If you love hardcore for the sake of hardcore, as I do, Deez
Nuts deliver an incredible album. For fans of bands like Skare Tactic,
Donnybrook, Terror, Madball, this is the jam. Admittedly, when I first heard of
these dudes, I thought the name was laughable. But for whatever it triggers in
you, as immature as it may seem, this is serious hardcore. Founder and
vocalist, Peters, JJ addresses this in “Pour Up” with a bold declaration, “never
let the man hold you down, never grow up”.
This is Peters’ fourth full length for DN; plus they’ve had
EPs. Deez Nuts is a relentless tour machine. That synergy has fused a tight
bond and energy between the band members. Many ex-members of bigger bands have
played for Peters, now he has Matt Rogers, guitar; Sean Kennedy, bass (like
Peters, an ex-IKTPQ); Alex Salinger, drums. Production was handled by Andrew
Neufeld (Comeback Kid) and Shane Frisby (Bury Your Dead, The Ghost Inside). And
while those aren’t bands that I associate with DN’s type of hardcore, they
handled the job marvelously. Deez Nuts sound better than ever. There is a good
thick crunch to Rogers’ riffs.
The Deez Nuts’ lyrics of past have been reviewed and
explored as harnessing a ‘party vibe”. I can see where that would rile up there
demographic. With the unabashed hip hop influence, older songs sound like a
hardcore version of rap; check the “Make Money, Money!” chant from “I Hustle
Everyday”. But here, the anger is more focused. The lyrics now hone in on self-reliance
and unity among outsiders. And while these are common themea in the subculture
of outcasts, it never gets old to me. Hardcore is often good at sniffing out
posers. Deez Nuts have many guests in the past claiming the real. As someone
who has the news fed through an IV and works a desk job; the constant stress of
feeling depressed and inadequate needs a rebuttal.
Photo by Dennis Tesch
This is not some breakdown band on repeat. This is fast
moving hardcore band with the beat not stuck in idle repeat, but drums moving
forward. Punkier bass lines feed an energetic “Word Is Bond”. Moments of two
step occur. But take a song like “What’s Good” and the whole track is almost a
breakdown. Kung Fu kicks will be ravaging venues. While “What I Gotta Do” is a
bullet train, with a swing.
Oddly enough from bands Deez Nuts associates with; there is
no additional bass drops or auto-tune. Deez Nuts boast no clean singing parts.
This is straight modern heavy hardcore. The energy and fire that Deez Nuts put
forth relays vicious stamina. Songs of perseverance and fighting hard should
get old fans swinging fists in the pit and new fans piling on.
RIYL: Terror, Trapped Under Ice, Rotting Out, Skarhead,
(first) Your Demise, Stray From the Path, Malfunction
LINE UP: Razor,
guitars; Charlie, Guitars; Nick, Drums; Colin, Bass; Tom, Vocals
When Tom Pimlott lists his current line-up for Violent
Reaction, he appends their resumes as they all have been in “a million bands”.
He quietly states that he also drums for The Flex (an amazing band) and all
these members additionally rotate to form Arms Race. Those are only the current
bands. As I talk to Pimlott in the New York hotel, the band sits behind him for
help and jest. The jets on the plane that transported them from the UK to the
US are still cooling as Violent Reaction crash our shores. They have a show
each day on this tour, where they will double bill with Arms Race as well.
Eleven days is the time in which Violent Reaction is given to decimate stages.
They also added DC’s Damaged City Fest last minute, because, well, idle hands,
I guess. Straight Edge protagonists, their work ethic flies a banner for the
movement.
Pimlott lists the cities of the tour, like an ad hoc grocery
list. “DC, RVA, Philly, Boston. That’s two shows; a day show at The Elks with
No Tolerance and Chain Rank, the night show is at the Boiler Room with Stand
Off and Leather Daddy. That’s gonna be sick.” I remind him of Pittsburgh on the
9th, as he tries to order his brain. “Yep. NYC tonight. Then Damaged
City tomorrow. We have played the last two years. They’re our friends. Chicago,
Detroit, Indianapolis, and…”. “Rochester,” someone offers from the background.
Short, fast, loud, and angry are adjectives to describe the
furious hardcore Violent Reaction play. Influences like Negative Reaction,
Minor Threat, SSD, Agnostic Front tied in with 4 Skins and Blitz are obvious
and appreciated. Recent bands like Set
to Explode, 86 Mentality, Wasted Time, Sectarian Violence can be counted as
peers. Marching on is the most focused
Violent Reaction has been since it began as Pimlott’s one man project. The 2012
seven inch was Pimlott only. But by, 2013, for their impressive City Streets full length, he had a full
band. Marching On marks a time with
everyone writing music and contributing. “It came together faster, painless. And it still sounds like us.”
After two releases on Boston indie label, Painkiller,
Revelation releasing this new album has to be a major step. Pimlott, however,
reacts casually when I ask about a rigorous process. “They just asked us. We
were just minding our business. We weren’t shopping around,” Tom states
plainly. However, that tepid response in no way diminishes his pride. “We have
all listened to this label since we first got into hardcore.” Tom also notes,
“we are the first non-American band to be on Revelation.”
James Atkinson, of UK hardcore icons, Voorhees, produced the
album. Atkinson knows how to get that dirty, yet crisp, hardcore fidelity as
buzzsaw guitars parallel roiling drums. “It was relaxed.” Pimlott elaborates,
“(Atkinson) was cracking jokes. He is our usual guy. He did our last album.”
Like the songs they write, the process of recording was short and fast. “We did
most of it in one day. He just presses record. Other producers, they stick
their nose in. He knows what he is doing. He lets us do our thing.”
The album expresses that urgency. It sounds as if it was
recorded live. The functionality of a band that plays so vigorously together,
in multiple bands, comes across with a distinguished ferocity. Pimlott concurs,
“We like the way we sound live. So we did it live.” The background corrects
slightly again. “Oh right, we did one guitar track and the bass and drums live.
Then we added leads and then vocals.” Despite the concrete line-up now, Violent
Reaction lost their bassist right before recording. “Charlie was a champ. He
did the bass and the leads. It was a busy day,” Pimlott laughs as he describes
what will be a classic hardcore album decades from now being completed in a day
and a half.
The venomous, disdainful lyrics espousing rebellion are of
the “usual punk rock lyrics,” Pimlott dismisses. He states in their live sets that
they do Boston and UK and DC hardcore band covers; as I had noted their style
is akin. “DC is our second home. So is Boston. We have just as many friends in
those cities. Actually, Philly is like that for us too. Los Angeles has many
friends for us. Oh, and all of Texas.” These additions of secondary and
tertiary homes relay that Violent Reaction are playing true hardcore with
sincerity and humility. The honest and vicious execution of punk rock
cultivates their friendships, fans and any scene they play.
Monolord came out of nowhere to drop Empress Rising less than a year ago. Most metalheads quickly placed
it in a top slot of their year’s end lists for 2014. Initially formed as a side
project in 2013, out of the ashes of Swedish bands Marulk and Rotten Sound,
guitarist and vocalist, Thomas Jäger, drummer, Esben Willems, and bassist, Mika
Häkki, Monolord shot of Sweden to decimate ear drums. Together, the trio cranks
out fuzz soaked, slow doom metal riffs. Heavy as hell and plodding, the
nefarious, churning atmosphere staggers through speakers onto audiences trapped
in awe.
This April, Monolord is releasing Vaenir, an album of completely new material. Willems explains, “We
always work on new stuff. We started pre-productions directly after the masters
to Empress Rising were delivered. Itchy
fingers, you know. It wasn't an elaborate PR plan, we just love making new
music.” They garnered enough focus to have the final track of the six track
album stand at seventeen minutes.
Even still, this relays the fervent energy and dedication
these men have to Monolord. “We're pretty efficient when we record,” continues
Willems. “Our studio is my portable equipment that is more or less permanently
set up in our rehearsal space. We produced it. I engineered, mixed and mastered
it. In a band, it comes in handy to be a professional sound tech.
The conversation of an objective outsider was bandied
between members. “That's both a discussion of budget and finding that perfect
person that's brilliant at hers or his job and, on top of that, understands and
likes the band's ambitions. And we're skeptical old fucks”
That internal formula has worked exceptionally. The bass
line is accented and utilized to propel sinister doom riffs. Vaenir is a more focused album, with
cleaner production; without losing a sense of the heavy. “We see Vænir as a natural development of our
sound. The foundation is the same, but we keep on evolving our songwriting. At
least that's our ambition.”
The pressure is not felt in the band, but many fans have to
wonder if Vaenir is a project of
opportunity or momentum. The pressure to duplicate was not internalized; but it
was recognized. “We were really surprised by the response to Empress Rising, to be honest. It's
always a bit nervous to release new material, and twice as much when it's with
a new band. To get the response we got was insane. The good kind of insane. We're
still a bit high from that feeling. Regarding the stress of recording new
material, it was both stressful and not at all. We record and produce
everything ourselves. The songwriting and recording environment are second homes.
With worse coffee, that is. But it's a comfortable place to work on new stuff.
Actually, it's an escape from the reality outside.”
Willems’ calm personality and humble honesty welcome
questions with a direct embrace. Stress is not conveyed in his inflections. Willems
conveys the simplistic approach to a highly lauded album. The doom genre has
seen much genre-splicing, but Monolord harnesses a direct lineage to tradidtion.
“Our goal has always been to write and record music that we feel is the
heaviest and grittiest rumble that we are able to produce. Depending on the
listener, I guess there are people who like it because of their perception of authenticity,
but that's not been our guideline.”
Monolord are exposing audiences to this new material, along
with “oldies”, across Europe. Willems lists, “We just came back from a European
tour almost three weeks long. The next upcoming show is opening for Candlemass
in a town nearby, Uddevalla. After that, it's Roadburn Festival and Berlin. And
some festival dates during the summer that we'll announce soon.”
As members were surprised by the interest in their once side
project’s music, Willems insists that the main focus for all three is Monolord.
He quickly appends his statement, “But there are always other side projects
going on, which I think is really good for the drive and the inspiration.” That
inspiration is motivated by the usual dark doom themes. “Our permanent theme is
more or less misanthropy. The disgust for what humans do to each other is an
endless source of inspiration.” Provided much fodder from a few minutes of
world news, coupled with Monolord’s restlessness, maybe in another eight
months, audiences will have album number three. “We're usually eager to make
new stuff. As soon as we've caught our breath from our recent tour, we will
start jamming out some new fuzz, that's for sure.”
Line-up: Chris Volcano – Drums & vocals, Andrew Gillon –
Guitars, BM Brad – Bass & Vocals
“It all started on a blood chilling day in late 1994, when I
forged a pact with Andrew (Gillon) to write beastly tunes for Satan.” A bold mission statement is precisely what
defines the Melbourne, Australia metal band, Abominator. Despite many line-ups,
the core of Chris Volcano and Gillon, recently recruiting new bassist, BM Brad,
deliver their new album, Evil Proclaimed.
Their sound may have evolved, but the fire inside burns brighter.
“Today, it feels as though we have started the band all over
again.” Volcano discusses his spark after commenting that this album took a
long time to record. “We remember what it was that motivated us in the
beginning, but we have wiser heads on our shoulders. The band can continue in
the darkest possible direction for the next few years. The new album is massive,
but also harsh and scathing.”
Volcano is direct about the disease of current metal bands’
grand production techniques. He secures Abominator’s oath to “not falling
victim to a weak, overly digital production. It is absolute black chaos from
start to finish.” Volcano’s pride is palpable; as sin is worth total
indulgence. Abominator produced Evil
Proclaimed with Sam Johnson on the boards and Alan Douches of West West
Side mastering the album. Seeking premier professionals is “a product of the
way we chose to do things. We've had enough experience to know what does and
doesn't work. Money wasn't really a factor, as we paid for some of the
recording ourselves.”
Reading some early rviews online, I am confused by some
purists wanting a strictly defined, genre aligned album. Volcano laughs at
these rigid “wimps”. After the two
decades which Abominator has recorded, people should expect change. “It is
impossible for a band like us to go into a studio and replicate the sound from
our first album, it just doesn't work like that. The album is relentless,
heavy, raw, and chaotic. It is more or less straight black metal, but it does
have the aesthetic of that time honored tradition of the bestial sound. If you are a true black/death maniac, there is
enough variation in tempos and riffing to get your head around.”
Opening already this year for Black Metal legends, Marduk and
Inquisition, Abominator are looking to tour. For now, the Melbourne scene is
where Abominator will play their home scene. Members have other bands; Ignivomous,
Cemetary Urn, and Voidchrist, perpetually participating in the scene. Volcano
is quick to boast about Australia’s strong metal history. Volcano is quick to
list many current and historical bands. “Australia has had a rich and diverse
metal scene for years now. There are a lot of bands who are trying to be the
next big thing in tech death or the next Dark Funeral. We need more young bloods
who crave the bestial sounds of old.”
That 1994 oath Volcano procured with Gillon has been
fulfilled with creating savage war metal. There is the portion addressing who
it is created for, though. “Satan, and the portrayal of it, is very important
to us, but it is crucial to express it in the right way. It represents the
duality of our human condition, and I have some deep demons to deal with. I use
this music as a focus for that dark, primal energy. It has been fascinating for
me to learn about Satanism and various branches of occult knowledge. It is not
necessarily about the outright praise of evil, but an understanding and acceptance
that the darkness is a fundamental aspect of life on this Earth plane. Besides,
God and Satan are very subjective in terms of the forces that currently
influence this world. Somebody like myself may be closer to the truth than your
average hypocritical Christian. Look at the rich and greedy elite, how they
ravage the environment, brainwash people and send people off to their doom in
wars they have created.”
Volcano boasts that this is no image like some black metal
bands. “For me, it is a way of life, especially having experienced the
spiritual dissociation from the rest of society. That is the extent of it. I
perform Satanic art, but I haven't got time to go out and burn churches or
sodomize goats. That is not how it (actually) works anyway. Literally, there is
a divine force in the universe, as well as a force opposing it.”
While those opinions may seem brash or abstract, it pales to
Volcano’s distress over the tangible plane’s fruit of the metal scene. “I don't
think metal could get any more popular in such a fickle society, unless there
was a massive paradigm shift away from shitty mainstream culture. If that were
to happen, you can be sure that others like me will have had nothing to do with
it. None of the true fans want it to get that big anyway, it just wouldn't be
the same.”
Members: Jeremy – Vocals; Kyle – Guitar; Michael – Drums;
Ryan – Bass; Jay - Guitar
Lifeless NLFTW formed
from the ashes of Dead and Buried and When These Days End in 2008. Reborn, the
members spewed vitriolic hardcore based metal from the start. Their demo and
debut full length surprised the scene with the hate and furor compacted in three
minute tracks. Lifeless followed up with a seven inch on Harvcore again.
Lifeless continued touring, providing sweat drenched angry shows for legions of
hardcore kids ready to exorcise their demons. Lifeless play hardcore in the
vein of Born From Pain, 100 Demons, and Integrity without apology. Now, on Fast
Break! Records, Lifeless’ Dreams unleashes the most focused and calculated
music they have created yet.
This album is as
heavy as heavy gets. Tell me about production/recording? Working with Len Carmichael?
In previous recordings, we rushed certain aspects of them. This
session, however, we really took our time. The time from the pre-production
demos to the final product was literally a year. We continue to grow and evolve
just as Len Carmichael does. With his “devil's advocate” approach at times, he
kept us on our toes to put out our best efforts and ideas. He is easy to deal
with, but not a push-over. He voices his honest opinions for the benefit of the
band and the overall recording. To us, Dream
is exactly how Lifeless should have sounded in a studio all along.
How is FastBreak!
Records?
It's great to work with people who you look up to, who are
your friends, and who want to take a serious and professional approach to releasing
and promoting the music. The truly organic music we make without taking control
of any process other than pressing the record and putting the word out there
with us. They believed in us and gave us the wheel to steer as we saw fit.
Truly, it's been a great, rewarding, and eye-opening experience.
Are you anxious to
get this out – been four years since a full length.
Yes and no. Anxious because some of these songs are two
years old, but we all agreed not to rush the recording process. Now that we're
on the cusp of it landing in people's hands and putting it out there for
everyone to hear, the anxiety somewhat subsides.
“But the hoping is
useless, cuz it won’t ever change” – so what should we put effort into?
That lyric is really talking about working day to day while
barely affording the roof over your head, food in your stomach, and trying to
find a better way to live your life instead of sitting there hoping things will
just change one day and you will be happy. Most people accept their fate, work
their lives away, and wait for the ultimate price to be paid; death. If
anything, find what you truly believe is right, “your path” in other words, and
peruse it at all costs whatever it may be.
Your lyrics are quite
negative (that’s why I like it) – or should I say realistic? *“All the people
you love will turn on you… there’s nothing you can do” What makes life worth
putting effort into (like a band…)?
I'd say the biggest thing that gets me up each day is this
band and the experiences I have through hardcore. The anticipation and excitement
of playing or going to the next show is what really keeps me going most of the
time. It's the only place I can really let go of strife. I feel better than I
ever do anywhere else. I hold onto that vibe with me until the next show.
What does 2015 hold
for tours/shows?
Shows, shows, and more shows to support the release of Dream. We are playing a few fests, some
of which have been announced and some that haven't, but we will get our ugly
mugs and angry, “dark hardcore” jams everywhere we can get them. From all over
the US, to Europe, and hopefully even Japan. Just not Canada; their border
control really doesn't like us for some reason! We're angels, I swear.
Interview with Mike (vocals) and Tim (guitar) by hutch
Hard Left are: Mike: exhortations Donna: bass, vocals Tim: guitar, vocals Stewart: drums, vocals
In case you are unfamiliar with the skinhead subculture, or
at least the full spectrum of the scene, a common mantra is “no politics”. As
skinheads represent the working class of every country throughout the globe,
this minute microcosm is colored by every brush of the political palette.
Often, at gigs or fests or pubs, politics are eschewed in order to avoid
conflict. And, to clarify, if ‘skinhead’ triggers an old stereotype, racism is
not politics. The “no politics” agreement is not to encourage non-racists to shove
their head in the sand while their brethren salute the Fuhrer at whim. This understanding
exists so that a skinhead from France and one from Texas can share pints and
discuss important things like first pressings of Alton Ellis forty-five’s or the
pros and cons of different 4-Skins’ vocalists without sliding into disagreeing
on the institution of social medicine. *(this said, most are intelligent adults
who can discuss politics without getting out of control.)
Hard Left throw that cordial oath aside and wave their beyond-liberal
flags on the sleeves. Tim explains how the idea materialized. “Mike and I were
talking that it would be fun. I’d play guitar and he said he’ll sing, which he
never had. But if we would have an Oi band, it has to be left wing. For obvious
reasons.”
However, the reasons were not obvious, as I had not known
these guys. “We’re both left wing.” Mike expands, “our political beliefs were not
a big part in prior bands. This time we want to do more than have great songs
and laughs. The message is important. We love this style of music, but the
scene is stridently apolitical or right wing. We wanted to be upfront about
this.” This aspect has the potential to cause trepidation in the band. “I
already got trolled on facebook.”
Mike was already called ‘oppressive’ by a white power user. Hard
Left simply want to seize the opportunity. “I think it’s great if apolitical
people want to listen. But they will get a message.” Tim adds, “the apolitical aspect
about fun and style is tired for me. We want to put on a different gloss. While
not ‘skinheads’, we are steeped in the culture; the music, the fashion.” Sham 69
and Oi are the basis of the sound. “We are trying to unseat what it means to be
working class. If you want fun and apolitical, you are missing content that
could be there.”
Despite Mike citing that the left wing has a strong long
history with British scenes, the hard kicking music should be heard, and not
always eclipsed by the political stance of Hard Left. It is drenched in Mod and
Pub Rock style. Mike revels in their intent. “We’re old, been in a bunch of
bands. We wanted to be in a band with terrace rocking beats and ripping guitars
full of feedback and anthem songs with great lyrics. This is the band we want
to be in.” Tim shares the elation in the layers and tangents of their musical
direction. Tim guides band decision on what he (and they) would like. “Would we
want to see this? Yes. Let’s do it. Marching in with drums and flags? Check. Fred
Perrys? Check. Anthems? Check.”
This attitude forms one hell of a record, which drops on May
12, 2015. Tim and Mike simplified the formula. Tim pushes, “We kept it simple.
The mixing principle was to make the toms loud and add clapping. Make it
anthemic.” Mike agrees, “everything is so pumping. I can’t picture these tunes
sounding any better. I think it’s the best album I have ever heard.” Mike
qualifies this bold statement. “I usually play guitar and I didn’t. So, I am
removed and objective. Our drummer, Stewart , lives in Arizona. He recorded it.
Tim and I worked with our bassist, Donna. We sent Stewart demos with no drums. We went
there and ran through each song, one to two times. He is an amazing drummer
with great concepts. “Stewart is the right man for job. He’s English,” adds
Tim. “He grew up with punk rock and all the terrace glam stuff, Slade. It is in
his musical DNA.”
Mike lauds, “Stu makes it seem effortless. Our sound can be said as, ‘77 punk. But
people only think of the Clash. They’re great, but that’s not our sound. We come
from the football terraces, the early Oi. That stomping punk sound with driving
beats, shouting choruses. But, still, Oi does not tell the whole story.” The
Pub Rock sound of early Who, Cock Sparrer, Sham 69, Angelic Upstarts, and
specifically early Cockney Rejects are on target. Punk bands beyond The Clash
like 999, The Ruts, The Damned, and Slaughter & The Dogs fill in the rest.
Hard Left has record release shows soon. San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Oakland are on the list. Stewart will attend those shows as they are planned
ahead. But Hard Left will be on the search for a drummer who is available to
play out of town. Hard Left plan to visit the East Coast and the Northwest in
the summer. They want to go to Europe feeling they “would be well-received,”
declares Tim. “We have made good connects in UK and Germany. Our message and
music will be taken seriously as a provocation in German highly politicized, in
a good way.”
Oakland is the home of Tim and Mike. They find constant
inspiration from their environment. They see it as “unbelievably diverse and
integrated, more so than other cities,” Mike claims. “People tend to live in a
checkerboard. Oakland is, it sounds hokey, but, ‘multi cultural’. The
structural diversity is amazing.” Tim calls it “electric with flavor. The city
is organically integrated, not due to social engineering. It’s real.”
When I think of Oakland, I think of bands like Dystopia and
Neurosis; painting a crusty punk, anarchistic, squat, DIY musical landscape.
Mike notes that the Oaktown is “gnarly and crusty with warehouse parts. Music
is a logical reaction to it environment.” And that is where Mike distinguishes
Hard Left’s music. “We are not reacting against it. We are feeding off the energy
and diversity. Oakland is still a city, gritty.” Tim continues this thought, “There is the Black
Panther history. That flavor still exists. Hard Left doesn’t partake in the
gutter punk thing, or garage-y, which is big here.” So, while the tones and tunes
are executed differently, the message is on par.
“The band is ideologically eclectic.” Tim states. “We lean into
anarchism. People who do work should benefit from it. Tradition and ideological
history which holds a democratic practice is what we support; initiatives that
push people working for their own emancipation. We value Marx, his analysis is
important. But we are Anti-Bolshevic.” Mike explains, “Marx is super relevant
right now. I was at a march the other day for teacher union labor dispute; my
son is a Kindergarten teacher. Communist party was there and I was talking to
them. They are mired in bureaucracy, We come from the bottom up movement and
action is best embodied by anarchism.”
Even the foundation of Hard Left is a statement, just by the
nature of the members. Tim notes quickly, “we have a woman; which
differentiates us from bands in our genre. It is nice to have the songs be less
cookie cutter with her shouts.” It adds a texture to their energetic songs.
Donna is “not ornamental”.
Mike is uncompromising in her pedigree. “She is amazing bass
player, powerful. It’s important, the idea of having a woman in the band.” Tim
appends any notions, “her being in the band is not contrived. But, it’s great
and goes with politics of self empowerment in the band. Women having a voice adds
more diversity. If women aren’t free none of us free.” I note that I feel the
skinhead scene, especially more than metal or hardcore or even pop, embrace the
women significantly. Unless a girl proves herself to be a decoration or coat
rack, female skins get concrete respect in the scene.
Interview with Mark Stern of BYO Records (Youth Brigade)
by hutch
Brothers, Shawn and Mark Stern
Mark Stern first appeared to most angry kids of the eighties
on their turntables or tv screens. Playing in Youth Brigade, Stern got to
express himself and cultivate a national scene. Scraping through the US with
Minor Threat and Social D, Stern spread the gospel of hardcore for people to
now visualize beyond the turntable. He
and his brother, Shawn, started their own DIY label in 1982 while playing in a
band and touring. Four decades and multiple releases for most punk bands you
like, or at least their grandfathers, BYO is a template for business in the
underground scene.
And now Stern has Punk Rock Bowling as his next aging gift
to punk. Seventeen years on, Punk Rock Bowling has shed its small party structure
to a multi-day Fest in downtown Las Vegas. “It’s our sixth year as a fest; our
fifth downtown.”
“Why Vegas?” I ask. I’ve never been. I don’t get the allure.
Mark easily dismisses, “Cuz its Vegas. Twenty-four hour
bars. You can get away with anything. Now we’re Downtown. You get three days of
outdoor shows and four days of club shows.” The shows are placed strategically
around two hotels which are in walking distance.
“We used to have it just outside of the city, in
Henderson. It got to the point where we
just took over.” Stern tells me about how it had been going well until a
general manager made some changes five years ago. “He increased the price of
the drinks. I had wanted to keep drink prices down. But he also allowed
re-entry which I didn’t want. And I knew what would happen. The hotels were
across from a Costco and a Wal-Mart. People bought tons of beer there. Then
they partied in their rooms and planned to come back for later bands.” Or never
came back. The hotel was honored to have four thousand punks power-drinking in
the afternoon. Things got broken. Police were called.
Stern quickly took
what was started as a private party for bands and labels, and looked for a new
geography. And a larger one. He wanted toi step it up and have it be a small
punk city for a few days. Punk Rock Bowling – which still embraces the bowling
as seriously as the music – is now associated with the dude who started Zappos,
41 year old, Tony Hsieh. Hsieh had bought some land downtown and they moved the
fest. The timing added another dimension and aided in propagating a better culture
in which to grow this fest. “It helped spark restaurants and clubs and venues.
Everything is new. It’s becoming a real city,” Stern explains with a content
exhale.
“There will be comedy shows, poker, art galleries. We have
classic punk rock photographers showing in the gallery. Last year we had Peter
and The Test Tube Babies at the pool party. The pool party is awesome.” This
begins at 3pm Friday and kicks off the event. Each day has a film screening. Bloodied and Unbowed is Saturday with Filmage: The Story of Descendents/ALL on
Sunday and Let Them Know: The Story of
Youth Brigade and BYO records, is on Monday, fittingly.
My OCD quivers. But he insists on the party vibe. Unshaken,
he explains that he has been putting on shows since he was eighteen. “I put on the
first punk show at the Hollywood Bowl.” I know his pedigree, but still four
days with these many cogs has to be intimidating. Stern reverts back to what
kept each state of growth so natural. “The punk scene, we were tight. It was a
complete DIY vibe. In 1999, it was a cool party.”
In May of 2010, PRB had to be moved to outdoor shows. Stern
begins to list every country that punks abandon for the weekend to join this
melee. He could have instead saved time by listing the two dudes from Ghana who
missed the plane. So many people.
So Many Bands. “I’m stoked to have Frank Turner, finally,
been asking him for years.” Turner will be playing an acoustic bill at a club.
Stern can’t contain the enthusiasm for some killer sets from the main stage
bands. “We got Murder City Devils, Rancid doing Out Come the Wolves twentieth anniversary, Bosstones, Dropkicks
doing their first album, and since Street Dogs are in town, maybe Mike will
come out? We have Refused. Turbonegro. Then, there are five club shows at
venues each night.” These pair usual underground headliners together. The
Templars, The Beltones, Bishops Green, Booze & Glory all in one show.
There’s a line up for every shade of punk. Stern spills the formula. “Not the
same genre, but I keep it cohesive. You approach it like it’s a compilation or
a set list. I have been making those for forty years. Don’t do a random mesh,”
Stern practically unveils. “I got the ‘77 group with The Weirdos and Rezillos
and Dickies. Acoustic with Tim Barry, Dave Hause, Kevin Seconds.” And 7 Seconds
has their night with FUS and Street Dogs. GBH will headline with Abrasive
Wheels and Infa Riot and a name I have not heard since the late 90’s,
Schleprock. 88 Fingers Louie are returning to a stage, with Strung Out - who
have a new album dropping - and Pulley: that punk band with the major league
pitcher (Scott Radinsky) “I have a Ska bill. A Rockabilly bill.” Yeah he does,
with names like Bad Manners, English Beat and Mobtown. Stern still adds “and
there will be a hundred little parties and DJs and room parties. There’s a beer
garden. Cheap drinks. “Hand-picked food trucks. We make sure there is a
variety; vegan and vegetarian and meat. I want it to be the Anti-Fest. Not Overwhelming.”
Not a shock is that they sold sixty-five hundred tickets for
each day. A penetrating anxiety kept
pulling at me. Not surprisingly, Stern tells me he has to start planning in
September each year. He has to “get things rolling by October. We like to
announce headliners before Christmas.”
That’s when my OCD snaps and I ask how many people he has
working with him to organize all this planning. “It’s just me,” he announces to
my jaw ajar and eyebrows vexed. “I personally book each band. We have a hundred
plus bands. I designed the fest grounds, picked the themes. We have some cool
ones this year.” All of this is said like he set the table; spoons lazily
placed in proximity to the knife. “Some people come just for the room and pool
parties. It’s a smorgasbord.”
Oh, the Humpers have a night with Los Creepers and The
Hangmen. Icons of Filth are playing with Krum Bums and Anti-Vision. Mike Virus
pulls double duty with Cheap Sex and Evacuate sets. And these are the clubs.
The main stage will have Sick Of It All, The Business, Bombshell Rocks, Sniper
66 (angry, dark, fast punk from Texan youngens). Crust legends, Conflict are on
the list. Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine. The poster lists
another dozen other bands; including, A Wilhelm Scream, Anti-Flag and Mahones.
As I am feeling over whelmed, Stern insists Punk Rock
Bowling continues as just a laid-back theme park with every possible option.
Distracted by the music I forget that there is competitive bowling. And tons of
pick-up games. He plans PRB with sympathy and as a truly seasoned participant.
“That’s why I sell the drinks cheap. People can plan to drink all day. And eat.
Hang out and catch up with old friends and make a bunch of new ones. Have some
time off.” Stern wants everyone to hang out; call it the casual approach to punk
mayhem and chaotic indulgence. “I don’t
want it to grow. It sells out each year. But, if we grew, we would have to be
in a big desert or field, add TV screens. Who comes to a concert to watch it on
a screen? And honestly, I don’t want to contend twenty-five thousand people. I’d
rather have four thousand people together.” And Stern means that as a promoter
and a member of the audience and the subculture. “Last year, I had Cock Sparrer
play to four hundred people. It was crazy. They were incredible. Bands love it.
They get nervous. But, I have seen these bands play their best sets. Angelic
Upstarts played an amazing tight set. And they ain’t young.” Most of us
aren’t. But it appears that Mark Stern
has matured this fest into a place where a real punk community, thriving on DIY
ideals can exist for a few days.
