good shit. Let's go back.
JIMMY G: Let's talk music.
JW: Let's talk music.
JIMMY G: Music sucks...haha. Punk rock rules.
JW: Music sucks, punk rock does rule. You guys going to be recording soon?
JIMMY G: Maybe, we're on tour and we have 65 shows in America. After you write "The Beer Song" why do I have to write another song?
JW: "More Beer?" Oh, wait, that was Fear.
JIMMY G: That's Fear. Lee Ving taught me to be who I am, so I just carry the torch.
JW: So, bottom line, as much as you say, sometimes I hate it, it's still got to be fun though.
JIMMY G: Yeah, it is fun. I'm talking to you right now, you're my brother for years. It's just weird I'm opening for my cousin tonight (Rob Ramos of Strung Out) His band is part of a label and agency. We book our own shit. He's also driving 12 hours a day. We drive 3 or 4 hours a day because we book all our shows through our friends. We have a new thing now, we play bars now, like our skinhead friends own bars. We play the bar for free, bar makes all the money, we get our guarantee, and everyone gets in for free. New concept, fuckers...
JW: Everybody could learn from that.
JIMMY G: Nobody's gonna learn. That's why they stood there with their arms folded. Not knowing that I've played Virginia Beach since before they were born. I'm not bitter about it. I'll still be here when they have fat wives and they're done. I'll play to their kids. I'll fuck their kids up. I'm not going away. They are though.
JW: But, you'll be back.
JIMMY G: Yeah! I love Virginia Beach. I love my country. I love my military. I love my family. I hate my government.
(After the interview, I got a big hug from Jimmy and he said "let's go have a beer." I told him I had to go buy a shirt. He was like, "dude, I'll give you a shirt." I told him I wanted to buy him to help support them on the road. The money I spend on a shirt might buy lunch somewhere. I returned to have a few brews with the guy whose music I'd been listening to for twenty plus years, whom I can proudly call my friend.)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
STRUNG OUT
Strung Out Returns to Perdition
The last time Strung Out came to Virginia Beach began a string of some very bad luck for everyone involved with the band. Now, some seven months after, they are hoping not to have a repeat performance of their last engagement.
"Every time we've been here it's always been amazing, but there's always some crazy drunk mishaps," said Bass Player Chris Aiken. "Last time we were here was a lot of drunken mishaps, tire mishaps, beach mishaps, waffle mishaps, but this time we're here to rock and have a good time and hang out with all our friends out here in Virginia Beach."
It was October of last year when the band came for two shows at the beach. It was October of last year when the drunken mishaps started the train wreck that wouldn't seem to stop. Drummer Jordan Burns said it was a great show, though there were some pints being put away.
"For the people that were here, they know it was a crazy night," he said. "It was basically one of the band's, certain people in the band's, most drunk show ever. It was out of control, the place was packed, and all the guys were just simply fucking wasted. The crowd went insane. It was a mess but somehow we made it through."
Burns said though they made it through the set, the insanity continued into the streets of Virginia Beach outside the Peppermint Beach Club.
"It was afterwards that things started getting crazy," he said. "There was stupidity that happened and to try and sum it up, our guitar tech got arrested. I mean he was so drunk that night he stupidly...umm...did something stupid and he got arrested for it and it was a really, stupid, petty crime that he should have been released in the morning for and they ended up holding him for a week."
Favio Montes, Strung Out's guitar tech was the culprit in the heinous crime.
"I was all drunk as fuck and I fucked up two bike tires," he said. "That's it though."
According to Montes and Burns, two bicycle tires were slashed during the drunken stupor, which led to the arrest of Montes. But that wasn't where the entanglements with the local authorities would end. Strung Out ran into another confrontation with the Virginia Beach police.
"The one cop was such an asshole," Burns said. "We were the only people on the whole entire street. We were loading our equipment and they cited us with a $120 parking ticket and that was the first night. We thought we were going to pick up Favio the next morning and they wouldn't let him out of jail and we had to leave and go on to the next show."
Favio, stuck in jail, while the band moved on to the next destination, would continue to encounter troubles with the Virginia legal system.
"First they wouldn't give me bail because I was from California," he said. "Then when I went back the second time for my trial and everything, they tried to give me six months in jail, fines, three years probation, and alcohol and anger management classes."
He believed that his personal appearance coupled with latin heritage ultimately created a great deal of prejudice against him from his imprisoners. Burns agreed.
"I think they looked at him and they made an example of him," he said. "He had a mohawk, he's all tatt'd out, and he's Mexican."
"That's what it felt like," Favio laughed. "That's what it really came down to. Because when the cop came, that's what he said. He's like 'where's the guy with the mohawk and the tattoos' looking for me, pointed me out, came over, acted like a dick. I went and saw the magistrate and he comes up to me and he's like 'what happened to your hair?' That's the first thing he fucking says to me so fuck the Virginia Beach police department."
But as the band strived on without Favio, their run of bad luck continued.
"The next show (after Virginia Beach) our drum tech blew his ear drum so he ended up in the hospital," Burns said. "Then, the next day was when our van and trailer with all of our equipment got stolen."
Following their show at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, the band stayed at a cheap motel in North Philly, in a questionable neighborhood and their truck and trailer disappeared. Though they were both recovered later, everything inside both was gone. Guitars, drums, amps, PA equipment, recording equipment, personal effects, gone...to never again be recovered. All this while Favio still sat in jail in Virginia.
"It sucked because everything Favio owned was in the van and trailer," Burns said. "That included all of his bags, his brand new computer, tools, and a brand new Gretsch guitar."
Most bands after losing so much in a matter of days would call it a day. But Burns said all this misfortune did not deter them from completing the tour.
"We didn't stop," he said. "We continued and we did finish out that whole tour. Evergreen Terrace helped us out tremendously, so did I Am Ghost, and we finished the whole tour and felt good that we just didn't get shut down. We did what it took to keep going, and yeah, it felt good to do that and pull it off."
When they were finally finished, their sponsors were very supportive and provided them with equipment to replace the stolen gear. Ultimately, it was the support of the fans that made the difference.
"Our fans helped out big time too," Burns said. "We had a big benefit show at home.and raised a bunch of money and bought everyone back new pieces of certain things they needed. We actually surprised Favio with a brand new Gretsch guitar, the same exact, identical one that he got ripped off and he was in tears. It was awesome."
Favio owned up to shedding a few, and said the band was completely supportive in his battle with the legal system.
"Oh man," he joked. "These guys helped me out so much through everything. Through the actual court thing, the whole band helped me out with money just to get over to Virginia. With all my legal fees, my money, y'know everything...everything. They just helped me out and were behind me fucking 100%."
Strung Out flowed $2500 to their sound guy to help replace his lost equipment as well, who also teared up from the unexpected kindness. Burns said that though the incident at the beach was poor judgment, the punishment did not fit the crime.
"The thing is no one in the band, or even Favio himself I'm sure, doesn't condone what was done, but it was a petty crime. It was a total of $50, call it $100 damage at most and I just couldn't understand how do you not get out of jail on a petty crime like that. What they did to him was just ridiculous. The whole ordeal cost him over $7000 in lawyers and plane tickets flying back and forth. The Virginia Beach police department here is not too nice."
Now back in the state that caused him time and money, Favio decided to go back on his oath.
"Well, I said I wasn't going to drink but I don't think that's going to help," he laughed. "I think I'm still going to drink. I'll hide back in a corner and I'll be all right."
The band was happy to be back in the Commonwealth, but even happier to be away from the craziness at the oceanfront, in a more intimate setting away from all the fanfare of the resort area.
"I'm actually glad that we're not down by the beach and that we're away from everything," Burns said. "We got cool parking here. It seems like it's going to be a bit of a different vibe. We've always had good shows here and I think when things happen you don't ever necessarily take it out on the people that want to come see your band. People were always saying 'are you guys gonna come back to Philly?' and it's like, 'well yeah...you guys, the fans didn't screw us.'"
The stop at Steppin' Out in Virginia Beach was part of their U.S. tour with Pennywise, which wrapped in June. They had just returned from a European tour with some heavier outfits.
"We've been touring with a lot of hardcore bands," Burns said. "We had Evergreen Terrace out with us on that last October tour. We just got done touring with Ignite and Terror over in Europe. It was awesome. We shared a bus with Terror and we had just met those guys and we had a blast."
The event was also a kind of east-coast, west coast family reunion as well. Guitarist Rob Ramos is cousin to legendary frontman Jimmy G of Murphy's Law, who also played the bill. This show also marked the start of Murphy's Law's three month, sixty-five stop tour of the U.S. but the band has designs to continue touring all year if they can.
"We just started our tour off and it's amazing," said guitarist Felipe Lithgow. "Our last show is August 16 with Rancid and then from there our goal is to continue as long as everybody lets us continue to do this. Hopefully, to continue to New Years."
Lithgow, originally from Miami, said he digs being in the area and at the beach, and may prolong their stay.
"We're going to stay in Virginia for 2 or 3 months, bro," he joked.
Local punk band No Brass had the opportunity to open for Murphys Law and Strung Out and were excited to share the stage with two of the country's premiere punk acts.
"It's a dream come true to get to play," said drummer Max Korman. "Strung Out, I've been listening to for a long time and just to be able to play with them alone is like awesome and then Murphys Law put on one of the best hardcore shows. Jimmy just came up and introduced himself like he was just some guy at the show, like totally down to earth guy."
Vocalist Jason Cruz and bassist Chris Aiken were found jamming in the back of their recently recovered trailer outside Steppin' Out. They were working on a song they dubbed "Backyard Trailer Blues." Aiken was excited about the upcoming Australian trip that followed the tour with Pennywise.
"It's like our ninth or tenth time out there," he said. "Australia is like our second home. We go down there almost every year now since 2001. We have a great fan base out there, a lot of solid friends, good guys, and it just keeps getting better and better out there for us."
Aiken said they try to hit the Barbary Coast whenever they can. It had only been seven months since they had last been down under and their first two shows of their 23 stops will be in New Zealand.
"We were just out there last November with Bad Religion which I think really helped us and now we're going out there this time with our label mates, No Use For A Name, so it should be a good Fat Wreck Chords tour, y'know. We're doing every city out there, all the major cities and all the smaller cities."
A new album is definitely in the works for the band. The back of the trailer is just as good a place for creativity as any, according to Aiken.
"We're just working on ideas right now as you came up and witnessed," he said. "Me and Jason are just working on random thoughts, random ideas, y'know, and just hanging out. We'll definitely be working on a new album, but we'll keep you guys in suspense until then."
Inspiration for crafting songs is a unique process for performers. Some need a familiar place, some thrive in the studio, some find comfort elsewhere.
"We always just record songs at home or on the road," Aiken said. "Sometimes when you're on the road you get the most inspired, sometimes when you're at home you get the most inspired, so just always have a guitar nearby to go with it."
"The best thing said all day," Cruz chimed. "Always have a guitar nearby. Let's end it on that."
The last time Strung Out came to Virginia Beach began a string of some very bad luck for everyone involved with the band. Now, some seven months after, they are hoping not to have a repeat performance of their last engagement.
"Every time we've been here it's always been amazing, but there's always some crazy drunk mishaps," said Bass Player Chris Aiken. "Last time we were here was a lot of drunken mishaps, tire mishaps, beach mishaps, waffle mishaps, but this time we're here to rock and have a good time and hang out with all our friends out here in Virginia Beach."
It was October of last year when the band came for two shows at the beach. It was October of last year when the drunken mishaps started the train wreck that wouldn't seem to stop. Drummer Jordan Burns said it was a great show, though there were some pints being put away.
"For the people that were here, they know it was a crazy night," he said. "It was basically one of the band's, certain people in the band's, most drunk show ever. It was out of control, the place was packed, and all the guys were just simply fucking wasted. The crowd went insane. It was a mess but somehow we made it through."
Burns said though they made it through the set, the insanity continued into the streets of Virginia Beach outside the Peppermint Beach Club.
"It was afterwards that things started getting crazy," he said. "There was stupidity that happened and to try and sum it up, our guitar tech got arrested. I mean he was so drunk that night he stupidly...umm...did something stupid and he got arrested for it and it was a really, stupid, petty crime that he should have been released in the morning for and they ended up holding him for a week."
Favio Montes, Strung Out's guitar tech was the culprit in the heinous crime.
"I was all drunk as fuck and I fucked up two bike tires," he said. "That's it though."
According to Montes and Burns, two bicycle tires were slashed during the drunken stupor, which led to the arrest of Montes. But that wasn't where the entanglements with the local authorities would end. Strung Out ran into another confrontation with the Virginia Beach police.
"The one cop was such an asshole," Burns said. "We were the only people on the whole entire street. We were loading our equipment and they cited us with a $120 parking ticket and that was the first night. We thought we were going to pick up Favio the next morning and they wouldn't let him out of jail and we had to leave and go on to the next show."
Favio, stuck in jail, while the band moved on to the next destination, would continue to encounter troubles with the Virginia legal system.
"First they wouldn't give me bail because I was from California," he said. "Then when I went back the second time for my trial and everything, they tried to give me six months in jail, fines, three years probation, and alcohol and anger management classes."
He believed that his personal appearance coupled with latin heritage ultimately created a great deal of prejudice against him from his imprisoners. Burns agreed.
"I think they looked at him and they made an example of him," he said. "He had a mohawk, he's all tatt'd out, and he's Mexican."
"That's what it felt like," Favio laughed. "That's what it really came down to. Because when the cop came, that's what he said. He's like 'where's the guy with the mohawk and the tattoos' looking for me, pointed me out, came over, acted like a dick. I went and saw the magistrate and he comes up to me and he's like 'what happened to your hair?' That's the first thing he fucking says to me so fuck the Virginia Beach police department."
But as the band strived on without Favio, their run of bad luck continued.
"The next show (after Virginia Beach) our drum tech blew his ear drum so he ended up in the hospital," Burns said. "Then, the next day was when our van and trailer with all of our equipment got stolen."
Following their show at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, the band stayed at a cheap motel in North Philly, in a questionable neighborhood and their truck and trailer disappeared. Though they were both recovered later, everything inside both was gone. Guitars, drums, amps, PA equipment, recording equipment, personal effects, gone...to never again be recovered. All this while Favio still sat in jail in Virginia.
"It sucked because everything Favio owned was in the van and trailer," Burns said. "That included all of his bags, his brand new computer, tools, and a brand new Gretsch guitar."
Most bands after losing so much in a matter of days would call it a day. But Burns said all this misfortune did not deter them from completing the tour.
"We didn't stop," he said. "We continued and we did finish out that whole tour. Evergreen Terrace helped us out tremendously, so did I Am Ghost, and we finished the whole tour and felt good that we just didn't get shut down. We did what it took to keep going, and yeah, it felt good to do that and pull it off."
When they were finally finished, their sponsors were very supportive and provided them with equipment to replace the stolen gear. Ultimately, it was the support of the fans that made the difference.
"Our fans helped out big time too," Burns said. "We had a big benefit show at home.and raised a bunch of money and bought everyone back new pieces of certain things they needed. We actually surprised Favio with a brand new Gretsch guitar, the same exact, identical one that he got ripped off and he was in tears. It was awesome."
Favio owned up to shedding a few, and said the band was completely supportive in his battle with the legal system.
"Oh man," he joked. "These guys helped me out so much through everything. Through the actual court thing, the whole band helped me out with money just to get over to Virginia. With all my legal fees, my money, y'know everything...everything. They just helped me out and were behind me fucking 100%."
Strung Out flowed $2500 to their sound guy to help replace his lost equipment as well, who also teared up from the unexpected kindness. Burns said that though the incident at the beach was poor judgment, the punishment did not fit the crime.
"The thing is no one in the band, or even Favio himself I'm sure, doesn't condone what was done, but it was a petty crime. It was a total of $50, call it $100 damage at most and I just couldn't understand how do you not get out of jail on a petty crime like that. What they did to him was just ridiculous. The whole ordeal cost him over $7000 in lawyers and plane tickets flying back and forth. The Virginia Beach police department here is not too nice."
Now back in the state that caused him time and money, Favio decided to go back on his oath.
"Well, I said I wasn't going to drink but I don't think that's going to help," he laughed. "I think I'm still going to drink. I'll hide back in a corner and I'll be all right."
The band was happy to be back in the Commonwealth, but even happier to be away from the craziness at the oceanfront, in a more intimate setting away from all the fanfare of the resort area.
"I'm actually glad that we're not down by the beach and that we're away from everything," Burns said. "We got cool parking here. It seems like it's going to be a bit of a different vibe. We've always had good shows here and I think when things happen you don't ever necessarily take it out on the people that want to come see your band. People were always saying 'are you guys gonna come back to Philly?' and it's like, 'well yeah...you guys, the fans didn't screw us.'"
The stop at Steppin' Out in Virginia Beach was part of their U.S. tour with Pennywise, which wrapped in June. They had just returned from a European tour with some heavier outfits.
"We've been touring with a lot of hardcore bands," Burns said. "We had Evergreen Terrace out with us on that last October tour. We just got done touring with Ignite and Terror over in Europe. It was awesome. We shared a bus with Terror and we had just met those guys and we had a blast."
The event was also a kind of east-coast, west coast family reunion as well. Guitarist Rob Ramos is cousin to legendary frontman Jimmy G of Murphy's Law, who also played the bill. This show also marked the start of Murphy's Law's three month, sixty-five stop tour of the U.S. but the band has designs to continue touring all year if they can.
"We just started our tour off and it's amazing," said guitarist Felipe Lithgow. "Our last show is August 16 with Rancid and then from there our goal is to continue as long as everybody lets us continue to do this. Hopefully, to continue to New Years."
Lithgow, originally from Miami, said he digs being in the area and at the beach, and may prolong their stay.
"We're going to stay in Virginia for 2 or 3 months, bro," he joked.
Local punk band No Brass had the opportunity to open for Murphys Law and Strung Out and were excited to share the stage with two of the country's premiere punk acts.
"It's a dream come true to get to play," said drummer Max Korman. "Strung Out, I've been listening to for a long time and just to be able to play with them alone is like awesome and then Murphys Law put on one of the best hardcore shows. Jimmy just came up and introduced himself like he was just some guy at the show, like totally down to earth guy."
Vocalist Jason Cruz and bassist Chris Aiken were found jamming in the back of their recently recovered trailer outside Steppin' Out. They were working on a song they dubbed "Backyard Trailer Blues." Aiken was excited about the upcoming Australian trip that followed the tour with Pennywise.
"It's like our ninth or tenth time out there," he said. "Australia is like our second home. We go down there almost every year now since 2001. We have a great fan base out there, a lot of solid friends, good guys, and it just keeps getting better and better out there for us."
Aiken said they try to hit the Barbary Coast whenever they can. It had only been seven months since they had last been down under and their first two shows of their 23 stops will be in New Zealand.
"We were just out there last November with Bad Religion which I think really helped us and now we're going out there this time with our label mates, No Use For A Name, so it should be a good Fat Wreck Chords tour, y'know. We're doing every city out there, all the major cities and all the smaller cities."
A new album is definitely in the works for the band. The back of the trailer is just as good a place for creativity as any, according to Aiken.
"We're just working on ideas right now as you came up and witnessed," he said. "Me and Jason are just working on random thoughts, random ideas, y'know, and just hanging out. We'll definitely be working on a new album, but we'll keep you guys in suspense until then."
Inspiration for crafting songs is a unique process for performers. Some need a familiar place, some thrive in the studio, some find comfort elsewhere.
"We always just record songs at home or on the road," Aiken said. "Sometimes when you're on the road you get the most inspired, sometimes when you're at home you get the most inspired, so just always have a guitar nearby to go with it."
"The best thing said all day," Cruz chimed. "Always have a guitar nearby. Let's end it on that."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
CHRIST ON PARADE
Christ on Parade: Sounds of Reunion
by Jason Walsh
"You can't change anything by waiting for the 'revolution' - you have to start living it today, creating a real community amongst the sterility of our modern world, and eventually the system will wither away."
Twenty-three years after the release of Christ on Parade's debut record, "Sounds of Nature," this excerpt from the liner notes is still relevant in regards to modern society. Though two-and-a-half decades have passed since these words were penned, the injustices the band protested still remain.
"That's the funny part," frontman Barrie Evans said. "Things never change. They come in cycles. Who would have thought writing songs in 84-85 would still be as valid then as they are today, with the Reagan world then, and the Bush world now. It's frightening."
The East Bay punk scene in San Francisco was exploding in the 80s. The former members of Bay area bands Treason and Teenage Warning came together to form Christ on Parade in 1985. They quickly built a strong following and released "Sounds of Nature" on Pusmort Records, the independent label started by renown underground artist and Septic Death vocalist Pushead. Though a raw and unpolished work, it continues to stand as a defining part of the early hardcore movement.
"I listen to it now and it sounds like an unmixed mess," Evans said. "At the time, I guess we were happy with it, but after listening to it now we're like holy shit, what the hell were we thinking. It was mixed so poorly back then."
But this was in the time when the DIY ethic began and bands were putting out records without the support of major labels nor the access to state-of-the-art recording studios. It was all done independently and the significance of the message outweighed the quality of the production.
"It's kind of neat that people were so into the record and into what we were saying," Evans said. "You kind of forget about it after twenty years. People get reinvigorated when they start listening to the music again, and they start to remember what it was about the music and the songs that they really liked. It's kind of like a dated music style, but it definitely has its place. It's just as valid today as when we wrote it."
For many years, Evans attempted to re-release the out-of-print classic, but for a number of reasons, it never came to pass.
"One of the people I talked to about it was Pushead, and he was the one who suggested Ken Prank. He said he was more in touch with that scene and he'd probably be the best bet."
Prank Records is a San Francisco based hardcore punk label that was started in 1995 by Ken "Prank" Sanderson, whose credits include columnist for Maximum Rock and Roll magazine, booker for the legendary 924 Gilman Street venue, and long-time Mordam Records employee. Sanderson was very receptive to the idea of re-releasing the album.
"Pushead had sent me an advance tape of 'Sounds of Nature' in the 80s, so I had been a fan of the record before it even came out," he said. "It's a crucial part of Bay Area DIY punk history and was an honor to re-release the record."
After Christ on Parade disbanded in 1989, guitarist Noah Landis went on to join Neurosis, which then spawned the Neurot label. Landis expressed an interest in re-releasing "Sounds of Nature" on Neurot while Evans had been discussing the idea with Prank.
"We kind of figured the best way to cover all the markets was to let Neurot do the CD and Prank do the LP because Prank predominantly does a lot of vinyl," Evans said.
"Sounds of Nature" hit the streets last year, twenty-two years after its initial release in 1985. It featured the album's original 11 tracks, as well as the two songs released on Thrasher Magazine's Skate Rock Volume 3: Wild Riders on Boards, the "Isn't Life A Dream" EP from 1986, and an unreleased cover of the Avengers' "The American in Me." Word quickly spread and Evans was amazed by the response.
"After the CD came out, it got so much buzz and started selling so fast, I was thinking, hell, what we should do is a little one-off tour just to promote it and not do it again."
This is where the seeds of a long, awaited reunion were planted. However, it would not be an easy endeavor to undertake. Though Evans, Landis, and bassist Malcolm "Milky" Sherwood still resided in the Bay area, guitarist Mike Scott and drummer Todd Kramer now lived in Bremen, Germany. Not to be discouraged by a continental divide, the American contingent jumped on a plane and made their way to Europe for their first band practice in more than two decades.
"It was really strange practicing, because after the second day of practice, it seemed like we'd never broken up," Evans said. "It all fell right back into place and I think we actually sound better now than we did then, because everyone's more accomplished musicians."
An even more unusual twist to the story is the space where they practiced in Bremen. It was an old, above-ground World War II bombing bunker once used by the Nazis with eight-foot-thick cement walls.
"It's just this big monolith in the middle of this park and it's kind of decrepit looking with moss growing all over it," Evans said. "In the summer time, it's still cold in there from the winter, and by the time it warms up from the summer, to where it's tolerable in there, it's almost Christmas time. It retains the heat and retains the cold, and by the time we got there, it was freezing and like practicing in a meat locker. The most soundproof meat locker ever. It's really strange and really eerie too."
Scott used the space for practices with his band, Nitrous Oxide Wrestling Club, as did Kramer for his band Sworn Liars. Though not the most comfortable of places for rehearsing, Evans felt it just added to the reunion's mystique.
"That whole experience of practicing and being in that bomb shelter was just strange, but I guess that was just part of the magic of it. It went really well and we couldn't have been happier with it at all. Those were experiences that no one would ever believed you when you'd tell them."
Christ on Parade went on to do a three-month European tour that kicked off in Bremen. The more they played, themore it seemed to come together, and their performances did not go unnoticed.
"As the shows went on in Germany and Europe, on the internet word spread that 'hey, they're actually pretty good.' Each time we played a show, the next show would be bigger and bigger and bigger. They successfully got more and more crowds because I think word spread that we were actually really good."
At the European tour's end, the guys parted ways, but the story didn't end there.
"By the time we got back to America, word had spread here and so everybody wanted us to tour here and that's how the US tour came about."
They set up dates up and down the West Coast: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle. Like the European tour, Evans was amazed by the turnout at the shows and response by the fans.
"It was really strange and people just came out of the woodwork that none of us had seen in twenty plus years," he said. "It was like a reunion of that crusty scene from the 80s. It was actually strange to see people, that the last time you saw them they were 17, and now they're like thirty something."
The tour was a great success and they had a chance to return to hallowed ground in Berkeley, 924 Gilman Street, where their roots run deep.
"The West Coast tour was basically sold out every show. We played back-to-back shows at Gilman on a Friday and Saturday. We were the first band to headline Gilman (1986) and it was the first time they did the same band playing night after night. We sold out both nights and it was out of hand."
The encounters on the road were just as incredible as the shows themselves, allowing fans who had never seen Christ on Parade to finally experience the band live.
"It was phenomenal, y'know, the response we got. There was a guy that came down from Canada and went to every one of our shows. He said 'it was a dream come true because I was too young to see the original band. You don't know what this is like.' He was just flipping out, and every night he'd come up to us and just like, drool all over us. It was really funny."
The band took a break, returning to their, as hard as this is to say, normal adult lives, but came together again this past April for an eight-show tour of Japan. They have also just released a 13-track record, "Loud and Live," on Prank Records, available on both CD and limited-edition vinyl, that features songs from both "Sounds of Nature" and the 1987 album, "A Mind is a Terrible Thing."
"I feel by presenting songs, like their current live shows, from all eras of Christ on Parade, it brings a perspective on their whole career as a band," Ken Prank said. "There's always internet debates or whatever over the different eras of the band, but the material played side by side shows how it's all equally strong and weaves together as a cohesive whole."
Recorded at South Bay college radio station, KFJC, Evans states though it's not an actual live-concert recording, it harnesses those elements nonetheless.
"It sounds like we sound now," he said. "It's not like a live record in front of a huge audience, it's probably like 12 or 13 people in the studio, but it's like listening to a really, very clean rehearsal tape with banter in between. It captures what we sound like now. I was really surprised."
Evans attributes time and maturity to the band's improvement in musicianship and cohesiveness.
"It seems to work better now because back then we were literally all kids and when you're a kid you kind of have your priorities all screwed up," he said. "You kind of want to just do this and do that and party and fuck off. We're all older now and kind of a little more focused. We can see now what it truly was, as opposed to just being in a band to hang out, put out your message, talk to chicks, and just tour and be a goof."
So what does the future hold for Christ on Parade?
"It's kind of we don't know what we're going to do," Evans said. "We obviously can't do it all the time because two guys live in Germany, but we could possibly do like one or two-week tours maybe twice a year. It's probably the best we can hope for unless those two guys move back here."
An east-coast tour is something they have been contemplating, but with the proximity factor plaguing them, Evans calls out to the "right coast" bands for some support.
"We had so many letters from the east coast, so we might actually try to do like a 'drop-and-play' where we do a west coast tour, and then fly out to the east coast, hook up with a band, tour with a band, share their gear, go up and down the coast, and try to do the whole thing in two-and-a-half weeks, so everyone can get back to work and stuff."
And lastly, are there any plans for a new record with new material?
"Malcolm had written about eight songs back in '87 during the prime time of Christ on Parade that we never recorded, that we just jammed and maybe played a few of them live, but never recorded. We're talking about recording a new album, which would be half vintage Christ on Parade songs that were never released and never recorded, that will all have the same feel and sound of the 80s from what we did, but they're all new tracks, and then maybe 5 or 6 tracks, recorded now and writing them from the ground up now. That's still in the talking phase. We haven't decided if we're going to do it yet or not. The future is open."
by Jason Walsh
"You can't change anything by waiting for the 'revolution' - you have to start living it today, creating a real community amongst the sterility of our modern world, and eventually the system will wither away."
Twenty-three years after the release of Christ on Parade's debut record, "Sounds of Nature," this excerpt from the liner notes is still relevant in regards to modern society. Though two-and-a-half decades have passed since these words were penned, the injustices the band protested still remain.
"That's the funny part," frontman Barrie Evans said. "Things never change. They come in cycles. Who would have thought writing songs in 84-85 would still be as valid then as they are today, with the Reagan world then, and the Bush world now. It's frightening."
The East Bay punk scene in San Francisco was exploding in the 80s. The former members of Bay area bands Treason and Teenage Warning came together to form Christ on Parade in 1985. They quickly built a strong following and released "Sounds of Nature" on Pusmort Records, the independent label started by renown underground artist and Septic Death vocalist Pushead. Though a raw and unpolished work, it continues to stand as a defining part of the early hardcore movement.
"I listen to it now and it sounds like an unmixed mess," Evans said. "At the time, I guess we were happy with it, but after listening to it now we're like holy shit, what the hell were we thinking. It was mixed so poorly back then."
But this was in the time when the DIY ethic began and bands were putting out records without the support of major labels nor the access to state-of-the-art recording studios. It was all done independently and the significance of the message outweighed the quality of the production.
"It's kind of neat that people were so into the record and into what we were saying," Evans said. "You kind of forget about it after twenty years. People get reinvigorated when they start listening to the music again, and they start to remember what it was about the music and the songs that they really liked. It's kind of like a dated music style, but it definitely has its place. It's just as valid today as when we wrote it."
For many years, Evans attempted to re-release the out-of-print classic, but for a number of reasons, it never came to pass.
"One of the people I talked to about it was Pushead, and he was the one who suggested Ken Prank. He said he was more in touch with that scene and he'd probably be the best bet."
Prank Records is a San Francisco based hardcore punk label that was started in 1995 by Ken "Prank" Sanderson, whose credits include columnist for Maximum Rock and Roll magazine, booker for the legendary 924 Gilman Street venue, and long-time Mordam Records employee. Sanderson was very receptive to the idea of re-releasing the album.
"Pushead had sent me an advance tape of 'Sounds of Nature' in the 80s, so I had been a fan of the record before it even came out," he said. "It's a crucial part of Bay Area DIY punk history and was an honor to re-release the record."
After Christ on Parade disbanded in 1989, guitarist Noah Landis went on to join Neurosis, which then spawned the Neurot label. Landis expressed an interest in re-releasing "Sounds of Nature" on Neurot while Evans had been discussing the idea with Prank.
"We kind of figured the best way to cover all the markets was to let Neurot do the CD and Prank do the LP because Prank predominantly does a lot of vinyl," Evans said.
"Sounds of Nature" hit the streets last year, twenty-two years after its initial release in 1985. It featured the album's original 11 tracks, as well as the two songs released on Thrasher Magazine's Skate Rock Volume 3: Wild Riders on Boards, the "Isn't Life A Dream" EP from 1986, and an unreleased cover of the Avengers' "The American in Me." Word quickly spread and Evans was amazed by the response.
"After the CD came out, it got so much buzz and started selling so fast, I was thinking, hell, what we should do is a little one-off tour just to promote it and not do it again."
This is where the seeds of a long, awaited reunion were planted. However, it would not be an easy endeavor to undertake. Though Evans, Landis, and bassist Malcolm "Milky" Sherwood still resided in the Bay area, guitarist Mike Scott and drummer Todd Kramer now lived in Bremen, Germany. Not to be discouraged by a continental divide, the American contingent jumped on a plane and made their way to Europe for their first band practice in more than two decades.
"It was really strange practicing, because after the second day of practice, it seemed like we'd never broken up," Evans said. "It all fell right back into place and I think we actually sound better now than we did then, because everyone's more accomplished musicians."
An even more unusual twist to the story is the space where they practiced in Bremen. It was an old, above-ground World War II bombing bunker once used by the Nazis with eight-foot-thick cement walls.
"It's just this big monolith in the middle of this park and it's kind of decrepit looking with moss growing all over it," Evans said. "In the summer time, it's still cold in there from the winter, and by the time it warms up from the summer, to where it's tolerable in there, it's almost Christmas time. It retains the heat and retains the cold, and by the time we got there, it was freezing and like practicing in a meat locker. The most soundproof meat locker ever. It's really strange and really eerie too."
Scott used the space for practices with his band, Nitrous Oxide Wrestling Club, as did Kramer for his band Sworn Liars. Though not the most comfortable of places for rehearsing, Evans felt it just added to the reunion's mystique.
"That whole experience of practicing and being in that bomb shelter was just strange, but I guess that was just part of the magic of it. It went really well and we couldn't have been happier with it at all. Those were experiences that no one would ever believed you when you'd tell them."
Christ on Parade went on to do a three-month European tour that kicked off in Bremen. The more they played, themore it seemed to come together, and their performances did not go unnoticed.
"As the shows went on in Germany and Europe, on the internet word spread that 'hey, they're actually pretty good.' Each time we played a show, the next show would be bigger and bigger and bigger. They successfully got more and more crowds because I think word spread that we were actually really good."
At the European tour's end, the guys parted ways, but the story didn't end there.
"By the time we got back to America, word had spread here and so everybody wanted us to tour here and that's how the US tour came about."
They set up dates up and down the West Coast: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle. Like the European tour, Evans was amazed by the turnout at the shows and response by the fans.
"It was really strange and people just came out of the woodwork that none of us had seen in twenty plus years," he said. "It was like a reunion of that crusty scene from the 80s. It was actually strange to see people, that the last time you saw them they were 17, and now they're like thirty something."
The tour was a great success and they had a chance to return to hallowed ground in Berkeley, 924 Gilman Street, where their roots run deep.
"The West Coast tour was basically sold out every show. We played back-to-back shows at Gilman on a Friday and Saturday. We were the first band to headline Gilman (1986) and it was the first time they did the same band playing night after night. We sold out both nights and it was out of hand."
The encounters on the road were just as incredible as the shows themselves, allowing fans who had never seen Christ on Parade to finally experience the band live.
"It was phenomenal, y'know, the response we got. There was a guy that came down from Canada and went to every one of our shows. He said 'it was a dream come true because I was too young to see the original band. You don't know what this is like.' He was just flipping out, and every night he'd come up to us and just like, drool all over us. It was really funny."
The band took a break, returning to their, as hard as this is to say, normal adult lives, but came together again this past April for an eight-show tour of Japan. They have also just released a 13-track record, "Loud and Live," on Prank Records, available on both CD and limited-edition vinyl, that features songs from both "Sounds of Nature" and the 1987 album, "A Mind is a Terrible Thing."
"I feel by presenting songs, like their current live shows, from all eras of Christ on Parade, it brings a perspective on their whole career as a band," Ken Prank said. "There's always internet debates or whatever over the different eras of the band, but the material played side by side shows how it's all equally strong and weaves together as a cohesive whole."
Recorded at South Bay college radio station, KFJC, Evans states though it's not an actual live-concert recording, it harnesses those elements nonetheless.
"It sounds like we sound now," he said. "It's not like a live record in front of a huge audience, it's probably like 12 or 13 people in the studio, but it's like listening to a really, very clean rehearsal tape with banter in between. It captures what we sound like now. I was really surprised."
Evans attributes time and maturity to the band's improvement in musicianship and cohesiveness.
"It seems to work better now because back then we were literally all kids and when you're a kid you kind of have your priorities all screwed up," he said. "You kind of want to just do this and do that and party and fuck off. We're all older now and kind of a little more focused. We can see now what it truly was, as opposed to just being in a band to hang out, put out your message, talk to chicks, and just tour and be a goof."
So what does the future hold for Christ on Parade?
"It's kind of we don't know what we're going to do," Evans said. "We obviously can't do it all the time because two guys live in Germany, but we could possibly do like one or two-week tours maybe twice a year. It's probably the best we can hope for unless those two guys move back here."
An east-coast tour is something they have been contemplating, but with the proximity factor plaguing them, Evans calls out to the "right coast" bands for some support.
"We had so many letters from the east coast, so we might actually try to do like a 'drop-and-play' where we do a west coast tour, and then fly out to the east coast, hook up with a band, tour with a band, share their gear, go up and down the coast, and try to do the whole thing in two-and-a-half weeks, so everyone can get back to work and stuff."
And lastly, are there any plans for a new record with new material?
"Malcolm had written about eight songs back in '87 during the prime time of Christ on Parade that we never recorded, that we just jammed and maybe played a few of them live, but never recorded. We're talking about recording a new album, which would be half vintage Christ on Parade songs that were never released and never recorded, that will all have the same feel and sound of the 80s from what we did, but they're all new tracks, and then maybe 5 or 6 tracks, recorded now and writing them from the ground up now. That's still in the talking phase. We haven't decided if we're going to do it yet or not. The future is open."
Thursday, May 1, 2008
EULOGY RECORDINGS
The good, the bad, and the truly abyssmal...
KNOW THE SCORE
All Time Low
Right off the bat, the Heidi Van Horn cover, caught my attention, for obvious reasons, but I still wasn't sure what to expect. From the start of the record, it took me a few moments to recover from the throttling jab to the grill. I checked the release date, the lineup, and the band's name...no, this wasn't a new album by the Stormtroopers of Death, but it sure sounded like one. These are definite influences on here, it being a pissed-off fusion of old DRI and SOD that launches an unrelenting, high-speed, non-stop assault from beginning to end. I loved every second of it.
In true, old-school hardcore form, most of the songs clock in at under a minute, some of which at a mere 2 or 3 seconds, which would make Billy Milano and Scott Ian proud. The band is tight, the musicianship is solid, and the production level for this type of band is higher than one would expect. "All Time Low" is a wonderful ode to the pioneering days of crossover thrash, who I am sure are just insane to see live. For me, there was no down side, except at the CDs end, I'm left wanting more. For those of you are, or were, fans of this type of thing, make sure that you KNOW THE SCORE.
WISDOM IN CHAINS
Class War
This is the sound of the end. In their own words, from the first track, this perfectly summarizes Wisdom in Chains' new record, "Class War." Pennsylvania's angry voice of the working class is a cross of metal and hardcore, over shredding guitars and a thundering rhythm section that brilliantly shows diversity throughout the sixteen tracks, without being played out. Yet another region proves the streets are mean, no matter what city you grow up in, and the voice of resistance is no different.
"The Sound of the End" is an apocalyptic lead-in to the devastation of "Early Grave." "Cap City" is a ballad of tragedy in Ohio, but then again when is time spent in Ohio not tragic? There are great blue-collar anthems like "No Justice for the Working Man," "Class War," and "Killing Time," odes to street punk like "No Smiles in the Ghetto," and of course, a shout of Keystone pride in "The Land of the Kings." From beginning to end, it's a perfect blend of metal, hardcore, and punk with in-your-face brutality and cutthroat introspective. Definitely worth checking out, and if you dig this, grab their re-release of "Die Young," which has 17 tracks plus three bonus, also available on Euology Recordings, which I enjoyed even more.
YEARS SPENT COLD
Moving Heaven to Hell
Growling lyrics akin to the older days of Max Cavalera's Sepultura, with a whole lotta Slayer riffs, double bass kicks for days, and just a whole lotta death metal...Crunching, crunching, and more crunching, with throaty choruses of pain and suffering, and backing vocals from a tortured antichrist. The very dedicated fans of brutal death metal will probably be into this. It was just too, too much for me. I just couldn't dance to it...
UNTIL THE END
From the Beginning...Until the End
A two-CD release of Until the End's four releases from their self-titled to "The Blind Leading the Lost" in 2004. In the vein of the Hatebreed influx of metalcore bands, Until the End flies to flag of anger, frustration, and injustice, in a straight-forward, non-stop, assault of breathless vocals, flying guitar lines, and pummeling drums, into the occassional breakdown to bring everything back to centerline. This compilation is a slice of the current millenium's surge of the aggressive genre of metal-induced hardcore, that so many have done so many times. For me, these guys were pretty solid and the production was tight, but there was nothing that blew me back in the way of originality. I'm sure, in their day, they were a fun band to see, but as this is a collection of their output, that day will likely never be.
SET YOUR GOALS
Mutiny
It has the old-school sing-a-long choruses in all the right places. It has fast parts. It has elements reminiscent of the Descenedents. It feels Cali. But then it happens...again, and again, and again, painfully, far, far, FAR too many times, moving from the classic feel of So-Cal based hardcore into the dreaded sympathetic, pop-punk voice of desperation and turmoil. Emo isn't even an appropriate label here. It's just a poor choice of direction. Right when they seem to be doing everything right, they go and fuck it up. It just hurts.
Formula. All the punk and hardcore cliches seem to have been planned and strategically placed and then segwayed to weak-ass sappy for MTV play chorus and verse. Weak. If this is their intent, then it was achieved. I can't believe I made it to track six. For me, a pass. There's a bonus CD. I didn't bother. I declared a mutiny on SET YOUR GOALS.
FALLEN FROM THE SKY
Tonight We Radiate
Hard college rock? I don't know what to say. Just not very good. I see them with a future in television and film soundtracks, to be forgotten with all the other bands of this genre. Just played out, lame lyrics, and just revisiting bad music that was bad then and worse now. It seems they really poured their souls into music that is soulless...
KNOW THE SCORE
All Time Low
Right off the bat, the Heidi Van Horn cover, caught my attention, for obvious reasons, but I still wasn't sure what to expect. From the start of the record, it took me a few moments to recover from the throttling jab to the grill. I checked the release date, the lineup, and the band's name...no, this wasn't a new album by the Stormtroopers of Death, but it sure sounded like one. These are definite influences on here, it being a pissed-off fusion of old DRI and SOD that launches an unrelenting, high-speed, non-stop assault from beginning to end. I loved every second of it.
In true, old-school hardcore form, most of the songs clock in at under a minute, some of which at a mere 2 or 3 seconds, which would make Billy Milano and Scott Ian proud. The band is tight, the musicianship is solid, and the production level for this type of band is higher than one would expect. "All Time Low" is a wonderful ode to the pioneering days of crossover thrash, who I am sure are just insane to see live. For me, there was no down side, except at the CDs end, I'm left wanting more. For those of you are, or were, fans of this type of thing, make sure that you KNOW THE SCORE.
WISDOM IN CHAINS
Class War
This is the sound of the end. In their own words, from the first track, this perfectly summarizes Wisdom in Chains' new record, "Class War." Pennsylvania's angry voice of the working class is a cross of metal and hardcore, over shredding guitars and a thundering rhythm section that brilliantly shows diversity throughout the sixteen tracks, without being played out. Yet another region proves the streets are mean, no matter what city you grow up in, and the voice of resistance is no different.
"The Sound of the End" is an apocalyptic lead-in to the devastation of "Early Grave." "Cap City" is a ballad of tragedy in Ohio, but then again when is time spent in Ohio not tragic? There are great blue-collar anthems like "No Justice for the Working Man," "Class War," and "Killing Time," odes to street punk like "No Smiles in the Ghetto," and of course, a shout of Keystone pride in "The Land of the Kings." From beginning to end, it's a perfect blend of metal, hardcore, and punk with in-your-face brutality and cutthroat introspective. Definitely worth checking out, and if you dig this, grab their re-release of "Die Young," which has 17 tracks plus three bonus, also available on Euology Recordings, which I enjoyed even more.
YEARS SPENT COLD
Moving Heaven to Hell
Growling lyrics akin to the older days of Max Cavalera's Sepultura, with a whole lotta Slayer riffs, double bass kicks for days, and just a whole lotta death metal...Crunching, crunching, and more crunching, with throaty choruses of pain and suffering, and backing vocals from a tortured antichrist. The very dedicated fans of brutal death metal will probably be into this. It was just too, too much for me. I just couldn't dance to it...
UNTIL THE END
From the Beginning...Until the End
A two-CD release of Until the End's four releases from their self-titled to "The Blind Leading the Lost" in 2004. In the vein of the Hatebreed influx of metalcore bands, Until the End flies to flag of anger, frustration, and injustice, in a straight-forward, non-stop, assault of breathless vocals, flying guitar lines, and pummeling drums, into the occassional breakdown to bring everything back to centerline. This compilation is a slice of the current millenium's surge of the aggressive genre of metal-induced hardcore, that so many have done so many times. For me, these guys were pretty solid and the production was tight, but there was nothing that blew me back in the way of originality. I'm sure, in their day, they were a fun band to see, but as this is a collection of their output, that day will likely never be.
SET YOUR GOALS
Mutiny
It has the old-school sing-a-long choruses in all the right places. It has fast parts. It has elements reminiscent of the Descenedents. It feels Cali. But then it happens...again, and again, and again, painfully, far, far, FAR too many times, moving from the classic feel of So-Cal based hardcore into the dreaded sympathetic, pop-punk voice of desperation and turmoil. Emo isn't even an appropriate label here. It's just a poor choice of direction. Right when they seem to be doing everything right, they go and fuck it up. It just hurts.
Formula. All the punk and hardcore cliches seem to have been planned and strategically placed and then segwayed to weak-ass sappy for MTV play chorus and verse. Weak. If this is their intent, then it was achieved. I can't believe I made it to track six. For me, a pass. There's a bonus CD. I didn't bother. I declared a mutiny on SET YOUR GOALS.
FALLEN FROM THE SKY
Tonight We Radiate
Hard college rock? I don't know what to say. Just not very good. I see them with a future in television and film soundtracks, to be forgotten with all the other bands of this genre. Just played out, lame lyrics, and just revisiting bad music that was bad then and worse now. It seems they really poured their souls into music that is soulless...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
AWAKE/STRONG Records
AWAKE/STRONG RECORDS
Mike from Awake/Strong Records submitted the three releases on his label out of Pennsylvania: a record by My Turn to Win, Fahrenheit 451’s complete discography, and a compilation. I took it upon myself to go through the three and tell you what I thought.
MY TURN TO WIN
“Whatever It Takes”
This seven-song release comes from the South Jersey/Philly based five-piece My Turn To Win. They play a very old-school sounding, straight-forward hardcore style with all the themes intact: loyalty, honor, pride, brotherhood. It’s all covered.
The band is tight, with a good fast pace that finds its heavy moments in all the right places, but mainly flies down the centerline. Good sing-a-longs and breakdowns, the occasional influence of metal for good measure, and frontman Dave Rosney doesn’t throw with the all-too-common cookie monster new school vocals, but a higher-end shredded cry that brings you back to the earlier eras of east coast hardcore.
Good production, good songwriting, and definitely a band I think I’d enjoy seeing live. It’s all there.
FAHRENHEIT 451
“If I Knew Then What I Know Now”
The Complete Discography
Fahrenheit 451 did what so many other bands failed miserably at: they combined urban music and culture with hardcore, and they made it work. Funk, soul, hip hop, latin, just flavor, thrown into a whirlwind supported by solid musicianship and great songwriting. I can’t really think of a band that sounds like this, but many that would like to. F-451 is the soundtrack for the block party you don’t want to miss, where everybody is dancing, smiling, laughing, singing, and nobody gets hurt…well, too badly at least.
The CD includes “The Thought of It,” their first demo, the two songs from the “NY’s Hardest” comp, a bunch of unreleased tracks, as well as a few live cuts from their 2005 reunion show at CBGB’s. The production is flawless, with perfect mixing and editing, and it is just an essential compilation of the body of work from the South Bronx guys.
The bonus to this well-packaged joint is the DVD, which features the 2005 live reunion show at CBGB’s and a documentary, that combines old footage, band interviews, and reactions by people who were around during the band’s reign in the late 90s. A classic slice of life look at Fahrenheit 451 for fans and those new to their material.
Get this one. An essential addition to anyone’s collection. Armando sums it up on the interlude into the cover of Fugazi’s “Waiting Room.”
“Have some fun. Isn’t that what hardcore is all about?”
“MUSIC BY PEOPLE LIKE US”
27-song compilation
Compilations are always scary. Sometimes they have a few good songs mixed with a bunch of bad ones. Sometimes they are all bad. Most times, they are label-driven and just a means to promote their artists, which is fine, but again, as a whole, usually bad and end up collecting dust on untouched shelves.
“Music By People Like Us” isn’t one of those cases. It’s like the good mix tape a friend makes you. The beauty of this one is it features some of the heavy hitters from hardcore (AGNOSTIC FRONT, SICK OF IT ALL, MADBALL, BLOOD FOR BLOOD, DISTRICT 9, KILL YOUR IDOLS, IGNITE, ONE4ONE, SKARE TACTIC) as well as some great newer bands (WISDOM IN CHAINS, BLACKLISTED, MODERN LIFE IS WAR, DEATHCYCLE, BRING OUT YOUR DEAD, ALWAYS UPRISING, 20 BULLS EACH, OLDE YORK, DEATHKILLER, KILLING KINGS) who, as Mike from Awake/Strong states, “get it.” And of course, a couple great tracks from FAHRENHEIT 451 and MY TURN TO WIN. The surprise track was the Raybeez acoustic tribute, “Open Letter” by Walter Schreifels of GORILLA BISCUITS and QUICKSAND fame. An unexpected but very cool surprise in the middle of the comp.
The insert features write-ups for each band by everyday people, like me and you, just sharing and reflecting their thoughts on the bands, what they mean to them, and why the music is relevant. The voice of the “everyman” is rarely heard like this, much less released as part of a record. I thought that a perfect and appropriate touch. I don’t need to sell you this record. It sells itself.
I’ll leave you with one fan’s excerpt about SICK OF IT ALL. I think it speaks for itself…
“I couldn’t relate to the epic stories in the lyrics of Iron Maiden, the hard partying of Motley Crue, or tales of shooting and drugs with N.W.A. One was just as unreal to me as the other, but SOIA, that was real and it spoke to me like I think it can speak to any human being. We all see wrongs in the world, we all are angry at the things we cannot change. Sick of it All truly is such a fitting name, because that’s what I was, and at 32, I still am.”
http://www.awakestrong.com
Mike from Awake/Strong Records submitted the three releases on his label out of Pennsylvania: a record by My Turn to Win, Fahrenheit 451’s complete discography, and a compilation. I took it upon myself to go through the three and tell you what I thought.
MY TURN TO WIN
“Whatever It Takes”
This seven-song release comes from the South Jersey/Philly based five-piece My Turn To Win. They play a very old-school sounding, straight-forward hardcore style with all the themes intact: loyalty, honor, pride, brotherhood. It’s all covered.
The band is tight, with a good fast pace that finds its heavy moments in all the right places, but mainly flies down the centerline. Good sing-a-longs and breakdowns, the occasional influence of metal for good measure, and frontman Dave Rosney doesn’t throw with the all-too-common cookie monster new school vocals, but a higher-end shredded cry that brings you back to the earlier eras of east coast hardcore.
Good production, good songwriting, and definitely a band I think I’d enjoy seeing live. It’s all there.
FAHRENHEIT 451
“If I Knew Then What I Know Now”
The Complete Discography
Fahrenheit 451 did what so many other bands failed miserably at: they combined urban music and culture with hardcore, and they made it work. Funk, soul, hip hop, latin, just flavor, thrown into a whirlwind supported by solid musicianship and great songwriting. I can’t really think of a band that sounds like this, but many that would like to. F-451 is the soundtrack for the block party you don’t want to miss, where everybody is dancing, smiling, laughing, singing, and nobody gets hurt…well, too badly at least.
The CD includes “The Thought of It,” their first demo, the two songs from the “NY’s Hardest” comp, a bunch of unreleased tracks, as well as a few live cuts from their 2005 reunion show at CBGB’s. The production is flawless, with perfect mixing and editing, and it is just an essential compilation of the body of work from the South Bronx guys.
The bonus to this well-packaged joint is the DVD, which features the 2005 live reunion show at CBGB’s and a documentary, that combines old footage, band interviews, and reactions by people who were around during the band’s reign in the late 90s. A classic slice of life look at Fahrenheit 451 for fans and those new to their material.
Get this one. An essential addition to anyone’s collection. Armando sums it up on the interlude into the cover of Fugazi’s “Waiting Room.”
“Have some fun. Isn’t that what hardcore is all about?”
“MUSIC BY PEOPLE LIKE US”
27-song compilation
Compilations are always scary. Sometimes they have a few good songs mixed with a bunch of bad ones. Sometimes they are all bad. Most times, they are label-driven and just a means to promote their artists, which is fine, but again, as a whole, usually bad and end up collecting dust on untouched shelves.
“Music By People Like Us” isn’t one of those cases. It’s like the good mix tape a friend makes you. The beauty of this one is it features some of the heavy hitters from hardcore (AGNOSTIC FRONT, SICK OF IT ALL, MADBALL, BLOOD FOR BLOOD, DISTRICT 9, KILL YOUR IDOLS, IGNITE, ONE4ONE, SKARE TACTIC) as well as some great newer bands (WISDOM IN CHAINS, BLACKLISTED, MODERN LIFE IS WAR, DEATHCYCLE, BRING OUT YOUR DEAD, ALWAYS UPRISING, 20 BULLS EACH, OLDE YORK, DEATHKILLER, KILLING KINGS) who, as Mike from Awake/Strong states, “get it.” And of course, a couple great tracks from FAHRENHEIT 451 and MY TURN TO WIN. The surprise track was the Raybeez acoustic tribute, “Open Letter” by Walter Schreifels of GORILLA BISCUITS and QUICKSAND fame. An unexpected but very cool surprise in the middle of the comp.
The insert features write-ups for each band by everyday people, like me and you, just sharing and reflecting their thoughts on the bands, what they mean to them, and why the music is relevant. The voice of the “everyman” is rarely heard like this, much less released as part of a record. I thought that a perfect and appropriate touch. I don’t need to sell you this record. It sells itself.
I’ll leave you with one fan’s excerpt about SICK OF IT ALL. I think it speaks for itself…
“I couldn’t relate to the epic stories in the lyrics of Iron Maiden, the hard partying of Motley Crue, or tales of shooting and drugs with N.W.A. One was just as unreal to me as the other, but SOIA, that was real and it spoke to me like I think it can speak to any human being. We all see wrongs in the world, we all are angry at the things we cannot change. Sick of it All truly is such a fitting name, because that’s what I was, and at 32, I still am.”
http://www.awakestrong.com
Monday, April 14, 2008
BLACK N BLUE BOWL 2008
NYHC in Brooklyn
by Jason Walsh
4.5.08
The line of kids, grown men and women, and in some cases, grandparents, wrapped down the block in the desolate industrial section of northwest Brooklyn. Just a few streets from the East River, the Chrysler and Empire State buildings peered over the graffitied warehouses and garages, and the only sound on the streets were of the excited fans awaiting the doors of Studio B to open for the Black ‘n Blue Bowl. Formerly known as the Superbowl of Hardcore, the event is in its fourth year now, resurrected from the dead by “Cousin Joe” Cammarato and Freddy Cricien of Madball.
“It’s been a tradition in our scene for many, many years,” Cricien said. “It somehow got lost along the way over the years and my partner, Joe, and myself, we brought it back.”
The Superbowl of Hardcore was an annual event which started back in the mid 80s when the New York hardcore scene was exploding, not only in Manhattan’s lower east side, but in all the boroughs as well. Over time, the event ceased to exist, but those who still felt strongly about the movement decided it was time to give it back to the fans who had stood by through the years and the bands whose resolve never ended.
“Man, it’s crazy. If you would have asked me ten years ago if I would be throwing the Superbowl of Hardcore I would have said you’re fucking crazy,” Cammarato said.
“I approached Freddy years ago because I had the go to do it and Freddy had the music credentials. I knew I needed some help to get this thing off the ground and we came together. It was meant to be.”
In past years, the lineup at the Black ‘n Blue Bowl has encompassed some of the great bands not only from the New York scene, but from across the nation and world as well. This year proved to be no different and arguably the strongest and most representative of the generations of hardcore, both past and present. Agnostic Front. Madball. Breakdown. Bulldoze. Gorilla Biscuits. Fahrenheit 451. These bands are some of the great ambassadors of NewYork. Also on the bill were guests to the city, representing their own individual scenes, such as Terror from Los Angeles, Death Before Dishonor from Boston, and Backfire from the Netherlands.
“It’s important in every way for our scene,” Cricien said. “You see the crowd out there, you see all the bands coming together to be a part of it. It just shows people, y’know, not only in New York and the tri-state area, but on a worldwide level. I mean you see there are cameras everywhere. People are going to see it everywhere. Europe, Japan, they are going to hear about it one way or another. It just reminds people that this scene, which I feel is a very significant part of the roots of hardcore, is still very much alive and kicking and doing its thing.”
Brick by Brick from Troy, NY, were the first band up to bat. They loaded a bus with all their family and friends from upstate not only to play the show but enjoy the event as well.
“For us to be able to play this was a dream come true to me,” said vocalist Rich Roberts. “I grew up listening to these bands. For me to share the same stage is fucking unreal.”
Joe Frustration from Tears of Frustration echoed the same sentiment as well. After an eight year hiatus, when the band was offered the opportunity to play alongside some of their hardcore influences, there was no hesitation.
“I remember I was in junior high school when I saw Agnostic Front live on the Uncle Floyd Show,” said Frustration. “Back then is when I really first got into Agnostic Front and now today I am playing with them.”
One of the more popular bands from the second wave of the New York scene, Fahrenheit 451, were also reuniting once again to play the event.
“This is a New York hardcore staple,” said vocalist Armando Bordas. “We’ve never played a Superbowl in the city and when this opportunity came up I was like, ‘hell yeah.’ It’s a great thing. It’s part of my childhood and our history here. Collectively, you bring everybody together and everybody has a great time and plays a great show.”
Queens based EGH (Everybody Gets Hurt) were also on the bill and bassist Chris Benetos assured that there is more to this event than just some bands playing a show.
“This is our friends. This is our family. We’re all an underground scene over here. We stick together.” Benetos said. “It’s real fun and New York City has never been better.”
Though the audience included fans from Europe, Asia, and even a strong contingent that flew in from Puerto Rico just for the show, only one band in the lineup was from abroad. Backfire from the Netherlands had only been in NYC once previously, playing a show many years ago at the now deceased CBGB’s, and while in country, recorded their last album. Guitarist Wyb Brewer said this also served as Backfire’s release party for their new record, “In Harm’s Way” and was honored to not only be representing their own nation, but the entirety of the European hardcore scene as well.
“I love it, “Brewer said. “I grew up listening to New York hardcore bands and now we’re the only European band on the bill. What more could we wish for? It’s unbelievable.”
Promoters had been hinting at a special guest performance and the buzz was on the streets of who it might be. When the veterans of former renown hardcore bands hit the stage, the crowd exploded, even though it was their first performance ever. Vehement Serenade debut at the Black ‘n Blue Bowl was warmly received, featuring members of such bands as Cold as Life, Sworn Enemy, and Merauder, as well as frontman Karl Buechner of Earth Crisis and Path of Resistance fame.
“It’s amazing this scene and I said that on stage tonight before we played our last song,” Buechner said. “If you told me in high school that I’d be on the same stage as Breakdown, Agnostic Front, and John Joseph, I would have never believed it. It’s awesome to be playing this show and to get the response we did the first time we ever had a set.”
John Joseph, the legendary frontman from NYHC’s forefathers, the Cro-Mags, also was unveiling his new band. Bloodclot also features an all-star lineup, which includes Danny Schuler from Biohazard on drums, as well as former members of the Cro-Mags, Pro-Pain, Merauder, and the Spudmonsters.
“To me, it’s about the live show.” Joseph said. “People getting ahold of the album, knowing the lyrics and what we’re talking about.”
Joseph reminded that the voice of the hardcore movement is what is most important, and in some cases, being lost along the way.
“Some band said tonight it ain’t about the message, it’s about the music and I’m like what fucking scene are you on. It is about the message. It’s always been about the message. It’s always been about revolution and questioning authority. These bands wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for bands like the Bad Brains and the Dead Kennedys and all the bands that stood for something and had a message to say. That’s what keeps me going all the time.”
Bloodclot played many of the new songs from their new album, “Burn Babylon Burn,” but truly ignited the crowd when they ended their set with a Bad Brains cover of “I Against I” and two Cro-Mags songs, which included “Hard Times” as the finale.
“Even when we play live, we still do the Bad Brains and a few Cro-Mags. People expect it. I sang a couple shows with the Bad Brains. That song, the reason we picked that one is, with everything that’s going on in the world, it’s like ‘I against I’ says it all.”
Inhuman is one of the New York bands that has stood the test of time after over a decade and a half, with members who now play in the current Agnostic Front lineup. Frontman Mike Inhuman believes that it is the people who make up the movement that are the important components and not the industry who tries to sell it as a commodity.
“If the mainstream doesn’t want to have anything to do with it, I think that’s great.” Inhuman said. “The mainstream isn’t what keeps it alive, it’s the people who love it that keep it alive, especially the younger kids and the older guys who live it. It’s a lifestyle and extension of their family.”
Inhuman had a special guest appearance perform with them. Lou Koller from Sick of it All took time before beginning the band’s international tour to throw down with some old friends in Brooklyn. He affirmed Inhuman’s opinion about the evils of a shady music industry and praised the folks at Black ‘n Blue for doing the show themselves.
“They actually took a proactive move to bring it back to us instead of relying on bigger corporations or companies to keep hardcore alive,” Koller said. “You know they come in when hardcore is popular in the mainstream fringes and then when it starts to die down they drop you like you’re yesterday’s news.”
Koller’s SOIA bandmate Craig Setari was also pleased to see how the event has changed since its early days.
“The difference now is that it’s in the hands of the people as opposed to the ones that weren’t the people,” Setari said. “It’s even better now because the people running it are the people that make the music so everyone’s getting treated properly and it’s an in-house production, so to speak.”
In charge of marketing and sponsorship for Black ‘n Blue productions is heidiminx who grew up in the New York scene. She believes that its important to ensure that not only the event runs smoothly, but that those involved are protected as well.
“I know where I came from and I know that corporate America is really interested in alternative culture right now,” she said. “I like to make sure that anytime corporate america is interacting with alt culture that they are treating it with respect. I just care that my friends and my family are properly represented and taken care of.”
The evening brought out some of the biggest names in the New York underground world, but none is more recognizable nor notorious than Jimmy Gestapo from Murphy’s Law. Though his band wasn’t playing on this night, he was there in support of his friends.
“It shows the strength over our scene that we never thought would be this big,” Gestapo said. “Kids are here from all over the world, Europe, Germany, Italy, Japan. The media tells people what hardcore music is and we’re the people that show what it really is. This event and the turnout just shows that this music is still very valid and still a very strong scene and getting bigger. I never thought twenty years into Murphy’s Law we’d be at a show this big right now.”
All the way from the West Coast came Terror. In the current circles of modern hardcore they are one of the more popular acts and tonight the fans from the five boroughs showed their love. Frontman Scott Vogel had more to celebrate than just playing alongside some of the bands he admires.
“Madball is my favorite band in the world, I’ve never seen Breakdown, and Agnostic Front is very influential. We’re based out of LA and being so far from New York we don’t get a chance to play here that much. The weather’s great, everything is set up very smooth, they’ve got kegs of beer, and it’s my 35th birthday so what more could you want.”
Madball was one of the most memorable sets from the show. The pit erupted during their performance, bodies flying, fists pumping, sing-a-longs never ending, but sadly they announced drummer Rigg Ross was leaving the band to be able to spend more time with his family, an agreed honorable decision by all. With that Mackie Jayson, formerly of the Cro-Mags and Bad Brains took to the drums and Ross, with mic in hand, took the stage next to his longtime friend and brother in Madball, Freddy, to sing their last song together as a band. The stage filled with an all-star lineup on every available mic, everyone in house screaming the choruses, and even Rev. Paul Bearer from Sheer Terror joined in the melee.
The evening closed with CIV, who threw down some old Gorilla Biscuits tunes, and then finally, the godfathers of the lower east side, Agnostic Front, who did not disappoint with their current lineup of “new blood.” Assuredly, everyone who attended got a true history lesson in the evolution of hardcore, as well as a chance to see the some of the greatest bands from the past three decades. Drummer Steve Gallo continues to remind the younger generation not to forget their roots and where it all came from.
“What’s going on today is these kids are losing their culture,” Gallo said. “Hardcore is not just a style of music. It’s a scene. It’s about a movement and it’s about a lifetsyle and having friends. They’re not having that today and I’m kind of frustrated about that to tell you the truth and that’s why this is good for them to start doing this again.”
Freddy from Madball believes in that philosophy as well. He said they will continue the Black ‘n Blue Bowl for as long as they can because its importance is immeasurable.
“It’s always been that kind of environment, family, friends, and we want to keep it that way. The people that come to these shows have a lot of respect for what we’re doing and for the people behind the scenes. There’s a lot of respect. It brings a lot of different people together to have a good time in New York City. What more can I say?”
Sunday, April 13, 2008
FAHRENHEIT 451 REUNION
by Jason Walsh
photos by Samma Jamma
In the mid-90s, some friends came together in the South Bronx to form a hardcore band called Without A Cause. After recruiting childhood friend Armando Bordas and bass player Kevin Smith, the band’s wide range of influences became apparent, changing the initial straight-forward hardcore sound into a fusion of punk, reggae, hip hop, and latin rhythms. With that, Fahrenheit 451 was born.
However, despite a solid run, the band parted ways in 2000. Now, almost a decade later, when asked to participate in the Black ‘n Blue Bowl, Bordas could not resist.
“This is a New York hardcore staple,” he said. “The Superbowl goes so far back. To be playing it is just an honor. I never played a Superbowl in the city and when this opportunity came up, I was like, ‘hell yeah.’ I definitely wanted to do it.”
Fahrenheit 451 is not planning to get back together on a full time basis, but they have extended themselves past the Black ‘n Blue Bowl.
“We were just going to do this show and now it’s kind of steamrolled itself into a couple other shows,” Bordas said. “We’ve been apart, not been a band, for almost seven years, but we got the reunion fever.”
They will be opening for H2O at the Trocadero in Philadelphia on May 31st and have committed to the “This Is Hardcore Fest” on August 23rd, also to be held in Phily. Bordas says its been great to playing again with his brothers in 451.
“It was like you never left. These are my dear friends who I’ve had forever and I love them. I’m glad to be on the stage with them. It’s fun.”
Bordas has continued to stay active within the hardcore community. With 451 guitarist Lenny Bednarz, he plays in a joke hardcore band called Dominican Day Parade and runs a ‘zine called “C…Rap.”
He was also approached recently by Black ‘n Blue Bowl sponsor, Rockstar Games, to program the Liberty City Hardcore radio station for Grand Theft Auto 4. Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser is a friend of Bordas and a fan of New York hardcore as well. He felt Bordas was perfect for the project. The LCHC station will feature a collection of classic NYHC anthems handpicked by Bordas.
Regardless of what the future might hold for the guys in Fahrenheit 451, being a part of such an important New York hardcore event is truly special to Bordas.
“It’s part of my childhood and part of our history here. Collectively, you bring everybody together, everybody has a great time, and plays a great show. You get to see some of your favorite bands that you grew up on too. Agnostic Front, Madball, Breakdown. It’s like, awesome.”
MADBALL
Freddy “Madball” Cricien
Ambassador of the New York Underground
by Jason Walsh
photos by Samma Jamma
Sometimes in life, people search out and find what it is that defines who they are. In the case of Freddy “Madball” Cricien, hardcore found him. Cricien was born into hardcore royalty, with older brother Roger Miret of Agnostic Front serving as one of the founding fathers of the New York hardcore movement. Miret would bring his younger brother on stage to sing Agnostic Front songs at the tender age of 12, and a year later was instrumental in forming Madball with Cricien in 1989.
Now, nearly twenty years later, Cricien is one of the leaders in the NYHC legacy and co-promoter of Black ‘n Blue Productions, who recently threw arguably the biggest hardcore affair of the year.
“This type of event has existed for years,” Cricien said. “Black ‘n Blue Productions didn’t always run it. It’s been a tradition in our scene for many, many years and it somehow got lost along the way over the years. My partner, Joe, and myself, we brought it back.”
In the early days, the event was dubbed the Superbowl of Hardcore, and in most cases, run by larger corporate sponsors and agencies. Part of the dissolution back then was due to the fact that those who were in charge, were not a part of the underground scene.
“We wanted to make it our own,” he said. “We wanted to brand it with our own thing. It’s important in every way for our scene. You see the crowd out there. You see all the different bands coming together to be a part of it. It just reminds people that this scene, which I feel is a very significant part of the roots of hardcore, is still very much alive and kicking and doing its thing.”
The Black ‘n Bowl is now in its fourth year and showcases some of the biggest names in the world of hardcore, not only from New York, but across the country and Europe as well. However, Cricien says its about more than just the music. It’s about unity.
“It’s always been that kind of environment. Family, friends, and we want to keep it that way. We’ve never had, knock on wood, issues with fights or this and that. The people that come to these shows, they have a lot of respect for what we’re doing and the people behind the scenes.”
Madball just returned from a tour in Australia with Boston’s Death Before Dishonor, promoting their most recent release, “Infiltrate the System.”
“We’re still out there supporting it,” he said. “It’s still sinking in with people. I’m very proud of the record. The whole band is. Thanks to people who can appreciate what we’re doing, we’re moving forward.”
Madball isn’t the only band from the Lower East Side Crew with a new album. Big brother Roger is also on tour promoting the new Agnostic Front record, “Warriors,” as well as headlining the Black ‘n Blue Bowl. Cricien is very proud of Miret’s new release.
“What’s great about their newest record is it captures different times throughout AF’s career,” he said. “I mean it has a little bit of the old ‘Victim in Pain’ stuff, some ‘Cause for Alarm’ flavor, some ‘One Voice’ flavor, and even a little bit of newer flavor that’s still great. It shows you that they are still very in touch with what’s going on in this world. It’s one of my favorites of theirs and I’m a big fan, aside from obviously being family.”
Following the Black n’ Blue Bowl, Madball will be touring Europe this summer, which Cricien says is always a great experience.
“They just embrace what we do,” he said. “There’s a little bit more of an appreciation for what we do. I think America may be a little bit spoiled with everything else going on, y’know, there’s so much going on. Sometimes, hardcore stuff gets lost in the mix. For whatever reason, Europe has consistently supported our movement and its growing and growing. Not to say America doesn’t have its key areas that are still flourishing but overall in Europe it’s consistent. We play anywhere from small clubs to huge festivals.”
Regardless of where they are playing, Madball’s goal has always been to represent the five boroughs the best they can.
“We’re still putting it down for New York. We still fly the flag all over the world for this city.”
SICK OF IT ALL
SICK OF IT ALL
Taking Hardcore Worldwide
by Jason Walsh
One of the bands that are synonymous with New York hardcore is Sick of it All. The guys from the Alley-Way Crew have been touring and putting out inspiring records for over two decades now and have headlined the Black ‘n Blue Bowl in years past. Frontman Lou Koller and Bassist Craig Setari were in attendance this year and talked about why events like this are still an important way of strengthening the scene.
“It’s definitely great,” Koller said. “It’s one of the reasons I’m here. Not only to support my friends in Inhuman, but to support Freddy, Cousin Joe, and everybody at Black ‘n Blue.”
Koller also took the stage tonight with the guys from Inhuman, which features current Agnostic Front members Steve Gallo and Joseph James. He thinks the way that “Cousin Joe” and Freddy Cricien have kept the show independently run is part of its success.
“They actually took a proactive move to bring it back to us instead of relying on bigger corporations or companies to keep hardcore alive,” he said. “You know they come in when hardcore is popular in the mainstream fringes and then when it starts to die down they drop you like you’re yesterday’s news.”
Setari is a long-time member of the New York underground, previously a member in such outfits as Agnostic Front, Youth of Today, and Straight Ahead. He agreed that the guys in Black ‘n Blue have taken the D.I.Y. ethic to a whole new level.
“Over twenty years they’ve been having hardcore Superbowls,” he said. “The difference now is that it’s in the hands of the people as opposed to the ones that weren’t the people. It’s even better now because the people running it are the people that make the music so everyone’s getting treated properly and it’s an in-house production, so to speak.”
Growing up in the scene, Setari is not phased by the aggressive pits that erupt at such venues. What appears to be chaotic mob violence is just a way of self expression and liberation. To him, the message of hardcore is much deeper.
“It’s all about people coming together and getting along,” he said. “I know from the outside in, hardcore looks like it’s pretty rough sometimes, but the reason that happens is because it’s a place to release your emotions. The bottom line is it’s positive to take your frustrations out through music as opposed to violence or crime. Hardcore, I think, is a great thing for kids to get into, as long as they keep their individuality and keep themselves together and not get lost.”
Koller said the show is a throwback to the old days, when the scene was first emerging, but as they have all grown older, they have grown wiser as well.
“That’s the beauty of it. It’s like the way it was in the earlier times, like the late 80s, early 90s, but now it’s at a different level. We know more about the business end because back then we didn’t give a damn about business. It’s a smarter way of having things done.”
Following the show, Sick of it All heads to Europe to tour for a month. They have toured Europe dozens of times and Koller said he always looks forward to crossing the water to see the friends and family he’s made over the past two decades.
“Europe is like a second home to us,” he said. “It’s actually where we are a bigger band than we are in the States. We have a great following over there and they’ve stuck with us. It’s great to see in Europe, where you see people like my age in their late thirties, to people bringing their kids, and their kids are really into it. It’s not like they’re being dragged to the show and forced. They’re really into coming to see us, and bands like Madball and Agnostic Front.”
After a month in Europe, they return to the States for a short break, then continue on to Asia and Africa. They will be hitting some new destinations they have never played before, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Israel, and Russia. Finally, they hook up with the Dropkick Murphys in Australia. Koller said after the worldwide whirlwind of touring ends, they are going to concentrate on a new album.
“We started writing,” he said. “We gotta start working on the next record more seriously.”
Setari said life on the road isn’t easy, especially on a tour of this scale, but at the end of the day, what they do as a band outweighs being away from home for such long stretches.
“Yeah, it’s hard as in, you’re a little dirty and sometimes you sleep in a bumpy ride, but I’m living out my dreams, so I can’t complain. People are actually paying attention to what I create so it’s really a great thing. A little bit of discomfort is really nothing when you compare it to working for the man, let’s say.”
Taking Hardcore Worldwide
by Jason Walsh
One of the bands that are synonymous with New York hardcore is Sick of it All. The guys from the Alley-Way Crew have been touring and putting out inspiring records for over two decades now and have headlined the Black ‘n Blue Bowl in years past. Frontman Lou Koller and Bassist Craig Setari were in attendance this year and talked about why events like this are still an important way of strengthening the scene.
“It’s definitely great,” Koller said. “It’s one of the reasons I’m here. Not only to support my friends in Inhuman, but to support Freddy, Cousin Joe, and everybody at Black ‘n Blue.”
Koller also took the stage tonight with the guys from Inhuman, which features current Agnostic Front members Steve Gallo and Joseph James. He thinks the way that “Cousin Joe” and Freddy Cricien have kept the show independently run is part of its success.
“They actually took a proactive move to bring it back to us instead of relying on bigger corporations or companies to keep hardcore alive,” he said. “You know they come in when hardcore is popular in the mainstream fringes and then when it starts to die down they drop you like you’re yesterday’s news.”
Setari is a long-time member of the New York underground, previously a member in such outfits as Agnostic Front, Youth of Today, and Straight Ahead. He agreed that the guys in Black ‘n Blue have taken the D.I.Y. ethic to a whole new level.
“Over twenty years they’ve been having hardcore Superbowls,” he said. “The difference now is that it’s in the hands of the people as opposed to the ones that weren’t the people. It’s even better now because the people running it are the people that make the music so everyone’s getting treated properly and it’s an in-house production, so to speak.”
Growing up in the scene, Setari is not phased by the aggressive pits that erupt at such venues. What appears to be chaotic mob violence is just a way of self expression and liberation. To him, the message of hardcore is much deeper.
“It’s all about people coming together and getting along,” he said. “I know from the outside in, hardcore looks like it’s pretty rough sometimes, but the reason that happens is because it’s a place to release your emotions. The bottom line is it’s positive to take your frustrations out through music as opposed to violence or crime. Hardcore, I think, is a great thing for kids to get into, as long as they keep their individuality and keep themselves together and not get lost.”
Koller said the show is a throwback to the old days, when the scene was first emerging, but as they have all grown older, they have grown wiser as well.
“That’s the beauty of it. It’s like the way it was in the earlier times, like the late 80s, early 90s, but now it’s at a different level. We know more about the business end because back then we didn’t give a damn about business. It’s a smarter way of having things done.”
Following the show, Sick of it All heads to Europe to tour for a month. They have toured Europe dozens of times and Koller said he always looks forward to crossing the water to see the friends and family he’s made over the past two decades.
“Europe is like a second home to us,” he said. “It’s actually where we are a bigger band than we are in the States. We have a great following over there and they’ve stuck with us. It’s great to see in Europe, where you see people like my age in their late thirties, to people bringing their kids, and their kids are really into it. It’s not like they’re being dragged to the show and forced. They’re really into coming to see us, and bands like Madball and Agnostic Front.”
After a month in Europe, they return to the States for a short break, then continue on to Asia and Africa. They will be hitting some new destinations they have never played before, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Israel, and Russia. Finally, they hook up with the Dropkick Murphys in Australia. Koller said after the worldwide whirlwind of touring ends, they are going to concentrate on a new album.
“We started writing,” he said. “We gotta start working on the next record more seriously.”
Setari said life on the road isn’t easy, especially on a tour of this scale, but at the end of the day, what they do as a band outweighs being away from home for such long stretches.
“Yeah, it’s hard as in, you’re a little dirty and sometimes you sleep in a bumpy ride, but I’m living out my dreams, so I can’t complain. People are actually paying attention to what I create so it’s really a great thing. A little bit of discomfort is really nothing when you compare it to working for the man, let’s say.”
Jimmy G
TALKING SHOP WITH JIMMY GESTAPO
Murphy’s Law Frontman Tells Tales of the Present and Future
interview by Jason Walsh
4.5.08
JW: First and foremost, let me take you back a couple years. Drinking beers in the parking lot of the Pit Surf Shop in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
JIMMY: Oh, yeah, North Carolina…I love that place.
JW: We miss you down there, man. We need to get you back down there again.
JIMMY: I don’t think they have shows there anymore. I love it there. I know the last time we played there I purposely got the band trapped on Ocracoke Island.
JW: And that’s a good place to be trapped.
JIMMY: Yeah, the place where they got Blackbeard.
JW: Yeah, and once the ferry stops you can’t get the hell off there.
JIMMY: And you know what sucks. Nobody told me it was a dry island. We went to this pirate bar and I was like “let me get a bottle of rum” and the lady was like “oh, you didn’t know?” and I was like “oh, no, no.” All they had was beer and wine.
JW: Ah, you got to prepare before you go down there.
JIMMY: I was drinking Zinfandel all night. It was pretty rough.
JW: So, why is this event (Black ‘n Blue Bowl) important? Why is it important to have these bands out here? We have three generations of New York hardcore in the house.
JIMMY: It shows the strength of our scene that we never thought would be this big. Kids are here from all over the world. Europe, Germany, Italy, Japan….
ENTER DIRTY DOM
DOM: The media tells people what hardcore is and we’re the people that show what it really is.
JIMMY: That’s Dirty Dom, my brother. But, y’know, this event and the turnout just shows that this music is still very valid and still a very strong scene, and getting bigger. It’s amazing. I never thought twenty years into Murphy’s Law that we’d be at a show this big.
JW: It has held up over the course of time and we’re in like a third and fourth generation of kids starting up bands.
JIMMY: Easily. Now, there’s hardcore friends of mine who have their kids here.
JW: And those kids will be in bands soon.
JIMMY: Let’s hope so. It’ll perpetuate the maniacs.
JW: So what brings you out here? It’s got to be a good time for you. You come to see friends and make new friends.
JIMMY: My best friend and partner with the tattoo shop, New York Hardcore Tattoos, Vinnie Stigma is playing in Agnostic Front tonight. I mean the majority of all my best friends are here, and my closest friends. Why wouldn’t I? I mean I have to be here and I can drink for free and have a good time and be loved. I haven’t hugged so many people in a long time.
JW: It’s a reunion of sorts.
JIMMY: Yup.
JW: And a place to meet new friends too.
JIMMY: No doubt.
JW: So what are you doing? What’s the future holding for you?
JIMMY: I just did the Grand Theft Auto. I was the DJ on that and I’m working on a new record for Murphy’s Law and going on a summer tour. We’re doing some shows with Rancid and playing I think in June in North Carolina for the injured troops in the Army and Marines.
JW: Very cool. You coming to Virginia?
JIMMY: Yeah, Virginia Beach, we’re playing with Rancid.
JW: This isn’t the Warped Tour.
JIMMY: No, no, no. I won’t do the Warped Tour. (leans into tape recorder) I WON’T DO THE WARPED TOUR!!!
JW: You heard it here first.
JIMMY: Every time they put a New York hardcore band on there we get thrown off.
DOM: They won’t put New York hardcore bands on there after we got thrown off. They do not like hardcore music.
Murphy’s Law Frontman Tells Tales of the Present and Future
interview by Jason Walsh
4.5.08
JW: First and foremost, let me take you back a couple years. Drinking beers in the parking lot of the Pit Surf Shop in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
JIMMY: Oh, yeah, North Carolina…I love that place.
JW: We miss you down there, man. We need to get you back down there again.
JIMMY: I don’t think they have shows there anymore. I love it there. I know the last time we played there I purposely got the band trapped on Ocracoke Island.
JW: And that’s a good place to be trapped.
JIMMY: Yeah, the place where they got Blackbeard.
JW: Yeah, and once the ferry stops you can’t get the hell off there.
JIMMY: And you know what sucks. Nobody told me it was a dry island. We went to this pirate bar and I was like “let me get a bottle of rum” and the lady was like “oh, you didn’t know?” and I was like “oh, no, no.” All they had was beer and wine.
JW: Ah, you got to prepare before you go down there.
JIMMY: I was drinking Zinfandel all night. It was pretty rough.
JW: So, why is this event (Black ‘n Blue Bowl) important? Why is it important to have these bands out here? We have three generations of New York hardcore in the house.
JIMMY: It shows the strength of our scene that we never thought would be this big. Kids are here from all over the world. Europe, Germany, Italy, Japan….
ENTER DIRTY DOM
DOM: The media tells people what hardcore is and we’re the people that show what it really is.
JIMMY: That’s Dirty Dom, my brother. But, y’know, this event and the turnout just shows that this music is still very valid and still a very strong scene, and getting bigger. It’s amazing. I never thought twenty years into Murphy’s Law that we’d be at a show this big.
JW: It has held up over the course of time and we’re in like a third and fourth generation of kids starting up bands.
JIMMY: Easily. Now, there’s hardcore friends of mine who have their kids here.
JW: And those kids will be in bands soon.
JIMMY: Let’s hope so. It’ll perpetuate the maniacs.
JW: So what brings you out here? It’s got to be a good time for you. You come to see friends and make new friends.
JIMMY: My best friend and partner with the tattoo shop, New York Hardcore Tattoos, Vinnie Stigma is playing in Agnostic Front tonight. I mean the majority of all my best friends are here, and my closest friends. Why wouldn’t I? I mean I have to be here and I can drink for free and have a good time and be loved. I haven’t hugged so many people in a long time.
JW: It’s a reunion of sorts.
JIMMY: Yup.
JW: And a place to meet new friends too.
JIMMY: No doubt.
JW: So what are you doing? What’s the future holding for you?
JIMMY: I just did the Grand Theft Auto. I was the DJ on that and I’m working on a new record for Murphy’s Law and going on a summer tour. We’re doing some shows with Rancid and playing I think in June in North Carolina for the injured troops in the Army and Marines.
JW: Very cool. You coming to Virginia?
JIMMY: Yeah, Virginia Beach, we’re playing with Rancid.
JW: This isn’t the Warped Tour.
JIMMY: No, no, no. I won’t do the Warped Tour. (leans into tape recorder) I WON’T DO THE WARPED TOUR!!!
JW: You heard it here first.
JIMMY: Every time they put a New York hardcore band on there we get thrown off.
DOM: They won’t put New York hardcore bands on there after we got thrown off. They do not like hardcore music.
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