5 q's + Checking In With ... + BS

Top 10 of 2011

2011-12-31T20:09:00.000-08:00

Coldplay- Mylo Xyloto
Fires Of Waco- Old Ghosts Never Sleep
Florence & The Machine- Ceremonials
I Exist- II The Broken Passage
The Jezables- Prisoner
Mariachi El Bronx- II
Rival Schools- Pedals
Title Fight- Shed
Trapped Under Ice- Big Kiss Goodnight
Wiz Kalifa- Rolling Papers

HARDCORE 2011

2011-06-12T03:24:00.000-07:00

Hardcore is alive and well in 2011, fuck re-unions, if your band broke up, stay broken up!
I Exist, Fires Of Waco, Parkway Drive, 50 Lions, Phantoms, Relentless, Iron Mind, Warbrain, Paper Arms, Sxwzd, Miles Away, Blkout
Australian Hardcore 2011!

Aaron Osborne (I Exist, 4 Dead, Slowburn and others that i dont know)

2011-06-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

1- II: The Broken Passage, how siked are you for people to hear what you have come up with, how was it recording with Billy Anderson and how many times did he say the words "heavy" and "dude"?

Really really excited for people to hear the new stuff, we’ve been working on the songs for a while now and we’re stoked they are finally recorded and ready for people to listen to. Recording with Billy was a blast, dude has recorded like 80% of my favourite records, or had something to do with them so it was a real honor and great experience to work with him. Haha quite a bit, he was more into saying shit like ‘That riff sounds like a total fucking wizard fight” and during every harmony singing “LOOK AT ME WANKING”, we got along with him great haha.

2- Canberra is a cold place and some would say not alot goes on there, do you think thats what bred a band like I Exist? What im saying is, i cant imagine a band like you guys coming from QLD.. am i making sense?

I don’t know if it’s the weather or if it’s the size or what but Canberra seems to spawn an awesome breed of musicians, everyone is really well versed and pretty open minded, theres a lot going on there musically, so no one is really caught up in one scene or anything, everyone is pretty cool. I think id way a fair amount of our sound upon where we are from though, we’re separated from a lot of other scenes and bands to people just do there own thing and if it works, it does and if it doesn’t, start a new band and try again, I think that’s what all of us have ended up doing.

3- Forward Defence of 4 Dead? What side of the fence are you on? What other good music has come or is coming out of our nations capital?

Being that I am a former member of the band im gonna have to say 4 Dead haha. That band are probably the main reason (along with Hard Luck) for why I actually got involved with playing in hardcore bands in Canberra, before that I spent a lot of time playing Death Metal and those dudes showed me that you didn’t have to play perfect, or be in time, just having fun and fucking around is sometimes more entertaining than standing still and picking at one hundred miles an hour.

Always good stuff coming out of Canberra man, Looking Glass are probably one of my favourite bands and are so damn good at what they do, total Sabbath worship and its amazing. Other than that bands like, Pod People, Life and Limb, Loveshy and Venom Eyes, plus tons more, its always going along well.

4- You have a few mutli instrumentalist's in the band, which has come in handy in the past, haha, again do you think this comes down to being from Canberra and having nothing else to do but sit in your rooms and learn how to play things? Haha

Haha, it has come in handy on a number of occasions, lucky we have each other. I dunno, I learnt what I can play from either teaching myself or being forced into lessons by my mum when I was a kid haha, and I think everyone else was the same. Canberra is pretty grim at times though, so sports and stuff get kinda written off, so I guess if you wanna stay in doors and do something, guitar is probably a sick idea haha.

5- Eyehategod, Pantera or Down? Choose one, why and talk about each.

Eyehategod. They are my favourite band of all time, im an idiot and have 3 Eyehategod tattoos, and have a merch collection that I could safely live off haha. They are just perfect to me, a great blend of blues, hardcore, intoxication and always just on the brink of falling to pieces, the music is real and I love it.

Pantera showed me to almost every style of music I listen to today, I wouldn’t have got into Eyehategod if it weren’t for Phil Anselmo wearing their merch in music videos and sparking my interest when I was 14 years old haha. They were the biggest band in the world for a while, and they deserved it, incredible riffs, so damn catchy, love it.

I love Down as much as I do Pantera, they are the total other side of the metal spectrum from Pantera, and it’s a great departure for its members, same goes for the other bands they come from Crowbar, Eyehategod, COC etc. It is music that is honest as well and doesn’t have much fucked around with, its pretty straight forward, and they also have sick riffs.

New Orleans bands forever. Seriously.

Top 10 of 2010

2010-12-30T22:51:00.000-08:00

Angus & Julia Stone- Down The Way
Bitter End- Guilty As Charged
The Gaslight Anthem- American Slang
Grinderman- Grinderman 2
I Exist- A Turn For The Worse
Miles Away- Endless Roads
Paper Arms- Days Above Ground
Parkway Drive- Deep Blue
Terror- Keepers Of The Faith
This Is Australia 7"

This Is Australia 7"

2010-11-09T05:06:00.001-08:00

Pre orders will be commencing on November 15 for very limited edition coloured vinyl copies of the "This Is Australia 7"

There will be 2 different pre order options, you can pre order your choice of either blue, green, red or yellow vinyl (only 125 available of each) or alternatively you can choose to pre order all 4 for a discounted price.

The 7" consists of exclusive and previously unreleased tracks by Blkout, 50 Lions, No Apologies and Parkway Drive and includes a digital download card.

It will be available instores on December 10.

To pre order your copy/s go to http://blokerecords.bigcartel.com/

Go to Bloke Records facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bloke-Records/160578280633667?v=wall
and "like" us for news and updates.

This Is Australia 7"

2010-09-21T04:13:00.000-07:00

4 of Australia's best hardcore bands,

4 minutes of unreleased music,
4 colours of vinyl and most importantly
4 mate's band's on the one record.

THIS IS AUSTRALIA

Coming soon.

Again and again and again and again

2010-05-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

BLKOUT

2010-02-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

I just joined my favourite Hardcore band.
See you soon.

My Top 10 Records Of 2009

2009-12-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

Not this again, haha, why do i even bother.
Again like last year when i initially sat down to come up with my 10 fav records i could barely think of a handfull that would make the list, but with a little more thought i again came up with way more than 10 and had to narrow it down.
Anyway, here it is in alphabetical order.
If anyone actually reads this thing post your top 10 as a comment, iam interested to see what people came up with.

Alexisonfire- Old Crows/Young Cardinals
Baroness- Blue Record
Blkout- Total Depravity
Converge- Axe To Fall
Morrissey- Years Of Refusal
Nails- Obscene Humanity
Piece By Piece- S/T (still not released, and may not be, but i received it in 2009!)
Trapped Under Ice- Secrets Of The World
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis- White Lunar
50 Lions- Where Life Expires

And the runners up are ....

AFI- Crash Love
Break Even- The Bright Side
Foundation- Hang Your Head
Hope Conspiracy- True Nihilist
Iron Age- The Sleeping Eye
Iron Mind- The Sun Has Set
Isis- Wavering Radiant
Mastodon- Crack The Skye
Rise And Fall- Our Circle Is Vicious

Intro/Changes

2009-11-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

Its a been a busy couple of months.
The US and Canada was awesome, and it was just as awesome to come home after sleeping on floors for more than a month.
The 50 Lions/TUI tour was a success and went off without any major problems.
The weather has been great, and ive been surfing in boarshorts, life is good!
This week i pack up my life put it in a truck and drive it interstate.

Looks like ill be spending alot of time here next year.

USA/Canada

2009-10-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

Here i come.

3 of the best records of the 2000's

2009-08-25T03:30:00.000-07:00

Inspiration

2009-08-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

This Is Australia

2009-08-06T19:32:00.001-07:00

I kind of let this slip a couple weeks ago on Chucky's Blog, but sometime in 2010 i will be releasing on my own record label (i need a name!) a 4 way split 7" titled "THIS IS AUSTRALIA" that will feature 3 of my good mate's band's as well as my own.
Parkway Drive, Miles Away, 50 Lions and No Apologies will all contribute one previously unreleased and original song each.
Thing is though all the songs have to be under 1 minute in length.
This is going to be alot fun putting together and the wheels are already in motion.
Keep an eye and a ear out for more details soon!

Keeping Busy

2009-08-02T18:21:00.003-07:00

Voices

2009-07-28T23:49:00.001-07:00

I just got home from a recording studio where i sang a few lines on a track for what will be an ep by a young band from Sydney called Persist.
They have always been a good band with alot of potential and from what i heard today i think they have really really really stepped things up.
Iam not sure when its coming out, but keep your ears open.

No Allegiance

2009-07-24T02:11:00.000-07:00

I was originally going to write something about the first 2 albums i ever bought (Toe To Toe's- Threats and Facts and Madball's- Set It Off) but after listening to the Toe To Toe back catalog tonight they have stolen this post.
I was 12 years old when i first saw Toe To Toe, they were the first hardcore band that i ever saw live and also the first hardcore band i ever heard full stop. Lucky for me they played a "festival" at my local beach, Maroubra, along with some punk and rock bands. They blew every other band of the stage and i am lucky enough to have a vhs of their set that features me and a whole bunch of people i am still good friends with to this day circle pitting our heads off, haha.
That day changed my life, after seeing them play this perfect mixture of punk and metal i wanted more of this hardcore stuff.
It combined the punk and metal that i was already listening too, but it had more aggression and "realness" that i really connected with.
The following Monday i got my Dad to drive me to Resist and i purchased, probably with my Dad's money (thanks Dad!) my first hardcore records. From there it just snowballed, id check thanks lists, listen to mix tapes my friends (Ricky!) made me, read zines, etc, etc. It was such a crazy world and it really did take some researching, i guess alot unlike today.
Through Ricky i met Scott (the singer of TTT) and the two of them would sneak me into shows/pubs (haha)
I distinctly remember jumping the back fence of the Iron Duke Hotel straight onto a table seating amongst other big, tattooed and frightening looking dudes, Scott and Freddy Madball, and them just laughing at me, and giving me some weird black beer that tasted like shit.
15 years later iam still involved in this crazy fucking music and listening to these songs is bringing back alot of memorys.
Toe To Toe in their prime where unmatchable. To this day still one of the best live bands i have ever seen, and definately some of the craziest live shows i have ever witnessed.
Scott is still playing out live with what sadly has become a bit of a revolving line up of dudes on the instruments, but fuck it, its his band he can do what he wants with it. I know one thing, next time they are playing in Sydney ill be going to check it out.
If you can, get your hands on their discography "The Best Defence Is Attack"

Believe

2009-07-20T22:34:00.003-07:00

At the start of September this guy will be back in Australia and we are going to make music together again.
I cant wait.

Best Record Of 2009?

2009-07-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

It could be.

Mate

2009-06-30T05:06:00.000-07:00

This is my good friend Mark Mathews, he rides a surfboard on waves that would kill 99.9% of people, i think he is crazy.
Follow his travels here

Mate

2009-06-20T04:04:00.000-07:00

We live and we learn and that is all that we can do.

We live and we learn and that is all...

Mates

2009-06-07T04:00:00.001-07:00

I just got home from 3 days in the best place in the world (Byron Bay, duh) and i hate being back in Sydney already.
My mates have got a DVD coming out soon (THE DVD) and its a fucking ripper, i think it has to be the best "band" dvd ive ever seen.

14 Hours Work = 4.42 Minutes Of Music

2009-05-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

Heres some fun facts from Saturdays recording session.
Before the day;

- Andres and i had not practiced once
- I had never played the songs on guitar (i dont own one, i wrote the songs on my bass)
- I had obviously also never sung the songs
- On the last note on the last song of the day (Tunnel Vision) i snapped the E string, but we left it cause its a cool ending.
- We recorded, mixed and mastered 5 songs in 12 hours, not a bad effort and most things were done in the first take.

To download the songs

CLICK HERE

I guess people were always going to compare this to No Apologies because i sung/sing in both bands, but please don't.
Its two totally separate things, No Apologies was a fairly "serious" band and we wrote and rehearsed for close to 12 months before we recorded "Survival", where as with Smash we just went in and banged it out for fun.

SMASH DEMO

2009-05-09T07:56:00.001-07:00

Is up on the

SMASH MYSPACE

More tomorrow, iam tired.

TYSON

2009-05-05T00:10:00.003-07:00

Saw the documentary on the weekend.
One word, AMAZING.
The guy rules, best boxer (fighter) ever?

The Damned, The Shamed

2009-05-05T00:01:00.001-07:00

I dont think there's been enough talk about how good this record is.
In todays current hardcore climate, where every band is trying to "do something different", "make their mark" or are just straight up making bad music, Terror released (in my opinion) their best record since "Lowest Of The Low"
After "Always The Hard Way" i think they had to mix things up a touch and this record has it all.
Every song rules, but "Let Me Sink" takes the title for best song on the record for me.
If you let this one slip by, get the fuck into it!

Demonstrate My Style

2009-04-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

I have finished writing(both musically and lyrically)for the SMASH demo and i am looking at getting into a studio asap to record it.
If you or anyone you know fits the following criteria and plays guitar or drums, get in touch.
-live in Sydney(or surrounding areas)
-have your own gear and transport
-straightedge
-listen to current HARDcore (that does not mean Bury Your Dead, Bring Me The Horizon, Deez Nuts, etc, etc)

The Sun Has Set

2009-04-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

Iron Mind are a new(ish) band from Melbourne Australia who play HARDcore the way it was meant to be. It its refreshing (for me at least) to see a young Australian hardcore band that actually are playing hardcore and not either metal, pop punk or what has been increasingly popular, the repetitive mid tempo "rock, emotional, look at me my life is so tough yet iam a middle class rich kid that lives with my parents fag core" with shockingly bad lyrics about how life sucks and they hate the world and wish they could die (so do i!)
Fuck all that, buy this now! It rules and its on repeat.

Derek Kitagawa (Violation, IA)

2009-03-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

1- Violation, Devoured was hard as fuck and a great record and you guys fucking killed it when i saw you, but you guys dont tour all that much do you? Is it that you dont want to or are some dudes siked and others got other shit on? What are your future plans?

I'm glad you liked the record! I'd like to say that if it were up to me, Violation would be a full time touring band, but unfortunately I too am guilty of being held down along with the other members of Violation. Four of us are full time undergraduate students at different universities around California, and the only one who is not happens to work full time. Thus, our touring capabilities are rather limited to summer and school breaks. However, hopefully this coming summer we'll be able to hit it hard. We're hoping to do a full Europe tour and possibly a full US tour immediately following. Whether it be with Violation or not, I'm trying to make it work so that I will be gone all summer this year. Book us an Australian tour!!!

2- You guys alone with a bunch of newer bands(TUI, Alpha & Omega, Bad Seed, etc) are really coming through as the next generation of younger American hardcore bands. What do you think of the whole american scene at the moment and hows your local scene right now?

American hardcore is awesome. I continue to get excited about up and coming bands and new releases all the time. The new Bad Seed EP on 6131 is great, I love it. I also just got the new Iron Age LP (sorry!) and I must admit, I must have listened to it about 20 times in the last 3 days. I can't wait to hear that new TUI record as well. Locally speaking, Southern California has a lot of good bands coming out right now as well. Alpha & Omega as you mentioned will have a new record out by summer hopefully. My favorite local has to go to Downpresser from Santa Barbara. They have a new EP coming out on Triple B records that blows away all their previous material, check that band out! My other Cali favorite would have to be Take Offense, great band and awesome dudes from Chula Vista.

3- The last IA show was last weekend, it sounded and from the vids i have seen looked pretty fucking crazy, all the bands on the bill were great, NTB last minute set, Terror playing 'Lowest Of The Low" from start to finish, etc. How wild was it?

The last IA show was wild indeed. Sold out at Chain Reaction. Every band that played that night killed it. My highlight from the pit was definitely the Terror "Lowest of the Low" set. So much fun, it went off hard. I was dead at the end of the night though man, I had to play back to back with Vio and IA. I hopped off the kit for the breakdown of "Casualty of the Core" to get my IA mosh on 1 last time while Andy played drums, and in the 30 seconds of me being off the kit I managed to roll my ankle pretty bad. I then hobbled back onto the stage and finished the set. It was appropriate though I guess, I became a casualty of the core.

4- You and Chris took me surfing (even though it was tiny) when i was there which was great to get away from the super fest with 1825378253461 bands playing each day. Do you know of many other dudes in bands that surf over there? and why is it do you think that 99% of core kids nowadays look like if they tried to play any sport, let alone go surfing they would have a fucking heart attack?

Yeah! Good times. Fests can get to be way too overwhelming sometimes, so it was great to take a break from the madness and go paddle around for awhile. As far as other "band surfers" go, I'm pretty sure a few other locals from Downpresser surf. I know Dennis IA likes to sponge it up with his boogie board up north. Weakness is plaguing California hardcore haha. I'm trying to rise above and step up my gym game actually. But for example, Madball recently came through, and at most of their CA shows, there was hardly any mosh going on. I had to pit of course, but come on, I'm not that big of a guy at all. When myself and other friends that are my size are holding it down in the pit, that shit is weak. You know you're in a mosh to survive situation when you're actually afraid of the pit situation. Not to say there are no hard moshers on the west coast, but I see what you're saying. There are a few notably hard west coast moshers in my book though... First example, Corey Williams. Haha, I feel like he is this unpredictable force in the pit that has absolutely no regard for anyone in his immediate area. Smash and Destroy.

5- Ok, i gotta ask this, cause your guilty of this yourself, whats up with kids in so-cal wearing beanies all the fucking time?
Its like a thousand degrees, there just wearing shorts but they have a fucking beanie on. Please, whats the deal? haha

Haha fuck. No comment. I started that shit, all these lames are just biting my style. I'll switch it up for you though :)

Piece By Piece

2009-03-05T00:34:00.000-08:00

Holy shit.
Their new songs are going to blow your mind.
All My Life (I Say Fuck You)
Amazing!

Stacey Taylor (Cry Murder)

2009-03-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

1- Cry Murder has been a band going on 6 years now, yet your debut album "Above Us The Waves" only just came out on the weekend. How much hard work went into the record? and tell us some of the bs you had to go through over the years to get to where you now are.

It was really hard trying to stay focused, since every time we were getting where we wanted to go something would stuff us up. But all good thats what makes you stronger and more determined. Mainly it was just member changes that really took its toll, but at the end of the day it was all for the bet because now we are happier than ever with the out come and having way more fun.

2- Standard "girl" question for you, haha. What is it really like for a girl playing in a metal/hardcore band? Have you ever been treated disrespectfully by other bands members? and what do you think of girls that go to shows with their boobs hanging out and sit at the merch desk all night? haha

No never been disrespected by other band members but there are a couple of venues that dont believe im in the band and im trying to get in for free.. mainly it is the girls with their boobs out at the door that give me a bit of grief but thats cool im not there to impress anyone im just there to play music.... I dont have a problem with those type of girls each to their own i guess....

3- Your about to head out on your first headlining national tour.
Are you looking forward to it? and what do you get up to in your down time on tour?

Definitely looking forward to tour. It is so good doing what you want to do everyday and also playing all new songs is really refreshing. On our time off we just go the usual site seeing and chilling out. some of the boys like to party but im a nanna and stay home usually and sleep.

4- Adelaide has changed alot over the years since you first started going to shows there, how is it now and which would you prefer, the year 2000 Earth Crisis wanna be Adelaide or the 2004 Poison The Well wanna be Adelaide? haha. What band is it cool to like there now?

Now its very different, it is very split in the middle between hardcore and metal. back in the day we were lucky to see an overseas act. now we are spoilt and dont support aus music as much which is a shame. i dont know what i would prefer. even though i love earth crisis era ill have to say poison the well coz more bands were playing then like prom queen and DOC. It was
such a good time for adelaide and bands.

5- You looked beautiful walking down the aisle at Adrianne and myself's wedding, any chance we will see you on stage rocking that dress and high heels? haha

HA HA HA NO WAY!!!! i could only walk in those things for like 5 mins and i was gone!!!!

George Hirsch (Blacklisted)

2009-03-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

1- Blacklisted toured pretty much non stop in 08. Tell me some shows/places/experiences both good or bad that stick out to you for whatever reasons.

Australia as a whole was the best experience. For me it was a dream to just go there, let alone be able to play music. On top of that we were greatly accepted beyond any expectation I had. I would put out records just go to there and play shows, I wish it worked that way. Japan was very similar to that. All the shows we played though out the year were for the most part beyond any expectation we held to tell you the truth. I feel like sound and fury for us was pretty awkward, the lights were on and it just felt weird and uncomfortable playing. However this is hardcore was the complete opposite, it was dark and just really comfortable. The whole year was like a dream.

2- I upset a few people by saying the word faggot on stage at S&F. Do people really compare that word with the 'N" word over there?
Because here they really are two opposite parallels, and the "F" word really does get thrown around with gay abandon (pun intended, haha) and is not used as an insult towards gay people or by homophobic cross burners(well not around where i live anyway)

I think they are very similar. Its pretty clear cut what they are both mean, so I will not get into that, However whether it be an African American or a Homosexual, the thing it really boils down to is respect and using either of those words is the opposite of that, it is just plain disrespectful. Why would anyone want to use a word with so many negative vibes around it, especially in hardcore which is gaged for such a more open minded audience? Its crazy to me to see people use either word. Recently it feels in hardcore that it is acceptable to use words that hold that much weight. I've confronted people using both words and it always turns into, well I was just calling my friend a "nigger" or a "faggot", but he is neither so its not disrespectful, its just playful. But the reality is it is even more disrespectful. When your friend is fulfilling some stereotype created around an African American or a Homosexual and you call him those words, its like you are cosigning that those words are the truth and acceptable. Its just ignorant, Ignorant and disrespectful is the best way to put it, It sucks that people still speak like that. On top of all that, say you're band is on stage and you use those words, you are ostracizing anyone in the audience who may be homosexual or African American, which is a shame because we all come to hardcore/punk to get away from the ostracizing nature of real life, when it starts to happen in the place we come to for that escape, it becomes even more of a problem. When you used it on stage I was surprised because you are such an intelligent and respectful person it kind of caught me off guard. I understand what you were "trying" to say in that moment, but there could have been a better word to use you know? Another thing I find odd, Is the bands that preach like loyalty and family and brotherhood etc etc, we all know the type, they are the first bands to use faggot or nigger, its crazy to me. Its crazy in 2009 that I see this as an issue, or even you see it as an issue to bring it up to me. Doesn't it seem like this is an issue that should have been figured out, years ago?

3- You know i was stoked to be at shows over there and actually have a few people that weren't just rich white kids (Chaka not Chaka!) running around me (unlike Australia!), growing up in Philly was it quite multicultural? and for the most part will shows over there (i only really saw Cali) have a few African American/ Latino/ whatever else dudes repping?

Where I grew up was multi cultural yes. Shows on the east coast have generally been that way for my entire time in hardcore. But that in no way takes away from hardcore being a white heterosexual male dominated thing. As far as social class, I grew up below middle class, my family and friends families did the best they could, However I've met more kids in hardcore with money than I have who grew up in a similar situation I did, I don't see this as a good or bad thing, I don't tack growing up poor to being white/black/latino or whatever, being broke has no color. A lot of poor kids I know have shitty attitudes, so do a lot of kids I know with money, and some are the most kind hearted people I know, The wheel spins both ways. With that said, shows have always been great in the are I grew up in , Philadelphia, Nyc is an hour and half away, DC is three, Baltimore is an hour or so and if you want to get really crazy, Boston is about 5. I have no regrets about seeing bands because anyone that played a good amount of shows had to come through that area and I had more then enough opportunities to see them. You were so psyched at sound and fury ahah I remember,

4- You have recently started a new "blog" (that word fucking sucks) that so far has 2 great in depth i/v's and some personal writing.
Who else do you have plans on/have you started interviewing? and what do you hope to get out of it?

I don't have a specific goal I want to accomplish. Everyone I know always tells me to pursue writing, I guess this is my way of doing it but on my own terms. Interviews I have coming up, Justin Broadrick from Jesu/Godflesh/Napalm Death, Dan Yemin from Lifetime/Kid Dynamite/Paint It Black, I'd like to interview more people, I find interviews to be the most cathartic form of writing, I basically ask questions based on topics I feel and based on their answer it helps me feel better about myself or the world around me in its own strange way, I don't know if that makes sense.

5- Ok, this question is mandatory, no easy way out, i know your a music lover, so you gotta answer this, you are getting locked up for 10 years (fuck the standard your stranded on an island question, haha) and you can only take in an ipod with 10 albums on it to get you through that 10 years. What 10 albums are they?

I want to say I would pick some eclectic bunch of music, but I would probably stick with this that are comforting.

Supertouch-The Earth Is Flat.
Dinosaur Jr-Bug.
Nirvana-In Utero.
Jesu-Jesu.
Cro Mags-Age Of Quarrel.
Nas-Illmatic.
Neutral Milk Hotel-On Avery Island.
Catpower-Moonpix.

Fuck I don't know man this list sucks, I give up. Sorry.

Craig Setari (Straight Ahead, Rest In Pieces, Youth Of Today, Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All)

2009-02-22T22:19:00.000-08:00

1- You have been in pretty much every great NYHC band ever, tell me the first thing that comes to mind when you think of each band;

Straight Ahead- my baby
Rest In Pieces- quality concious
Youth Of Today- ego driven
Agnostic Front- boot camp
Sick Of It All- durable n determined

2- The Straight Ahead Discography cd/lp , is it ever going to be released? You know kids would be siked, send Graham all the tapes and lets make this thing happen!

-i dont think so,everything has been "blown up" so i feel lets not exhume SA, let it rest where it lived,in the past w/out the self glorification.

3- Tell me a little about your time in Youth Of Today. I know you didn't have exactly have a ball, what was the problem? and also tell me some stories about your time in AF, "One Voice" is a great fucking record, who wrote the majority of those songs? Matt Henderson? and how many times did Stigma do a special "unplugged" performance whilst you were in AF?

-YOT just wasnt my bag,their motives were different,it was all about self glorification not the combined effort toward a common goal. thats not Hardcore to me.
-AF was a blast,went in a boy,came out a man. Matt and i wrote one voice musically,roger wrote the lyrics.
- on occassion Vinnie was unplugged but it doesnt matter...he's a world class entertainer.

4- Sick Of It All, still going fucking strong some 22 years on. Thats crazy that band is almost as old as me! haha What keeps you 4 old men still doing it? and tell us, how is the new record coming along?

- were determined to live free.by that i mean not being under the thumb of the man so to speak,at least not completely. we stay in good physical shape and dont get "old" by avoiding the grind,im talking about the spiritual grind,the system thats designed to take away your dreams and replace em' with what's deemed socially acceptable...just tryin to keep my mind free n open brother. hardcore and SOIA have been VERY good to me...i give thanx everyday.

5- Your have been playing lately with John, Mackie and AJ in the Cro-Mag Jam, i have heard that you guys are tight as fuck and its the best those songs have sounded in a long time. Are you having fun doing that? I can only imagine you and John together, haha.
Also, the next time you come here are you going to man up and get the gloves on and do some real training with me? Iam ready, haha.

-playing with those guys is great. Cro-Mags are one of my favorite bands and its an honor to be chosen to honor such a great and classic band. like i said, Hardcore's been very good to me,i feel blessed and fortunate.
- i learned a long time ago in boxing...never say it,if you can do it than just do it. that goes hand in hand with never uderestimating your opponent. confused? wait till the leather is bouncing off your dome...it'll all make sense. thanx for the interview my friend,your a good man.

Glory, Glory To South Sydney

2009-02-05T23:10:00.000-08:00

Its a wide world out there

2009-02-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

I just got home from 10 days in Thailand and it opened my eyes a little more to the world and the people that live in it.
It was great to check out a whole different culture and to be a part of it even if it was for a very brief time, and to really realise that no matter who you are, what you do or where you live in the world, basically everyone does the same shit.
Fuck touring, i want to "holiday" with my newly acquired wife to every country in the world before i die.

2 Flyers

2008-12-31T19:36:00.000-08:00

That you should be aware of

My Top 10 Records of 2008

2008-12-23T21:52:00.000-08:00

In alphabetical order

Blacklisted- "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God"
Ceremony- "Still Nothing Moves You"
Cold World- "Dedicated To Babies Who Came Feet First"
Cruel Hand- "Prying Eyes"
Extortion- "Sick"
Lone Wolf- "Hallucinogenic Fate"
Nick Cave & Bad Seeds- "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!"
Santogold- "Santogold"
Terror- "The Damned, The Shamed"
Trapped Under Ice- "Stay Cold"

This is the first time ive tried doing a top 10, and now i know why, its too fucking hard, here are some that just missed the cut.

Bitter End- "S/T 7"
Coldplay- "Viva La Vida"
The Cure- "4.13 Dream" (This is one of my xmas presents, it may just make the top 10)
Down To Nothing- "DTN/50L Split"
Fucked Up- "The Chemistry Of Modern Life"
Have Heart- "Songs To Scream At The Sun"
Internal Affairs- "Guilty Til Proven Innocent"
Kings Of Leon- "Only By The Night"
Nails- "Obscene Humanity" (Its not out yet so this will be on my 09 list)
Rhythmm To The Madness "Weltschmerz"
The Smiths- The Sound of The Smiths"
Violation- "Devoured"
White Male Dumbinance- "Forced Vengeance"
50 Lions- "DTN/50L Split"

When i started compiling this list i was hard pressed to think of many records that actually came out in 08, but looking at that list it wasent a bad year at all.
Iam looking forward to 09, new records by Moz, Rise And Fall, Nails and iam sure a whole fucking bunch more that ive forgotten.

Random Thoughts

2008-12-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

People still havent got back to me with their "Checking In With... 's" and i dont have any time to do some fresh 5q's, so here are some random thoughts.

-Gorilla Biscuits tour was awesome. It was great to meet and tour with dudes from Gorilla Biscuits, Youth Of Today, Project X, Civ, Quicksand, Side By Side, Schism Zine, Token Entry, Underdog, Warzone, etc. Some fat fuck dived directly onto my head at the first Arthouse show though and i fucked my neck/back. Take note people, DONT stage dive onto ONE person when they are not looking! Especially if you weigh over 100kg's!

-Singing "Dance Floor Justice" most nights was pretty fucking crazy, 2 of those dudes were actually in PX, thats just weird.

-I dont get people (Billo!) that say they "didn't get" GB, whats not to get? What should i expect from people that like a band like Ruiner though?

-As cool as it was to be back touring i realised that its not the life for me anymore, waiting around for 7 other people all day everyday is not my idea of fun.

-Parkway Drive are the biggest HARDCORE (yep) band in the world. I love them, they are fucking killing it and the dvd is going to be awesome.

-New 50 Lions sounds awesome, 09 is going to be their year, fuck "bringing back the mosh".

-Hardcore in Australia is looking good, although some of the older bands have either broken up or are not doing that much, there are a bunch of new bands in every state that are coming up and are going to be the next bands in Australia to make some noise.

Here is my list for those interested.

Perth- Blkout!, Bridge The Gap

Adelaide- Infection, Cant Relate

Melbourne- Iron Mind, Ire

Sydney- Persist, Ill Brigade, Had It, Smash

Newy- White Male Duminance, The Hollow

Brisbane- Vaules Here

-NAILS is going to blow people the fuck away

-IA in Australia, its happening

-Iam going to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 3 days before my wedding in Adelaide, i love when things like that work out.

-Iam getting married in January

-"Personal" blogs fucking suck, no one gives a fuck what you had for lunch or what shoes you are wearing, stop wasting space on the www.

- Why are guys dressing more and more like girls? Cut off tight jean shorts dont look good, and neither do those gay little fucking slip on boat shoes you are wearing.

- While iam at it, whats up with all the fucking flannel shirts at shows? This is not the 90's and we are not in Seattle, and you sure as fuck arent a lumberjack, take those stupid fucking things off!

- Ill leave you with a photo of my brother(from another mother) Peter Bursky, mediatating high in the forrest somewhere in Vietnam. I love you Pete.

SMASH

2008-12-05T03:47:00.000-08:00

Fuck it, i've done it again.

After not being in a band for less than 2 weeks, i've started another one already.

I think i have problems.

Add us

SMASH

The song up was recorded in 2007 and appeared on the AHC Compilation, for those playing at home thats Pete (the other one) and Jiggsy singing when the first verse repeats.

Demo coming soon.

Hold Your Ground

2008-12-04T02:27:00.001-08:00

Ill be on the GB Australian tour starting this Sunday.

2 shows have been added, another show at the Arty on Saturday the 12th and a show at Hermann's (yep, crazy right) in Sydney on Monday the 15th.

If you haven't got tickets yet, get them now.

Iam pretty fucking siked.

Checking In With ... Corey Williams

2008-11-20T17:44:00.000-08:00

Yo Corey I.A. checkin in....

Life is a mess at the moment yet it is still so good. I have never been so broke and homeless yet I still find ways to smile at the end of the day.

With the passing of Internal Affairs I have put my energy towards a new band, Absolute Madness. I actually play guitar this time around cuz I'm so fuckin tired of the microphone. I teamed up with So Cal's number 1 asshole in the pit Alex Vaz. He will be on the mic and treating kids like they are punching bags. He is the guy with all the rings that either shattered your jaw or knocked you the fuck out. Also have Manu Midget from Holier Than Thou on guitar, Nick Trujillo from Snake Eyes and Donnybrook! on bass and Face from Life and Death on drums. AM is a crossover hardcore band influenced heavily by mid '80's venice style hardcore. We have a song on the Reaper Records Comp "Mercy For None" that will be out around the end of the year. Demo songs to be expected around the same time.

Back to Internal Affairs. Yes its true we are breaking up and thats that. Last show will be in So Cal at the end of February, details will be on our myspace. There is a time and place for some bands and I believe that our time has past. We appreciate all the support and requests not to break up but its best to end on a good note. I would hate to have to call it quits cuz we were a joke. Fuck we might be and I just don't know it yet hahaha.

Thats about it at the moment. I'll be seeing my Australian friends at the beginning of the year and all my east coast friends at the end of January. Can't wait!!!

C Madness signing off...

The "F" Word

2008-11-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

I have come to realise that anyone who is offended by the word FAGGOT is then themselves the definition of the word.

You are not homophobic if you say FAGGOT, you are not a gay basher if you say FAGGOT, and the world wont end if you say the word FAGGOT.

Fuck, my fiancee calls me a FAGGOT on a daily basis, haha.

Ok?

Cool.

In other news, iam waiting on some "Checking In With ... " and 5 q's answers.

If you owe me some and are reading this, get cracking.

Last No Apologies show this Saturday.

See all you FAGGOTS(ok now iam going a little overboard) there!

Cruel Hand - Prying Eyes

2008-11-16T20:50:00.000-08:00

Wow, take note people, this is what hardcore should sound like.

Sure there is going to be comparisons to Ill Blood era No Warning, but fuck it, this is great.

Life In Shambles is a fucking ripper, but every other song is not far behind it.

5 q's or a checking in with ... Nate their guitarist up soon.

Go buy this record!

The End (for real)

2008-11-10T20:13:00.001-08:00

It sucks, but one of my favourite bands in hardcore right now, Bad Blood, had to pull out of our last show. A young band who is turning heads, The Hollow has replaced them, iam looking forward to checking them out for the first time live, the demo rips.

And in other news, my good friend Martin Stewart from one of the realest (again, is that a word?) hardcore bands to ever exist, Terror, designed this sweet shirt for us.

There will only be very limited numbers of these and they will ONLY be available at the show.

Checking In With ... Sam Trapkin

2008-11-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

Checking in today we have Sam Trapkin guitarist from alot of people's (including me) favourite current core band Trapped Under Ice.

Yo! So we've been home for about a month now after a very busy summer. Everyone's been readjusting to living at home, back to work and everything... Justice is keeping the venue of Sonar as secure as possible, Ben's interpreting heart monitor readings, Klipa is making that bankroll at Andy Nelson's BBQ (where does it all go?....oh yeah, beer & weed), I'm doing freelance design work right now, and yo...we got a new bass player. Richmond VA's Jared Carmen, certified bass ripper/professional diver from Down to Nothing joined about 2 weeks ago. We've played 4 shows with him since we've been home and it's been awesome. He can shred and is a lot of fun on the road.

We've played about 5 shows since the end of September, and gotten to play with some awesome bands including Numb (from Japan), Creepout (from Japan), Stout, Terror, RazorBlade HandGrenade, Face the Panic, On Broken Wings, Rhinoceros, Crowd Deterrent, Backhand, Gaining Ground, Backtrack, and Suburban Scum to name a few. We've also been real busy writing. We're working on songs for an LP that we're hoping to have out sometime around April of 2009. We have a good amount written now, and are hoping to record early next year. Everyone has been contributing to the songwriting and riffing out non-stop. We'll be putting it out with Reaper Records. Patrick Kitzel has always held us down and we're all very happy to be working with him and the Reaper team.

Future Plans:November 28,29,30- Weekend with Forfeit/Mongoloids to NJ/Boston/CTDecember 12,13,14- Weekend to VA/TN/NC January- US tour with Dirty Money, Reign Supreme, and Full Blown ChaosFebruary- hopefully recordSpring/Summer 2009- tour to promote LP

Thanks to everyone that has helped us/continues to. We're all looking forward to getting back on the road next year and putting out some new shit. And thanks Pete! this blog rules.

Russ Rankin (Only Crime, Good Riddance)

2008-11-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

1- Firstly, how stoked are you that Obama got in? What do you think this means for your country?

I didn't vote for him (I'm a registered Green Party member) but I am happy that he won. My big problem is with our entire election process and the fact that we don't have a free press in the U.S.

2- Good Riddance was a band for good on 14 years, you guys did alot, what are some of the ups and downs that come to mind when you think of the band. And what do you think of a couple bands around right now (not mentioning any names) that sound pretty much exactly like GR, but are playing stadiums and getting played on commercial radio?

There were tons of highs and lows - we were so unprepared for what we became and the work it took and the toll on our personal lives. It was, however, a tremendous opportunity and a rewarding experience that I'm sure enriched all of our lives in various ways. As for bands who "sound" exactly like us who are playing stadiums I really haven't heard any.

3- Only Crime, 2 records down and a whole heap of tours, hows it all going? Do you ever look back at the drums when your playing live and think, "fuck, iam in a band with Bill Stevenson"!?

Only Crime is slowly gathering new material for or 3rd album and will be touring Europe in Jan/Feb 2009 with No Use For A Name. And yes, I have caught myself doing that many, many times.

4-What not many people may know about you is that you are proudly straightedge and vegan, which i always think is fucking cool when an "older" (sorry, haha) dude sticks to his beliefs, in a scene that is filled with people that change trends with the wind. Have you ever x'd up? and what band, if any, prompted or helped in your decision to go straightedge?

Haha... I used to X up all the time when I was going to the hardcore matinees at Gilman Street in the late 1980's. I'd go see bands like Rabid Lassie, Unit Pride, Hard Stance, No For An Answer, Insted, Youth of Today, Bold and countless others and I'd X up and then wake p the next morning with big X's on my face from sleeping on my hands.

5- Coffee or ice hockey, if you had to pick one, as in you were never allowed the other as long as you lived, which one would it be, and why?

Hockey because it is the greatest thing ever GO DEVILS!!!!!

Straight Edge Revenge!

2008-11-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

Fuck yes.

Checking In With ... David Foster

2008-11-06T03:26:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let the awesomeness(is that a word? it is now) of Sweet Pete's i/v sink in for a few days, but iam excited on some new ideas and couldn't sit on this.

I am going to introduce a new segment to this blog (fuck i hate that fucking word) called "Checking In With ...". Basically what ill be doing is checking in with friends from around the globe whether they be on tour, in the studio, at home, on holidays (vacation for you American fucks), etc, etc, and seeing what they are up too.

Iam excited about it and i think it will be cool.

So to kick things off we have David Foster, guitarist in Blacklisted.

Here Goes

We are over halfway into the Have Heart,Ceremony,Blacklisted,Let Down _U.S takeover. Tonight while in the middle of a 20 hour drive from Seattle to Denver we found out that Barack Obama has been elected into the office as President. This is a major historical event for a number of reasons. Pretty exciting day for America. The tour thus far has been a major success on all realms, getting to see some of the best bands in modern hardcore nightly. As Pat Flynn of Have Heart stated, its almost like a buffet of modern hardcore. I'm not sure if I wouldve phrased that the same way, but the point was understood. We played a few great california gigs at the famous chain reaction and gilman st. The first was on halloween. Let Down had some great,creative costumes, I had my good friend Slash guitar tech-ing for me, even though he was later found wasted in the dressing room, and Have Heart came out as the Blue Man group, full bald wigs painted blue. Toast from ceremony was charles manson. The next night at gilman was a riot, capped by Davey Havok of afi doing project x's straight edge revenge with ceremony. Tour has been fun so far and should continue. We have chicago's convicted joining us soon, then get back to the east coast. Life is good. No complaints apart from the van's new found oil leak. PEACE!

Sweet Pete (In My Eyes, Boston Straight Edge)

2008-11-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

1- Ok, In My Eyes, you guys did what not many hardcore bands can pull off, skipping the EP format and going straight from doing a Demo to an LP(The Difference Between), which ended up being one of, if not the best core records of the 90's. Was this a conscious decision, and a firm belief and confidence in what you guys were doing? or was it just that you had enough songs and thought lets do it?

I am glad you asked this. We wanted to do a 7” first, but Revelation asked us to do an LP as the 7” format is hard to make money back on. We were a little hesitant to do an LP as we did not have enough songs, but we got talked into re-recording some of the demo songs for the LP. In hindsight I wish we did not redo those demo songs as I feel they’re much better on the demo than on The Difference Between. The one thing I hate the most is my voice on the version of ‘This is Our Time’ on the redone version on the LP. That was the last song we recorded vocals for and it was 3am and I had been singing all day. I really just wanted to go home and do that song later, but we had to have it done that night, so I just said “Hit record and I’ll do it in one take and that’s that.” If your readers do not know or have not recorded, you usually do ‘punch ins’ on vocals that do not sound right or you actually do a few lines at a time and then take a break and do more so that you do not have to just belt out an entire song at a time. I was so tired and wanting to go home that I just did that song all at once in one take and did not even listen to it as I just went home. When I heard the vocals I was pretty upset with how weak they sound, but it was my own fault for being stubborn/tired and wanting to go home.

2- I remember when "Nothing To Hide" came out, hearing stories of a backlash of sorts from kids in the states saying that "the mosh parts" were gone and that it was a "rock" record. Is there any truth to that?

Nothing to Hide is a 100% Straight Edge HARDCORE record. People can have their opinion on if there is enough MOSH or if it is ROCK, and that does not bother me. We (IME) set out to write a record that we liked and would listen to. We did not set out to write a ‘rock’ record or let’s lose the mosh. We just ended up with songs that we liked and put it out there with no expectations. We knew it sounded a little different than our other stuff, but we never thought it was so far off that people would say it was not a hardcore record. We heard a little here and there about it being too melodic, too little mosh and whatnot, but it was 95% positive response we got for the LP in reviews and live when we played the songs. To this day it is almost split 50/50 between people telling me that The Difference Between is better than Nothing to Hide and vice-versa. Mostly people tell me that they love both LPs, but they like ___ one better. I am happy with everything IME put out and I can say it was always Straight Edge Hardcore no matter if it’s the demo, TDB or NTH.

3- Looking back at the legacy that In My Eyes has left are you 100% happy with everything that you achieved? Are there any regrets? and would you do another band again? or is it true what you told me that you would never do another band again because nothing would be as good as your time in IME?

I am 100% satisfied with what IME did. Could we have done more? Sure. Could we have done another record? Sure. Do I have any regrets that we did not? No. We started out 5 friends playing straight edge hardcore and ended 5 friends playing straight edge hardcore. We toured as much as we could, made some good (subjective) music, met a lot of cool kids all over and I made friendships that last until this day. Kids still email me, talk to me at shows about IME and I see IME shirts being worn all over the world. That blows me away and the kids have no idea how happy that makes me. I am not jaded like “Oh, that little band I did 10 years ago *yawn*” I will talk about IME to any kid that wants to as it was a big part of my life and one I am proud of. There are still tour stories from IME that to this day I can think back about and laugh or enjoy retelling to anyone who wants to hear. I still talk to all the guys from IME from time to time and we are still friends to this day. That is the most important thing. As far as doing another band that is pretty much out of the question. I loved doing IME and think I did and said what I wanted in a band and now it is time to go back to just being a kid at shows. I was into HC for over 10 years before IME started and it is coming up on almost 10 years since IME broke up that I am still involved in HC. I just really have no desire to be back on stage. I never really miss it as being in a HC band is not like being a rock star, so I get the same feeling of being at a show as I did on stage. Singing along in the crowd or stage diving is the same to me as being on stage with a mic in hand. I love touring and have been touring the world since IME broke up with bands like Mental and Have Heart. I have toured more since IME broke up than I did when we were around. I love going around the world and meeting hardcore kids as we all share a special bond that can not be described to the outside world.

4- Have Heart, the younger generation of Boston Straight Edge keeping the flame alive. When you’re on tour or just at a show with those guys do you feel like a father figure? haha or just another one of the guys?

I just feel like one of the guys. They never treat me any different or like an elder. I not only tour with those guys, but they are some of my best friends and I hang out with them in Boston all the time too. I may be way older than them, but when we hang out it is not different than peers hanging out. Have Heart are not only a great band, but great kids too and for anyone who may wonder if they live up to what they portray in their music, I can 100% tell you they do and then some. They are some of the most sincere and genuine kids I have ever met in hardcore. I can’t say enough good things about this band and what they have done for Boston hardcore and straight edge hardcore in general.

5- You’re an older guy(sorry, haha), but you are still siked on the edge and core, what keeps you involved in this crazy thing that is the hardcore scene? and how long can you see yourself at shows stage diving?

Hardcore was and is my family. I feel in love with hardcore at a very young age and growing up without a dad and then having my mom die when I was in my teens it made me turn to this alternative family that was the punk/hardcore community. I still get the feeling inside seeing a good band play today that I did when I first went to shows in ’83 and ’84. As far as straight edge is concerned I just see what drugs and alcohol does to people and I want no part of that in my life. I have no problem with people doing what they want, but being drug and booze free just works for me. I was into hardcore for a few years with the message of straight edge around me before I really thought about it and decided it was for me and the way I wanted to live my life forever. How long do I see myself stage diving? Hmm….well, I hope forever. Shit, I will be 40 in January and don’t see myself ever stopping going to shows or stage diving. Hell, I had a kidney transplant in 2006 and my doctor told me that I should not skate or have any hard contact (sports) for a few years. I was skating and stage diving again 3 months later. It was to the point where Pat from Have Heart and Sean from Verse took me aside and were like “Dude, we know you love to stage dive, we just don’t want to see you die at one of our shows” You can’t keep me from stage diving for 2 years. Fuck that! I’d rather die at a show doing a dive than sit around and feel the music inside and not get that release of diving. Most people think I don’t mosh anymore and sure, I am not on the floor as much as I used to be, but if you catch me in the right mood I can and will hit the floor. I have pretty good cardio and can mosh a whole set for a band if the mood is right.

XXX

I'am an Artist

2008-10-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

So, last night i did my first tattoo.

I think this is the beginning of big things for me in the industry, but you be the judge from the finished product picture. (more pics up one day)

Luke "Crew" Dolan (White Male Duminance, The Dead Walk, Life Love Regret, Arms Reach, X-Claim, Pitfall)

2008-10-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

1- NCHC, as in Newcastle Hardcore, not the other one, haha,you were there from the very beginning. How awesome was it to be a part of something that you and your friends created and watched grow? What were some of the bands that you first think of when you think NCHC? And also what were some of the questions that a very young straightedge youth crew you and Chippa asked Ian Mackaye when he came through Newcastle with Fugazi?

When I first started going to shows in 93' there were no hardcore bands in Newcastle, let alone a "scene". I mean there were bands that had HC influences and a few older guys that collected records and stuff, but the closest thing we had to HC were melodic punk bands like No Reason and Big Men Fly, or thrash metal bands like Angry Earth Mutha. It was a really small and tight knit underground scene, where these bands would play with grunge bands, ska bands, or garage rock type bands, simply because there weren't enough people to splinter off into different scenes. Me and Chippa would go to these shows and dream of doing a straight up HC band, something really in your face and unapologetically HARDcore. We didn't want to fit in with the long hairs and pseudo rock gods, we wanted to emmulate our idols Minor Threat and Youth Of Today! Occasionally bands from Sydney like Minute Minder and Toe To Toe would play Newie and we got to be mates with a couple of the guys in Minute Minder. We would jump up and sing Side By Side covers and stuff with them which inspired us to start jamming with a few skater mates from school. That band became what I consider the first ever NCHC band, Disengage. Originally it was going to be me and Chippa on dual vocals but I got booted out before the first show haha. Anyway Disengage started playing and me, Craig Edge, and a couple of my other mates from school would go to shows X'd up, heads shaved & moshing like lunatics haha. The older punk crowd didn't know what to make of it but we didn't give a fuck and it slowly started to catch on with the younger crew. New bands started forming like Pitfall, Shutdown, Anomie and Nihilst and a true hardcore scene emerged when we started to put on our own shows, make up our own demo tapes, do our own zines etc. It's fucking rad to look back on it now and have people acknowledge that we started something, a self sufficient HC scene that's been going strong for almost 15 years now. As for what we asked Ian Mackaye when Fugazi played Newcastle in 93', well the photos on the White Male Dumbinance myspace say it all... how could we ask him anything with a mouthful of his nuts??? hahaha

2- Pitfall was def one of my favourite bands as a kid, and Ben from Parkway still has his signed Pitfall shirt, haha.What does that band mean to you now thinking back on it? And how awesome was that last show at the Black Box? My leg almost fucking snapped in 2 when the biggest dog piles occurred directly on top of me! haha

Pitfall will always mean a lot to me as it was my first band and I had been busting my balls to sing in a band since day one. I'll never forget how stoked I was when Rod Pack told me they kicked out their old singer and asked me to do it after a Poison Bruno gig in which I jumped up and sang their GB "Hold Your Ground" cover. The first show I did with Pitfall was at the Hunter On Hunter with maybe 25 people there haha but I wouldn't have cared if there was 2 people there, that first night I sang with my own band it was a dream come true... and I've been an addict ever since. I'm proud of what Pitfall did in terms of putting NCHC on the map Australia wide and we were also one of the first bands to have outspokenly straight edge lyrics in a time long before SXE was remotely cool or trendy. The last show was actually at Hardcore Superbowl 97' at the Iron Duke in Sydney and the Black Box show was a reunion maybe a year or two later? Anyway yeah the Black Box show was off the hook with kids traveling from all over just to jump on top of each other and heckle my crooning during "Torn Between" haha.

3- Whilst in Arms Reach you became quite politically correct, haha, even saying some things in zines that got you into a little hot water. Do you look back now and think what was i so wound up about? Or is it just one of those things that happen when you are growing up and doing bands?

The first 2 years or so of Arms Reach was great, we had so much fun and managed to find a balance between politics and balls out hardcore without shoving our views down peoples throats. The last year of that band is difficult for me to recollect because somewhere along the way I lost my fucking mind and became a self righteous cunt haha. I think what happened is hardcore became an unhealthy obsession for me, I mean I had nothing else going on in my life and the band became a vehicle for my growing closed mindedness and blind ego. I had this distorted view that you could talk shit about your friends bands and make fun of them but at the end of the day everyone would still be cool and want to hang out with each other haha. I mean yeah part of it is just growing up and trying to figure your own shit out and I think I expressed that in songs like "Seasons For Growth" but then you have songs like "Run For Your Fucking Life" what the fuck is that about? haha. I'm in two minds about that era, part of me is still that shit stirring, arrogant cunt which can be healthy in such an arse kissing, non threatening environment that is hardcore today but you have to have the tact and wisdom to pick worthy adversaries if you're gonna choose that path, not just being a prick for the sake of it which is just boring and lame.

4- Life Love Regret was fucking intense, everyone knows what the band was about, and the first few shows i saw you were fucking INTENSE, but do you think due to the lyrical content the band had an expiry date from the start? Also,The Dead Walk has now finished up after a solid 4 years as a band, what are some highlights from both bands?

LLR definitely had a pre-determined shelf life and unfortunately we stuck around a little past our use by date haha. In truth I could've quit the band after the first few shows and been completely satisfied as nothing could match the intensity and validity of the first few shows we played. LLR was like the closure of a fucked up chapter in my life (that incidentally started in the later AR days) and the highlight of that band would easily be the first show we played at Hornsby PCYC. To be singing those lyrics for the first time in front of an audience was such an incredible emotional and spiritual release I remember being on such a high that I couldn't sleep that night. The Dead Walk! was a long overdue fuck you to all the prolonged self pity, indulgence, and inner band turmoil of later day LLR and was all about bringing it back full circle to embrace and celebrate fun, simple hardcore. The culmination of this was definitely the tour we did with Ringworm and Mindsnare which was basically a bunch of old fuckers playing hard and partying harder every fucking night... definitely one of the most amazingly fun and wild couple of weeks I've ever had.

5- Fuck iam just thinking you have sung in alot of bands,haha, but your newest band, White Male Dumbinance could quite possibly be my favourite. I think it has touches of every band you and Chippa have done, plus more. What are your goals with the band, and will there be more genius lyrics like that found on " I Dont Think So Honey"? Also, like me you are getting older, haha, but continue to do hardcore bands. What keeps you involved with the core?

White Male Dumbinance is like Life.Love.Regret playing Infest covers. How long can a band like this last? Well if you were to sit in on one of our practices you'd hear Chippa and Murray argue about the price of dildos in Thailand until they almost come to blows. I'm not even kidding. I'm stoked we finally got the 7"s released and we're playing Melbourne on New Years Eve with Extortion which should be killer but beyond that, well, anything's a bonus. At 33 years old I've come to the conclusion that I couldn't quit hardcore even if I wanted to haha. I think once you've been into something for so long, for better or worse, it just becomes part of who you are. I mean I just found out today that Gorilla Biscuits are touring Australia in December and I shit you not, I put on "Start Today" and moshed around my room with my dog for the entire album. Is that normal behaviour? No, of course it's fucking retarded and juvenile but at the same time it's kinda rad that I can still get so pysched on the prospect of seeing one of my favourite bands and I'm not completely jaded.

David Wood (Terror, Down To Nothing, Murder Weapon, Game On)

2008-09-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

1- Murder Weapon, shit was hard as fuck, blatant Set If Off rip off and all! haha. Was that your first "real" band? Did you guys tour much?

hahaha, blatant madball and no warning rip offs. Shit was mad fun. Down To Nothing was already a band, we started in 2000, Murder Weapon started the fall of 2002. We could never pull it together to do an actual tour, but we did do a lot of weekend shows. Always some long drives because we only had 2 days to do the shows. We played some cool gigs though.

2- DTN, in my opinion "The Most" was one of the best core albums to come out in the last 5 years. You guys have done a fuckload, but recently have chilled out alot, i know that its hard now with you doing Terror, etc, but do you think DTN is done? Or will you just continue to do stuff when you can?

Thanks man, we put a lot of hard work into that record, and into our band as a whole in the last few years. People are busy doing some other things right now, but Down To Nothing has worked to hard and come to far to just call it quits right now. We still got a lot things we want to do, and we have some new songs that are our best yet. So we're just going to play when we can right now, do small tours, and hopefully make it back to Australia one more time.

3- While on DTN, do you think you were the "wildest" core band out there? I know you got up to some wild shit on tour, haha. Name some things that you guys did that you think went a little bit too far. I can name one, haha...

Looking back at some of the dumb shit we've done, I'm gonna have to say yes. We're so stupid dude. We almost got deported from Australia for absolutely destroying our hotel. We've shot off roman candles, smoke bombs, and bottle rockets, inside of our van, with 7+ people in it, WHILE driving! Vandalized some of the craziest things, stolen the stupidest things you can imagine. I don't know how we haven't gotten our asses kicked, or put in prison.

4- Whats the deal with Richmond, until i just googled it i didnt even know where it was, haha. But all you dudes seem to love the place and every band from there writes songs about the place. More importantly, are their waves at Virginia Beach?

Richmond is a really small city with close suburbs surrounding it.Very chill place, very old, very historical. If you mixed Philadelphia PA and Austin Texas together, and then shrunk it, you would have Richmond. A beautiful river called, The James passes right through it which makes for great fun. Some of the earliest settlers to find the Americas sailed up the James..So you can imagine all the history.
Richmond is also dead in the middle of the east coast. 2 hours from DC, 4 from Philly, 6 from NY. You have to pass through it to go south too, so we get a lot of good tours coming through. Virginia Beach has small ass waves, but it's all those kids have to learn on, and they don't take it for granted, so dudes can fuckin shred from there! It's pretty though :)

5- You are now a fulltime member of the touring machine known as Terror. When/where was your first show and how is it all going? And how stoked are you to tour fulltime and be at hardcore shows every night of the week worldwide?

It's really a dream come true as stupid as that sounds.. Terror was one of my favorite current hardcore bands you know, and I looked up to all those guys, so it's really weird to playing with them now, but fucking awesome as well. I just finished my first tour with them, it was 2 months long, all across the States, and Canada too. My first show was in Joplin, Missouri and I was SO nervous! I played bass in Murder Weapon, and hadn't really played much since we broke up. So it was a big change going from singing back to the 4 string. I love it, we got a metal tour coming up, then some shows with Gwar, and then Suicidal Tendencies, and then Europe with Sick Of It All and H20 and a bunch of others. So pretty much I'm in Heaven right now.

Matt Miller (Most Precious Blood, Photographer)

2008-09-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

1- MPB, Whats up? Are you still a band? New Record? Tours? Getting Ross?

Yes we are still a band. we are really spread out right now though. Im living in Atlanta GA. Colin lives in DC. Justin is holding it down in Brooklyn, Rachel is in Maryland, and i think Rob sleeps in a janitors closet at Bally's gym in either Philly or Albany.
But yes we are still a band, but not nearly as active as we were. I think our flavor of CORE was passed in the wind, and we dont fall into the all over print, flat brimmed hat mosh scene , or the black fingernail poslish stupid hair crowd, so instead of us playing shows where noone gave a fuck and getting back in the van to reflect on said shitty show for the next 6 hours till we hit the next town, we decided to not tour full time anymore. and to be honest, we havent done much since. It's hard to get all of us to take time off from work and get together and fly out to meet up and shit. Its harder being a part time band than it is being a full time rock machine i tell ya!
but yes, we are working on a new record. all the jams are tracked and we are waiting on rob to get pissed off enough to get in the studio and tell everyone in the world how much he hates them. he is a fucking animal.

2- You moved from NYC back to your hometown of Atlanta a few years back. Why was that? and what are some good and bad points of each place?

Once we decided to not be a full time band, i felt there was no reason to live in NYC. Its a rad place for sure, but you live in some tiny apartment that youll NEVER own, live paycheck to paycheck, ride the stinky subway, and eat at the same 4 spots you always eat at. i just felt like i didnt take atvantage of all that nyc had to offer. i didnt go out to bars, and i didnt really care that much about staying around. everything felt like a pain in the ass to do. like you would meet up with friends to go eat, wait 2 hours for a table, eat, then there was nowhere to go, everyones apt was too far away or too small to hang out in, so then youd just get back on the train and go home..ugh!

I moved back to atlanta with my lady who got a rad job out here tattooing at 13 roses tattoo. We bought a house , have 2 cars, 2 vegan pitbulls , and life is fucking so good! i love it here, although itd be nice to have a beach or a lake or something , being land-locked sucks!

3- Your photos are fucking awesome and your blog is cool as shit. Is there a secret to taking such good pics? Or is it just your fancy camera?, haha.

man i hate that question. people see my photos and ask...yo what camera you use....like youd ask DaVinci what paint brushes he used, and if you got those same brushes, your shit would look like his. i know that most people dont realize that its lame when you ask that, but it kind of is...haha.
but anyhow, i started creeping up on being 30 this year and i decided that i needed to get serious about some sort of career, and i knew i loved taking photos, so it was time to get serious about it. I know my craft has grown leaps and bounds in the past year or so, but the hardest part is getting paid. i never thought you had to be a business man on top of taking good photos, but its so fucking easy to get taken atvantage of. noone ever wants to pay for photos. its so annoying. gear is fucking expensive , and its really time consuming to get the right photo and to edit all them shits!
but ive been working hard at taking my photography to the next level.
if you want to take a look, check my blog.

www.thefivemilegrace.com

4- Coca-Cola, i know you are a huge fan, do you think anyone else in the world consumes as much of the product as you? and what attracted you to the company in the first place?

Man. coca cola and the South go hand in hand. i was raised on that shit. and its totally the reason that ive gotten so damn FAT! but yea, Atlanta even has a coke museum. you should come check it out! It was invented in atlanta, and the first bottling plant was here. im sure ill get a coca cola tattoo one of these days. its just so damn refreshing!!!

5- Have you been surfing much lately? You were awesome that day in Sydney when you gave me a lesson.

Oh man. I'll never forget. you woke me up so early in the moring to take me out surfing. mentioned i needed a wetsuit, and that i could wear one of yours(keep in mind im a fat fuck and pete looks like a small g.i. joe) so somehow i squish into the wetsuit and i cant put my arms at my side or bend over. somehow you shove me into the car and put the coffee table, oh, i mean my surfboard ontop of the car and we head to humiliation, i mean my surfing lesson. we get to the beach and all these dudes are shredding and come up to say hi and to gawk at my dumbass in a tiny wetsuit. we tried for a couple hours and i get nowhere near standing up on that goddamned thing. it was fun, but ive never felt more out of my element. but theres gonna be Round 2 when i come out there in October!!!

NA Last Show

2008-09-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

Tickets are on sale now.

Adam Riser (Lone Wolf, Betrayed, Love Is Red, Traitor)

2008-09-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

1- One of your first bands had the faggotry meter going of the richter scale straight away for me with the name, Love Is Red, haha. Judging by the kids that like that band here in Australia i would not be down. But tell me the deal and what that band meant to you.

That band matured me is so many ways as a musician, and a person. We started that band in my basement when I was 16 years old. It took us a few years and a few member changes to fully develop our sound, but in the last year or two of that band we actually were reasonably successful by hardcore standards (booking agent, headlining shows, good turn-outs, video on MTV, etc). I think we confused a lot of people with our name sounding like some pussy indie band but our music being heavier and aggressive. We weren't a youth crew band that was putting out 7" vinyl EP's, nor were we a metal band that kept it "brutal as fuck". We had a hybrid sound to our music, so our audience was always mixed and diverse. It seemed like towards the end a few more younger kids were getting into us, and many of them even after the band broke up. I'm not so sure why that was; I'm more sure of the fact that we worked ridiculously hard to be taken seriously as a hardcore band coming from the southeastern part of the United States (a region definitely not known for producing many hardcore bands) and it was frustrating for us at the time to see bands getting record deals after only being around for 2 months and not evening touring, after we had spent years touring on a demo CD and 2 shirt designs. I think ultimately we were all just burnt out on sacrificing all our time, money, and efforts into a project that couldn't sustain our needs as individuals, and as a band. I cringe at most of the music that was written in that band when I listen to it, but at the same time I'm proud to have accomplished what I did in that band at such an early age.

2- You moved from "the depth south Alabama" (said in hick accent) to the best place in America (in my brief time there i made that decision) How great was the day you moved to HB? and why is HB the best place in that crazy country of yours?

I had nothing left for me in Alabama. So in the spring of 2005, I packed up all my shit and moved to Orange County, California with no real intentions other than just starting fresh. I didn't immediately live in Huntington Beach; at first I was in Buena Park, which is the northern-most part of Orange County. Luckily after a year of living there I scored an amazing place with great roommates right near the beach. To me, Huntington Beach is the best place I could live. Everything I could need or want is super close and attainable.....beach, good waves to surf, the majority of my friends, healthy and delicious food options, affordable living, endless entertainment, perfect weather...you get the idea. It's infinitely different than where I grew up, but definitely fits my style of living much better.

3- You played in Betrayed for quite a period of time, and got to tour the world with that band, but were never really credited as being a member. How did you feel about that? Where you cool with it cause those were Todd's songs and you were just happy to be playing and touring like the secong guitarist in Green Day?haha or did it annoy you?

Todd was kind enough to let me hop in the band really without knowing me. Given that the line-up was made up of guys who played in some of my favorite hardcore bands, I was thrilled to be a part of the project. From the beginning, Todd made it clear that he was going to handle all the music writing, and that it was a band that he and Aram wanted to do as friends. I welcomed the idea of me not having to do anything except learning the songs, show up at the shows, and have fun. It was the easiest gig in the world, and I was fortunate enough to travel and see places that I'd never get to venture to without being a part of a band like that. I've been asked a lot about what's up with me not receiving much credit with my affiliation with Betrayed; it's something that doesn't really matter to me. Like I said, I knew from the get-go that it was Todd and Aram's band, and I just helped (hopefully) bring some sound and energy to the live show. I had fun and consider it a privilege to have shared my time with 4 guys who I not only have a great deal of respect for as musicians, but as people. I don't need a text acknowledgment on a record to know my own worth. I know the part I played and that's all that matters.

4- Lone Wolf, no shit, one of my favourie current bands along with TUI, IA, etc. Whats up with the record? Is it ever coming out? And will you ever tour? Maybe with different members so that its an actual possibility? Or are Mark and Martin Lone Wolf through and through?

Lone Wolf started as just a project band. Bo Thomson approached me between watching episodes of LOST, saying we should do a heavy band. I was totally down for the idea and began putting together some songs. After most of the songs (the ones appearing on our EP) were written, we solidified our lineup by adding Mark and Nick. Martin later hopped on board too. It sucks that Lone Wolf is and probably will remain a band that moves at an ultra sluggish pace. Due to Mark and Martin staying on the road with their bands and staying busy just with life in general, it makes it nearly impossible to practice, much less play shows. I make up for it in the meantime by never ceasing at writing riff after riff and song after song. I think I have enough demo songs written right now for almost 2 LP's. Now the goal is just to find the time to fine-tune those songs and get them tracked in the studio. I suppose first we should be concerned with getting our 7"/EP released. The EP, entitled "Hallucinogenic Fate", will be out in a matter of weeks on Words of War records. It will be a 7" and digital download-only release. The songs crush hard as hell, and are just a glimpse into the sonic demolition that's ahead. We're hopefully gonna do a week-long tour in January with our Canadian buddies in Modern Crimes (A Perfect Murder members).

5- Lastly, i have to talk about our day trip to "Florida" (San Diego) that day. What was meant to be a 2 hour max drive took 6 hours plus. Was that the worst day of your life? and if you had a knife would you of buried into my stomach?

Goddamn, that day was awful. It took us 4 fucking hours to navigate through a stretch of highway that should have taken us 20 minutes! By the time we arrived, I only had time to order and eat a burrito (which was might delicious, but couldn't cover up the overwhelming taste of FAILURE) and then drag your ass off the wave pool, just to turn around and get stuck in another 4 hours of traffic. And THEN drive to Santa Barbara after the show, which was another 2 hours or so. I seriously hated you for talking me into allowing us to go to San Diego, even though it made no sense to go that far out of the way. And then you had the fucking nerve to do your "vocal warm ups" sitting in the car next to me. Even if I had a knife on me, I wouldn't stab you in fear that you might actually make noises even MORE annoying than the ones you were already creating. I think the only good thing your warm-ups produce for you is the ability to call people "faggots" from the stage during your set. I thought it was cool to see Paint It Black moshing and singing along to the No Apologies set at Sound & Fury though.

I have nothing to prove.

2008-09-07T01:44:00.000-07:00

I have been busy as fuck of late and have had no time at all for this blog.
Today was Fathers day and i ate so much at an all you can eat breakfast this morning with my Dad that i have not and wil not eat anything else today or tonight, thats awesome.
Anyway, what this blog is all about, 5 q's, there will be alot more in the coming weeks.
I have a short list of people, and they will be getting sent questions.
So i/v's will be up straight after they get them back to me.
Check your emails.

Parkway Drive Interview Part 111

2008-08-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

Parkway Drive has now turned into your job. When was it that you actually quit your job to be a fulltime "musician"? And what kind of a feeling was that? And on a side note, what are your thoughts on the flock of bands that now start off with the objective of being a "fulltime band" by decking out their myspace, doing promo pics and printing merch before they have even played a show?

It became our job when we first went over seas. At that point it basically became impossible to hold down a job in Byron as well as doing the band and going OS. It was a weird feeling. This has never felt like a job, but to have the band become our only source of income was both a bit crazy and at the same time a bit daunting. I'm not a musician. I'm just a kid who likes playing shows and is lucky enough to be in the position to play enough that i can travel and support myself and my family.

I guess shit has changed pretty quick in this "scene" but your right, there is definitely a growing flock of people trying to make a band with the primary goal of making money. For me it’s kind of like reading the Motley Crue book, "The Dirt". They started that band to be rock stars. That’s it. To me, rock stars and hardcore are at the two opposite ends of the scale. All the promo, all the bulletins, all the merch and all the hype can never replace true substance and heart and there are so many bands that still don't get it. The sad thing is everyone can see right thought that kind of shit and more often than not it just comes back around to kick them in the face.

For me this whole experience has never been about anything more than doing what i love and having fun. I play music that i enjoy. I have a goal to express myself though this medium and live my life. That’s’ it. That’s all this is. Everything else that has happened just happened. I’m not going to complain or say that its shit and i wish we still played to twenty kids a night, because honestly, i don’t really care, i still have the same feeling playing on stage and going to shows that i did when we first started. The day that feeling dies is the day i walk away from this band.

For a fulltime band that obviously has to spend lots of time around each other, you guys really do still get along well.
I know that it would change from day to day but do you ever feel like, "fuck this" and just don’t want to get on that stage.
Like guitarists can get up and play on a night they are not that excited, but for you as the "front man" and the singer, you have to remain (at least to others) upbeat and charismatic, and put on a show for the payers.
How do you do this day in day out? Or like you said in your previous answer do you genuinely enjoy what you do?

It's actually easy. I work pretty much in two ways. Playing on stage is my outlet. It’s the only way i get all my negative, pissed, fucked up shit out of my head. The person on stage is pretty much the only thing keeping the person off stage alive and sane. Anyone that knows me knows im totally different off stage. Basically i'm a shy, anti social, misanthropist in every day life. The only way i can keep my head in line is by let the other shit out, but like i've said before, that’s what hardcore has always been about for me.

So basically there is no real need to "perform" or whatever. I get as much out of playing as people do that are watching me. Still i can't say that there has never been a time i didn’t want to play and had to. It's fucked when it happens. If my head isn't in the right place then its sooooo awkward having to play songs that normally mean so much to me but for some reason or another don't apply at that point in time.

You guys are killing it worldwide at the moment and its only getting bigger and bigger, but there has to be a time when things start to drop off a bit and crowds get a little smaller. Have you guys talked about what to do when this does eventually happen? Like i know Graham probably has a business plan for you, haha, but what i love is that you guys just do what you do and don’t give a fuck about what anyone else is doing.

Yeah we've talked about it a bit. We have plenty of theories, but it’s kind of hard to even imagine. I mean not imagine parkway going down, but imagine what we'd fell like doing when it happens. It’s weird because every day that passes, every show you rock up at you’re just waiting for the fall, because to be honest i've been waiting for it for years, but for some reason we keep going up. Its great but kind of unnerving at the same time and i guess it makes everything all the more uncertain, because the longer we spend doing the band, the older we get and the more options get shut down to us due to age, education and circumstances. It’s weird.

Your right in saying we don't give a fuck, because we never have, so i'd love to say that we'll be doing this forever no matter what, but i think travelling and being in such close confines with the same group of minds and personalities changes your perspective pretty dramatically. What was great for you last year may not be so great the next. That being said we're lucky we are all still such good friends and are still stoked on life. I still love what i do, love hardcore, love records, love shows and love my friends, and for me that's never going to change.

What would Winston McCall be doing right now if the hardcore band he started with his mates to play shows at the local Youth Centre didn’t blow up and end up taking him all over the world touring and playing shows to thousands of poeple?
And, what do you see for yourself in the future after the band is said and done?

I’d be at uni, doing god knows what and getting barrelled at tallow’s i guess hahaha, but seriously i honestly couldn't say. I can remember being at a bit of a loose end before parkway came along. Touring just gave me something to do that i wouldn't have had otherwise, and then it slowly took over.

After the band im not sure. we're going to be seriously behind the eight ball when it comes to any kind of employment qualifications. I guess we could all be pretty fucked, especially being from Byron, but we'll see what happens. I’ll start another hardcore band. Not sure what anyone else will do.

Parkway Drive, the house, and the people behind it. How big a part of the band and Byron Bay Hardcore in general has the Parkway house and The Gordon Family been? From jamming there, to just hanging out there, to even having a couple of shows there. And also housing pretty much every touring band that has been through Bryon/Qld.(As well as your parents place!)

A huge part. like I’ve said in plenty of interviews before, there is a reason we named the band what we did. That place is our home, and has been the home of many BBHC bands before us. We hung out there, jammed there, helped build what we could of it and had the occasional show there. The Gordon family have done so much for this band and the Byron scene in general, i highly doubt anyone will ever be able to comprehend it. Between the Parkway house and my parent’s house, they pretty much enabled every band that has ever come to our small little town to be able to stop and play instead of just passing through to Brisbane or Sydney.

We had some great shows in that house. I’m not sure if Restraint ever played? I think you did, but Parkway, Think Straight, Shoot To Kill, Blueprint For A Nightmare, IKTPQ, Shot Point Blank, Comeback Kid and i think some other bands all smashed that room at one point or another during the years

Jed Gordon, the man, the myth, the legend, and for the past few years your Tour Manager/Lighting Guy.
How is the Chode? Is he still hanging in there or is he hating life? And how is it to travel through numerous countries with him? and when times are tough is it easy just to write him off and have a laugh again?

hahaha ummm, maybe not the best tour to ask me that question. He's done his part in the band over the years. He's fat, he's useless, bar lights and yes we laugh at him. He’s a good mate, but a shit worker. Travelling with him is stressful, funny, and smelly. He has some foul body odours. Still mates though.

Ok, word association time. Tell me the first things that come to mind when you read these words?

Sugar- Brain

San Diego- The fucking wave house!!!!!

Touring- Heaven and hell

Home- Jess and kitten

Desmond- Jeff

Graz- Newtown

Alright, let’s finish this up. I know your memory is about as good as mine, but what are some highlights from the last few years that you will never forget? And what does the future hold for Parkway Drive? New album? DVD? Limited edition 43 colour split 7"? haha

Everything is a highlight. I never could have imagined i would have seen so much of the world or experienced the things i have. I would never have thought that i would meet some of my closest friends on the other side of the planet. Being in this band, travelling with my friends, playing shows and doing shit from the ground up, our way, has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Sleeping in car parks and in fields. Eating nothing but raw corn for four days straight. Getting caught in floods and tornados. Living life. It’s crazy.

The future is a hard one to predict. Everything changes so quickly. I’m surprised we've lasted this long let alone still having new kids listen to us. We're just going to keep what we're doing until we breakdown completely. Releases wise we're working on a DVD documentary thing. We have filmed EVERYTHING we have experienced in the bands existence and it's pretty interesting so we're going to try and make that ourselves. Another challenge I’m looking forward to. We're also starting to write again slowly, but we're going to try to make a couple of changes to the way we write, see if we can mix it up a bit this time. 43 colour split7" fuck yeah lad hahaha. Nah seriously I’d love to release something on Vinyl, but i doubt the other guys really care hahaha. Ah well.

On the whole i just want to keep playing shows. We played ieper fest in Belgium last night and it was one of the craziest things i've ever seen. basically it just made me smile and think, i love hardore, i love playing in this band with my friends and i'm going to do this until my voice is destroyed and i can't stage dive anymore.... then I’m going to learn bass hahaha.

U.S.A

2008-08-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

(edit- Parkway Drive are out on tour right now in the states, so instead of trying to conclude part 111 of the interview with Winston i will wait till he is home)

2 days ago i returned home from my first trip to the United States of America.
It was a pretty crazy trip, but instead of trying to break it right down iam just going to post some random thoughts and pics.
Here goes;

-Burritos are great in California, i ate alot of them.

-The flowrider is also great, if i lived in San Diego i would go there every day.
(and then maybe i would be able to actually surf the fucking thing and not have to ride a bodyboard.

-We bodysurfed the Wedge at a solid 6 foot and it was great but we got fucked up.

-The weather too was also great. i was meant to get tattooed but barred it cause i wanted to go to the beach every day.

-Sound and Fury was a long fucking weekend but some great fucking sets went down (Trash Talk, Violation, Rise and Fall, Trapped Under Ice, Terror, Alpha & Omega, Bitter End, Blacklisted and Ceremony to name but a few GREAT ones)
We got a good response but played like fucking shit and iam still pissed off about it.

-Thanks to my brother Todd, for putting my band on his fest and making me after a solid 5 years of saying "ill be there this summer" actually be there this summer

-Santa Barbara/ Carpinteria was great. Going surfing with Derek and Chris Violation ruled, even though it was tiny.

-Corey Williams, Greg Bacon and Adam Riser are men amonst men. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.

-It was good to catch up with old friends or recently made ones

-I even met some new people who i actually got along with (Bo, Luis, Edgar, Joey, Josh, and iam sure iam missing some) which dosent happen often, if Bo Thomson and i lived on the same side of the world things would be wild.

-I enjoyed baseball alot more than i thought i would. However there was no fight or home runs hit at the game i went to. 2 things i would of liked to of seen(in that order).

-Tijuana was great. Carlos and Rene rule as do Forfeit and Foundation. I want to travel through ALL of mexico one day.

-I got my first ever razor blade shave in Tijuana and it was great!

Parkway Drive Interview Part 11

2008-07-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, lets change pace a little here. Personally for you as a young kid growing up in the beautiful town of Byron Bay, what attracted you to hardcore? As in what bands, records, etc, and also what attracted you to the ideals behind hardcore, and further off shoots of that, straightedge and vegetarianism?

For me it came from punk, which came from surf video's and the radio. I can remember hearing these songs that were so fast and so intense that they just stood out from everything else. I started listening to the music i heard on certain surf vid's, bands like pennywise, front end loader and of course, throwdown. Then i heard bad religion. Basically i heard a band that sounded like these bands that had taken over my world, but the singer was throwing out these words and ideas and concepts that were so intelligent i just couldn't get my head around it. They made me actually want to pick up a book and have a look at the ideas they we're putting out there. I guess that's when i found the idea behind punk, and i went back and took the time to read the lyrics of these bands that i was listening to and find out what they were about. It was great to realise there was so much more than just a sound but someone that actually gave a fuck and encouraged open minded thought.

From punk my musical influence just spread and spread until it hit hardcore. Once again i started hearing these sounds that we're new to me, mainly being faster, rawer, and more intense. It was a challenge to get my head around, and i've always loved a challenge. Bands like throwdown lead to raised first, which lead to strife, which lead to new friends with a whole stack of shit i had never even heard of.

By this time i was in high school and some of life's reality’s were hitting home, especially regarding the beautiful town i lived in. Unemployment, lack of future options, racism, homelessness and street violence all of a sudden became a lot clearer to me, and i guess i found out it isn't the perfect place the tourist brochure's tell you about. I guess it lead me to ask the question, "how can this beautiful little town get so fucked up?" Basically the problem's i came up with were the same things these bands were confronting. I guess it just made me feel a little better to know that it wasn't just me that gave a fuck about a fucked up world.

Straight Edge for me came from Strife, Ten Yard Fight, Earth Crisis and Pitfall. It was something i had no idea about. How the fuck do you live without getting drunk? At the time i was 17 and i had just started drinking after years of telling my friends I'd rather be surfing. The new experience was amazing to me and i got fucked up as much as i could, which later lead to me fucking up my education and becoming very ill. I'll blame that one on my Irish heritage. Anyway i can remember laughing about it when i first heard what it stood for. Two years later, I was done with wasted nights. The idea of keeping my brain cells and memory seem too logical to deny.

I've been vegetarian since birth and i wouldn't have it any other way, except i hate veggies and they taste shit. But pasta and tofu are good.

Do you recall if it was a single show, or maybe a band's record that made you think to yourself, "hang on, i could do this, i want to be in a band"? Am i right in saying the first hardcore band in Byron was Think Straight? If not who was it? and iam sure they were friends which made the idea of being in a band of your own not seem like an impossibility, and also how supportive was the whole Byron Bay hardcore scene in these early stages?

It was a show. DOC and Mindsnare on the gold coast. I think it was 2001 but i may be wrong. Anyway, it was less of a , "hey i could do this" feeling, and more just me seeing how young DOC were and seeing how crazy Mindsnare went that made me actually "want" to do something.

Your right in Think Straight being the first hardcore band to come out of Byron, and seeing them play definitely influenced the way i saw hardcore on a whole as more accessible than any type of music i had ever heard before. The only down side to seeing my friends play was realising how shit i was at playing any kind of musical instrument (and i still am). I realised early on that all hope was lost in that department, no matter how simple the chords or beats where.
The Byron scene on a whole has always been supportive, although with all the write offs that go down i can see how people can think it appears otherwise. Back then it was very very small. One band. No venue. Halls or parties were the only places to play in Byron and not too many people cared outside of our very small community. For years it remained small, we went to whatever shows we could. Most of them Think Straight were playing. Most of them we had to sneak in somehow due to being under age. We got whatever lifts we could to get to the venues, which included Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Ipswich. It's all blown up pretty huge now. Lot's of faces i have never seen before and far less that strike me as familiar, but i've kind of noticed that nation wide.

You just touched on it, but how do you feel about the current popularity of hardcore in Australia at the moment? With bands selling out the roundhouse and other larger venues.
But with this rise in numbers, gone are the days of pulling up to a venue and playing to a room of familiar faces.
Obviously there are good and bad points from this, what are your thoughts?

I think the rise in popularity goes hand in hand with the rise of the internet and the availability of music. Before the net came along you couldn't find records anywhere other than a few select shops, therefore the amount of people listening and being exposed to hardcore outside the scene itself was tiny. Basically unless you stumbled into one of these stores or your friend showed you a band you had no exposure at all, where as nowday's records are everywhere, band video's are on TV and every man and his dog are wearing a shitty Ramones shirt. All you have to do to hear something new is browse though myspace or track down a band from a friends personal page. A bit different from mixed tapes and mail orders. To be perfectly honest i think it is only a very very small portion of kids at these giant shows that actually have a clue what hardcore is about, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sure there are less familiar faces and the rooms are huge but it's like fun, and everyone knows that with the rise comes the fall. It's only a matter of time. I say enjoy something different while it lasts, cause you know when shows go back to being small rooms of friends, the kids that were complaining in the first place will be gone anyway. Plus it's only crazy for a few bands anyway. Hardcore shows still go on like usual. It's pretty simple. Parkway somehow has got to the stage where playing the arthouse just can't happen. We've thought about it and tried to work out a tour with small personal venues, but the thing is we'd have to play the same venue several nights in a row, we'd be fucked, and the shows would end up full of people saying "why is this venue so shit". So basically fuck it. We still try and play hardcore shows. We try and play the most personal venues possible for us, which these days means a barrier, which sucks, but what the fuck else are we supposed to do? And we still play with hardcore bands. In case people don't know or haven't realised yet, we are in the unique position of being able to bring bands form overseas to tour with us, which means we can bring friends and bands that kids in Australia might miss out on seeing, and for us it means bringing good hardcore bands. So there it is, there's a positive and a negative to every situation.

Thats awesome that you guys are in the position to do that, and i know that The Warriors and Have Heart have already benefited from it (as well as Her Nightmare, No Apologies, Antagonist and Break Even among alot of others). What other bands would you like to see make it to our great country. And what bands in general over the past 5 or so years have kept you siked on the core? Whether it be just by hearing their record, or seeing them play in some weird venue in Germany.

This is Hell and Rise and Fall for starters, but as you know i'm just a fifth of the band and there is a lot of difference in our musical taste. Both of the bands are really good friends and both are amazing hardcore bands so hopefully we can bring them out at some point in time, if they don't make it here by themselves firstly.

There has been too many bands keeping me sane over the years through both their music and their friendship so i'll role off a few. Internal Affairs, Down to Nothing, Have Heart, The Warriors, Rise and Fall, Knuckledust, Sick Of It All, Madball, Terror, This Is Hell, Comeback Kid, Most Precious Blood, Ringworm, 108, The Hope Conspiracy, Bury your Dead, Converge, Evergreen Terrace, 50 Lions, and god knows how many more.

Probably the best and most lasting live shows or bands i have seen have been from two bands.

No 1. RISE AND FALL

The first time I saw these guys was at Eiper Fest in Belgium a few years ago. Seriously, hearing these guys on record and seeing them live are two different things entirely. The loudest, the heaviest and the most intense band i have ever seen. We've played with them a fair bit since and they are great friends, but seriously, very time i see them it feels like my chest is about to explode. They are just so fucking hectic.

No. 2 HAVE HEART

We played with these guys in a tiny Club in Japan purely out of chance. To be honest I never saw what the hype was about with these guys. Then they played, and holy shit, what a fucking hardcore band. These guys are so young, so honest, and carry so much passion and integrity i feel very very bad for not taking the time to get into these guys earlier. Seriously good dudes and one of the best hardcore bands i have ever witnessed.

Ok, back to Parkway Drive. You guys have been out on the road for at least 3/4's out of the year for the past few years, How hard do you find it being away from your home and loved ones? I know that it must be tough, but does the one thing that helps you to get through it is knowing the fact of how fortunate you are to be in such a position to see the world for free, travel with your mates and play shows all over the place?

This year has been the easiest out of the last 3, simply because we worked so hard that we are now in the position to be able to plan our tours bit better as apposed to just jumping on whatever we can. We've tried the rough approach of month on, month off, and it seems to be working well. Up until then i was pretty much at the end of my rope. Tour is great but to be honest it was breaking me apart as a person. I love hardcore and being in this band so much, but at the same time I love my girlfriend and leaving her on the other side of the world for months on end while i go and travel just mad me feel ill. We all realise how lucky we are to be doing what we are doing, and we are all to aware that it wont last so that really does keep us running. I don't think any of us would have guessed our lives would turn out this way but it is one of those things that you have to take while the chance is there. Life is strange i guess.

Of all the places that you are lucky enough to have travelled, which are some favourites? and over the last few years what are some shows that stick out in your mind?
Also, tell the readers some things that Parkway get up to on off days.

Favourite places would be, in no particular order, Greece, Scotland, Russia, Venice, Rome, France, OC and Japan. Show wise, let me think. We've played so many its hard to pin point these days. Pretty much every show we've played in London has been ridiculous. The Underworld is probably the best venue in the world. The last show we played in Koln, Germany was completely mental. Kids jumping of the speaker stacks, a couple of girls flying into the drums and the whole kit exploding rolling stones style and kids swinging from the lighting rig. That was a good one. There was another stupidly crazy show on the last Never Say Die tour with comeback kid.we played in some little town in italy. The stage was tiled so it was like ice skating. The was about six or seven hundred kids in this tiny room and you could just roll around on top of them. Like i said it too hard to pick. Every show that kids rush the stage is crazy.We've tried to make a point of seeing as much of the world as we can through playing in the bands. The first year of touring in Europe we drove ourselves and saw and did some crazy shit. We crossed over the French alps, went thought the highlands in Scotland, hung out in Venice for a night, cruised around Rome and Athens and saw other crazy shit. Other than the standard sight seeing stuff we still try and hit the water as much as we can. We get to surf a bit with whatever boards we can. The first few times we surfed the wedge in California it was huge and we didn't have gear so we stole some food trays from Del Taco and surfed them. it worked pretty good. Oh yeah i jumped of a 40 metre bridge in the states somewhere. stoked i'm still alive. Oh yeah the other great thing is breaking into a water park in the states at midnight and turning all the rides on. That was some of the craziest shit we've ever done. We almost died.

Hoya Roc (Madball, Hazen St, Skarhead, Dmize, DMS)

2008-06-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

1- Madball, never put out a bad record, in your own words "when everyone else started singing ohh ahh's we just wanted to be harder", thats fucking great! haha. Whats your favourite MB record? Favourite songs? and some shows that have stood out for you over the years?

WELL MY FAVE MADBALL REC IS DMS,,,HOLDIT DOWN ,,AND INFILTRATE THE SYSTEM,,,I THINK THOSE RECORDS REPRESENTED WERE NYHC WAS AT THE TIME YOU KNOW,,,SET IT OFF IS FIRST SONG I WROTE FOR MADBALL,,SO THATS MY FAV TRACK,,AND THE FUCK SLAPSHOT SONG TOO !! AHAH...THERE SO MANY GREAT SHOWS,,WE HAD ALOT CLASSIC SHOWS IN OZ...AND SOUTH AMERICA IS OFF THE HOOK...

2- NYHC, you grew up in the midst of it, who were some of your favourite bands at the time both on record and live? Who were the craziest fuckers in the pit? and did shit ever get scary?

MY FAV BANDS WERE AGNOSTIC FRONT,,RAW DEAL...LEEWAY ..CROMAGS...BREAKDOWN...REST IN PIECES..MY FAV ALLTIME FAV BAND IS BLACK SABBATH..!AS FAR AS THE PIT...SO MANY NUTS THEN..MINUS OLD SINGER FROM MARAUDER,,HE USE TO DANCE WITH A MONKEY WRENCH ON HIS HANDS AHAH..SHIT USE TO BE REAL CRAZYY,,AND SCARY,,BUT IT WAS FUN!

3- DMS Vs the Bra Boys, who would win in a no holds cage match? haha

DMS WINS...!!!!THEY GOT ABS...WE GOT KNOCK OUT POWER !!HAHA
I LIKE WHAT THOSE GUYS DO OUT THERE,,KINDA LIKE US,,,BUT NOT AS GOOD LOOKIN,,AND NO SPEEDOS HHAA

4- I am a movie star now, but when are you going to be in a film that dosent go straight to DVD? haha, But seriously is acting something you would like to do more of in the future?

AHAAH WELL FUCK U AND AHAHA...YEHH WERE ALL TRYING TO DO MOVIE THING,,,,ITS SOMETHING FOR FUN..AND WHO KNOWS I MIGHT BE THE NEXT ANTONIO BANDERAS !!

5- You have toured the world for years, what are some of your favourite destinations and why? and where will you retire?

ILL NEVER RETIRE,,ILL STOP WHEN PEOPLE SAY MY MUSIC IS WACK

YOU KNOW WE LOVE PLAYIN OZ...SOUTH AMERICA,,GERMANY..HOLLAAND ESP !! AHAA...ANYWERE WERE THE KIDS FEEL WHAT WE DO
LAST WORD FOR IS
PETE YOU SCUMBAG

Parkway Drive Interview Part 1

2008-06-18T02:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, here goes. This is part 1 of what will be a 3 part interview with my good mate and Parkway Drive singer, Winston McCall. For future reference during this interview here are some abbreviations and alias's to help you understand what the hell we are talking about.
Pig= Luke
Gaz= Ben
Pie= Jia
Chode= Jed
Jbocc= an abbreviation for Jeff and Berwin's Original Call Crew ( a tough crew of ugly heads)
Youthy= The Byron Bay Youth Centre
Enjoy

Lets start right back at the beginning, who's idea was it to start the band?, i know that you were all in other bands at the time also, so how did the first line up come about? Who were your influences at this point? and what, if any goals did you set for yourselves?

I think it was a combination of myself and Gaz at the start. we'd both done hardcore bands before and just wanted to try something a little different. The idea at the time was just to try and be as heavy as we possibly could. We knew it would sound more metal but all we had as a reference for sound was the hardcore bands we knew. Neither of us listened to metal, (and we pretty much still don't), and the whole "metalcore" thing hadn't blown up yet so we just tried, and wanted it to be heavy, but still come from as much of a hardcore background as we could. The next step was finding a guitarist that could actually play the kind of shit we wanted to do, and coming from Byron our options we're very very slim, and by slim i mean there was only one.

Some kid called Jeff who Gaz kind of knew that could apparently play heavy shit, knew a bit about hardcore and wore tracksuit pants a lot. We jammed with him a couple of times. He was metal, real shit metal. Everything was drenched in reverb and was pretty tripped out. We thought it might not work out, but after we told him reverb on everything sound like an echoing shit, he played some mental riff and we freaked out. We jammed with him a bit and another guy who was even more tripped out than Jeff, until we decided to ask our old mate pig if he wanted to play guitar with us too, which worked out well because pig wrote some great hardcore riffs and Jeff wrote some great metal stuff so the both taught each other i guess. We had no real goals, its was just for fun, its always just been for fun. I mean what the hell does a band from Byron Bay have to aim for anyway. For us, hardcore meant playing at the local youth centre and hanging with our few friends who liked doing the same.

Do you remember much from the first few practices? They would of been at Parkway (the house) right? and what do you remember about the first show? Did you have enough songs for a setlist and who was it with? Iam presuming it was at the Youthy?

Yeah kinda. it was pretty weird and rough. i can just remember thinking how strange it all sounded. we just started playing shit. Jeff was playing actual riffs which freaked us out because basically all we ever heard was power chords, so this was something strange for us. Plus the fact we chose to tune the guitars lower than anything we'd heard before, meant we were all in over our heads when it came to any kind of experience producing the sounds we wanted. I think shit actually came together pretty quickly because we ended up playing a show after only a few weeks but i may be wrong, i cant remember that well.

Our first show was at the youth centre with charred remains, shoot to kill and from these wounds. At the time Gaz was still drumming in STK (Shoot To Kill) so he played two sets, which was a charge. I can't remember much other than crafter being present, jeff wearing a huge Nike shirt and filthy tennis shoes, and me moshing out to my own band on stage. We played about 6 songs. It was pretty mental. Our mates moshed, chode ran through the pit and fly kicked the roller door. Meatdog was going crazy. All in all it was great. I can remember finishing and thinking how fucking fun it was playing a type of music that kids can just lose there shit to for an entire set, and not just certain parts. From these wounds headlined and showed everyone how to play real metal. Fuck they used to be good.

When was your first out of town show? Iam guessing it would of been in Brisbane during the peak of the infamous "NCHC", haha. I can imagine you all jumping into the piece of shit JBOCC van (like we did last week) and making the drive up to Brisbane. Did it feel like you had made it, or did you just take it as another show?

Not sure on the date but it was the famous Mary Street venue in Brissy. To be honest i Can't remember much about the entire show other than I was wearing a shitty Your Night Sky T-shirt (pigs old pop punk band). I don't think Jeff even owned his shit house van yet it was that long ago. I have no idea how we got up there. I think a whole crew of Byron kids scammed rides with everyone and we just did a big convoy of cars. It didn't really feel like we'd "made it". To be honest there has never been a time when it's felt like that. Show's are just shows. I don't think the idea of hardcore and "making it" really. We never had a goal to get anywhere, but i guess we were stoked to play a show out of our home town. I think it was only our third show at that point so it was pretty cool.

At this point did you guys make a point to play as often as you possibly could wherever you could? Was there any sort of plan at all? Or were you just happy to play any show you could get on? Do you remember any shockers or good shows from this early stage?

We definitely made the point to play whenever we could we could but there was never any plan behind it all, we just like playing shows. It's all we had. When we started the band it was very very rare for Australian hardcore bands tour, let alone frequently, so the idea of doing the band as anything less than just something fun to do wasn't even bought into the equation. Every show back then was great (we still have only played a handful of shows the we actually didn't enjoy). The fact that we got to travel and go to shows was amazing. Every show our mates came to and destroyed everyone. I'm sure anyone that saw us in the first couple of years of our existence would have been smashed by at least one of them. It was great.

The first tour we ever did was with IKTPQ and we took a convoy of 2 vans, one being the newly purchased shitbox, the JBOCC mobile, and Paul Birds equally shit van. It was great. It took us three days to drive to Melbourne thanks to some shocking navigation. We played at the arthouse and in Melbourne and freaked out because mindsnare had played there. Strange fact about our show other Melbourne show, Kiss Chasey played between us and Prom Queen. The only kind of shocking show we played was in some dodgey club in brisbane to a handful of people. Kids sitting down and drunks trying to start fights. It was pretty shit other than our then 13 yeah old mate Haz( who now does our merch) cart wheeling into some dude holding a beer and almost cutting the dudes finger off. I think that was the first ever ambulance at a parkway show.

You touched on that your first tour was with IKTPQ, was this before or after the split with them was released? Did Parkway Drive ever record a demo? or were the songs on the IKTPQ split or the "What We've Built" Comp your first recorded songs? and which came first? What do you remember about entering a recording studio for the first time?

Yeah the tour with IKTPQ was just after the split cd came out, but we had a demo before that. It was a tape with a hand written lyric sheet jammed in the case and no cover. classy. This was before the days of mass cd burning and myspace. I think we only made about 20 copies. Some went to mates in Adelaide and Melbourne, the rest just circulated Byron. I think I still have one.

It had six songs on it I think. We recorded it on Jeff's shitty 4 track in the Parkway House. One take, everything all played at once. I think it sounded ok, but i can't remember that well. The songs later went on to be on both the Split and the "what we've built" comp, re recorded of course. The first time we ever went into the studio was for the split, but we recorded 7 songs and used them on both the Split and the Byron Comp. It was mental. We recorded in a town called Austonville (i think thats how you spell it), about half an hour west of Byron. The first day we drove there in Jeff's new van he freaked out and thought we we're lost and we're all going to die. Being in the studio was crazy. We had no idea what we we're doing and the guy recording had no idea what we wanted sound wise. He had only done some shitty new metal and Hippy stuff before so it was hard to explain that the vocals we're supposed to sound heavy and the guitars needed to just chug in certain bits. All in all it came out pretty well. It was a defining learning experience. The funniest thing i can still remember to this day is Jeff handing the engineer Hatebreed's "Perseverance", and saying i want it to sound like that hahaha.

My true friends, you mean the world to me, Your friendship means everything.

2008-06-16T04:33:00.000-07:00

I spent the last week or so hanging with my mates in a band called Parkway Drive and it has got me to thinking. You would be hard pressed to find better people anywhere on this planet, and you would be hard pressed to find a better band.

They deserve every little bit of success that they are currently enjoying and the haters can say what they will, but Parkway Drive are the real deal.

I have begun work on an extensive interview with my good friend Winston who sings in the band, but his is not going to be another 5q's (the one he has previously done is already up, but there will be more NEW 5q's up soon i promise), i am going to try and start from the very beginning and cover everything the band has done and been through, so it may take a while, but it will be worth the wait.

Hardcore All Stars

2008-06-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

My last post got me to thinking, what if you could pick a band made up of your favourite players, to all join forces and write and play music together.

How awesome would that be?

Todd, Nick and Scott would all be my first pick's from the 2000's thats for sure, but thinking more about it, its too fucking hard to try and pick 1 band.

Comment me who would make up your band, but here is a list of dude's that can get you started to choose from.

FRONT MEN

John Joseph

Ian MacKaye

John Brannon

Mike Judge

Ray Cappo

Chaka Malik

Anthony Comunale

Jeff Perlin

Roger Miret

Freddy Madball

Civ

Diwd

Human Furnace

Scott Vogel

GUITARISTS

Dr Know

Paris

AJ Novello

Matt Henderson

Porcell

Gavin Van Vlack

Vic Dicara

Walter

Frank Novinec

Mike Dijian

Todd Jones

Pete Bursky(no shit)

BASS PLAYERS

Craig Setari

Hoya Roc

(its only out of these two so pick one!)

DRUMMERS

Mackie

Earl Hudson

Armand Majidi

Alan Cage

Nick Jett

Even just making this list was hard.

I know i have missed people, so let me know who i did miss, and who would make up your band.

Life And Death To Me

2008-06-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

Not many people know that i have this tattoo. I got it after one of my old bands (Last Nerve) toured with Terror in 2003(fuck, that was 5 years ago?) It looked fucking awesome the week i got it, but then it kinda ran, i guess it was the red ink?, anyway, Terror came along at a time in my life when i was starting to lose interest rapidly in hardcore, i had even begun growing my thick as fuck hair out (after touring with SOIA my nickname became wig it was that bad) and was wearing jeans way more than any kid that lives in Australia should.

I remember the first time i heard Terror, it was in Adelaide at my brother Dan Smith's place.

He had just returned home from the states and was raving about how good they were and he showed me their demo. I'm not sure why, but i wasn't instantly into it. I dubbed a copy of the demo and over the next few months it was all i listened to.

Not long after that"Lowest Of The Low" came out, and it was then that i was fucking hooked.

Not only was the music fucking hard, but the lyrics were right up my alley. It was like someone had crept into my brain when i was asleep, stole my thoughts and used them, haha.

And then after touring with them, it further cemented in my mind that this band was the real deal. They were hardcore kids playing hardcore music, nothing more nothing less. The years (and some members) may have passed, but nothing has changed.

They just released a new record, "The Damned, The Shamed" and its fucking great, go out and get it and keep an eye on this page for a review soon.

But while I'm on Terror, i want to talk about the early musical collaboration that formed the band and wrote their first songs. Nick Jett, Scott Vogel and Todd Jones. These 3 dudes are not only (i think) 3 of the best at what they do that have come along in the last 10 years (forever?), but they are/were all on the same page not only musically but mentally. The lyrics to any of the songs on "Lowest Of The Low" (esp Keep Your Distance) could of been written by any of these dudes.

Both Nick and Todd have also written a song for No Apologies, and i only just thought about this but the songs both start with the same first 2 notes. Coincidence or not, the dudes are on the same page.

(Edit- I know this blog is meant to be all about the 5 q's, but i havent had time lately, plans are in place for some fresh new ones though, questions will be sent soon)

Seekers Of The Truth

2008-05-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

In Febuary of 2003 i and 3 of my friends (Graham, Ricky and Dave) toured Australia with a line up of the Cro-Mags, JJ was singing and thats all we really cared about anyway, but the band ( AJ Novello and Rocky George on Guitars, Franklin Rhi on Bass and G-Man on the skins) were fucking great though and seeing those songs played night after night with John singing was awesome.

This tour was a huge turning point of my life. On this tour i met my partner, who i am with to this day and cant see ever not being with, i (and Graham)turned vegetarian (thanks to John and his knowledge on the matter)and i decided that i was going to spend the next few years of my life doing exactly this, touring.

That is not what this post is about though, iam going to steal Chuckys idea here.

I feel this shirt and the story behind it are far to good not to be made public.

So here goes.

Throughout the tour John and i regularly discussed training/boxing/personal fitness and said that if we had a chance anywhere that we would hit a gym and do some training.

Half way through the tour we had a day to kill in Melbourne so we decided to make it happen.

Graham drove me to the hotel in St Kilda where the band where staying, the tour was super budget so we werent even staying in a hotel(from memory we slept on someones floor?), but their hotel looked fucked up anyway, there were junkies hanging around out the front and the place was fucking shot(quite fitting i guess)

John met me out the front and we went to his room so he could grab his bag and get changed into his training gear. He took his shirt off and put on the above shirt and as soon as i saw it i was like "aaahhhh fffuuuccckk", John told me that the Rock Hotel used to print up shirts for when they had a good show on and only give them to band members/crew, and in the same sentence said "here you go bro, its yours", and took it off and threw it at me.

I couldn't believe my ears, but that sums John up in one sentence, the dude would give you the shirt off his back, literally.

It was a large and a little big at the time, but i still wore it (of course).

A few years ago i got my cousins wife to take it in and it fits great now, but maybe a touch too long, but its still def wearable and i plan on bringing it back into rotation with a bunch of older shirts that i have had in retirement for the last few years.

Oh, and yeah we trained that day, at some trendy fucking gym on the water at St Kilda that charged us $100 each (John paid and wouldnt let me pay for myself no matter what i said) and i can tell you, John must be one of the fittest 40 something year olds going around.

He by his own admission was a little out of shape, but i was glad, cause if that was him out of shape, i dont know if i would of been able to keep up had he been in shape.

He took me through a whole lot of the Navy Seals training he had done, plus weights and to finish we had a nice leisurely jog on treadmills next to each other which turned into us both sprinting from trying to outdo each other by turning up the speed on each others machines.

John ran every day on the tour i did with him in Europe in 2006, and i didnt go once, i didnt have runners plus i was still asleep in my bunk probably hours after he got back(i wasent getting to sleep most nights until around 4am) but i wish i went every day.

Maybe next time...

Holy Fuck

2008-05-27T05:09:00.001-07:00

3 Posts in one night! I'm going crazy! haha

I just found these and i cant believe my eyes. Bad Brains Vans!?!

I am by no means a fashionable guy and i dont usually spend shit on clothes/shoes/etc but if any of my american friends see this, feel free to go down to your nearest Supreme store and get me a pair of these suckers (Size 10 thanks)

Mixtape Madness

2008-05-27T04:08:00.000-07:00

I'm crazy, I'm the kind of person that when they get an idea in their head i HAVE to do it and i HAVE to do it RIGHT NOW. So i guess thats why for the last 2 hours i have been making Ricky a mix tape (yes, an actual cassette tape! remember them? fuck itunes for making shit so easy, actually sorry i take that back) to show my appreciation for him making me that tape all those years ago.

It also got me to thinking, where in my life would i be if Ricky never gave me that tape, or basically if i never "found" Hardcore. I dont want to get to deep on this but through hardcore i met my partner, met most of my friends, have travelled around my country more times than i could count, have travelled overseas, have grown as a person, etc, etc.

Hardcore really is "my life", as fucking cheesy as that sounds it is true.

Here is Rickys new playlist, you will notice that it is made up of all current core bands (pretty much), this is because Ricky has grown a little tired of the core of late and i think he just needs a little reminder as to whats out there, and how fucking good hardcore is right now.

Side A is made up of mostly American and some European bands.

Side B is made up of Australian bands(Get in touch with me if you want to know more about any of these bands they are all rule) and then the World Collapse ep to finish the tape off.

SIDE A

Bitter End- Climate Of Fear

Blacklisted- Memory Layne

Ceremony- Living Hell

Guns Up!- Outlive

Have Heart- Watch Me Rise

Rise And Fall- Live In Sin

Shipwreck AD- Squall

Terror- Rhythm Amongst The Chaos

Internal Affairs- No Good Game In Hardcore

Iron Age- We're Dust/The Violator

Comeback Kid- Broadcasting

The Hope Conspiracy- Sadistic Sacred Whore

108- Three Hundred Liars

Down To Nothing- Along For The Ride

Ringworm- Razor's Line

The First Step- What We Know

Trapped Under Ice- Soul Vice/ Reality Unfolds

Trash Talk- Lepers To Feed The Lepers/Kill The Snakes

No Turning Back- Take Your Guilt

Betrayed- Bring It To Life

SIDE B

Bad Blood- On Your Own

Blkout!- Unlock A Path

Extortion- H5N1

50 Lions- To The Test

Jungle Fever- Stayin Alive

Her Nightmare- Class War

Meatlocker- Destroy Hoxton

Miles Away- Brainwashed

Mindsnare- Turn You Inside Out

No Apologies- Survival

Parkway Drive- Carrion

Samsara- Hatred

Thrush- The Quarrel

Worlds Collapse- Deutschland, Deutschland! Into The Night ep

Thanks Ricky

2008-05-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

Last week one of my best friends in the world, Ricky Taylor, moved back home after living the past 2 and a half years in Canada. Its great having him back and hanging out again, and it got me to thinking.

He is the person who first got me into hardcore, and he did that the same way alot of people show others music, by making me a mixtape. But this was not just any mixtape, i have reason to believe that this is the greatest hardcore mixtape in the existance of hardcore mixtapes.

I still to this day have the tape, and i will to the day that i die. Alot of the bands on the tape are still my favourite bands, and it was such a great introduction to the world of Hardcore.

So thanks brother, i can safely say that the cassette tape you gave me all those years ago actually changed my life.

Here are the songs that when combined join forces to make the greatest mixtape of all time.

SIDE A

Breakdown- Sick People

Negative Approach- Ready To Fight

Underdog- Say It To My Face

Raw Deal- Brightside

Darkside NYC- Clawing And Tearing

Breakdown- Safe In A Crowd

Rest In Pieces- Stark Raving Nude

Sheer Terror- Here To Stay

Side By Side- Backfire

Crumbsuckers- Shits Creek

Breakdown- Life Of Bullshit

Negative Approach- Fair Warning

Underdog- True Blue

Token Entry- Look Around

Negative Approach- Dead Stop

Rest In Pieces- Balls N All

Side By Side- My Life To LIve

Breakdown- Vengeance

Rest In Pieces- Bittermind

Breakdown- You Gotta Fight

Breakdown- Kickback

Breakdown- Labelled

SIDE B

Cro-Mags- We Gotta Know

Cro-Mags- World Peace

Bold- Wise Up

Nausea- Fallout Of Our Being

Warzone- As One

Warzone- Escape From Your Society

Gorilla Biscuits- Better Than You

Gorilla Biscuits- Forgotten

Trip 6- Back With A Vengeance

Youth Of Today- Together

Youth Of Today- Understand

Sick Of It All- Politics

Sick Of It All- Pete's Sake

Krackdown- Ignorance

Youth Defence League- Blue Pride

Supertouch- Searchin For The Light

Slapshot- Back On The Map

Slapshot- Whats At Stake

Slapshot- Fire Walker

Token Entry- Revelation

Token Entry- Think About It

Token Entry- Actions

Not bad right? Trust me, when a 12 year old plays this tape and hear's these songs for the first time, planets align.

I just realised there is no AF or Madball on the tape (2 of my fav's), but its still a fucking ripper.

I guess thats why i am more of a NYHC guy than Boston or Westcoast too.

Play with caution!

Frank "3 Guns" Novinec (Hatebreed, Terror, Integrity, Ringworm)

2008-05-12T23:02:00.000-07:00

1- Where are you right now?

My sister's house in Cleveland (where i live)

2- You are now a permanent member of Hatebreed, tell us about your first show.

Australia, with Korn, like 10 000 ppl, nervous!

3- Favourite beer?

Budweiser, the king of beers.

4- Out of the bands you have played in, which has been your favourite?

Hatebreed, im having the time of my life.

Tell us a little story about each.

I love them all, Integrity the least, i dont know, Dwid and Chubbie were a handful at times, i love them all though, Ringworm has the furnace, my best friend, so thats always a plus, Terror has Vogel, does it get any better?

5- What was it like getting stung by your first blue bottle on the world famous Bondi Beach?

Fuck that shit, thanks for taking me to the sneaker stores, i love you Pete, shout out to Graham and Resist and all the hot girls in Aussie who are all now my baby mamas.

Chucky Edge (Road-Dog, Blogger, Hardcore T-Shirt Collector/Wearer, Pizza Lover)

2008-05-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

1- At a guess, how many band T-Shirts do you think you currently own? and where the fuck do you store them all?

I would like to think that its... maybe 500 roughly. Maybe 40 sweatshirts too? thats a rough guess tho. I had a period where I got rid of maybe 100 shirts thru giving them to friends or ebay. But im back to full force. I store them in the photos I sent you, thats mostly it. The shelf is the shirts im currently wearing, I have wierd trends in my head where Ill change up the selection with very impulsive tendencies.

2- Do you sell old shirts that you may of only worn once or twice, or not at all on ebay?, or do you think that is disrespectful to the person who gave you the shirt in the first place?

I sold maybe 40 shirts on ebay I think in my career. I sort of regret it, but its life, and I dont really do it now. Its funny, I usually give people stuff when they ask me about it, or when someone I know is at my house. Because, we all know the shirts your given from someone, are always the best fitting shirts. I think its disrespectful to sell shirts your given, but at the same time, certain shirts are ebay gold or whatever and its expected. Sometimes a shirt fits bad, and you gotta do something with it i guess? depends on the case i guess.

3- Do you ever get sick of wearing band shirts? LIke you look in your cupboard and all you have is a whole heap of usually bad fitting tshirts with huge prints all over them, haha.

Yes I do get sick of hardcore band shirts sometimes. To fix that tho I will wear a plain white shirt and realize that I dont look cool and just go back to my core gear. Also im getting a lot more picky with shirts, but at the same time I will just rep and XL and say fuck it. XL shirts fit me pretty much no matter what just depends on the undershirt. So im putting more work into my undershirt combos. Triple A shirts fit the best and are the best. I could never get tired of those. Big print is cool, pocket print is cool, I try to mix it up so I dont get tired of both. side or stomach print NEVER fits me good? i dont know why its shocking maybe? I will also wear a couple sports shirts and those are always refreshing. baseball and notre dame gear always spices up my weekly shirt digest. haha im trying new vocabulary combinations i guess???

4- I know you are a baseball fan, so, have you ever watched a game of cricket? i personally hate it, but you might be into it.

I love how im just going question to question, and all my answers for the questions, kind of go into the next question, this might be my favorite interview to date.
I watched cricket highlights on sportscenter once maybe? some dude hit something with a board, and then 2 dudes fell on eachother to get the ball, it looked cool. I would want to watch cricket with and OG fan so he could give me the rundown. that helps with any sport or team. I love watching baseball games with fans of my rival teams. Its always an exciting conversation. And you learn more.

5- Of all the band's you have toured with/seen live, Who would you currently rate as the best/most important band in hardcore?

Lots of bands I have toured with will definetly have an impact on hardcore. Not to "toot their horn" or mine but its just how I see it. I think kids in 10 years will be talking about these bands like we talk about YOT, Judge, and Breakdown. It all for me, depends on if these bands do reunions and other wierd shit like that. I dont know how ill feel about it then, well see in 10 years right? As long as its not embarrassing and ruins the image of the band that young kids have. Underdog reunion videos look cool. Never seen Gorilla Biscuits...
shout-outs: pete for this interview (good blog, good concept, good dude.), greg bacon for the 5 interview zine a little bit ago, hardcore worldwide, baseball, notre dame football, idiots who embarrass themselves on national geographic, hats, shirts, shorts, kool aid, pizza, sound and fury festival 2008, this is hardcore 2008, all the bands ive toured with, dunkin donuts, and... the new batman flick. will see.
thanks again!

Dan Smith (Tattooist,The Dear & Departed, Day Of Contempt, DSM)

2008-05-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

1- New Dear & Departed album, "Something Quite Peculiar". Give us the low down.

The title of our new record, a collection of songs written by the best of friends about life, love and the worst of friends.

2- Have you been tattooing much over there? Ruining many kids lives?

Yes, very lucky to be busy when i want to be and luckier to be surrounded by amazing artists who do nothing but inspire. Unfortunately however i haven't done a Ned Kelly in ages.

3- Moz or Robert Smith? Why?

I'm sure i could have a better conversation with Robert Smith. We have the whole last name thing to break the ice.

4- Is "In The Mirror" still your favourite Warzone song?

Sure is, but at the moment "Take Me Away" by Judge is playing through my speakers. Quite fitting.

5- How much do you miss Nippy's Orange Juice? (Iam sipping on one right now, haha)

I bet you are, Nippys is a fine drop. I'va managed to find Bundaberg Ginger Beer here so maybe there is still hope to find the odd bottle of Nippys.

http://www.thedearanddeparted.com/

http://www.dansmithtattoos.com/

Fuck Technology

2008-04-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

I have 4 email address's, 2 myspace's and now 2 blog's.
That's just fucking stupid, i would love to delete/not use any of them, but there is work to be done.
In a few hours i am going to pick up my new car. About fucking time.
Sorry for the lack of 5q's, things have been crazy, i am in the process of asking some new people theirs, and i still have some old ones from the zine to post too, so there will be alot more up in the next few days/weeks.
Live in sin!

Sound and Fury 2008

2008-04-28T01:43:00.000-07:00

I cant fucking wait, not only(after years of saying ill be there "this July")will i be there and my band be playing at it, but i will get to see pretty much every band i wanted to see (108 confirm now please!) and ill get to hang out with my friends from every corner of the globe.

Its still 3 Months away, but i already cant wait.

Todd Jones (Nails, Betrayed, Blacklisted, Snake Eyes, Internal Affairs, Terror, Carry On, Stand Your Ground)

2008-04-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

1- What's going on in your life right now?

I got laid off in September 2006 and haven't worked since. In November i went to Sydney and stayed there for two months and hung out at Maroubra. I came home and have been lounging. I joined Blacklisted on 2nd guitar and have been playing shows with Internal Affairs, booking shows in my hometown, and also planning Sound and Fury 2007. Having a great time.

2- What's the favourite album you have written? Or which one are you most proud of?

Carry On "A Life Less Plagued". I gotta give it up to Terror "Lowest Of The Low", that record kills. I just have more personal attachment to the Carry On album.

3- Favourite songs you have written?

Terror "Not This Time", Carry On "Broken Strings", and there's this new Snake Eyes song i wrote that's pretty ill but we'll have to see how it sounds when it's all recorded. Betrayed "Bring It To Life"is a cool song too.

4- How many hour's a day do you spend on the internet?

5- Oxnard or Maroubra?

Any city that has blatant/ignorant localism is good with me . Oxnard just cuz i was born and raised there. NARDCORE FOR LIFE.

Within Blood

2008-04-16T03:26:00.000-07:00

I plan on giving this blog a little more of an "Australian" feel, considering thats where i am from and that 99% of people that read this blog probably dont know all that much of what goes on down here.

So to start things off, iam going to talk about one of my favourite ever Australian hardcore bands, who just happen to be playing a reunion this weekend (i'll be there), Within Blood.

Within Blood consisted of Matt Maunder(also from Mindsnare) on Vocals, Dave and Brad(now both in Samsara) on guitars, Llyod on Bass(Guitar in HITLIST, and now Meatlocker) and some dude called Jason on drums. So i guess you could call it an "all star line up", but i would just call it a good fucking band. All these dudes were really could at their respective instrument and word is that they recorded their "First Blood" album live, and in ONE day!, yep tracking and mixing of 10 songs in 1 day!, and when i say live i mean they actually were in the same room and recorded their respective instruments at the same time, something that probably hasent been done very often since the 70's, ha.

I loved everything about Within Blood, their music, lyrics, image and even their promo pics(i cant find any online anywhere though).

Matt once described Within Blood to me as "Mindsnare for boneheads", and i guess thats a pretty good description, they kept things a little more simplier than their mates in Mindsnare, but what they lacked in technicality they made up with well structured HHAARRRDDDD hardcore songs.

Until i can work out how to post songs on here(someone help me out) my description is just going to have to do, think AF "One Voice" era, a little bit of The Mags and a touch of Merauder and your on your way.

Not only were their songs and lyrics awesome, but their live shows were some of the best i have ever seen. Here are a few highlights from the times i have seen them;

- Matt jumping and kicking a short sound lady straight in the face (accident)

- Matt elbowing a guy in the face whilst singing and not missing a word (not an accident)

- Matt headbutting a guy whilst singing and not missing a word (again not an accident)
- Matt coming on stage with a chain saw at their last show at the Arthouse and swinging that fucking thing around like crazy (it was on)

All these points have been about their front man, Matt, but every single time i saw them the whole band was tight as fuck, all 3 guitarists were always spot on and sounding great and the drums were always holding shit down.

Iam siked for Friday night.

My Birthday

2008-04-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

(edit- like the bass, my car is going to be black and iam getting the windows tinted)

Yesterday was my birthday, and it turned out being one of the craziest/most stressful days of my 26 years on this planet.

Here's how it went down;

- I bought a brand new car over the phone

- Spent the morning getting quotes on car insurance

- Went into the car dealership to "finalise some paper work" and got suckered into signing on for $1920 worth of bullshit extras that i didnt need

- Once i got home i thought fuck that, and called up and talked a whole load of bullshit to get out of the contract i had signed.

- I then went back in there to make sure the contract was ammended, they treated me a little different this time around, haha, fucking cunts, iam convinced car dealers and real estate agents are the scum of the world, fuck each and every one of them!

- Put my shitbox of a car for sale on some website

- Went to see Souths play like fucking shit with Graham and ended up sitting right next to my cousin ( Graham has season tickets and sits in the same seat every week, so out of a stadium that fits 100 000+ people Graham sits next to my cousin every week! small world!)

- My phone didnt stop ringing the whole game with people that wanted to buy my car, i couldnt believe it who the fuck would want that piece of shit?

- After the game i drive to a dude's work that wanted to buy the car, he comes out and has neck and hand tattoo's and asks me if iam Pete from No Apologies... Turns out he is a straightedge hardcore kid up in Sydney from Adelaide, which is perfect as the car is registered in Adelaide.

So he is going to drive it back there, plus he is a mechanic so he knows whats up in case he runs into trouble on the drive. Again, wtf? what are the chances of a edge hardcore kid who is from Adelaide but in Sydney, replying to my post on some car website.

- Sold him the car for cheap

- Went to a shopping centre car park to meet up with a young dude ( and 6 or so of his friends)

Driving there i kind of got myself ready thinking that these dudes could be pissed cause they had driven out there late at night and the car was already sold. Plus it was a dark car park with no one around. I jump out, but the dudes are all cool, but then we hear yelling.

- Some dude is attempting bash a middle aged nerdy looking guy, so we run over and i tell him if he really wants to fight someone he can fight me and shape up, he dosent take up the offer, haha.

- The other dude offers me money for helping him out, i decline.

What a birthday.

Martin Stewart (Terror, Donnybrook!, L.I.O.N, Snake Eyes, Piece By Piece, Wings, Beer & Sport, Lonewolf)

2008-04-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

1- You have played/are playing in a fuck load of bands, did you grow up with instruments in the house or is music something you got into later on in life?

I grew up in music loving family. Nobody actually played any instruments, they all just loved to listen and be a part of the music. I never even touched an instrument until I was in about the 8th grade and some friends of mine wanted to start a band asked me to play bass. I bought a bass from the pawn shop that week and just started listening to songs I liked and trying to copy what I thought the song sounded like. The first song I ever learned to play was "London Dungeon" by The Misifts. After that I moved to guitar and would sit in my room after High School listening to Earth Crisis "Destroy The Machines" from start to finish learning to play every song.

2- I recently watched a youtube video of Terror playing on the Firestorm Tour and it looked as though at any minute instruments were to be put down and fists were to be raised, as something was going on with the security, has this happened? and if so does Terror have a 1 in , all in code of ethics? haha!

Nothing serious happened on that tour at all with bouncers at any of the clubs. It has absolutely happened in the past though with Terror and other bands I've been a part of. I'm trying to keep a new level of cool over myself when situations like that start to break out these days. I can't be dropping my guitar and jumping off stage throwing punches anymore. I can't afford to end up and jail and I have no health insurance so I definitely can't afford to end up in the hospital, from self inflicted injuries of course. I don't know it all and I can only speak for myself, but when someone puts their hands on you in a threatening manner you want to return the aggression. I'm not saying that anytime a bouncer touches you or gets in your face you should smash him and his whole team out and shut the show down. There's a time and place for everything. Sometimes you should brush things off and other times you should make things happen. But like I said, I don't know it all so I can't tell you when to make what decision. I just know how I feel myself and how I need to react. I've worked security before and I well know that there's a respectful and non-offensive way to take control of a situation. Most bouncers though are just knuckleheads that probably got bullied as kids and just lose control when they have that position of power. Hardcore is hardcore and in my opinion it was truly never meant to be bound by anyones rules, even the club the gig's taking place at. BUT if we as "hardcore kids" are going to accept that the gig is going to be in a certain place then we also have to accept that we may have to compromise a little to avoid a total disaster. I could easily go around the world to every club and have it out with every bouncer we encounter, but then who would let us play their club after that? What would happen? What venue would be willing to host a hardcore show? So who really knows what to do. Fuck it, smash out anyone you want I guess. I'll just do me.

3- You're on tour 10 months out of the year, how do you do it and maintain, 1- a relationship at home and 2- your sanity?

I have a long distance relationship. Bi-coastal and international. I live in California and she leaves clear on the other side of the continent in Quebec City, Canada. Being on tour so much actually helps out with amount of time we spend together. Any time the band gets near the eastern half of the continent she'll come down and meet with us and tour with us a bit. She's a true road dog. I even brought her to Europe with us once. As far as my sanity, are any of us who are involved in this hardcore thing truly sane in the first place? I really don't think so. I've wanted to travel the entire world since I was a kid and now I'm able to do that all while playing sweet gigs and making great international friends like yourself along the way. I love this life.

4- You are one of the not many (that i know of) African American guys in a touring hardcore band, are there many brothers over there into the core?

There's a few that I can think of off hand. 2 parts of Trash Talk are "brothas". Rashod the drummer of Bracewar too. There's a few of us here and there. We're definitely the minority though. When you come from an African American family you can easily understand how not a lot of us will end up migrating towards hardcore. Living with a Black family is truly a different world. Me and the 3 dudes I mentioned are planning to start an all Black band. Expect to be shocked.

5- The Damned, The Shamed... Give us an exclusive low down, what should we expect?

New Terror record due out this summer of '08 on Century Media Records. Expect some people to love it and some people to hate it, the same old story and cycle of every band and record. We recorded an album that we think is awesome and that has so far had nothing but positive feed back from all the dudes that we care about. A step up from the last record and all that typical stuff. There's a couple of shredding guitar solos this time around which I think is great. A couple of songs will probably surprise some people but most of them will make you want to mosh the world in my opinion. What it comes down to is that people just need to listen to it and decide for themselves. But either way, we're going to continue doing what we do. While those people out there that hate us are doing their usual talking, we'll be over in Australia gigging with you and the rest of our friends and partying at the beach with jellyfish. While the nerds are at the computer typing away, we'll be in Russia or maybe Brazil playing a sweet gig for people that truly care. I love you Pete, no homo, and your band. You're a solid dude. Mosh the world.

John Joseph (Cro-Mags, Fittest 40 Something Year Old In The World!)

2008-03-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

1- Favourite memory of the Bad Brains?

Definitely the shows and how amazing the Bad Brains were. That's what drew me to them at first. But it was also the brotherhood and the cause they stood for. We had a spiritual bond, especially me and HR. Hands down he was the greatest singer/frontman to EVER walk on a stage. It's all in my book " THE EVOLUTION OF A CRO-MAGNON"

2- Original line up of the Cro-Mags , reunion show/tour?

NEVER. But get ready for the second coming... BLOODCLOT!

3- The book, when's it coming out bro?

Probably in June. The edit took forever but we got it right.

(edit- its out now, if you dont have it go here www.punkhouse.org and buy it right now!)

4- Are you the fittest person your age living on this earth?

Of course not, but i believe in spreading what knowledge i have gathered in my 27 years of experience being an athlete and hardcore vegetarian. In fact, i've begun writing my second book about training, nutrition and longevity. (edit- titled "Meat Is For Pussies", out this year!)

Just trying to help out all the fat, lazy American's mate.

5- Bloodclot? What's Up?

The record's being mixed. Were 70% there and it will drop around the same time as the book.

6- Pete Abordi is the greatest tour manager (you can quote me on that)

peace and tofu bro

Thrush

2008-03-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

I'am back playing bass in a band again after a bit of a break, and i've gotta say i'am really enjoying it. Sceaming into a mic is not all it's cracked up to be some of the time, haha.

I enjoy doing both, and each have it's pro's and con's (carrying my gear up and down 3 flights of stairs is one con) but yeah, i'am having fun.

I even got myself a nice new Fender P Bass for a great price and got rid of my fucking heavy as shit musicman. I put a black scratch plate on it, so it's all black and looks hhaarrddd!

Tomorrow the band i'am playing bass in, Thrush( yeah i know, bad name, haha) are recording 10 songs for our s/t 7" that is going to be released on Trial and Error Records down here in Australia.

Check out some songs of our demo(that barely even existed, haha) here

http://www.myspace.com/thrushycunty

A new track will be posted after we are done tomorrow.

PS

2008-03-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

It's still on repeat.

Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God

2008-03-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today's entry was originally going to be about how last night Kirk Windstein became my new god ( Pete and i had a Crowbar/Down/Kingdom Of Sorrow party last night and truely discovered "the riff") but thats all going to have to wait.

Everything changed today when there was a knock on my door at 8.30am.

At first i thought it may be my annoying neighbour who lives below me, but it wasent, it was the girl from the bottom floor and she had something in her hand.

She said "he left this at our door" and passed me a package, straight away i knew what it was and i knew what i would be doing for the next few hours. See, my friend Todd called me a few days ago and told me that he had sent me a package with Blacklisted's new record ( both LP and CD formats) and a shirt. Thanks brother.

I have been waiting to sit down and really listen to this record since he told me after they finished recording it that it was like an album length version of Peace On Earth, War On Stage. When i first heard that 7" it floored me, i loved everything about it, and the song "Memory Layne" was going to be a hard one to top.

So, for the last 2 hours i have listened to the LP, imported the cd onto my ipod and have been sitting here with it on repeat since, and i think iam listening to my favourite record of 08 and its only March. I dont know where to begin really, iam not very good at reviewing things, but if your reading this and dont already own it, go and BUY it right now.

I'll be honest though, when i first heard "I Am Weighing Me Down" when they launched on their myspace page, i was a little disappointed, i had a similar feeling as to when i first heard "We're Down Till We're Underground", i was like this is good, but not really what i was hoping for, even though that is selfish to "hope" for something from someone else's record.

Anyway, so after i listened to that song once on their page i told myself i wouldn't listen to it again until i had the whole record in my hands and i could listen to all the songs. Well a few days/weeks later they added another new song "Matrimony", and like a sucker i was back at their page listening to it.

That song assured me that this was going to be the record i was waiting for, but again i didnt want to listen to it again, as i wanted the wait to be worth it when i finally had that record in my hands.

But, again, when they launched the whole album for streaming on their page, i just couldn't help myself, but again i only listened to it once. Iam not sure what it was, but my anticipation for this record just kept dragging me back in and as much as i just wanted to wait until i had the whole finished product in my hand i just couldn't.

So, today i sit here with both the LP and cd in front of me, and what do it think?

I think its an amazing record, that's what i think, you can really feel that the members have given themselves to this record. They have gone out on a limb and made the record that THEY wanted to make, and in life , i think, that's when the best things are created, when you are doing it for you and no one else.

I love how the album flows, i read that the placement of "Circuit Breaker" at the end of side a, and "Wish" at the end of side b to finish the record ( 2 songs that are definite highlights of the album) was definitely an intentional thing and it works great. If you load this album into your itunes you will see what they have done for yourself, side a races to its peak at "Circuit Breaker" and side b races to its own peak at "Wish".

The artwork, i love the cover, it is very similar to our cover i guess, a dude just standing there out in the open facing his demons( our guy is naked though, haha)

The LP opens to a huge picture of a blonde girl and a shovel and some flowers, at first i didnt really "get it", but after checking out the cd booklet you work out that each picture resembles what the song on the same page is about, which is pretty clever.

On the cover of the cd booklet it is another girl, but this time she is smoking a cigarette, i know this is petty, but i fucking hate smoking, and that's not cause iam Mr straightedge it's cause i grew up with a Mum that smoked inside our house and i know how much smelling someone's second hand smoke every day fucking sucks ( who reading this has toured europe?, haha). So yeah i dont really like that picture, haha.

But overall the artwork just complements the lyrics ( which i didn't even get into here, but are fucking great, think bearing your soul for the world to see) and the lyrics just complement the music.

I think i am just rambling now, just go out and get it and listen for yourself, me, i just cant wait until i am watching these songs played right in front of me.

I have nothing to prove, i have nothing to prove, i have nothing to prove, i have nothing prove, i have nothing to prove, i have nothing to prove, i have nothing to prove, i have nothing to prove...

Jed Gordon ( Parkway Drive TM, Merch Guy, Bitch, Etc, Fathers Against Jed Founder)

2008-03-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

1- You get to travel the world for a living, How's that going?

It goes pretty good Bloke, apart from being made to drive 10 hour's straight and get paid out for being fat, i dont think i'd rather be doing anything else this year.

2- Is it weird seeing knobs all over the world wearing merch with your address on it?

Yeah it was kinda weird at first but as much as i hate to nob eat, the band have worked hard for what they've got, so iam stoked for them. Plus they can afford to take their fat mate with them.

3- How do you feel about 5 surfer grommets that you showed what hardcore is, now being the biggest hardcore/metal band in aus/the world (soon)?

It's good, as i said above they've worked very hard, they are talented and the bigger they get the more countries i get to see and the more time i dont have to get a real job.

4- Getting any chicks on tour right now?

Dont tell my Mum, but the only girl i got in all of europe was a prostitute in Amsterdam for 50 Euros. I lasted 2 minutes and that was that.

5- How's your weight doing with all those great riders over there in Europe?haha

About 100 but havent actually weighed myself since i left home , landed in the USA yesterday and had 3 burritos straight away so i assume ill hit 105 before iam home in May.

See you soon bloke xxxx

(edit- Question 4 was one of the main highlights of the 5q's issue 1, even though Jed knew i was going to print his answer in a zine and sell it on tour with his brother's band ( the biggest band in Australia) he still answered honestly and gave straight up one of the best answers to a question, ever. I love you Chode.

Corey Williams ( Internal Affairs, Snake Eyes, Piece By Piece, Carry On)

2008-03-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

1- What's up? What's happening in the life of Corey K Williams right now?

Right now i am working a shitty labour job climbing huge towers for cell phone companies. But on the good side the band just got done writing and recording a new record so life aint that bad.

2- New IA record, Deadly Visions, What's the deal? Give us the low down

Its a 9 song ep. Its our best material yet. Ridiculous riffs, insane lyrics and all that other crazy shit you would expect out of IA. I guess you will just have to hear it!

3- How's the Cali hc scene right now? What's some band's to check out?

As always Cali has some of the best bands around. For bands you already know, Allegiance is releasing a new record and it's fucking amazing. Like It Or Not are working on a new LP and that shit from what i have heard so far is ill. Nick Jett started a label called Real Deal (edit- New View) Records and plans on Vendetta being his first release. But for new bands, you might have heard of these but everyone should get into them, Violation, Dynasty, Ability, Brass Monkey, Retaliate, Vendetta, Out Of Heart, Come And Get It.

4- Your coming back to my country soon, how hard are we going to rage?

All day and night. Beaches, good food and the smashing of dude's in the pit! We cant wait to get back to the best country in the world.

5- Why on earth dont you like the Bad Brains?

They got sick riffs but i hate HR's vocals. It took me 10 years to get used to JJ, maybe the bad Brains will take 20... who the fuck knows. I hate punk rock, is the bottom line. Bad Brains have amazing hardcore music but weirdo vocals. The only punk band i like are Fear, they are from LA and they are the reason why there is violence at shows, they also rage like no other since every show back in the day ended in a riot.

Winston McCall (Parkway Drive, Chuck Norris, Boogie Boarder)

2008-03-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

1- Your band is huge, How did this happen to 5 surfer mates from Byron?

I was a rad boogie boarder, so when i got on the cover of a mag with x's on my hands the band naturally exploded in the boogie boarding scene, we were the biggest thing to hit the streets since our mate Pete Bloke in "ripping the pit"

2- How cold is Europe right now?

At the moment its ok, we're in Italy, but the last couple of weeks have been fucked up and we all got sick as a result of euro's smoking.

3- How much do you wish you were walking down the track at tallow's about to go for a surf?

Not as much as Gaz wishes he was on his shitty mal out at one foot onshore pass.

4- How ugly/old does soccer ball head(jeff from pwd) look right now?

He's at least 80 years old but his hands are probably the oldest thing on the planet.

5- How much has Chode been getting written off?

Fuck loads, the other day he managed to lock everyone out of the kitchen when it was breakfast time the fat slug.

Hahahaha sick zine, miss you bloke, euro's are fucked, so many durries, i want to go home.

Scott Vogel (Terror, Buried Alive, Despair, Slugfest)

2008-03-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

1- You just got home from your third tour of Australia, that's crazy! How was it this time around? Highlights?

WE LOVE IT OVER THERE....THANKS FOR HAVING US BACK....REUNITING WITH HATEBREED, SEEING SUICIDAL AND PLAYING THOSE BIG ASS FEST ONE DAY AND THEN INTO A SMALL ASS CLUB THE NEXT WAS REALLY COOL... BEING TREATED SO GOOD BY GRAHAM....CHILLING WITH GREG SO MUCH...SEE OUR OLD FRIENDS LIKE YOU...ITS A FUCKING BLAST EVERYTIME

2- Your getting older, haha, what keeps you here?

HC IS ALL I KNOW...I STILL LOVE THE SHOWS..DEMOS..ZINES...SEEING A CROWD GO OFF...TRAVELING...IM 34 IN A FEW DAYS BUT MY HEAD AND HEART ARE STILL 19...HC HAS CHANGED AND SO HAVE I BUT SOMETHING IN THE MUSIC JUST MAKES ME SMILE...THAT A LIFETIME LYRIC I PUT MY OWN SPIN ON TO SUM UP HOW I FEEL

3- What still pisses you off about hardcore?

KIDS THAT THINK ITS ABOUT A LOOK OR MYSPACE...KIDS THAT DRESS UP FOR SHOWS..KIDS THAT ONLY TALK ABOUT OLD BANDS AND DONT CARE ABOUT 07...KIDS THAT LIKE WHATEVER EVERYONE ELSE LIKES...KIDS THAT GO TO SHOWS AND RUIN THEM...TOO MUCH TALK AND NO ONE DOES A FUCKING THING...

4- What do you like better? The core or hip hop? and what are your favourite albums from each genre?

I LISTEN TO MORE HIP HOP THESE DAYS BUT NOTHING GIVES ME THE VIBE HC DOES.. ILL ALWAYS BE A HC KID...ALWAYS...BORN TO EXPIRE, HOLD IT DOWN, MASTER KILLER, ILL BLOOD, DONT FORGET THE STRUGGLE FOR HC.... HARD TO EARN, THE INFAMOUS, ILLMATIC, THE CHRONIC, GETTO BOYS SELF TITLED...THAT THE FIRST SHIT THAT COMES TO MIND

5- Terror as a band has grown alot over the years, and you are playing bigger and bigger shows/venues, do you miss playing the shitholes?

MAN WE PLAYED A BASEMENT A FEW MONTHS AGO...AND IT WAS DOPE..WE STILL HIT THE SHITHOLES BELIEVE ME...LAST TOUR IN EUROPE WE HAD A CANCELLED SHOW SO WE BOOKED ONE A FEW DAYS IN ADVANCE IN A TINY BAR IN THE UK WITH NO STAGE...WE LOVE IT...WE LOVE IT ALL...THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A PACKED SHOW WITH ALL HC KIDS GOING OFF...BUT AT THE SAME TIME BEING ABLE TO ROCK 5000 METAL HEAD AND GET THEM TO GO NUTS FOR DUMB ASS TERROR IS COOL TOO...NO LIMITS NO RULES JUST GOING OUT AND HAVING FUN AND DESTROYING WHATEVER THEY PUT IN MY PATH

(edit- this interview was redone word for word, caps and scott's crazy ......'s included, Scott rules you can feel his love and enthusiasm for hardcore seeping out of him even in this short i/v)

Greg Bacon (Betrayed,The First Step, Internal Affairs, Knife Fight, Stand & Fight, Carry On)

2008-03-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

1- What's up in your world right now?

My world is going great and the next six months are just going to get better. I'am going to graduate college, put an ep out with Internal Affairs, record a new ep with The First Step, tour my favourite places in the world and get to visit some new spots in the process. Put that on top of the fact that i just saw Pennywise and Ignite and my life is looking pretty good. AND there are new Down To Nothing and Go It Alone records coming out that are going to be the records of the year.

2- List the bands in order that you have played bass in, and whats some of your favourite experiences over the years playing in these bands?

Do you want a list of the bands of practiced with, played a show with or actually been in? Bands i've been in- Carry On, Stand & Fight, Knife Fight, The First Step, Internal Affairs and Betrayed.

Bands i've played with (in addition to above)- The Mistake, Righteous Jams, Down To Nothing, and i'll be playing a few songs with Our Turn pretty soon. Bands i've jammed with (but things didnt work out)- Amendment Eighteen and Vengeance!

The best part about playing in those bands is making friends. Most of the people i know won't find their way out of the country , let alone make some amazing friends in the process. That being said, i dont know what my favourite tour experience is because almost every tour is amazing. If i had to choose it'd either be playing with koalas and kangaroos in Australia or any part of the Betrayed tour in Europe. John Joseph stealing underwear, DUIcepick hitting our trailer and sick bro's taking pictures inside the Slovenian castle for an hour made that tour amazing.

3- Screenprinting, bass playing , pwning? Which is your favourite occupation?

I consider bass playing a hobby and pwning a pastime. I guess that would make my favourite profession screenprinting by default.

4- Gregbacon.com? Will it ever be updated to show your full potential to the world?

HA! You'll need to ask Todd about updates cause that site is completely under his control. It's been "coming soon" since its inception almost a year and a half ago.

(edit- i just checked and sadly gregbacon.com no longer exists)

5- 6131 Records, world domination? future plans?

6131 Records IS world domination! NO APOLOGIES- SURVIVAL is going to pwn the world in July. Other than that we are putting out Cruel Hand, Pressure, Defiant Hearts, Every Second Counts and Permanent so look out for all of those. My world domination includes playing shows in four continents this summer.

Pete Abordi fucks up Scotish bus drivers.

Re-use, Re-package, Re-sell

2008-03-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

Ive resigned to the fact that i must of deleted all the original 5q's i/v's, but i've also decieded that iam going to re-type and post( for your reading pleasure) some of the highlights from my first attempt at a zine.
But obviously these interviews are a little dated now, but deal with it.
As well as getting as many of those interviews up as time will permit this week iam going to be sending off a bunch of new questions to people on opposite sides of the globe.
So keep on eye on this spot.

Infiltrate The System

2008-03-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

I Love Madball, Set It Off was one of the first records i ever owned and i have loved EVERY record they have put out since then. In Hoya's own words " when everyone else was trying to have more melody and have wwooo ohhhss we were just trying to be even HARDER".

So for me to be able to call those guys friends is amazing to me, and touring with them in 05 was not only awesome to see them play each night and be part of the Madball wrecking machine but it was a big learning experience to be on tour with such a professional band.

Every time they are back i make sure i hang out as much as i can, but its hard with having a full time job, etc, so this time they came to me.

SET IT OFF

I'am A Member Of The Right Brigade

2008-03-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

In April/May of 2006 i tour managed the Cro-Mags(FVK)/Betrayed tour through all of Europe and the UK. How an Australian kid ended up tour managing a band from the east coast and a band from the west coast of the USA through countries i had never even been too i'am not quite sure, but it happened, true story.

This particular story iam about to tell happened in a venue called TJ's which is located in a town called Newport in Wales.

After we loaded in and had set up the stage and merch area everyone sort of went their seperate ways ( as you do ) before doors. The Betrayed dudes and Scott Roberts who was playing guitar for the Cro-Mags went for a walk into town to see how many fights they could get challenged to ( Wales is hhhhaaaarrrdddd). So that left the Mags a man down for sound check. AJ Novello was playing bass in this line up, so obviously he could sound check the guitar no problems ( after touring with him in 03 and seeing him shred on guitar it was a bit of a waste to see him confined to 4 strings if you ask me ) but it still left them a man down and unable to hear what the bass was like in their monitors.

But when i heard them jamming "Right Brigade" i had an idea. Last Nerve used to cover it so i knew ( or thought i knew ) how to play it. I jumped up there and proudly told the dudes ( JJ, AJ and Mackie, holy fuck now thats a line up) "i know how to play right bridage, lets do it".

But from the first note i knew something was wrong, see i guess LN was tuned to e flat and the mags were just in standard e ( or maybe something else i'am not even sure), so where i thought i should be playing just sounded fucking weird, and the more i tried to find where i should be playing i just couldn't. After AJ trying to show me from the other side of the stage for a few bars i just gave up. The guys made fun of me for a while to my protests of "you guys are in a different tuning", and we all laughed it off. But looking back on it i regret that i fucked it up, and i wish i was a better musician and could of just easily worked out what i was doing wrong ( nerves aside). Not many people can say that they have jammed out with those dudes, some of the guys that were behind a couple of the best hardcore records ever made.

So yeah i blew it, but just the other day i relearned that fucking song in every tuning known to man, so John if your reading this, i'am ready for round 2 brother.

Oscar McCall (50 Lions, Shoot To KIll, The Singer From Parkway's Little Brother)

2008-03-19T00:35:00.000-07:00

1- Freckle, hows byron? hows your great dog?

byron's hot and boring..my dog is malting everywhere but she's still kinda cute.

2- Time is the Enemy is awesome, are you guys happy with how it all turned out?

yeh its sweet. now we just have to remember how to play all the songs.being in the studio for 7 days straight was definately gay though.

3- Do you miss having shows at the youthy?, is that place ever going to be back?

yeh man.for the few shows that actually happen in this town now it'd be awesome if we still had the youthy,I think we can kinda do a few shows on the sly there but its no official..someone might end up getting in trouble for it..blame chode.

4- Is woollys better than coles really?

we have fresher food thats for sure..coles has some bargains though...I'd say they're equal.But i get 5% off at woolies.

5- Whats coming up next for 50L?

by the time this is printed we'll probly have a new record out..HAHAHA...(edit- almost, 50 Lions have a split 7"/cdep coming out with Down To Nothing soon on the 2 of the best labels in the world, Resist and 6131 Records) we have an east coast run in a few weeks..NZ tour..some of the resist tour and some shit next year that you'll know about soon.

Ashley Pederick (The Design Threat, Miles Away, Blkout!)

2008-03-19T00:27:00.000-07:00

1- Blkout!, how long have you been jamming it out? When's the EP out? How have the first few shows gone?

We started jamming during May 2007 in my garage between games of Ping Pong. We recorded six tracks at the end of June which will be out on disc through Commonbond Records on the 20th of October, and also on Vinyl through our own label, Suppression Records, a bit later in the year. Make sure you check it out. Jumped on our first show with Hardluck in late June, just before we recorded, then didn't play our second one till mid-September for Miles Away return shows at HQ.

2- You recently went to the states, what were some highlights? What bands were good?

The States was off the chain! Highlights include meeting the almighty Natas Kaupas, eating 'Grilled Cheeses' at IN 'N' OUT Burger, drinking XXX Vitamin Water, watching Baseball 24-7 and seeing a ton of bands - to cut the story short! Bitter End at Sound & Fury Warmup show blew me away. Their stage presence was huge, as is their new LP 'Climate of Fear'. Jungle Boogeying to Lion of Judah. Fucked Up at the Knitting Factory in New York was nothing short of EPIC. Also a new Boston band called Step Forward that DFJ drums in, still bringin' the groove. Last, but not least, seeing Pennywise for the first time at Warp Tour - even if it was 45 degrees.

3- How was playing bass in MA? You there for good or what bro?

I love it, they are all good friends, so I was siked when they asked me to fill in and hang on tour. Never really played bass before either too, so it's been fun doing something different to the 'usual'. I'm happy doing it as long as they want me to.The Rewind Repeat tour with Homewrecker was rad. Lots of Entourage, Overnight drives, Dr. Pepper, Electric Helicopters and classic Thunder-chicken moments. CG...

4- How's Perth doing? Please tell me HQ is still alive...

Perth is still isolated as ever but on the upside a lot more bands are coming here than in the past. In general I think most kids are becoming a bit slack lately with coming to shows and supporting all the bands that make it over here. We have our ups and downs like most towns that's for sure, so hopefully there's a big 'UP' on it's way. If you're reading this either: a) start a band, b) put on a show, c) make a zine instead of sitting on message boards or d) do all of the above. What can be done tomorrow, can be done today! As for Australia's best All Age Venue - HQ Skatepark is still alive and running thanks to the one and only 'Dudeman' who has a featured interview in my zine called Shiftfit dropping at the end of the year.

5- How many thousand bands are you designing shit for this week? How is all that stuff going?

Busy as usual. Being away for two months meant a lot of work built up at home, but luckily I took my laptop to the states so I could do some while I was on the road.. Stuff that I have recently finished is the new Snake Eyes 7" out on 1917, a Bane/Have Heart/Ceremony European Tour Poster, some shirts for Bane, Modern Life Is War & Cruel Hand. A shirt for your derelic band, Long-sleeves for Parkway Drive and Her Nightmare. Finally sorted out Blkout's shizz & currently sketching up Battletruk's art for their new full-length. I'm not even going to get into my to-do list.

Greg Appleby (Against)

2008-03-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

1- Loyalty and Betrayal, new album, a few new dudes, give us the run down, how was recording, are you happy with how it all came out?

yeah mate another line up change, we got a mate steve on bass now witch is good, he played guitar in a few other bands and he is a good cunt as well as bass player so its working out well. recording was pretty fun, it was nice and quick because andy played bass and guitars on it he is a fukin shredder!. it didn't come out anywhere near as fast as the songs were written witch was a bit of a bummer but fuck it you live and learn. we have already started writing a few new songs so next time we record we will do a few things differently. sonically i think we get better every record but we still have a long ways to go till we are all 100% happy, but we like to learn as we go..

2- NCHC, what the fuck happened?, where are all those kids with neck and hand tattoos now?

NCHC haha the "real" NCHC is pretty quiet now, it started off with a bang and the right attitude but a few bands up here dropped the ball and thought they were bigger than they are, everyone stopped supporting each other and it turned into a race to get bigger than everyone else,they worried about selling merch and playing bigger shows but they forgot that they didn't (and still don't) have the talent to write songs.. if you want to stand the test of time i believe it only takes a few things and thats

1. write songs and put out records (don't tour 4 years on 2 eps haha)

2. be honest with yourself and what you write

3. forget what every other cunt is doin cause it doesn't matter

4. support local bands/shows

to see kids with neck and hand tattoos without getting their bodies filled still blows me away but i know a few of these guys are still around and still doin their thing, but there is quite a few who disappeared and have prob gone back to hangin out in malls listening to fake metal like killswitch i love that kids get tattooed so much now, cause it pays my rent!!! haha

3- How was touring the us and euro with Terror?, give me some stories ( suitable for print, haha)

haha most isn't for suitable print, you know the rules pete!!the tour was fun though! we had a bus so we didn't have to live like hippys but it was everything about touring another country you want! , weird food, showers in buckets in parks, good hardcore bands, good metal bands, active scenes, good chocolate,creepy euro people,oh and of course hot transvestites!! haha

4- Hows your mo going?, iam pretty sure you look more like a crim everytime i see you

mate the mo is goin strong!! even i f i wanted to cut it off rachi wouldnt let me!!it gets a mind of its own sometimes when it gets long but i just cant bring myself to trim it, its prob the only thing people will remember when im gone so ill keep it for a while yet! and to everyone out there thinkin of growin one... do it! it will change your life haha

5- In your words, how the future of Brisbane hardcore looking?

with hardcore getting watered down more and more everyday in the media and emo bands with solos and keyboards get labeled "hardcore" there will always be people starting bands and putting on shows to try to bring some honesty and reality back into itWe are however suffering from a shortage of venues, its weird to my why hundreds of "hardcore" kids can go to night clubs and listen hardcore on a pa system while they mosh on the dance floor but wont support local shows, I guess thats life.The people who want a scene will always be around and while they are brisbane will be fine...

Dave Peters (Throwdown, Gelato Lover)

2008-03-18T23:21:00.000-07:00

1- Venom and Tears, hhhhaarrrddd, give us the inside scope, where did you record it?, how long did it take, etc, etc, you happy with the finished product?

Thanks man! I don't think we've ever been as proud or satisfied with a record in our ten or so years as a band (in one form or another) than with this one. We sacrificed a lot to stay home as long as we did to write and record it (about 9 months all together) with relatively small finances, so it's even cooler hearing it just the way we wanted it in light of those sacrifices. We recorded closer to home this time (LA) vs traveling out to Boston, which was a nice change of pace too. We were real stoked on Vendetta, but at the same time, it was a high pressure situation - we jumped right out of tour...into the studio...and then back into the van for another tour. Just no way to make an album really. This time we focussed 100% on the record and I think it really made the difference for us.

2- Last of the Believers, where you playing in that band at one stage?

No I wasn't, but I've been friends with Chris aka "Sassy" for a long time and he mentioned having me sing on it if scheduling permitted. Insanely enough, it actually did. It was fun to come down and do some guest vocals for that because it's a lot different than what I'm normally singing over. It was also pretty sick that they were recording it at Scott Weiland's studio and there was a lot of sweet crushed red velvet just draped all over the place. I felt like Huggybear a little when I was tracking. That record has a real cool vibe to it all throughout and I'm glad they invited me down to get wild on it.

3- Gelato, is it still out there?

You fuckin better believe it is, bogan!

4- Hows touring going?, you guys pretty much havent fucking stopped.

Yeah, man. I'm actually pretty surprised we're all alive in spite of volatile personalities and transportation hazards. Two of us aren't talking to each other right now actually and our trailer wheel flew the fuck off on the highway two nights ago. And no i don't mean we got a flat, I mean all the lugs SEVERED and the thing when bouncing down the goddamn road like a fuckin Marion Brother and probably landed in someone's lap in oncoming traffic. Sketchy. We were spoiled with all the time off we had to write and record "Venom & Tears" and when we jumped back on the road again this summer we were like "fuuuuuuuuuuck. This blows." hahaha. Nah not really. We have a lot of fun touring, but sometimes you'd just rather be at home with people that you don't see day in day out for most of the year, yknow? Mark has long pretty hair and all, but I prefer my wife's company when it comes to sharing beds and bathrooms.

5- How stoked are you when 14 year olds start threads on sick bulletin boards saying that Throwdown are sell outs and arent straight edge every second week?

Ah yeah, man, it RULES! When I think about all that we've accomplished in a decade as a band and all the time I've spent being involved with hardcore for the past 15+ years, it really makes it all worth it when a kid who was literally not yet a fetus when I started going to shows perpetuates the lamest and most obvious rumor that we're "not straight edge anymore." It's kind of like a little trophy for us, yknow? Like "Hey guys...you're one of the few bands still together that actually STAND for something...so to show our appreciation...we're going to make things up about you and send them off into the abyss of the internet...THEN we'll sneak into your show dressed like rejects from a P Diddy video and dance around like Gumby having a seizure." It really kicks ass, Pete. Lemme tell you.

Luke Weber (Shotpointblank, Trust Comes Tough Clothing, A-Town OG)

2008-03-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

1- A-town used to be known for the vegan straightedge, what happened?

With Earth Crisis being the backbone of Adelaide hardcore, when they broke up dudes got slack. BC, Kev, JJ, Jona and the pyramid of vegan power are still keeping it real though. But now EXC are back together who knows whats gonna happen, if they come to Australia Ill go vegan again for the show! Adelaide did used to have a solid rep for all the vegan and straightedge kids there as opposed to the rest of the country....we held it down hard...we all just pretended we lived in Syracuse although to this day most of us still havent gotten to see EXC!

2- How was it growing up in adelaide going to shows?

Amazing, We had the tightest group of friends putting everything they had into shows and promoting hardcore in Adelaide. The rest of Australia had some shit going on but as far as im concerned we had the first bands like DOC that really set the standard for touring, good recordings and taking a band seriously. We also invented violent dancing in Australia, so if it wasnt for us everyone would probably be doing the waltz to parkway these days!

3- Do you miss touring at all?

Fuck yeah I do, You love it and you hate it but all in all its better than any shit job youll ever do. Start a band and get the fuck out of the grind of the 9-5 bullshit.....then at least you will stay sane!

( edit- Webdog is back on the road and his new nickname may soon well be Roaddog, he is ALWAYS on tour)

4- The last shotpoint show was huge, were you happy with how it all ended?

The last show was the best show we ever played.....1600 kids, everyone dancing and singing along, all our friends there and absolute chaos! I couldnt have asked for a better way to go out.

5- Your doing a new band, whats the deal?

Im doing two, one is a rock band called The Braves with a bunch of dudes with too many tattoos, we dont even really jam, we just get together and talk about working out, protein powder and meathead, thats what happens with Baina and GK in the band. My other band will kick your ass, its coming.....keep an eye out.....xxx

Jonas Feinberg (The Hope Conspiracy, Fulltime Road Dog)

2008-03-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

1- Death knows your name is fucking awesome man, do you think its gone over peoples heads, or dont you guys tour enough?

Thanks man! Glad you like the record. Are you saying that no one likes us anymore? Trends come and go my friend, we are the same as we ever were. You dig? I don't think it has gone over peoples heads. All the people that were supposed to get it, get it. We tour a perfect amount. If we toured like some bands these days it would just be depressing. We aren't meant for that anymore. We toured our fucking balls off (figuratively) for the first four years of our existence. That is longer than most bands are even around isn't it? If you missed us, then sorry- you missed us. Anyway, I don't take your opinion lightly, so I'm glad to hear you say it is fucking awesome. Let people say what they want (if anything at all?) and talk about who they want... none of us will ever be Black Sabbath so what is the point anyway?

2- When will you dudes be back here?

2008?

3- Are you over touring yet?, i know i burned out, but you have been on tour with bleeding through and others for fucking ever

Nah man, touring is my job. It has been in my life for over ten years now. It's just kind of second nature really.

4- How long/gross is your beard right now?

My girlfriend loves it. It's staying.

5- I saw the cure the other night, but still have never seen moz, leave me with a story of seeing the master live to leave me jealous.

Last time I saw the Cure play Robert Smith checked his cellphone in the middle of a song. I shit you not, it was on the drum riser and he just picked it up to check out who texted him or whatever. You could totally see it on the Jumbotron screens. Morrissey live shows have gotten to be less fun as he has escalated in popularity again. Some of the venues I've seen him play over the last few years have kind of sucked. People wanting to sit down while he plays? Gimme a break. I mean, he was awesome, but I did like seeing him in General Admission places that were packed out. In 2002 a whole bunch of us saw him at Las Vegas House of Blues. 2 nights. Shit was off the wall. Anyway, let me just conclude by saying how happy I am that you always want to talk about Moz these days. I mean, I do remember your OLD cd collection. I love you, and the direction you are headed

Aram Arslanian (Betrayed, The First Step, Champion, React Records)

2008-03-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

1-How does playing in The First Step compare to when you were playing in Champion?

Playing in The First Step is really low key compared to Champion. Champion was on a mission to get out and create some kind of change in the world, we put everything aside in our lives and gave it 100% every night and I think we made some real impact in the lives of some people. TFS is a much different experience in that way, I mean I definitely feel that we’re out there bringing a message and being very dedicated to that idea, but it’s less of a “Do or Die” type attitude than the Champ. Like TFS is really chill, we play 3 shows a month and while we’re about getting our ideas out there we also focus on just really trying to enjoy our time together and on stage. We spend a lot of time kicking it, talking about life and the core, and seeking out the best vegetarian food the world has to offer.

2- How straight edge are you?

As Straight Edge as it gets. I fully believe in the movement, ideals, and lifestyle and will forever. There’s an unreleased Betrayed song about Straight Edge called , “Know Enough to Know” and in it there’s a line that sums it up for me, “It’s not all that I am but it’s who I choose to be”. What that means to me is that there’s a lot more to me as a person that just the edge, but out of all the things that make me up as a person I choose to identify with being Straight Edge above anything else and that’s because I find true value in what it represents.

3- Some people say that their pets are a reflection on themselves, how do you feel about that statement and your dog?

That’s a loaded question you fucker… okay for those not in the know, I have a wiener dog named Josh. Wiener dogs have long snouts and so do I, in fact both my wife and I kinda look like our dog. Pete I hate you. As for the dog himself, Josh is a great dude, he love to chill out and listen to the core with me and although the wife and I are vegetarians we feed him on a raw meat diet which is natural and healthy for a dog. Kibble and wet food are pretty much fast food for animals and contribute to most of the weight issues and illness that arises in pets so it’s a compassionate choice for pet owners. As for the animals used for his food, being vegetarians we kinda felt an ethical dilemma about it but we’ve done some research and buy from a company that uses free range ethically treated animals and once you see the shit they put into other dog foods I doubt many people would think twice about going raw for their pets.

4- Do you ever see yourself making it back in the best country in the world?

I want TFS to come there but I don’t know if it’s in the cards. I have way to many friends down there to not come back so I’m sure the wife and I will make a rip out of it. I mean if No Apologies, one of the greatest current core bands, wont come to me then I have to come to them.

5- Did jj really steal sean spear's underwear?( i saw it with my own eyes but after more than a year i steal need confirmation)

Yeah, no word of a lie when Betrayed toured with FVK John Joseph stole Sean Spear’s underwear… all of it… as in he had to buy all new underwear the next day… and not as a joke, but to actually wear. This was so insane it made my mind explode! The best part of it was the next day we told the story to Mackie, he was drinking an espresso ad he just looked off into the distance and said, “That’s some jail shit right there”. Again my mind exploded

.... and it begins

2008-03-18T03:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, like i didnt have enough shit on my plate, ive decided to start this.
My original plan was to post all the original 5q's but i must of deleted them from my inbox after the zine was out cause i cant find them, so iam just going to post the i/vs that were to make up 5q's 11, that i never got around to actually doing ( i love zines as much as the next guy, but i just dont have the time that it requires to do one again) plus do alot more as i go.
I was pretty happy with how the actual zine 5q's came out, it was very rushed and it is what it is, but if i did have the time over again i would of maybe asked some better questions and layed it out a little better and not just used pics of the peoples myspace or whatever we(other Pete helped me lay it out) could find on the nerd. But yeah its done now, hopefully this page can be entertaining and ill def try and keep on top of it(more so than the NA one maybe)
I guess iam going to use this as a place where i can also voive my opinion on whatever the fuck i want, maybe do a few reviews, have people write some thing, etc, etc.
Iam basically just going to run with it and use it as something to kill time when iam not inside an aircraft throwing peoples belongings around.
Some 5q's will be up soon.