185 Miles South
A hardcore punk podcast.
185 Miles South
249. January 2025
We're back and talking Hardcore. This week on the pod:
1. FYA Fest report
2. Newerish stuff: Just Us, Voltage, Walk Alone, Lifeless Dark
3. Cut You Down: Bold - Speak Out LP
4. Old School: The Varukers - Another Religion, Another War LP
5. Interview: Joe D. Foster (Unity/Ignite)
Check the website for playlists, our links, and SMASH that Patreon button:
185milessouth.com
We are on Substack (sometimes) writing about Punk and Hardcore:
185milessouth.substack.com
Get at me: 185milessouth@gmail.com
Ignite photo used for episode art: Fred Hammer
Intro track: Unity
Outro track: The Varukers
185 miles south dot com
SPEAKER_04:smash that patreon
SPEAKER_01:button 185 miles south a hardcore punk rock podcast. What's up, everyone? We are back and talking hardcore. I'm Zach Nelson and helping out this time around from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the king of the windmill. It is Kevin Hare. What's up, dude? What up? What up? What up? All right, dudes. Happy New Year to everyone. This is the first episode of the new year. Just some quick housekeeping things. There is a playlist for every episode, 185milesouth.com or find 185 Miles South on Spotify. This is a podcast about music. and putting on for like the things that I like. So check that out. I like the idea of like a communal listening experience. You know what I mean? So we talk to this music, check it out. I hate the idea that like I've, just become like a talking head or a music critic or something like this is about putting on for the music. So check it out. It's the most important thing there is also just quickly. I want to say, please consider becoming a patron. The patrons are the people that keep this podcast alive. This podcast is a ton of work this coming April. It will have been six years doing this thing. And dude, I think I have another year in me most likely, but you know, it's not going to last forever. So it is what it is. I don't do this thing for glory. Because there is none. And I don't do it for money because there is none. And like I said before, the last thing I ever wanted to be was a music critic. And so I struggle with that a lot of the time. But I think at the end of the day, this is still a positive thing. And I love hardcore. And This podcast is putting on for hardcore, both new and old. So let's try our best to keep it rolling. And 2024 was super inspiring. There were so many good new demos that I think 2025 might be the year, dude. So we'll see. Other things. I want to shout out to episode one, the legend Joe Revis. Once again, we love you, brother. So you're going to do this thing. You know what I'm saying? Also, shout out to everyone who got the 185 miles south of somewhere fanzine and the compilation can set And everyone who tagged me, that's super cool. I hope you guys enjoy it. And then if you guys missed it, the comp is gone for sure. But there may be extra zines popping up at some point. I know we made a handful extra for FYA. And if there are any leftovers, Bob might put them up in the Rebirth Records big cartel at some point. So check that out. One last thing. Fred Hammer repressed the first Ill Repute 7-inch, The Land of No Toilets. So check that out. It's the first time it's been in press since the repress in 85. It's a live fanzine on Instagram, so handle business there. There's Stalag Records too, so check that out. I alluded to the zines being available at FYA. Let's jump right into it. Kevin, you were there. Let's get an FYA report, dude. What was going on?
SPEAKER_00:So this year, new venue, obviously, and it was crazy. I think that this was– I mean– This was easily, there's no thinking, it was easily the biggest one. There was like 2,500 people there each day. And the new venue was pretty perfect for it. It was very big. There's enough room for everybody. There's enough room to walk around outside and stuff. So it was pretty much a win from that perspective. The vibe was just on. And I think that Everybody was really happy with how the weekend went. And overall, it was awesome. I think the biggest thing coming out of the weekend that me and a lot of my friends and almost everybody that I talked to was that it feels like kind of what we call roots hardcore, just like the normal hardcore stuff is really kind of coming back. I think one thing that's kind of important to realize, especially as you get older and stuff in this, is that a lot of kids... Kids are going to interpret hardcore different ways, and they are going to react different ways, and things are going to be weird. And how kids act with hardcore is not going to be exactly the same way that you grew up with it or that I grew up with it. But if you just accept that there's going to be things that you don't understand, but if you can just see that the enthusiasm is there and stuff, I think that like– Yeah. Exactly the etiquette or what is normal. So as long as you just get past that, I mean, there were bands covering Straight Ahead all weekend that got big reactions and Breakdown and Youth of Today and a Project X cover got big reactions and stuff. You know, it's like all this stuff, people... younger kids are open to, or they know, or they want to know, or even if there's a cover they don't know, they'll be moshing to it and be excited about it. And I think that that is just kind of showing how healthy things are right now. And that, especially like you said in the beginning, where the next year feels like it could be a special year, I think that's going to be one of the things that helps do that is just how healthy into and accepting of just all types of hardcore people are or people are into, you know? So, and, and that goes into some of the biggest sets of the weekend. I mean, we can go into some of the highlights of the bands. I think, especially as far as the roots hardcore stuff goes, the collateral set this weekend was absolutely just so unbelievably awesome. They opened with never had it by mad ball. And then they ended the set with the mosh part coming back to the never had it. Which was like, dude, it was so cool. Of course, I didn't see it coming at all. And when they started playing it again, I'm just like, that is just the coolest way to start and end a set. Coming back, wrapping it all up. And then, dude, there were hundreds of people two-stepping and moshing the collateral. It felt like the whole room was moshing. And it was just like... It made me so excited. I watch a lot of the fest from the stage, but Collateral is one that I had to be on the floor for. And it was just– the feeling was just there and it felt so good. And it was just like– it was just so awesome. I was really– I was excited to see them. We talked at the year-end episode about how last year's FYA, they were awesome. And this year was just– I mean, it pulverized last year, so it was just unbelievable. So I think that that's going to be one that people come away from it. Even if you didn't know them, you would think that it was awesome. But let's be real. I mean, that record really took off, and so many people knew them. And it took off in a really organic, natural way. It was just, this record is here, and it's awesome, and everybody liked it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I mean, universally loved, right? It's like the demo was so good two years ago, and then last year, that 7-inch, so sick. Yeah, I saw the video. It looked... It looked insane. And there were a lot of like roots, hardcore bands this year. Like that steamroll set looked out of hand. How was that?
SPEAKER_00:Dude, steamroll set was really awesome too. They opened with the everybody everywhere, tear this place down into straight ahead. And, uh, like so many people knew the straight ahead song, which like, of course it's straight ahead, but a year or two ago, band covering straight ahead. That's not happening, you know? So, um, Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What felt like the whole room, like everybody there early was moshing to them. And right away, I was just like, oh, we're onto something here. So you went right from them right into steamroll and then Ozone and then Face the Pain, like all to start. And then Alienator after that. So it was all just like, bam, bam, bam, just straightforward hardcore bands. just the start. And it really set the vibe of the whole weekend. I think it was awesome. Cause then like face the pain, they, they played and you know, they're more youth group band and they had a great reaction to, and they did a block of floor punch changes into dance floor justice and dance floor justice got a crazy reaction. It got a great reaction. I mean, I don't even know if I've ever seen anybody cover that. The only project X song people cover straight edge revenge and a dance floor justice got a great pop and people were really into face the pain in general. And they were awesome. And then alienator, it was right after that and like they completely I think they started playing and people didn't know what to expect from them but they looked so cool and just as the set went on more and more kids started moshing and I just think it's one of those things where maybe face the pain people didn't know or sorry Alienator kids didn't know them before or even know what their style is but by the end of the set everybody in that room was just like holy fuck this Alienator band is awesome
SPEAKER_01:it's so sick you know What you're talking about before with the newer kids being open to the old school hardcore sound, it's not just them being into that exclusively though, right? It's like they kind of like everything?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, they kind of like everything, which obviously I think that's a good thing overall. But like Balmora, they also cover Breakdown. And they covered Unbroken Wings, and both of those covers got big reactions. Now, I think that the people there for Balmora knew more of the Unbroken Wings song than the Breakdown song, but they were still moshing to the entire Breakdown song and were stoked about it, you know? So I think that, yeah, it's like you would see kids in the final Wrestling Place set who were also in the Alienator pit, you know? It's just like... Kids are just open to finding new things right now, and they don't really differentiate in their head, I think, hardcore stuff. And you could say whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I think in the case of going to a fest like this and just having a good time and everything, I think that it's a really good thing where people are just open to seeing every band and wanting to enjoy every band. Where, as you know, in hardcore– different times in hardcore– Kids, certainly after their first year or two being in, then you just become like, I only like this. I hate that. Fuck that. And we're not there right now, I think.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'm kind of surprised it hasn't split that way a little bit because coming out of the COVID boom, we're a few years in. And I kind of thought that people would be heading into their camps by now.
UNKNOWN:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:That's cool. I think it's cool. What about our ongoing war with the horseshoe? It looked like there's some people fighting it back. Big Boy, it's always packed up front. Big Boy is waging a one-band war against the horseshoe.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for one– Big Boy set was unbelievable. I mean, last year's was good, and this year's, again, it smoked it. The vibe was there, and everybody was packed up front, and it was just unbelievable. Saturday was more against the horseshoe than Sunday. I think that people were excited Saturday and just wanted to be up front and into everything. By Sunday, I think people were a little tired. So there's a little bit more sitting back and watching the band. But still, that said, I mean, I think people are fixating on stuff like watching the torture videos where the entire pit– I think they were actually one of the few bands I did not watch because I was just exhausted. But from what I know about it, I think that the entire pit was wide open for them. So then you just had this idea of that or Nails Play Late and a lot of people were still in the room. But it was just– People are so tired by them, so maybe it looked like a horseshoe. But overall, I mean, kids were excited. They were up front for stuff. They were up front for the stuff they wanted to be up front for. And then, of course, the heavier stuff is going to have a little bit of a horseshoe. But I think that something like Dead at Birth or Death Threat, the entire crowd was up front singing along and stage diving and that type of thing. It was just unbelievable for that. So I think that it's there. It's just– Maybe we got to do some tweaking about kids' perceptions a little bit about it. But I think overall, they want to be upfront and be in stuff.
SPEAKER_01:I think that the trend of the punching from stage has scaled down a bit. We're over the hump of that straight-up nerd behavior. Yes. I still do see it, but now it's more of a friendly slap, which– is even kind of lamer. I don't know. It's one of the lamest moves. We should give credit to Jay from Mindforce. He called that shit out publicly. I hate to call someone an influencer because that sounds fucking dirty, but there are influencer-type people in hardcore. Him calling it out and saying it's a lame-ass behavior, I don't know if the slow slide of that move... correlated directly with that or not but like i think it did like calling out fucking shitty behavior and like shaming it is like a good thing i think you know i mean like yeah so yeah
SPEAKER_00:and i i saw it a little bit this weekend but definitely worse other times and like it wasn't nearly as egregious as as it has been
SPEAKER_01:yeah yeah yeah super sick dude and like the room jesus christ like when you saw like that the foundation pictures you know i mean it's like the room had to be that big. Like that was all the way packed out. That was insane.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Yeah. The foundation set was like an all time type of hardcore set. One thing that I, that I kind of thought about and I talked to some of my friends about is that, you know, trial reunited or trial broke up in like 1999 and they reunited in 2005. And then that burning fight set was in 2009. So that was a full decade for trial. So when, when that set happened, especially the Burning Fight one, but even their reunion, they'd only been broken up for six years. But when we were younger, it felt like this big, crazy thing. Oh my God, Trial's playing. Lifetime was only broken up for like six or seven years. So when you put that, when I kind of think about that, of these bands when I was younger, and then I think about a band like Foundation that has been broken up for almost a decade, there's just generations and generations of kids that were not able to see that band, but They become a big band for them. They hear about the lore. They know they were a band they just missed or whatever. So it's easy to miss that sometimes when a band like Foundation– I saw a lot when they existed. They were a band that I thought was cool, but I never really– they were never my band or anything. They were just a band I liked that I saw at shows. So it's easy to miss that sometimes. But then at– The show, it was just 2,500 kids that loved Foundation and were just there for them, you know? And it was just this unbelievable electricity for them that is just, like, there's going to be kids coming away from that room where, like, that set changed their life, you know? And so, like, that's awesome. That's what hardcore is about. So it was just– I was just standing there watching it and all just, like, this is– An unbelievable kind of once-in-a-lifetime type of set. There's not that many bands that exist that can have these type of sets. And that was the real special one. Yeah,
SPEAKER_01:and that's like the right timeframe for when reunions happen for them to be the best. It percolates for like half a decade to a decade. If you also think about the Youth of the Day reunion, I think that was like 97. So they've been broken up. what, six, seven years at that point. Personally, when In Control broke up in 04, we did our reunion in 09, and it was three times as many people that were at the last show. And you could still be young, too. That's the whole point, right? So you break up your band when you're 25. You do the reunion when you're 30. You can still be young and a good band. You're not going to be some fucking barnacle out there just blowing it, ranking your band's name. So yeah, super sick, dude. Anything else you want to touch on here before we get past this?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so a few things. First, I thought that the foreign bands that played were really awesome. Silver, Nothing But Enemies, and especially Killing Frost. I mean, Killing Frost's set was unbelievable. They kind of sound like they have a hybrid of Slapshot, Sheer Terror with Finnish thrash and death metal with synths and stuff. And they were just fucking so cool. They were a band... I may never be able to see that band again. Who knows? This might be the only time because they're from Finland, and they were just so great. The Missing Link set was easily the best Missing Link set that I've ever seen. I think sometimes people think their sets are going to be too scary, so they don't do anything, and this was a perfect mix of pile-ons and stage moshing and just crazy hard moshing in the pit and just all that type of stuff. It was just– unbelievable. And then like Mindforce was great. Fury was great, but the big, the best band on Saturday, or I won't say best, but like the most fun, like all inspiring one was Stout set was just unbelievable. You had these, all these scary old Baltimore guys were all mobbed up on stage, just singing every word where Stout probably got the craziest reaction that they've ever gotten you know so many kids there all knowing the words and it just like had looked cool and they just it was just so awesome and the the bassist kind of gave a speech of and he was getting kind of emotional of you know they've existed for 20 years and people kind of wrote them off or didn't really take them seriously or whatever and now people are you know into it and they understand what they're going for. And I thought that that was, you know, really cool type of validation type of speech there. And then like just some other things like Think I Care, a band that I loved when I was a kid and I still love now. They were just sounded so mean and so awesome and they were great. A lot of the newer bands like Burning Lord, Stigmatism, Statement of Pride, Fatal Realm, like all these bands just had great sets. But then the one that The set that I just can't stop thinking about and was is I'm not joking. It's easy to say this type of thing, but I really think that it might have been the most fun set that I've ever seen was the Mongoloid set. They were a band that started right when I was like 18, 19. So real formative years of going to shows. And I saw them a lot back then. And this reunion, like. It was basically like a tribute in a love letter to my type of– like my era of hardcore. And so it was just like– it was really fun with just a lot of goofiness and like everybody's seen the video of the guy spinning stuff on stage to start the set. And the inflatables or whatever. But like it was just so fun. They did a sick– rock block of covers. It was just like, hey, when we were a band, we did a lot of covers. So now here's a medley. And they did a medley style too of one song into the other of River Runs Red into Sick People with Tyler from Scarab Scene into I Spoiler by Sheer Terror into Feeding Time at the Zoo by The Wrong Side with Morgato was there to sing it. And by sing it, I mean just run around on stage because there's no lyrics into Safe in a Crowd by Breakdown. and uh that was just you know people were in the full covers and that was awesome and they put an irh song into another song and like i said just the whole vibe of it was just so fun and everybody was there just like there's no pretense about it everybody just wanted to have fun with it and it was just like it's one of those perfect hardcore sets that i just cannot stop thinking about it was just so fun it's what i'm here for and like you know I'm almost 38. I'm 38 in a few weeks. And it's just like, I cannot not imagine anything else that I'd rather be doing. Like I had to be there for that. And I had to be, you know, playing inflatable guitars and stuff. Cause it was just the most fun thing that I've ever seen. That
SPEAKER_01:rules. Well, hell yeah. Hey, congrats to Bob and the whole crew and yeah, another sick ass year. So that's what's up. Okay. Let's move on quickly and do the, some predictions for 2025 and then also what you hope to see in 2025. Mine is really short, dude. 2024, I talked about it earlier tonight, but god damn, dude, there were so many good demos like on like EP level you know I mean like there were demos that came out that it's like in other eras if like some of the best bands put that shit out it would have been like EP or LP like level songs and there's always like that push and pull right between pro core and what people like call demo core and like I don't want things to ever go all the way demo core because I like people to have some skin in the game and like really care about their bands and sometimes I feel like there was a time when people were just trying and trying and trying different things. And it, it kind of seemed insincere. It was like people were doing different bands to see what hit. And if it didn't hit, then it's like, okay, onto the next thing. So I, I just hope that like a lot of the good stuff from last year, like the band stick around and like make it go at it. You know what I mean? Play 20 shows in the year, you know, or like, try to piece together a tour or something. Like I just, I hope that that shit that I love from last year, like there's some substance to it and like the kids go out and like do it. So that's really what I'm hoping for. Also, uh, still holding out that someone that crowd kills from the stage gets stabbed. So, uh, hoping for that still. And I think that's it, dude.
SPEAKER_00:What do you got? So going back to what I said earlier, I think that this is going to be a more well-rounded year of hardcore of just like kind of more in the middle bands, uh, Putting out records. This year, I think it's going to be... It's really set up to be an unbelievable year. The amount of stuff that I know is supposed to come out, comes out. It should be awesome of... It's going to be stuff that's heavy or there's going to be stuff that's fast or whatever, but it's not going to be too heavy. It's going to be still stuff in the hardcore lane, like the Division of Mind record or the Killing Pace record or the Scarab records. Those are going to be heavy records, but they're also going to be solely just hardcore records. I don't want to say that there's going to be this big– like push back against the idea of like the pro core band or whatever. Like that seems a bit silly to say, but at the same time, I really think that it's going to be the, I think that the year is going to be dominated by bands that are just kind of like know who they are and where their places, you know, like bands that are not necessarily going to completely go for it as far as touring all the time or whatever, but can really hone in on a good LP and just like, Hey, let's just do this. put our, our all into this and see what happens and not be as involved with like, Oh, we have to do this record. So then we can do this and do that. Like, I really think that this year is just going to be, there's going to, I think it's going to be the return of like the hardcore LP where, you know, of course there were good ones last year, but I just feel like this year there's going to be so many good ones where like, you know, the, the straightforward hardcore stuff, maybe there weren't as many big records like that this year. A lot of the stuff I really liked was in the more punk lane. And I think that this year it's just going to be like record after record. And I do think that a lot of the bands that you're talking about, like a band like freeze out or something is going to record something that is going to be like smoke their last thing and just be so good. So I'm really excited for that. Like the C4 record, I think is the thing that I'm most excited for. Cause it's just this mean sounding, like, really mean hardcore record. And I just can't wait for that. So that's just my, my general idea is just that this year is going to be great. And I think that it's going to be just continue to go in the trend of just regular, normal. I know I said, I hate a regular hardcore on the Patreon, but just like normal in the, in the middle hardcore, and it's going
SPEAKER_01:to be an awesome year. Yeah. No idols is recording, I think this month. So like, that's something I'm excited about too. Yeah. I don't know, like for like straight hardcore, you know, down the road, hardcore, like that missing link LP from last year is like as good as it gets for that style. And I feel like that band like blew up off it. Like the kids in the crowd get it. And like, you know, the band is like reap the, the rewards of putting out like about as good of a record as you can do in that genre. Yeah. And like, but I do feel like, you know, the commentary class is like kind of maybe slept on it a little bit. Like it should get called out as like a spectacular record of like.
SPEAKER_00:For sure. And you know, you can tell there's a lot of care and thought put into that. And I think that that's just going to continue with a lot of records like that this year of like bands kind of continuing exactly in the missing link formula. Not sounding like that, but just like, you know. the, the work ethic and the aesthetic wise of just like putting as much as they can into the record, knowing that it's this big and important to them thing to do and, and put a lot of care into it. So that's what I'm really excited for this year.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah. Cause like that record. And then also like in like the raw punk world, like that Craig shock record, they both seem like they can kind of, they transcend it a bit. Right. So like they are something for like bands to chase after, you know what I mean? So that's all. Okay. Let's jump in and talk some newer-ish stuff. I got a bunch of stuff to shout out before we get into it. All right, here we go. First off, About Face. What's up, Coop? They put out their demo, the XXX Demonstration. It came out on Advanced Perspective. Youth crew band with some melody. Order that tape. You got to order it now, dude. Maybe it'll show up by the end of summer. Also, Raised Wrong, self-titled 12-inch, came out on Indecision Records in December. Fast, straightforward, roots hardcore. Dude, I saw this band at the Shea. It was pretty wild because, you know, kids like most shit is like fucking bullshit beat down now like of the young kids playing and like this band is just straight up like straight fast hardcore 90 second songs whatever the fuck and they're good they're all seen veterans right so like they would play a song and when they stopped like this show had like maybe 50 kids and the kids just went
SPEAKER_03:yeah
SPEAKER_01:like they were at a fucking maiden concert dude so like that real hardcore shit god damn when it's played good it can like uh hit anyone you never know okay a band called Compete. They're out of Vienna, Austria. They put out their demo 2025, came out on STTW Records. Another youth crew band coming back. There is a youth crew resurgence going on right now. So what's up? Also, the band Second Coming, they put out a song called Love Letters. They were a NorCal band in the 1990s. And this song's sick, dude. Some old school scene veterans doing it. We got a shout out to the San Ramon Mosh crew. What's up? Crush Your Soul put out a new EP called Living Gracious. Came out this month. The cassette is available through Streets of Hate. You know what it is. They put it out at EP last year. That was one of the best EPs of the year. It's Marauder, All Out War, Worship. But most importantly, dude, they sound like them. And Jay, my force, all-time front man. And the more he gives us, the better. There's a band called King's Command. They put out a demo called Take Back the Throne. Came out in December on Total Supply. That was on our short list the last couple of months. So we got to shout it out. Justice Divine put out a self-titled 12 inch on destructure records. They are out of breast France. Like that's a town that, uh, all that Freud shit comes out of that. We love. This is a post punky. There's some electro shit in there. Kevin, you love this one, didn't you?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I love this one. It hit me at the very end of the year and then it made my top 10 of the year. Yeah. So sick.
SPEAKER_01:So everyone checked that out. A square one demo. 2024 came out of scheme records. This is fast. I'm a lot of hardcore and dude, Fast melodic hardcore. That lane is wide open. And this is a band to contend with if you love that shit. The band Rifle out of London put out a new EP called Pack Mentality. Their 7-inch from 2023 was one of my favorites of that year. This kicks ass as well. A band called Modern Man from Los Angeles put out a new cassette called Rodent. Came out of Shitkicker Records. Their 2023 demo was on our shortlist for demo of the year. This is a little wilder. of music uh they're really coming to their own check it out i have trouble describing this stuff that's like not straightforward but uh it kicks ass i dug it a lot a band called gun fever out of greece uh they put out a 12 inch called no easy way this is like a dark oi band so you know we love that froi shit out of france this is like that stuff but out of greece so it's I don't know. Is it Groy? They cover criminal damage too, so that will give you some idea of what they're all about. Okay, a band called The Losers. They put out a 12-inch called The Land of Opportunity. It came out on 11 PM Records in October. We shortlisted this for December, I think. Kevin, I think you actually sent this to me. This is super sick, dude. Everyone, check out the song on the playlist. I love it. It almost made my end of the year list. They're kind of Nightbirds-y, but maybe less Dead Kennedys and more fast, crazy shit. Also, another old thing. This came out in the summer, but a band called Shooting Pain put out their demo 2024. When I was set up to do that Invertebrates interview for the year-end episode, I was looking up the drummer's shit on Discogs and this band came up and I was like, what? And dude, it is so sick. It's just lo-fi thrash. If you like that band Tower 7, which I know a lot of you guys do, you should dig this. It's super sick. And then lastly, a band called Demonstrate out of Philly put out a new demo. It is not on Spotify, so it won't be on the playlist, but check out Demonstrate XXX on Bandcamp and it will come up. So check that out. The first thing that we're going to dig into this week is the band Just Us. They're It's called The Demo. Came out on Physical Therapy Records, but you snooze, you lose. It is already sold out. This came out in December, but we are talking it now. Kevin, what do you think about this one?
SPEAKER_00:This demo is awesome. It came out like the last week of December. So it's like it kind of missed last year, but I don't know, maybe it'll be for this year. But it just sounds like, I mean, the very obvious comparison is that they're trying to sound like no tolerance. And there's nothing wrong with that to me. I mean, no tolerance has kind of turned into the most, like it's again, like we would talk about sometimes where you kind of miss when bands are turning legendary and, and no tolerance has turned into one of those legendary, like cited bands. So if a band is coming out and wants to sound like no tolerance, which is just trying to sound like confronting brotherhood, uh, that sounds great to me. I mean, parts of it, like, especially the second song song, just us, it sounds like the deal. Um, A lot with the vocal cadence and how it sounds and stuff. So yeah, I think that this band is awesome and I'm hopefully I'll see them soon and, and that they'll do more, but it's just cool that this just like they were playing a show at the end of December. So they're like, all right, here's the demo two days before. So I really liked this one a lot.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, same, dude. It's four songs, six minutes. Really good recording for a demo. And again, this is just like one of those things. Bands are putting out demos that sound this good. If you're doing a band, your shit's got to sound this good. You got to grab it out the gate, right? This thing sounds so good. And there's a fast part in every song except for the intro. The singer sounds like he's missing a chromosome. That's what I'm looking for. This just rules. It's everything I want in a new hardcore band. It just rules.
SPEAKER_00:I really like the drumming too because it's kind of in front of the beat. And so it really makes everything sound really driving and going forward. And I think that one thing that bands become that like hurts things is that drummers are a little too slow or a little behind the beat now. And it kind of makes the song drag along. Whereas this is just really pummeling and driving and it makes the songs just really frantic in a good way and just kind of always going forward. And I think I really appreciate that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that song that's queued up on the band camp, the No Tomorrow song that starts with a scissor beat, it's insane. I heard that and I was like, okay, perfect hardcore song, dude. Let's fucking go. You know what I mean? Yeah, it's so sick. So everyone check it out. Just Us, the demo, came out on Physical Therapy. All right, let's go on. The next thing we're going to talk is a band called Voltage. They put out a release called Mania. It was self-released. I do not know if there was a physical copy or not. I couldn't figure it out by Googling around. This band is from Kamloops, British Columbia in Canada. This came out in November 2024, and I saw it on someone's year-end list, and I was like, oh, I haven't heard this, and so I checked it out, and goddamn, dude, it's sick. The first song is my favorite. It's just full-on discharge worship, like in the blatant discharge worship way, you know, and I love some of that stuff like that disaster LP or that first meanwhile LP or two of my favorite records I've been listening to a lot in the last year or so. And this is just like that. It's like single influence band. Here we go. But the rest of the, the single, the rest of the EP is, like they kind of go off more like nineties Sweden style, which isn't always my favorite shit, but this band does it very well. Uh, it goes like more of like that motor punk way, like, you know, like the big nineties Swedish stuff, like this fear skit system, Wolf brigade, um, kind of like that stuff, but there's no melody in this. Like some of those bands would dabble in. And, uh, Some of it is almost so motor punk that it almost borders sounding like NFC a little bit in parts, but it doesn't go all the way there. One of the best things about this is just the singer's got a cool yelling voice, and he also knows how to hang back and lets the songs breathe. And that's sick, dude, because this recording is thick as fuck. It's powerful. And the music speaks for itself. If you're the singer, you don't got to smother everything, dude. So it's pretty sick this dude hangs back. Yeah, overall, I just like this thing a lot. What do you think, Kevin?
SPEAKER_00:I knew nothing about this before it was on the playlist for this month, and it's really awesome. Like you said, it's Discharge. I noticed the Inepsi thing right away. That was kind of the first thing that I thought about was just a band doing the motorhead through the punk lens type of thing. But yeah, I really liked it. The song I really liked is the second song, Wire. I thought that that was kind of a good catchy chorus and a little bit more mid-tempo. But this is one that I think the first time I listened to it, I'm like, okay, this is pretty cool, but I probably won't listen to this again. And then Listening to it more and more, I was just like, I think that this will probably stay in my rotation where I'll come back to every once in a while. And it sounds great. If they do a full record at some point, it should be awesome. And yeah, this is the type of stuff that is cool because it just takes you by surprise. And like I said, I knew nothing about this. I didn't see a single thing about it. And then it's just awesome.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's hooky too in parts, right? Like that second song that you're talking about, like the liar, you're a liar. Like there's some moments in this that like stick with me like that. With the finger on the trigger. Like there's good shit in here. So hell yeah, dude. Voltage, Mania. Out of Kamloops, British Columbia. Check it out. All right, let's go on to the next thing. We're going to talk The Walk Alone, a cruel promo. Came out on Rebirth Records. This is a band out of Louisville, Kentucky. Came out in December of 2024. What do you think, Kevin?
SPEAKER_00:This one, it's another really good one that I really liked. It's kind of like a mix of Clevo, like almost Mean Streaky, even though, you know, there's only one Mean Streaky song, but like it sounds a little Mean Streaky. And then also like Early 2000s California type of stuff that is just the kind of really fast, mean, like, eternal affairs, piece-by-piece type of stuff. It's just early terror. It's just a melding of those two things, and it just sounds really mean and nasty. There's some dive bombs and some– Yeah, the singer's
SPEAKER_01:voice is a little more throat than gut. but it really works here. And it's another short demo, four songs, five minutes. The backbone of this band, again, is like that fast beat. This demo is interesting. What they do very well that I think makes them stand apart is they vary the fast beat, right? So like, Hyper Vigilance, that's kind of like a slow fast beat, very Clevo fast beat. Head of the Hammer is like a scissor beat. And then Decentralized Risk is like a straight double time fast beat. So it's sick to have the backbone of this band be fast, but every fast beat is different. You know what I mean? The songs don't sound the same. We do got to say, can't look past the fact that that first riff of the demo is a pretty blatant rip off Real Domain. But whatever, dude, I was in a band that lifted this riff in 1997. So I'm no better than you, but God damn, that is a blatant fucking swoop. But, uh, Hey, fuck them. Right. All right. That's sick. It is walk alone. A cruel promo came out of rebirth records, handle business people. uh, rebirth records. It's on big cartel. You know what to do. Let's go on to the next thing. We're going to talk the band lifeless dark, put out an LP called forces of nature's transformation. It came out on side two records. The LP is sold out, but as of the time that we're recording this, the tape is still available. This band is out of Boston, Massachusetts featuring some people that you probably know from the previous bands, but, uh, Goddamn. So this came out in December and basically the internet shut down for the day of just everyone being like, oh my God, LP of the year. And it snuck into a bunch of lists, dude. And I think it's warranted. This record sounds so awesome. We've talked on the pod a lot about how that early 80s shit happened. like the fifth member of the band is the recording. You know what I mean? Like think about like listening to Minor Threat or SSD or Discharge or just really any band from like, you know, the original shit up until like Crossover kind of comes in, right? Like nothing can ever sound like that again. And that's like part of why the people that love it, love it so much, right? It's so unique. But this band, like they do such a good job of like harnessing like 1983 thrash metal. The record sounds so raw, but so bright at the same time. It's just fucking perfect. And like, that kind of sounds like a cop out saying the thing I love about this record the most is the recording. But like, I love this recording so much and it makes me want to listen to this record so much. Like the second song, that depth of cold song, dude, it just starts out like doing like the speed picking on a fast beat. And like, it just sounds like 1983. You know what I mean? So like, if you love that sound, that early thrash metal sound, like you're going to love this, right? It's just the fucking speed picking on a fast beat. And it's like, God damn, this sounds so good, dude. On the write-up for this record, they say that their influences were the first sacrilege LP, the first hell bastard LP, and that dis attack demo from 1986. That's like the, it's a, pre carcass napalm death band. Uh, that dude, Bill steer was in it. That's cool. Like the shout outs are cool. And like, there is maybe a little bit of like the hell bastard, the dis attack, but dude, let's be real. This is just like that first sacrilege LP mashed up with fucking show no mercy. You know what I mean? Like, that's what I hear. And really the first sacrilege LP, the reason why I love it so much is it reminds me of show no mercy. You know what I mean? So like, I don't think we got to go like, Too far afield of calling out the influences here. For the listeners right now, if you like the first Slayer record, you're going to like this. You know what I mean? It's so fucking good. And speaking of Slayer, dude, I generally hate a long-ass intro, unless it's Hella Weights. And the intro of this record is pretty fucking long and pretty elaborate. And I think if it was any one that wasn't so... Good at making music. Like these people are like, it would kind of come off. Like, I don't know. Like you're doing too much, bro. You know what I mean? But this intro is so epic and it takes two and a half minutes to get to that. Like first riff, but like the payoff is so big. That first riff when it hits is like, Oh my God. You know what I'm saying? Like it's a straight up masterpiece. The first song on this record is, is a straight-up masterpiece. And I talked about the second song, and the last thing I want to say is I think that this LP is very bookended. The first two songs and the last two songs, I think, are the best. And that last song is so sick, dude. Her vocals on the verses sound very similar to the Shadow of Mordor song off the Sacrilege LP, which is great. It also has a big Melnick-esque solo blazer on it. I'd say the record is at its best when the singer hangs back and kind of lets the riffs breathe. And if I was being critical, which I'm not, this LP is fucking insane. But sometimes there's certain parts where it feels like maybe the vocals get a little smothering. And sometimes when it hangs back, that's the best shit. So hell yeah, dude. This thing is fucking... out of this world, though. What do you think,
SPEAKER_00:Kevin? Yeah, the first time I heard it, I'm like, oh, that's pretty cool. It's got some cool parts, but I didn't know if I would come back to it. And then I've been listening to it a lot this week and last week, and this record is just so pummeling. It just beats you over the head riff after riff. It doesn't let up. And The production really is the thing that stands out. The music just sounds so crisp, and the drums are big and boomy and echoey in a really cool way. Usually I like the kind of drier, hard-hitting drums, and these are not that, but they just sound really booming and awesome. And obviously stuff like Sacrilege is the comparison, but the thing that I kind of– realized after listening to this a lot is that I don't think it really sounds like this record but I got a lot of Best Wishes vibes from it from just how the the songs are a little longer and they kind of mutate as they go along and they kind of just switch from riff to riff and keep going from part to part. And I really got a lot of best wishes from that. I think that this is a cool way, like you called out thrash. I also hear like early death metal stuff on this, but not in the same way of a lot of other bands do it where it's, this is just a little bit more slowed down and just really, it breathes like you were saying, so that it just kind of like you're able to just really take it all in. And it just, it really, it's, my only real issue with this record is that It's kind of a draining listen. Like it's pretty long. So by the time I kind of get in the middle, I'm just kind of exhausted already. So if it was trimmed up a little bit, I think that I would like it more. Um, but still it just sounds awesome. And it doesn't really sound like too much else that's coming out right now. And it's like, I think it took them a, I feel like this record like took years to make. I don't know exactly, but I feel like I've been hearing about it for a while. So like you could tell that a lot of effort was really put into this and it, it, It just sounds like remarkable. Like if this is a band's legacy, you know, like it's a good one. So I haven't picked it up. I probably got to find a copy soon, but yeah, it's real cool.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. You know, I love brevity. And so like, I, I always have an issue when things like this are long, but like, I think that it's, it's just a heavy metal record. Right. So like it's par for the course, like heavy metal records are longer. And it's funny with like this record coming out, like it's, the the sub genres that like people have like put it into like i don't fucking know but like people be like oh it's like a a blackened crust record or some shit it's like what the fuck dude this is just a straight up heavy metal record you know i mean i'm like it's cool to like heavy metal the best heavy metal is some of the best fucking music in the world and so i don't know i don't think we gotta get too cute with it but uh hell yeah this record is the shit And I'm lucky I bought one. I can't wait for it to come in the mail. I wish I could look at the lyrics and stuff. And again, it's like, I wish a bands took the time to put the lyrics on band camp and stuff just for, you know, even us that order the record. Like, you know, I've listened to this record probably 10 times since it came out. And it's like, the lyrics are a big part of, of music for me. You know what I mean? And I want to see what you, what y'all are writing. So it'd be sick if a bands took the effort to put them on band camp or whatever. Put them somewhere so we can see them, you know, because also like records sell out. Not everyone gets the record and, you know, lyrics are a big piece of music. So that's what's
SPEAKER_03:up.
SPEAKER_01:All right, we're going to do a cut you down on the Bold Speak Out LP. It came out on Revelation Records in 1988. Dude, I love Bold, so I want this LP to stay as it is. But Bold has always kind of been like the band that even people that are into that rev shit, sometimes people will be like, yeah, I don't like Bold. And it's like, really, dude? Have you listened to Bold? Because they're sick. You know what I mean? But I do think that maybe the LP is a little long. And so maybe if we cut it down to a 7-inch, it would be an all-timer. I don't know. How do you feel about the LP in general, Kevin?
SPEAKER_00:So weirdly enough, Bold is kind of a blind spot for me. I don't know why. They're just one of those bands I never really took the time to dive in on. Again, I don't know why. Maybe because there was just so much discourse about it in any direction that I just, I don't know. I never really tried. So they're a band that I like, that I think is cool, but I don't really, I'm not as familiar with. Generally, I think that the LP is cool, but I do probably think that it's a little long and that some of the songs kind of blend together. But again, I never really spent the time with it as I did. It reminds me a lot of the Turning Point record, which I spent a lot more time with in my life. So
SPEAKER_01:yeah, it's an interesting one, though. Yeah, it gets a little bloated in the middle, I think. Also, the intro is not very good. You know what I mean? So that's a thing. It drags a little bit. So to drag in the middle is kind of weird for the record. Yeah. But I do think there's all-time shit on here. Obviously, Talk is Cheap, Nailed to the X, and Wise Up. These are all-timer hardcore songs. But for the sake of this, of making a 7-inch, so Wise Up originally came out the same year. I don't know what came out first. But Wise Up is also on the Way It Is comp that everyone knows and loves. That came out in 88. And also the song Talk is Cheap came out on the Together comp from 87. I think the talk is cheap version on the LP is like significantly better. Now I got a shout out to the 87 version. There is more cussing, which is generally better. You know what I mean? But like Matt's vocal performance on talk is cheap on the LP is so perfect, dude. It's like the way he like ad libs around like the gang vocals is so sick is, is I think that if I'm narrowing down to like four songs to make this fit onto a seven inch, um, I got to keep Talk is Cheap, but I'm going to let Wise Up stay on the way it is comp. I think that that's like a canon enough comp that everyone knows and has. And like Revelation never really let it go out of print, I don't think. This was never hard to get. The Together comp is like long, long out of print. So we got to keep Talk is Cheap in the mix. Wise Up, we're going to keep it on the comp. My Side A, here's what I would argue for. We got to keep Talk is Cheap and Nail Dig the X. How do you feel about those two, Kevin?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, that's how I started mine.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. All right. So if we can knock out side A and keep it that, I think we're getting somewhere. Here's what I'm arguing for side B, and I'm down to wiggle if we got to. I think that I always thought that I would take Always Try. I love that song. I still love it. I named it one of my fanzines after it, but like, Why does it have a fucking third verse, dude? What is going on here? Three verses before the fucking breakdown? Hit the breakdown, dude. What are you doing? But that might be the best bold breakdown. So it's got an argument, but I think I'm going to hack that song. What I want is I want to accept the blame and I want still strong. And here's my argument. Accept the Blame, dude. The transitions into the fast parts is so nice. So sick, dude. And then also that little guitar lead on the first chorus on Accept the Blame. I'll do the same. So sick, dude. And it is fucking criminal. that they don't do that on the second chorus. Cause like that lead is so sick, dude. And then still strong. I love this song. Cause like it's got a pounding intro for whatever, 30 seconds, but then it just breaks fast. And it's like that minute long blazing song that I want to get on every LP. You know what I mean? Kind of like straight on seven seconds. You know what I mean? Like just one fast song that blazes and that's it. So this does have a, So I was thinking that
SPEAKER_00:your point about Wise Up makes sense, but at the same time, it still feels crazy to not have it on there. That's true. Cause I think that it's one of the best songs. Like it's pretty classic. When I, when I was breaking this out, I had it talk is cheap, nailed the X and wise up on side a, cause I think that they all, all fit right in there. Um, but I'm, I'm with you on still strong. I think that that one is, is like low key is one of the better songs too. And it's kind of, I had it starting a side B just to go right into that. Um, Cause like, you know, I, I think that it's, it's a good song and it kind of fits for there too. The other thing that I had on there, which I think I know it's good. You're going to chop me off, which is fine, but I had it ending with the intro, which I know is kind of goofy, but I kind of like it as the, as an intro interlude, like starting the record, would it be terrible? But then I feel like it goes right into clear and it, it kind of ends where it would end this hypothetical record and kind of a, epic way, but it does drag a little bit. So I understand the idea of just all heavy hitters, you know, just kind of faster and just going that direction.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I don't, I don't know if we put wise up on her again or not. Like, because yeah, if you wanted to say like, here is like the definitive bold songs, like, And you can have it on one seven inch. Like that is so appealing. We, we should probably have it
SPEAKER_00:on there. Right. Like, I mean, yeah, I think that this one, you don't think you don't overthink it. Yeah. I
SPEAKER_01:think, I think you're right. Like if it's there, we got to have it. All right. So one, two, three, we put that as the third song on side a wise up and then yeah. Side B. So you just, you want to have the intro or you want to have clear as well?
SPEAKER_00:I had an intro to Clear, but again, I'm not going to fight for that. It's a little goofy. I
SPEAKER_01:think the intro to Change Within is not a good block on the record, but I do respect doing the intro last. Again, I think that Agnostic Front did it right. You take your risky slow track Put it at the end of the record, like they put with time at the end of victim and pain. That's the most brilliant move in the history of hardcore. And so I think that should be commended. I think your idea should be commended. So what do you think about sticking with my side B and sticking the intro on the end? Sure. All right, let's do it. Let's do it. All right. So side a talk is cheap. Nailed to the X wise up side B. Accept the blame. Still strong. Ending with the intro. Hopefully we've made a good hardcore LP into a great 7-inch. Check it out. It'll be on the playlist.
SPEAKER_04:I'm taking it back to the old school because I'm an old fool. I'm taking it back to the old school because I'm an old fool. Yo, what's up, motherfuckers?
UNKNOWN:Old school.
SPEAKER_01:All right, we are going old school. The record I want to talk this time around is Another Religion, Another War by the Verruckers. This came out on Riot City Records in 1984. To give a little perspective on where this record lands in the Verruckers catalog, they put out their first 7-inch in 1981. They put out their first LP in 1983. So by the time this 12-inch EP comes out, they have four or five 7-inches left. So that's pretty wild. They got a pretty thick catalog of an LP plus four or five, seven inches. The reason why I wanted to talk this is because the Rookers always get mentioned in like that first wave of UK hardcore. And they were like the band that like never connected with me, you know? So like I would listen to like a seven inch and it was like, ah, I don't really know like where this fits because they kind of combined like really anthemic street punk and Um, with like that straight UK 82 first wave UK hardcore style. And I think with a lot of bands, I'm like looking for one or the other, not like the mix. And so, and also like the LP didn't connect with me. Maybe it was like a little reverb. Maybe like, I'm just a fucking bitch for not liking it. That's a possibility too. You know what I mean? But like, for whatever reason, this wasn't a band that connected with me out of that stuff. Like, The Exploited did or GBH did. At some point, I listened to this 12-inch again in the last couple years, and I was like, oh my god, this is so good, dude. So it's eight songs, and every single song bangs. They're all 90 seconds long. And if you were going to knock this record, you could almost accuse it of having all the songs kind of be... too samey but the thing is like there's a good ass chorus on every song here that makes it totally memorable i love this thing i have like a little mix that i uh that i listen to when i'm riding my bike like doing cardio it's just like the final conflict lp and the crucifix lp and like those two like they mesh so well just putting on shuffle and like I've added this to that. So now it's like three records and like, they're just songs when you're like trying to do those last couple of miles and you're fucking tired and bored and all that shit. Like this shit revs me up, dude. So I don't know how you feel about this, Kevin.
SPEAKER_00:So they're also a band that is kind of a blind spot for me. Like, I always heard about it and I never really, when I was younger, you know, maybe that style wasn't really what I was looking for. And then as I got older, I checked them out and especially the earlier seven inches, I listened to it. And to me, it just came off as a watered down discharge. Not necessarily like a bad thing or anything. It just didn't connect the same way. So when I listened to this, I was pretty blown away because I didn't really get that at all. I really liked how sneery this, sneering this was. It's pretty snotty and kind of shitheaded. I mean that in the best way possible. It sounds like somebody just kind of taking the piss out of stuff. And I really like that. This is like riding around a motorcycle with no helmet on music. And it just really is awesome. I really like this. I've been listening to it over and over. It's not one of those things where like Individual songs stand out to me really, which feels like a cop out sometimes, but it just kind of, for me, I just kind of put on the full record and you're just kind of putting in the experience, like you're going for the full experience of just kind of like getting pummeled over and over with it. And the songs are short enough and it's all like straightforward enough where it's a really easy listen of just like, of just kind of rocking and, and yeah, like I said, I really like this way more than I expected to. And this is absolutely going to be something that I come back to more. And it made me feel silly of like that. I hadn't really dug in more on it and that I did write them off. Cause I think that I'm going to start, uh, diving into it a lot more
SPEAKER_01:over the next few weeks. Yeah. You know, we talked to sacrilege a little bit before, uh, And there's an interesting tie in here. So Damian Thompson, who plays on this 12 inch, he went on to play on that first sacrilege LP. So maybe that's why this one like sounds just a little more straight up aggressive. Who knows? And also if anyone has contact for Damian Thompson, please get at me. I would love to interview him on the podcast. I've had some feelers out for a while and we haven't had any success. So if anyone knows him, please get at the podcast to dive into this podcast. first off side note real quick an interesting thing the so this band does their lp in 83 they have a song on it called protest and survive which is wild because that's 83 and discharge also has a song called protest and survive from 82 but it might be one of those things like who knows maybe they were playing this song in 81 and fucking discharge jacked them like who fucking knows but that's pretty wild to have like two uk bands have a song of the same title like that in that close proximity. And then also it's crazy that, uh, the Finnish band restitute, they cover the Vruchers song protest and survive. Like it's the first song on their first LP. So that's pretty insane to put a cover song as your first song. Like it's sick. I kind of fucking support it. You know what I mean? It's like a mission statement for your band, like first record, like, Hey, check it out. This is what we're into. We love the Vruchers. Like that's so cool. Um, just digging into this record a little bit, like, The choruses are kind of like you hear them once, you know them. Another religion, another war. Another religion, another war. No escape, no escape. The last war, the last war. We pay. It's so sick. The songs might be a little samey, but every chorus is pretty memorable, dude. It's wild. And then also like... That verse riff on Condemned to Death is absolutely psychotic. I can't play it, dude. I mean, my left hand don't go that fast. And then also, two last things I wanted to call out here is on that song No Escape– it's so sick that like the verse is like a single line and then you're into the chorus. Like that is such cool songwriting. You know what I mean? And then also they kind of do the same thing on who pays. It's like two quick lines. And then we're into like a fucking banger chorus. So it's just fucking fist pump music, dude. It is so good. And I encourage you, if you were someone that was, sleeping on the Vruckers before. Maybe check out this 12-inch exclusively and get into it and then be like me and Kevin. I'm going to dabble back into the other stuff. Also, we got a shout out to Havoc Records. They got every single of these early 7-inches by the Vruckers and they're like$4 on the website. It's pretty criminal to not buy some of this stuff when someone's got it available at such a reasonable price. He has all the discharge stuff too and I mean, just going through is awesome. And I used to love reading Felix in Maximum Rock and Roll and Heart Attack. So just reading his record reviews of shit, I enjoy. Or not even the record reviews, like the write-ups for shit. So everyone check that out. Handle business. You know what to do. Hey.
SPEAKER_02:I was just saying, we brought up Stigma, and we did a tour with Madball when Vinny was playing guitar for Madball a long time ago, and he nicknamed me Bazooka Joe on the tour. Hey, Bazooka! And I want to be like Joe. Like, he was so funny. Oh, the rules. The rules.
SPEAKER_01:All right, well, let's kick it off. Everyone, this week on the pod, we have Joe DeFoster from Unity, Ignite, The Killing Flame, Winds of Promise, and many more. What's up, dude?
SPEAKER_02:Hey.
SPEAKER_01:How and when do you get into punk or hardcore, and what was the first band or album that you connected with?
SPEAKER_02:I mean, straight off the bat, it was for sure Minor Threat. And the way I found out about Minor Threat was... You know, I think I was like 13 and my parents would make me go to bed at eight. And that's right when the Rodney on the Rock show would come on. And so I had a ghetto blaster and I have a 90 minute or 120 minute cassette tape and I just hit record and then go to bed. And then I wake up in the morning and secretly listen to the show and. you know, so we'd be playing these bands, whatever. And, uh, minor threat came on, which, you know, obviously at the time I never heard of, and it just, just floored me. And from that moment on, it was that tone, that sound, that everything, that movement, that, and that was it. So,
SPEAKER_01:you
SPEAKER_02:know,
SPEAKER_01:yeah. What are some early shows you remember going to? Uh, gosh,
SPEAKER_02:I used to go to this place called the Vex in Hollywood or LA and We'd see this band called Anti. Seems like they were the house band playing there. But Inger Simone's played there quite a bit. And, you know, the Descendants and stuff. It was pretty amazing. I mean, the Bills back then were like every band you can imagine that now headlines festivals would all play together for like eight bucks or four bucks. Like Descendants, Bad Religion, you know, la, la, la, la, la. It was crazy. It's such a different world, though. It's unbelievable. Yeah. but i think uh the show that stands out the most was getting to see minor threat actually play live at a place called the chatsworth roller rink and that was i think suicidal's first show channel three played america's hardcore played and uh man there's videos of that show and stuff out there and it was just incredible life-changing like yeah So that, that would be the show. And then there was, Ian was out here with his brother, Alec, and there was a sign at the front of the minor stretch show that said next week, the faith. And that's probably one of my, you know, top three favorite bands. And I was so excited and never happened, but still that whole memory of that time. And this is all pre like Olympic auditorium and fenders. And when things kind of got weird and segregated and, you know, a lot of, you know, gang stuff started happening, which is, You know, I wasn't really into it because we, my band Unity, all the guys in the band, we kind of somehow grew up with 7 Seconds. I could stay at Pat's house and it's just the whole posi-core movement that they presented and the sing-alongs and the vibe, like, that's what we were into. So, you know, it kind of changed everything. I guess, like I said, with the Olympic defenders and that vibe of being together and we are one and unity seemed to like start separating and, and it became not fun anymore. It became just stifling. I don't know. It just wasn't so good.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of seven seconds, you sang backup vocals on the crew. What was that experience like? It
SPEAKER_02:was incredible. We were, uh, In the room, me and Pat and I think Courtney and some other guys, and we had a basketball that we were bouncing, so if you listened closely, you could hear it. And then my drummer, Pat Longrain, is the one that says, what does he say? Tubular, awesome, totally rad. It's so funny, and we were just all laughing and having a great time. I mean, those memories are like, it's just... It just
SPEAKER_01:felt
SPEAKER_02:so right, you know?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Same thing. You sang backups on the Uniform Choice demo in 1984. Do you have any memories of that? Not really.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Time, place,
SPEAKER_02:visual... picture, like, nothing.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. You know, it's wild, like, a couple years ago, there was, like, that record that came out that was, like, the pre-Dubar uniform choice. What do you think about that? Like, them trying to, like, connect, like, that there was, like, an even earlier uniform choice that, like, we don't really know about?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's kind of cheesy, really. I mean, that name existed in another band, and I think, uh, i think vic maybe might have been in that band and somehow got pat to sing for it and then it was pretty horrible so they kept the name and move on moved on to the uniform choices we know now and so maybe the original guys from the band um they're like okay well let's try to sell this and wrap it up and put it out this way yeah i don't really know i don't think too much about it i don't really care i mean when you see is you see as we know it so you know i just the politics of who did what when where and why like i don't care
SPEAKER_01:yeah so unity you are one this is a classic seven inch came out in 1985 what do you remember about recording this record
SPEAKER_02:I actually have memories of this one. We recorded that in LA, I think with a guy named Chaz Romero. I think it was at Radio Tokyo. I might have got one of those facts wrong, but regardless, when we got there, he just recorded a social distortion that might have been... I don't remember what social distortion it was. It was an early one. It could have been 1945, but probably not. Anyway, so we get there. He could care less about us, right? And he had this block of wood set up on these vice grips, and he wanted to record the sound of a gun and a bullet. So he was shooting a gun through these wood blocks in the studio. We're like, okay. And then, like I said, they run back and start working on the social distortion mix or whatever. And we're like, OK, which records us. And, you know, that's basically what I remember. He didn't care about us. He just wanted us in and out as fast as possible. and which is fine whatever um but i just thought it was kind of cool because we were obviously still social distortion fans and you know we played it uh we played at the cafe a lot but um one time monk asked us to go on tour with social distortion uh like to berkeley and up in that area and you know we all asked our parents and they said no we almost went anyway but then something happened and you know we didn't get to go but just talking to monk and just he's such a legend and you know r.i.p but um so those days and when they SD would open up with, you know, under my thumb, Nez with the black eyeliner and just all these impactful moments as a young kid with a young mind and just like, wow, like that dude's wearing like weird makeup under his eyes or Kevin Seconds with the black stuff under his eyes and just all this stuff that you've never seen before, right? You're just like, whoa. that's crazy that's shocking that's gnarly that's wow and the music's so great and like just like i said i mean just it was so cool to be a part of all that you know everything gets i guess watered down eventually and you know i talk to people all the time and it's just like for example my buddy uh mark scandito he sings for a band called shutdown And they're from New York, Brooklyn. And we were talking yesterday. And he's like, yeah, man, like, we got a new record out. It's the best thing I've ever done. And I'm like, yeah, it is. It's phenomenal. And he's like, oh, we're having trouble, you know. The new kids don't want to come see us. And I'm just like, oh. yeah i know what you mean but i said dude you got to keep your chin up because it's like like blah said it's in my blood and this is i don't care if you like my band or not it's not changing how i feel inside and never will i'm gonna keep doing this till i die and you know 99 of people that are into it eventually aren't right and so you can't dictate your life by this little moment in time where these people don't want to come see your band or they don't like your band because you're old. Okay, whatever, buddy. That's fine. Move on. It never directs my path. It's always passion, creation, love, emotion, period. Always will be.
SPEAKER_01:How do you feel about the Unity 7-inch and how do you think it stacks up against other stuff in that time frame?
SPEAKER_02:It's hard to listen to it objectively, really. Yeah. I've never played it side by side, like, okay, I'm going to play You Are One, and I'm going to play a Gorilla Biscuit song, and I'm going to play a Youth of Today song, and I'm going to play this song and that song, and I'm going to see if it seems like it belongs in this mix of these other great bands. I think the message was pretty poignant and good, and I do love positive lyrics, metaphors, lyrics, whatever, but you know i i don't know i really don't know i don't know i i don't think i've ever like absorbed that record as like it's such a great record oh this is a classic well this this is it's just like basically it was kind of like high school and it's a timing thing i think any band from here at that time that would have wrote those types of lyrics, I mean, I think you could have just replaced unity or one with whoever that might've been. I mean, it's, it's cool. It's good. It's fast and it's, it's positive, but maybe not as melodic as I like things, you know? but again, I was just learning how to play my guitar. I could barely play a bar chord, you know, walk into a studio with a guy shooting a gun. So I'm
SPEAKER_03:like,
SPEAKER_01:I don't know. I mean, it's cool. It's, you know, it's really cool. Come on. You're, you're totally underselling this shit. So it's great. Cause it's super fast and it's melodic. It's like, you don't, really get the two of those mushed together. Like uniform choice of course is the greatest. Right. But like, yeah, this is even a little faster. So it sounds different and, and just very unique. Yeah. I thought we
SPEAKER_02:kind of maybe touched that bridge on the blood days unity a little bit, but then that wasn't really like a real release. So yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Do you think that Pat Dubard doing double duty and uniform choice in Unity was like a net positive or a net negative for Unity?
SPEAKER_02:Well, I'm not sure Unity would even really be on the map the way people put it on the map had Dubard not went on and done that. You know, I mean, of course, if, you know, Ian Sink from Iron Threat and then, okay, now, Ian and Guy are singing for Fugazi it generates an interest and you look back in their catalog and see what they did or where they came from to what they're doing now and I do think it helped for sure.
SPEAKER_01:But that's different because that's linear and these two overlap so it can be a little confusing to the timeline.
SPEAKER_02:I'm not sure if they overlap though because the thing was when Unity stopped and I not why it stopped, except that I was kind of a pro surfer at the time and it's my head wasn't committed a hundred percent to music. I was doing other things. And, uh, and then that uniform choice thing popped up and they're more talented musicians and, you know, they got Pat Dyson to play drums and, you know, Vic was a great guitar player, Dave and all that. And, you know, and so Dubar, when that happened, direction and which was fine um as he should and we didn't do anything until he decided to start he wanted to start a record label and so then it was like okay when he branched off from wishing well uh he wanted to start a record label and he named it powerhouse and he's like okay well uh let's let's re-record the unity songs and write a few more but that didn't mean it was abandoned practice and that wasn't like oh okay now we're gonna we're working on recording a new song it was something relevant to him his first release on his new label and that's why blood days came about so but prior to him asking that there was no unity and it was all uniform choice
SPEAKER_01:Joe, what was the biggest wave that you ever surfed?
SPEAKER_02:Gosh. I was in this contest on North Shore Hawaii Pipeline. And I remember there was a waiting window. You have 10 days to wait for the best conditions. And so the 10th day comes and they still haven't ran the contest. because the waves have been too big and on the 10th day they had to run it no matter what flat big small medium didn't matter and so we get down to the beach that morning and it was even bigger than it hadn't in the previous nine days and i was like it's this little small wave surfer from california i'm like oh my gosh like they have to cancel this like we're gonna die
SPEAKER_03:and
SPEAKER_02:uh and it was uh called Second Reef. It's like when it's that big, there's another reef outside of the pipeline's main break that breaks. And that was breaking and the channel was closing out, which is where you can paddle out safely. And so they're giving a, you know, talking to all the competitors, and I'm just like, oh, please, God, don't let me be in the first heat, right? Like, just let somebody raise their hand and say, I'm not going out, so I could be like, yeah, that's a great idea, you know, but nobody wanted to do that, so we all ended up having to go out, and of course, I was in the first heat, and yeah, I just remember I made it out, and just these mountains are, you know, coming in, and I unintentionally drifted into the takeoff zone. And I remember this just mountain with an arc on the top coming. And I'm like, well, it's got an arc on the top. So that must be, you know, a good way. It must have shape. And I was in perfect position. Like I had to go. And this is like the first wave of the contest. And I remember some of the guys in the channel, it's going to close out. Don't go. Like I said, you know, weren't, It didn't like me that much. And they were trying to freak me out because they're whatever. And I'm like, as soon as they said that, I'm like, I'm going, I don't care. And so that would have been the biggest way that was, I don't know, maybe 18, 20 foot face, but the thick Hawaiian back, you know, I just kind of airdropped and I just held on. And I'm just like, please make it to the channel, make it to the channel. And the unfortunate part of that was just because of that wave. it got such a high score, I advanced straight to the semi-finals. I didn't want to go out again. I'm like, oh man,
SPEAKER_03:that
SPEAKER_02:sucks. So, and then at the semi, I didn't even make it out. I got caught in the channel and this North rap broke in front of me, broke my leash, broke my board, blew me into the beach. And, you know, and then this really, I guess he's quite known photographer named Aaron Chang, I guess, Earlier in the week, me and my friend were on the west side. I saw this beautiful girl laying out in the sand by herself. We were like, hey, how's it going? Her boyfriend was in the water surfing. I'm like, well, that's not very smart of him to leave such a beautiful girl on the beach. Lo and behold, it was Aaron Chang. He comes up to me after I got blown back to the beach. He's like, you'll never be in Bodyboarding
SPEAKER_03:Magazine
SPEAKER_02:again. And he's all mad at me. And I'm just like, okay, all right. Back to hardcore.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's why. When do you start becoming a professional model?
SPEAKER_02:Oh, gosh, that question. I guess it was after the PSAA surfing tour ended for me. And I was at COBH, separated my shoulder, got smashed in the sand, couldn't ride, couldn't do anything. So I was at a bar or nightclub with some friends. My arm was in a sling. And this old lady kept staring at me and staring at me. And my friends were like, dude, dude, that girl, that lady's going to come talk to you. And they're like, oh, I'm like, oh my gosh, I think she is. She is about like 60 and we were like 20, right? And so my friends ran away and sure enough, she's coming up and I'm like, oh boy. And she's like, hi, my name is so-and-so. My husband owns a modeling agency in Los Angeles and we haven't thought about modeling. And I'm like, no. And, um, He's like, well, here's our card or his card, and you should give him a call. And I didn't have anything else to do at the time, so I called him and met with him. And, you know, I mean, that's how it started. And then I kind of ended up, you know, getting a chance to see the world for free. And that was pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, super sick. Did that make you, like, extra concerned if you're, like, it shows at Fenders? Like, if you get smashed, like, you might ruin your livelihood? Not at all. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It didn't make you more concerned or anything. No, no, no. Yeah, that's cool. What did you do in the years between Unity breaking up and Ignite starting? Well, that's what I was doing. That's that. Okay, so tell me about putting Ignite together. What was the mission statement with that band? It
SPEAKER_02:started with me being in Tokyo in my apartment. and being miserable um because after the for me the thrill of seeing all the countries and uh once that wears off like you've been to the louvre you've been to paris five times and in italy and all these things and For me, always in life, too, when there's no mystery left around every corner, then life becomes kind of boring. So while I was doing that, I was focusing on language and photography and other things. I overstayed my contract in Tokyo. It's been three and a half months, and I just... I'm sitting there by myself, like, when was the last time I was happy? Like, I'm not happy. This sucks. I hate the concept, the act of modeling. Like, it's such a weird thing, right? It's, like, brainless, and it just didn't resonate with me. Like, the quick trips, like, one month, two months here or there, see the world, great. But, you know, once I was... I mean, this is at the very end of me doing it. And I'm sitting there and I'm like, the last time I was happy is when I was surfing and playing music. So I shaved my head. I went to the agency the next day. And, you know, he's Japanese.
SPEAKER_03:He's like,
SPEAKER_02:I'm like, look, you guys can keep all the money. I just want to go home. And so I got a one-way ticket home on Continental Airlines and started playing music again. And I got a hold of Brett, and we started working on music in my garage with a drum machine. It was just me and Brett and a drum machine. And, you know, kind of went from there. I mean, there's a bunch of other stuff that happens, but... We had Joe Nelson singing for a while, and then he was roading for Quicksand, I think, and so he was gone all the time, and he was doing Trigger Man at the time, too, so I was like, all right, well, we kind of need to find another singer, and then we got Randy Johnson, amazing, and then he was, I don't know what happened with that. I know he had health issues, and He ended up going to school and being a teacher and stuff. So he's rad. I mean, both those guys are awesome. And so I think I got disappointed and ended up going back to Japan. And we don't have a singer. And I think we even had a tour booked, but then we didn't have a singer anymore. And it was with M.A.D. And it was, I think, set up through Lost in Tron or something. Anyway. So. I called Brett from a park on a pay phone from an illegal calling card I bought from somebody off a park, right? So Brett's like, yeah, man, we got a singer. Tour's back on. You got to come home. I'm like, really? He's like, yeah, with the greatest singer. I'm like, okay. He's like, yeah, get this. His name's Zoltan. I'm like, what? He's like, yeah, the singer's name is Zoltan. I'm like, really? He's like, no, you got to trust me. He's great. I'm like, Okay. He's like, yeah, he's got hair down to his ass, and he drives a Volkswagen bus, and I'm like, uh... Really? So I go home and I remember pulling up to practice and Zoli's up front in his Volkswagen bus and his cop glasses, his hair's down to his ass. And I'm just like, oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_03:Woo!
SPEAKER_02:But yeah, sure enough, he sang like an angel. And, you know, he was Hungarian and he really wanted to do the tour so he could, you know, go back and see his grandma in Hungary. And so that kind of went from there.
SPEAKER_01:What was that like going from having competent singers to someone that is really unique? Did that change the way that you were able to write songs at all? I
SPEAKER_02:mean, I've always thought, I mean, Zoe can make anything sound good. The worst musician who could just play three bar chords, Zoe would turn it into a hit. I mean, he was just that gifted, that wonderful. I remember we were at a bar one night and and they had a stage up there, and some band played, and there was an acoustic guitar up there, and just, this is so out of Zoli's character, but he's like, yeah, I'm gonna go play a song, because he ended up doing some acoustic Zoli stuff, and so he went up there, And the bar just almost shut down and got quiet and watched him. And it was the purest, most beautiful voice I'd ever heard. And I think he played the song called Vampire or something, but it was just him singing on an acoustic guitar in some random bar with random people. And it just, you know, I mean, it's so rare to everybody hear something so beautiful and just stops what they're doing and pays attention. And it was that moment, you know, so proud of him and, I just, I thought that was so cool. So that's like one of my special little memories, you know?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So sick. What was it like working with lost and found records in the nineties? Cause it was amazing. It was amazing. Yeah. Tell me about it.
SPEAKER_02:Um, well, I guess my relationship with them started because of no for an answer to in Europe, um, And then I guess Burn, the owner of Lost and Found, went up to Dan and said, hey, I'm trying to get a hold of somebody from Unity. And so Dan gave the guy my phone number. And so I get this call one day and, you know, this is Brian from Lost and Found Records. I want to speak to Jody Foster. I'm like, yeah, Sam. He said, no, we want to re-release your record. And And he did. And he said, so, by the way, what are you up to now? And I said, oh, I'm in a band called Ignite. He said, well, send me a demo tape. So, of course, I sent him a cassette tape. And he calls me back in three weeks. And he's like, do you want to go on tour with Slapshot for three months? I was like, yeah. So, you know, he really was huge in the development of Ignite in the beginning. You know, I mean, it was... there's so many things said about him and I'm sure a lot of them are true and a lot of them aren't, but it's specifically as far as the night is concerned. I mean, he was the, the wind in the sail and the, the push and the, you know, it's, and it's before all the darkness and blackness surrounded lost and found. And, and, uh, you know, he really, he really propelled ignite for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Do you have any memories of that slap shot tour?
SPEAKER_02:Many.
SPEAKER_01:We got time. Let's go.
SPEAKER_02:Well, okay. We were pretty wild kids, Ignite was. And so we get there, and, you know, we never met Slapshot before. And so Mosh, this guy named Mosh, German guy, he's a tour manager. He said, all right, Ignite, they need their sleep. No people are allowed on the bus. You have to be quiet at nine at night. And so this is our first night. Like we haven't even slept yet, right? Nobody's even gone to bed. I think we've flown to Munich or Frankfurt and we're in this bus. And, you know, Choke decorates his bunk in black velvet, makes it look like a coffin. And luckily for me, I'm right next to him. And it's like I haven't met him before. He seems like this grumpy man to me. And... anyway so we're somewhere ignite being ignite we've run out and you know drinking bears meeting girls being loud and then we get this great idea that we should go on the bus and jump on the drummer's loft or bunk right he's in the center one and it's just supported by plywood and we're supposed to be quiet and this and that and like we're hammered and having fun And so we're all dogpile on, and his bunk snaps in half, crushes the guy below him, which was like, what are their techs, right? Joe wakes up. And that night, even before we played a show, they tried to kick us off the tour and send us home, yeah? So, I mean, it just went from there. I mean, there would be times where we'd be hiding, like, in fields, like, making out with girls. And we'd see the bus start slowly driving away with the door open. Get in or we're leaving you. We'd be like... We'd have to run and jump into the bus and stuff. Like, it was just so crazy. I mean, we were playing football one day in... So Choke was the quarterback, obviously, and I was rushing him, but there was a huge puddle of water between me and Choke, right? So I'm not going to walk through the water, get my feet wet. So I go around the corner and he picked up a rock. And so I'm running out of it. Instead of throwing the football, he throws a rock at my head. I'm like, dude, like it wasn't a rock that would have really fucked my face up, right? So anyway, yeah. There are so many stories. He's a dear friend of mine now. I love him to death. He's the greatest. But, oh, man, that was one for the record books, for real.
SPEAKER_01:How long? So you're on tour for three months. How long did it take for him to warm up to you?
SPEAKER_02:I'm not sure if he ever did on that tour. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:To be honest
SPEAKER_02:with
SPEAKER_03:you.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah. Little stupid things. You remember, like it was, uh, cause I mean, I always thought, and I'm not sure if it's true today, but there, Europe to me was always about five or 10 years back. And what was happening currently here in the scene or the movement or whatever. So they were still sort of in that fast paced, you know, I don't know, minor draft, but, you know, whatever type. So when we went over there and, you know, for a support band, we did pretty well. And I remember being by the merch table and Choke just yelling at the tour manager, like, look at this, look at this. And, you know, our stuff was selling pretty good and he was pissed. and i was like come on jack relax dude it's all good but uh just these weird little things you remember you know but i seriously i mean that was the time of my life and there was lots of stuff going on but i wouldn't change it for the world and i love those guys and that's it
SPEAKER_01:so yeah so call of my brothers comes out in 1995 and It's released like that here, but then it's released as Family in different order in Europe on Lost and Found. Why was that? Why not have the same record?
SPEAKER_02:I think it had to do with distribution and getting the music out to more people through a distribution channel that was already set up in Europe versus what I think conversion here. I don't think the maybe Conversion's reach was that deep in Europe and there wasn't as many outlets or avenues to get your music out as there is now. And we're talking like pre-cell phone and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_01:It's wild that the sequencing is different, right? To have that record not start with Asher Turn, which is like the ultimate album opener.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah, I don't even know what it opens with.
SPEAKER_01:It opens with calling my brothers into Asher Turn. Oh, okay. That's my favorite song anyway, so cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you remember about Ignite going to the East Coast the first time?
SPEAKER_02:As soon as you say that, I think, poor Zoli. Because our first show was in New Jersey. and we weren't even originally booked on and i think uh tim mcmahon from mouthpiece uh really facilitated getting us on the show and it was you know with mouthpiece and i think uh a bunch of other great bands and it was so anyway so you know uh So we get up there and we always played with our shirts off. I played with not wearing a shirt because I sweat so much and I got sick of having wet shirts after every show and then they stink. And like, it's not like I have a laundry machine in my backpack. So I would just play with no shirt because I just have a sweating bum. Like they even stole a plastic swimming pool and wanted me to play in it to see if I could fill it up by the end of the show. No, I'm going to get electrocuted. Not doing that. But that's how bad I sweat, right? So it wasn't a macho thing. Check me out. Look at my body. It's because I sweat so much. So whatever. So anyway, so we're playing this show. And we open, obviously, with Ash Return. And I'm doing these upstrokes. But I'm deaf in my left ear. And I'm completely deaf. And I'm half deaf in my right ear from a car accident. And so I have to aim my good ear into my cabinet. So I have my back to the crowd and have my ear in my cabinet and watching, you know, Casey's snare to keep time. And I'm doing these pretty violent upstrokes where I throw my picking hand up in the air. And Zoli happened to be walking by me at the time when I did that, and I broke his nose. Oh, shit. Just before he even sang, right? So I didn't even know I did it. And so I looked around and blood's just gushing out of his nose. He has his chin lifted up. He's holding his nose. And, you know, whatever. So gas again and play the song and stuff. So, you know, the show was great. And, you know, like Tim really hooked it up. And that was like, I think one of the more important moments for Ignite on the East Coast. And then we ended up playing with at Ensign's house on Handy Street in the basement many times. And that was great. But so what happened was three nights later, I think we were in Connecticut, and I think we played with Hatebreed, and... Same part of the song, I'm upstroking and Zoey walks behind me again and my elbow hits him in the forehead and cracks his forehead open. So now we're going to the emergency room two times in the last three or four days, right? Now he's convinced I did it on purpose, right? I'm like, dude, I don't have eyes in the back of my head. I can't see you. And so he's just, you know, to this day, I did it on purpose, which I didn't. But so just, you know, stuff like that. I mean, remember we did a, we played with earth crisis, snap case, uh, integrity us and somebody else, um, like in Kansas city or something. And like 10 people showed up to that show, you know, it was like a$4 show. And I just thought, you know, in retrospect, how just weird that is, you know?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah. That lineup, like the, you and Zoli and Brent and Casey Jones was like such a, powerhouse especially as a four-piece what did it feel like like playing with that unit and is that the best band that you ever played with
SPEAKER_02:ah man that's a interesting question really because you know i sometimes i get asked what's your favorite country and i'm like well i like the smell of the city in japan but i like the you know this of africa and i like this of italy and so um I'd say no. That wasn't my favorite band. Yeah, it was the wildest, craziest experience of my life, man. It was like a whirlwind, a tornado that destroyed everything in its path, for sure. And I'm not even saying musically. But yeah, it was weird. Because me and Brett were best friends even before we had this idea to start a band together, right? I mean, so Brett is a consummate professional and he decided he chose, you know, I'm going to do this the rest of my life. And, you know, I was never so hard-coded into making a commitment and decision like that. So, you know, obviously, Zoli was the path to continue Ignite and grow it. And, you know, and I, you know, I just, at some point for me, like, I mean, having Interrogative playing those songs was important to me. And if I'm, now playing my 80th show in 90 days playing the same songs like you don't know that you don't know this is my 80th show you're you paid your money you want to see a great show and if I'm up there kind of on autopilot like okay I'm playing the song again like I owe it to you to put on a good show what is a good show well I mean playing with heart integrity does that include jumping around and going nuts maybe but it's not gonna lie i mean doing the same thing every single day at some point becomes boring and we toured so long on an ep and i just i just want to write music and create you know and if you like it cool if you don't then you don't but i mean ultimately if i like it that's all that you know matters to me and you know that's always been true so I want to create, I want to write, I want to create, I want to write. I get it. We got a tour and stuff. But I mean, this is sort of ridiculous. Like, okay, we're three, four years on an EP. So I'm like, guys, you got to write a new record. Well, yeah, I'm not, I'm not going to say the responses, but you know, I knew at that point that I kind of needed to get out and I wasn't happy with my lifestyle anyway. I mean, there was tons of bear backstage and we had a tour manager that would, You know, go out to the line and let all the hottest chicks backstage for free. And it was just like, it was ridiculous. So I was like, this is not how I want to live. And so it changed my life. And, you know, I came home and I became a surf photographer. Something pure and nature and stuff. But a lot of that factored into my decision of quitting at night.
SPEAKER_01:I remember being at your last show at the Whiskey. What did that feel like, playing that last show? Because you didn't announce it. You didn't tell anyone. You just played it, and that was
SPEAKER_02:it. I told Fred Hamlin.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, he's the one that told me. Oh,
SPEAKER_02:okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was weird. I mean, in retrospect, now I should have maybe stayed in a year longer. Meaning that... I don't know. I missed waking up in another country with the wrong money. You get out of the bus. You have no idea where you're at. You see a bakery and you want a coffee. You bring in French money. They won't take it because you're in Belgium. You didn't know you were in Belgium. Crazy stuff like that. There's so many crazy things that happen. We had this Austrian bus driver and me in this uh who's the tour manager roadie guy anyway that we all got real close to his name is finn and uh so the bus pulls into a gas station it's like 5 30 in the morning it's snowing it's freezing and you know but there's a covering over the gas station and the bus is obviously getting gas and me and this thing are up and like you know let's go get a coffee real quick so we run out the back door of the bus You know, it's like just a little bit of change to get a coffee, and then we're going to run back in the bus, and, you know, off we go. But the bus driver didn't see that we ran out the back. And, like, he's wearing a wife beater. I'm wearing boxers. Like, we're in, like, slippers. Like, and it's snowing, right? This is a quick in and out. Get your car to get back to the bus. So we come out. The bus is gone. Oh, no. Because he had no idea. He figured we're still sleeping, right? And we're like, oh, my gosh. Like, we did not know. where the next show was. Country, city, anything. And we're freezing. We have no money. And we're like, so we ended up like, and this friend guy is like, normally like big skinhead, tattooed, like just, he almost looks like Mike Tyson, but a white version. It's just me looking, right? And so I'm like, oh my gosh. Like, and now it's snowing and we're in like boxers and wife beaters and slippers on the side of the Autobahn in the snow with our thumbs up. trying to hitchhike to our big plan is let's just have somebody drop us off at the nearest city. We'll find a record store and we'll deal with it that way, right? So finally this guy, this nice Polish guy, eventually pulls over and we sit in the back and all the seats are folded down because there's a bunch of chickens in cages and he's taking them to somewhere. So... and we're freezing and we're all scrunched together. He drops us off at this area. We're like, okay, we got to find the subway system. We got to be close to hypothermia right now. We're turning blue. We're freezing cold. This is insane. It did chicken shit on me. We don't know where we are. We don't know where we're going. It's so surreal. We get in the subway and Obviously we had to jump over and sneak on it. And so we look up this, uh, the subway map and you know, it shows all the stops. So, okay. We picked the one that's in the middle. That's gotta be the center of the city, the syndrome, whatever. So, okay, we'll go there. So ding, ding, ding. And we get out and we're like, okay, there's stairs to your left and there's stairs to your right. So we could pick any stairs we want. Cause who cares? We're just trying to find a record store. So we go up the stairs to the left. right when we come out we see our tour bus swear to god swear to god nobody believes this story i'm like no way this is impossible right so we walk up and the guys are outside of the bus and go hey good morning like good morning like really like yeah why I'm like, why? They have no idea. They have no idea. Oh, my God. It's a true story. Nobody believes it, except obviously Sven and me. But that was incredible. I mean, miracle, incredible, whatever. Then there'd be things where we'd be like, Cause I'd always sit in the front of the bus cause I smoked. So you crack the window and it blows smoke out the, you know, whatever. And it wouldn't affect the bus. And we were, I think, Sweden and we're driving. And next thing I know we're sideways. We're sliding completely sideways. Like, okay, you're going to die. Oh shit. Right. And the bus driver is this guy. He looks like Tarzan. He's high as a kite. He smokes like joints, like cigars. Well, you know, just nothing good about this. And, uh, somehow he corrected it. Right. And then some of the guys got up later and like, yeah, we had this dream, like, like, but like it too. So weird. And then this, this, this is, this is the greatest story. So I don't know what tour this was. Doesn't matter. But we had a smaller bus this time. So we had a trailer hitch on the back with all of our gear and, uh, merch and stuff like that. So again, this is an Austrian crazy bus driver guy. And we're driving down the Autobahn and the trailer hitch breaks off, right? So you go from like 40 miles an hour. Next thing you know, you're going like 60 miles an hour. And this is super bad because it's our gear. It's our merch. It's the Autobahn. It's like, this is bad. So dude slams the brakes on to catch the hitch, which slams into the back of the bus, blows the back window out. We're talking about a glass grenade of shrapnel that shoots all the way down from the back of the bus to the front where he's driving. There's glass everywhere. The hitch goes off the Autobahn, flips upside down by a barn next to a cow. It's upside down. It's now we got to load the hallway in the bus. with our gear and our merch. So now you don't have a path to get to your bed or anywhere in the bus. You got to climb over boxes and amps. And so the rest of the tour was like that with, you know, we had cardboard on the back of the bus and Zoli hated the bus. He peed in the gas tank. He put sand in it. He tried to destroy the bus. And... I was, you know, we had an oil leak gas leak, and I'm standing by it smoking, and Casey dives into a bush. He's like, what are you doing? And I'm like, it's just crazy. It's crazy stuff. And then we were at Madball, and we almost got finger searched going into, like, Serbia or something like that. And I just remember they had their weed hanging out of the vent on top of the bus tied to a string in a bag so it wasn't in the bus. And I'm just like, oh, man. This isn't good. Like Freddie's going to get fingered. He's going to kill someone. You know, or he was like, dude,
SPEAKER_01:incredible.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Do you have a,
SPEAKER_01:do you have a story from the Madball tour?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, this, this one's kind of crazy. We're in, I'm pretty sure in Munich and we parked in front of the club. And so about, I don't know, one or two in the morning, some squatters came out and started banging on the bus and,
SPEAKER_03:Fuck you. Fuck you. And
SPEAKER_02:so we go out there and, you know, they, uh, cause you're disrespecting, you know, the bus and, you know, all this, whatever. So we, we, we go out there and about halfway down the block, you see these squatters and they're standing there naked, like, you know, flopping their dicks at us and flipping us off. And So we go back into the bus, happens again, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. So now you see like Hoyer and Freddie and, you know, whatever, everybody like running out of the bus, putting their slippers on, like, okay, that's it. It's on. And I just remember somebody had like a Gatorade bottle in their hand and caught the guy and blasted the, you know, glass Gatorade bottle on his head. And the girl starts screaming. So we go back to the bus. And apparently there's a trail of blood and whatever. So we're laying there. And we're like, wow, that was pretty gnarly. And next thing you know, you hear the bus door open. And you hear walkie-talkies and stuff. And it's the police. And so I guess the police idea was to come in and look for somebody that had blood on their hands or cuts on their hands to find the person that did this. So I'm laying there. I'm like... my bunk with the curtain shut and I hear the next thing I know my curtain opens and there's like a German shepherd like sniffing me right so they're going to the bus with like a dog and they're looking for a person with a bloody hand and nothing ever came of that but I mean just a hot breath of the dog like when you're just sitting there kind of like oh my god you know another show I think this is the first time we ever met Madball, and we got there at night. And they had lit the metal trash can on fire, and they were all doing doo-wop around it, like New York style, and it was just... Such a surreal, amazing thing. I mean, they were always such good guys to us. Like when we'd go to New York, like they'd take us out on the town. And I remember stigma, karaoke, uh, Sinatra, New York, New York one night in some club. And, uh, it was just mesmerizing. Right. I mean, they were just like Roger and all those guys were just the sweetest to us. You know, they're just like, couldn't be more different. Couldn't be from more different places. And, you know, I don't know why they took us in and loved us but they did and you know it's just so many great times with them
SPEAKER_01:so that rules hey joe you've been so great with your time i really appreciate this for sure of course uh any final thoughts kevin
SPEAKER_00:i just love hardcore right now uh fya was just kind of one of those rejuvenating things and i'm just unbelievably excited for 2025 like i said earlier i think that it's going to be uh A legendary year. So I'm excited. I'm glad I'm able to talk about FYA. I don't think I shouted out Bob specifically earlier, but Bob does a great job. People don't really realize that FYA, they talk about an FYA team, but there is one. But at the same time, FYA is one guy. Everything comes through Bob. So I just want to give him a shout out for all the hard work he puts into it. I mean, it's a year long job. So, yeah. Yeah. Hell yeah. Bob's the man. Kevin, where can the people find you? I am on Instagram, NotFairToFlare. My band is on Instagram as well, Fall Salvation. I think it's FallSalvationHC.
SPEAKER_01:Get at me, 185milesouth at gmail.com. I respond to everyone. Also, we're on all the socials, 185milesouth. We're also on Substack. I write about hardcore once in a while. I don't know how long. Dude, writing is fucking hard. That was a terrible idea, starting that thing, but it is sick. It's a companion piece for the podcast so like we do these episodes you know you can check out the playlist you can also check out the sub stack I write about the stuff that we talk about so there's that everyone we love you all we'll talk to you again next week on patreon