Dan O'Mahony Part VII, The Final NO!

Dan O with a group sing along at CBGB's, Photo: Jeff Ladd

Here's the final installment of our long-running interview with Dan O. This has been one of the best things to end up on DCXX, be sure to check the previous pieces if you didn't already. Big thanks to Dan! -Gordo DCXX

I don't have a whole lot to ad to what Gordo already said, but I still wanted to take the chance to thank Dan for answering our questions and supplying us with a great collection of entries. Frontmen like Dan O'Mahoney don't come along everyday and in my opinion, he's up there with the best of the best. I hope the readers enjoyed this as much as I know we did. Just say NO! -Tim DCXX


No For An Answer's Hawker Records promo shot

Tell us about writing your books...

I'm at my most creative working with words...written, spoken, or sung. The books were something that sprung from years of writing for Maximum Rock 'N Roll. In fact, the first to suggest them was fellow MRR columnist Sam MacPheeters who had me submit some pre-manuscript material for possible publication by Vermiform I'm guessing, but I don't think the lovesick debauchery he recieved was what he was expecting. Either way, credit to Sam for getting me on that track.

As it turns out, self publication, and later publication through AK Press, were an amazing fit. Both books, "Three Legged Race" and "Four Letter World" are compilations of personal notebooks woven together by a narrative of my emotional wanderings, gambling, and romantic entanglements in the years immediately following my mother's death. I was thrilled with the critical response they recieved and they served as a nice instrument in validating and creating a draw for the 5 spoken word shows I did in the Bay area in the mid-90s.

Give us the backstory on Speak-

Speak (often referred to as Speak 714 for legal reasons) was my last touring band. Initally proposed to me by Joe Foster from Ignite, and involving Doug McKinnon from Slap Shot and Samuel Mars from Straight Faced. That line-up churned out my favorite Dan O'Mahony record in terms of vocals. Joe and I have always had a complicated relationship, politically never in sync, creatively almost always on the same page...eventually my politics won out and I sought membership more in tune with my message. Jeff Baker, Eryc Simmerer, Chris Lisk, and Kevin Panter rounded out the touring line up and later recorded the Scum Also Rises e.p. We did two national tours, and one in Europe.

Speak was interesting in that to listen to it, the OC influence is all pervasive, like a full length version of You Are One a few years further out from puberty, but the touring band dressed in black, employed mic stands for the guitarists to provide back ups, discussed a pretty non-traditional selection of topics from the stage, and was known to perform in varying degrees of sobriety. I think we shook up the Rev tour a bit, and given the ground my life and career had covered in the years preceeding it, I'd have to say that was pretty appropriate. Many good, good times sprang from that tour despite the fact that Speak was a band better recieved abroad than at home. It's a piece of work I remain immensely proud of to this day.


Speak's Revelation Records promo photo

What about John Henry Holiday?

My favorite of these non-live efforts. 4 songs of balls to the wall hardcore written by Chris Lohman and I, with Kevin Panter from the second Speak line up providing the drum tracks. JHH had a few very simple rules that made it fun...if it took more than one practice to write a song we threw it out, no songs over two and a half minutes no matter what, and I must scream some form of the word 'fuck!' somewhere in every song. Perfect. Thanks to Ed McKirdy from Livewire for springing it on the world.

What would you consider your 3 biggest accomplishments in life?

Believe it or not I grew up a very shy, momma's boy type of kid prior to punk rock/HC so I'd say my transformation into someone completely comfortable expressing himself in front of crowds regardless of their size was one. My books mean a great deal to me as they represent putting my feelings and passions out there without hiding behind any group supported cause. Biggest accomplishment hands down however was overcoming my own abandonment/vulnerability issues and marrying Kate O'Neil O'Mahony earlier this year. Crazy, glorious stuff.


After Gavin Absolution saved No For An Answer from the horrors of Kennedy Airport, he took a seat on the CB's crowds heads during their set, Photo: Jeff Ladd

What about your 3 biggest regrets?

In 1997 my grandmother fell terminally ill, it was the second time in a decade that I was staring down the barrell at the loss of one of the women who raised me. I handled things in a very distant and mechanical manner that was really less than she deserved, that's one. I've blown literally hundreds of thousands of dollars on gambling and travel, during hard times financially that phase seems less than genius, but it did help make me who I am today. Third I guess would be answering those questions from Billy Rubin.

A quick word about hardcore retrospectives, the opportunity to contribute to Double Cross, etc...

Looking back has been a blast, telling you guys these stories reminds me of the unique energy with which this music infuses the people who love it. Earlier this year NFAA played a one time reunion to benefit an ailing man's cancer treatment. Faces flooded in from decades past and the room was filled with smiles. Our performance was as coarse and uneven as I fondly remember my first serious band having always been. We weren't a real proficient combination of guys at any point in our history.

I guess where I'm headed with this is that this current wave of retrospection is great so long as we don't kid ourselves, the grass was never greener back then, it's just that the world was new. If you were ever a thinker, an artist, an activist at all, let's hope looking back reminds you that somewhere inside you potentially still are. "I preach like a motherfucker, son". Thanks.


Casey Jones, Billy Rubin and Dan O'Mahoney in April of 2009

New Super7 GB / G.I. Joe edition

In the late 1980's Civ, along with several members of the Rev staff, including Jordan Cooper, started collecting original 12" G.I. Joe toys. Even going as far as to include trade offers of early Rev releases for rare G.I. Joes. Twenty years later, when discussing the Gorilla Biscuits figure with Super7, Civ was really excited about making a toy, not only as a unique item for the band, but as a toy collector himself. This edition of the toy is a tribute to the toys Civ loved over the years. Packaged in a wooden green foot locker inspired by the footlockers of the original 12" G.I. Joe., and then cast in unpainted green vinyl just like a unpainted green army man. This version has been designed by Civ for the toy collector in all of us. - Alex Super7

Rob Anderson - Wide Awake

Rob and Tom taking on The Anthrax crowd with Wide Awake, Photo: Joe Snow

I have LOTS of great memories of going to shows and being around the scene. From going to the Anthrax every weekend, all of the early shows in VFW halls, the shows at UCONN, to the shows in NY. It seems like every one of those trips was the best.

One that definitely stands out right away was when a bunch of us went to the Living Room in Providence, RI to see the Bad Brains and Leeway. Tom Kennedy, Sean Marcus, John McLaughlin, Craig Colorusso, Mike Jelenffy, and some others all packed into cars. A buch of them went the night before and camped out somewhere in RI. Craig and I drove up with my girlfriend and we stopped at a water park then went to the beach. It was a pretty fun summer day. When we got to Providence, I remember hanging outside the Living Room talking with HR and we were talking about how their tour bus had a big picture of John Lennon on the back of it. I forgot how or why they had that bus, but I would know it if I ever saw it again!

Then we went inside and Leeway just killed it. I had heard them, but had never seen them before and it was awesome. Everyone was like "these guys are sick!" The 2 guitar attack was so tight. And Eddie had on a Celtics jersey and knee pads. I was an instant fan for life.

Then the Bad Brains just blew people away. I had seen them before, but this show seemed better than before. They opened with I Against I, Re-Ignition, House Of Suffering (not really sure about the order). It was cool because the whole night seemed to last for a long time.

That whole day seemed to capture the energy and the spirit of the music scene for me. We traveled, met up with kids from New York, Boston, and Rhode Island and watched some great bands put on a hell of a show.

All in all, nothing crazy happened, no one got hurt, no fights, etc. I guess it is probably pretty boring, but to me it was one of the best days ever.


Classic Wide Awake at The Anthrax, Photo: BP

Darren Walters - Hi-Impact / Jade Tree Records with more TP memories

Darren on the road with Turning Point, Photo courtesy of: TP

TP obviously went with New Age for the LP, was this a total bummer?

You have no idea. I felt like I had spent a ton of effort on the band and plenty of time going to shows with them, and of course, hanging out and becoming close friends. My business partner and I really wanted to do the full-length for Turning Point and we were going to banks to inquire about loans and writing out long-hand contracts on legal pads. We were determined to do what we could to secure the record for Hi-Impact, but the reality was that we were still in the process of figuring out how to effectively run a label. And of course at the same time, Turning Point was gaining respect and growing bigger as a band and really pressing us for specifics, for security as one would expect. They wanted to be assured of a future and we were only on our first release, still making our plans for the future.

In retrospect, I don't think that we ever had a chance to release the record, but in the end, I got to release the material through Jade Tree and that has pleased me enormously. I felt like it all came home to rest where it belongs.

What I would realize years later after being in the business is that Hi-Impact were just victims of what many other small upstart labels go through. This band sold well for us, got an offer from a more established label and suddenly, we were not an option for them because we were too small. It's neither here nor there as much as it is a reality of the music business and I don't fault the band for taking the option of releasing the record on New Age.


Turning Point at Club Pizazz in Philadelphia, 1989, Photo courtesy of: TP

What are some good stories from hanging out with these guys? How often was that (living in different states and all)? What type of guys were they?

Great guys, fun guys and it was always a blast to spend time hanging out with them. I live in Delaware and they were in New Jersey, so it wasn't a big deal. Just over an hour drive at the worst. As I said, we spent a whole lot of time hanging out in those days and so most of my memories are very generalized, though here are a few that stick out for some reason:

The Calzone Crew. Eating Giuseppe's amazing Calzone's (Cheese of course as most of us were vegetarians) and talking shit.

Naked Gun / Pet Cemetery movies.

We loved going to movies together. I would go up to Skip's house and watch the band practice. Afterwards, we would eat calzones (Calzone Crew!) and head to the movies or a hardcore show. Near Skip and Jay's houses we were guaranteed to see someone throw soda across the theater or get into a fight, and the movies were usually pretty good too. The more memorable movies were without a doubt, Naked Gun and Pet Cemetery.

Naked Gun:
As a group, we were 100% obsessed with this movie. If one movie defined the Calzone Crew, this was it. We saw it again and again and again and laughed every single time. We quoted it and we loved every aspect of its humor.

Pet Cemetery: We got so scared at this flick and to this day, I still can't figure out how. During the movie we had managed to work each other into a frenzy and as we drove home in the van, we were all panicked about evil cats rising from the dead and creepy kids stabbing us. We sat up all night sacred out of our minds thinking that something out of the night was going to get us. This reminds me of being silly young adults and being innocent enough to still be afraid of what goes bump in the night.

We also used to obsessively watch Yo MTV Raps, Headbangers Ball and Club MTV (Stevo loved the ladies!). Lots of TV watching and making commentary.

The 7" folding parties. The 1st pressing covers and inserts were made for free by these guys in Lititz, Pa and we had to assemble everything so I would throw these 7" folding parties and everyone would get together and we would have food, listen to music and put together the records. This is where we came up with the ideas to write on some of the 7"s (If you have one of these, email me and let me know what yours says) or include two posters and all the silly extra stuff that we did. Hard Karl also got his name during this time, but that is another story.



How did you feel about their progression into the later material? Any favorite songs from the catalog? Favorite release?

The later material was good, though the LP is my least favorite Turning Point release. Don't get me wrong, there are some quality cuts on the full-length, such as Turn It Around, but perhaps I was too stung from the band leaving the label to ever really appreciate it until much later in life and so I prefer the material pre and post LP to any other.

I would, as one might suspect, pick the 7˛ as my favorite release. I am biased of course, but I think this is the apex of Turning Point at that point of their career-the 'youth crew' phase. The compilation material towards the end of their career would be the apex of their 'post hardcore' career.

My fave songs are Over The Line (I always got amped for this song and pitted it up every single time, reunion show included), Insecurity (recorded just after the 7" but prior to LP, for me this song is a moment in time-everyone involved is on this recording in some way and that just makes this cut even better for me).

Broken, I really dig from the later years. This song is perhaps the best combo of the hardcore and post-core TP. This song finds the band finding their sound again. Slap bass!

Behind This Wall is pretty smooth too.


Steve with Turning Point at Kennett Square, PA. Darren mid-mosh with the construction gloves, Photo courtesy of: TP

Stand out show memories?

Kennett Square, PA 7" picture show. This show was amazing. Turning Point had agreed to do the record and we were meeting them to see them play and to take the photos for the 7" (the ones you see on the 1st pressing fold outs and back cover). It was an amazing show and it was local to me, so many of my friends were out (in fact, the back cover photo is still enough of a representation of my group of friends that it hangs in my dining room as a testament to the power of friendship-yes, I am wearing construction gloves). The band was great, the vibe was incredible and we got these amazing shots for the record out of it as well.

CBGB's to Trenton City Gardens in one day. Distance wise it is probably no more than 75 miles, but that day it took hours. Turning Point played a matinee at CBGB's and we had to haul ass to get out of the city during a parade which had shut down the city. As we sat in traffic waiting to get through the tunnel and talking about how amazing it was that Turning Point had just played CB's, we were also talking about how the band would now be blowing their chance to finally play City Gardens. Somehow luck was on the band's side and we arrived at City Gardens just in time for Turning Point to walk on stage and rock the place.

Not a Turning Point show, but I recall all of us going to see Youth of Today in Allentown, Pa or someplace like that and Skip announced an upcoming Turning Point show at the place across town and Ray yelled at him and said that it wasn't cool to do that. Whatever.



Thoughts on reunion show?

I was happy to see it. It was a strange time for hardcore. Kurt Cobain had just died and I don't think that the show carried the relevance that it would have had had it been held just a few years later when hardcore really had a resurgence, especially a few short years later. If there could be one today, I would like to think that the band would we be a major draw and that the show would make the show in 1994 pale in comparison.

Happy with the discography?

Extremely happy with it. It was a dream to do it. For me, it tied up everything about my music career to that point. My behind-the-scenes career started with Turning Point and had it not been for that record, I may have never gotten off of my ass and finally started a label. Had I not done Hi-Impact, I may have never done Jade Tree and ended up where I am today. When I look back and I can pin point the beginnings of my career with the release of that brilliant 7", that's a special feeling. So wrapping that part of my life up with the discography was important.


Turning Point discography cover shot, Photo courtesy of: TP

Poll results for favorite Project X song

Slam and Kid Hard with Project X at the Ritz, Superbowl of Hardcore, January 30, 1988, Photo: B.J. Papas

Obviously "Straight Edge Revenge" took the crown, but this is another one of those polls where there really is no wrong answer. In my opinion, every song on the PX 7" is fuckin' awesome, start to finish. Simple, solid, powerful, raging, grab you by your throat and throw you through a brick fuckin' wall delivery. Pretty much the perfect straight edge hardcore recording. Nothing was over thought, it was simply done and delivered.

Yeah I know... the band was never really intended to be taken too seriously. I can roll with that. Thing is, at the time that record came out, just like the Judge EP, the scene needed a band like PX to ruffle people's feathers. For every person who was burnt out, annoyed, disgusted and bent out of shape with what Straight Edge had turned into by the late 80's, PX came along and helped put an exclamation point on all of it, and I loved them for it.

To me it was just fun. I never took it too literally, never wanted to unleash my own Straight Edge Revenge on anyone. Never wanted to seek out any Dance Floor Justice. I just took it as a cool and fun little package deal (Schism #7 / PX EP) with 5 awesome songs, some in your face, over the top Straight Edge lyrics and that was that. As a matter of fact, I'm still waiting on that "Edge Of Quarrel" LP. -Tim DCXX


Kid Hard with the X shaved into the back of his head, N.D. with the Unit Pride shirt, Photo: B.J. Papas

Straight Edge Revenge - 159
Dance Floor Justice - 83
Shutdown - 44
Where It Ends - 31
Cross Me - 15

Brian Walsby on Scared Straight

To this day, people will come up to me and gush about Scared Straight. It was the first real band I ever played drums in, and I was only in the band for two occasions, and if you total them both up it wasn't even a whole year.

The way I met the other guys was by drawing stuff for them, and it wasn't until later that they realized that I could play drums. One thing lead to another and at the end of 1984 I was invited to join. We had a lot of fun, played with a lot of bands, did sort of an aborted tour of the country in the summer of 1985 and again later at the end of the year I was brought back in for a winter tour where we played with NOF-X, who beleive it or not, stunk. Never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that those guys would have gone on to be where they are at. Seriously.

Our name instantly tagged us as being straight edge, which most of us were...by default. I couldn't have imagined ever drinking a beer in the same way that I couldn't imagine getting a chance to get laid on tour, so...straight edge by default! We all liked all of those bands though...we lived near Stalag 13 and of course the rest of the Nardcore bands and we knew the guys in Justice League and Uniform Choice and of course Minor Threat was huge to us. But I know that none of us were really down on people for drinking or doing whatever they wanted to do. We rarely encountered speed freaks or junkies in our safe suburban town so there wasn't really a lot to rail against to be honest. In fact, we sort of snickered at people that took it all so seriously. And as much as I loved Uniform Choice it seemed kind of funny how directly they took Minor Threat's thing, especially when that album came out. We were more into bands like COC and Bl'ast! and wished that we could harness some of that power.



By the time I had re-located to the east coast, it was 1986 and that is when I noticed that I started to lose interest in most of what was called "hardcore" at the time. In fact, I will always remember how bands like Youth Of Today came about...they came and played in Raleigh around this time and they were nice guys. I used to write to Porcell. Now, if you know anything about my books, then you will know that I was TOTALLY NOT INTO what they were doing, but it has to be said that I can't deny the influence of what they did. When they played it was like watching a cartoon version of hardcore, but it was very entertaining. They thought that Woody of COC was forty years old (because of his facial hair) and told him so. They played a cover of SSD's "Glue" that I sang along to. And the funniest thing of all was that they knew the Scared Straight song "Life" and had me play it with them at their soundcheck. And after that they asked me to join their band. To the best of my memory this was what really happened.

I think I sheepsihly said no thank you.

Having said all of that, if a Scared Straight one off was ever going to ever happen on this planet, I would hope to be involved. I could play that stuff much better as an old man.

Kenny Ahrens - Urban Waste

Kenny Ahrens and his friend Lynn Murchy during the A7 days, Photo: De Graham

At some point during the mid-1990's Shelter ended up crashing at our place while on one of their many tours. For some reason or another Cappo had a suitcase with him that had a stack of random old records from his personal collection in it. One of those records was his copy of the Antidote "Thou Shalt Not Kill" EP, which I ended up buying from him. Another one of those records was the Urban Waste EP.

The following morning, while packing up and getting ready to leave, Cappo walked over to the suitcase with the records in it and pulled out the Urban Waste EP. He asked me if I had ever it. I told him I had definitely heard of them and heard at least one song, but never the entire EP. He handed it to me and said, "It's yours, this is one of the greatest New York Hardcore EP's and you should own it". I was stoked to say the least and graciously thanked him.

Later that day after I got home, I put the Urban Waste EP on my record player and right from the first track, "Police Brutality", I knew exactly why Cappo said this was one of the greatest New York Hardcore EP's ever. Perfect shredding vocals over raw, hard hitting, classic New York style hardcore. Definitely up there with the likes of the Antidote, Abused, Agnostic Front and Cause For Alarm EP's.

Here Urban Waste frontman, Kenny Ahrens shares some of his favorite show memories. -Tim DCXX



Bad brains when they came to NYC in 1980. Also, all the D.C. bands including Government Issue and Minor Threat, they were always my favorites. So many more to mention...but the scene was about unity and friends back then, not fame & money. So we were all in it to help each other. "Good things never seem to last" ...someone commercializes it and gets greedy or pretentious about fame or some other bullshit, then you end up with mostly a bunch of assholes. I hope my cool friends never die. - Kenny Waste


Kenny moshing with the white t-shirt on, John Watson with the mohawk, Photo courtesy of UW

Dan O'Mahony Part VI

Dan O with No For An Answer at CBGB's, Photo: Jeff Ladd

Dan O delivers the 6th installment of his ongoing killer piece with us. - Gordo DCXX

What can you tell us about the influence Apocalypse Now and Pink Floyd's The Wall have had on you? (Billy Rubin wanted us to ask Dan this):

Didn't see that one coming, but film is huge with me, and in the 80s those two along with the Godfather were in regular rotation. Rather than run on and on let's just say Apocalypse Now just seems like an intensely dark expose on seeing and moving beyond institutional formalities and bullshit regardless of the consequences. The Wall is kind of the same thing along with providing a rather glamorous look at the allure in going fascist. Did I just say that?

Can you elaborate on how Youth of Today ended up spending months at your house? What memories do you have from this? (Billy again).

Put simply, they asked. That said, the whole affair was supposed to last the couple of weeks they imagined it would take to finalize the Break Down The Walls deal, and get it mastered. Hardcore being what it was, every step of the way took 5 to 10 times longer than it should've, and they basically became Pamela O'Mahony's 5 new sons. They were good friends, lousy houseguests. They left the front door open with the house completely empty at least 5 different times. I'd get home, my dog would be missing, the TV and stereo would be on, food would be sitting out all over my room...good stuff.

As you've probably heard I had a pretty serious temper back then, my best response to that shit had to be the time I took all of the Taco Bell they'd left strung all over my room out of its wrappers and put it in Porcell's guitar case under his Les Paul and then buckled it shut. Trust me...he wasn't gonna do anything about it.

I'm hoping you realize the tone of this is an amused one, not some tough guy nonsense. This was a great time in life and one of those things that couldn't have occurred in any other era. You'd get stuff going on in my garage and back yard like full on gloved boxing matches between any combination of say me, Mike Judge, Pat Longrie, whoever...and no I don't remember who beat who! As the months wore on annoyances would grow and guys would drift off one by one, either to stay with one of the Sloth Crew guys or to return to New York until eventually I think it was just Ray, Ritchie, or Porcell who was left, I'm not sure which.


Three Legged Race alternate shot, Photo courtesy of: Dan O

What can you tell us about tackling Billy Rubin at a show and then watching him go into a seizure? (Billy of course wanted this asked).

Ah... you can count on Billy to keep this a heady socio-political discourse can't ya? Just kidding, this was another classic. In the 80s a lot of the best shows took place in Long Beach at a club called Fender's Ballroom, a tense and violent hotbed for legitimate gang activity...the natural sight for a couple of goofy shaven headed OC kids to get all World Wrestling!

I don't remember what show it was, and why we were acting the fool like this before the opening band, but yes, I tackled Billy and then stood over him, jumped up and bomb dropped on top of him. When I rolled off Billy had this kind of rhythmic convulsion going, it looked hilarious and was in keeping with his sense of humour...but he wouldn't stop. Ambulance, paramedics, short term memory loss, a ride to the hospital, Billy giving my address to the EMT he was so spun around! You know, standard OCHC, Dan and Billy stuff.

What can you tell us about Hardcore Grafix? Was that a friend that simply ran a printing company?

It was exactly that, kind of a garage/back yard operation that happened at the right time and place.


Voicebox era Chuck Treece and Dan O'Mahoney, Photo courtesy of: Dan O

What about Voicebox?

Chuck Treece and I met during his stint in Underdog (Richie being one of my favorite east coast connections) and got to know each other during his prolonged stay with Josh Stanton and his family in '89. Chuck's musical ability was undeniable, he regularly recorded songs for skate videos and such entirely by himself. He also possessed that rarity amongst our generation, a working relationship w/the Bad Brains. The chance to work with him was tempting to say the least.

Musical direction was entirely up to him, I was in a learning position on all fronts but lyrical content and layout, which I reserved for myself. The Silence Lies e.p. is an admittedly strange record and I alternate between loving it and cringing when I hear it. We wrote maybe 5 songs, recorded 2, and promoted the record by drafting Steve Insted and Sterling Wilson to play our one and only show opening up for H.R. at the Country Club in Reseda. Chuck and his involvemnt with professional skateboarding is actually how I met Mario Rubalcaba later of 411.

Tell us also about God Forgot.

This e.p. was a one off with Kevin Murphy recording all of the music, and me handling the vocals and production. Kevin hates the way it turned out, I think it's a brave record. The entire record deals with the aftermath of child sexual abuse, its effect on later relationships, etc. The stark, heavy, taxing sound seems perfect to me given the subject matter.

I hear tales of Kevin's confusion regarding its release, I don't remember anything covert or even cryptic at any point, but we were living 450 miles apart in a pre-cellphone era, so I guess communication could have been lacking compared to our work together in 411. I may have been a bit lazy in terms of keeping him updated on its day to day progress, regrettable indeed. That said, Kevin is a remarkable talent, very fun to play and travel with, and I'd work with him again in a second.

What was the full story behind the 1994 NFAA European Tour, as well as any ties with Lost & Found?

Five years after the break up of No For An Answer, European booking agents M.A.D. floated the idea to Gavin and me of doing a European tour. It took some debate as the potential to be misunderstood was great. By the mid 90s this was a band led by adults living on their own, with deceased parents etc., financial risk was very real, jobs would be put on hold, rent would be at risk and so forth. That being acknowledged, the notion that people thought we were trying to get rich was a laughable but real concern as bands traveling abroad tend to be paid and treated better than they are at home.

From our standpoint Gavin and I considered it a chance to explore whether or not we were interested in playing together again. We got that out of our system, had an amazing time, met people who would remain a part of our lives for years to come, developed a greater respect and understanding of Europe than we could have imagined, came home with barely enough to pay the bills, and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Lost and Found Records? We planned releasing a 7" of new material with them and in fact accepted a meager recording advance from them at roughly the same time we determined they were responsible for thousands of NFAA bootlegs. Who would return that check to somebody ripping you off for thousands? I would and will swindle someone who robs me six ways from Sunday and smile while doing it. They continued to release shoddy unlicensed material of our work and have never managed to show up in my presence during any of my multiple trips to Europe.


Another Three Legged Race alternate shot, Photo courtesy of: Dan O

Tim Owen - Axtion Packed / Jade Tree Records

Swiz - No Punches Pulled discography on Jade Tree Records

It may be cliche but I would have to say my favorite punk/hardcore show memory would be from my first. It was Swiz and Dag Nasty at the old 9:30 Club on F street in 1987. I believe the date of the show was November 11, 1987. Mike Mcternan from Damnation used to have the flyer on his bedroom wall. There was nothing like the old 9:30 club, I saw some great shows there. Part of the reason this show also had a lot of meaning for me was Jason Farrell from Swiz used to work at the Sunshine House in Bethesda, MD where I lived and worked on my skateboards. Sunshine House was a hangout spot for myself and other skater friends in high school and Jason was a great skater and someone I always looked up to. I would have never thought years later I would have started a record label (Jade Tree) and ended up putting out Swiz records and working with Jason. I had always loved Swiz so it meant a lot that Jason gave me that opportunity.


Jason Farrell of Swiz in 2005 with a Smith Vert

More from the Revelation files

One used and two unused photos from Rev:16, Shelter's Perfection of Desire LP, Photo: Tim DCXX


Original promo photos from GB, Judge and BOLD, Photo: Tim DCXX


Original Judge Bringin It Down lyric sheet mechanicals, Photo: Tim DCXX


A random photo I found in the Rev files with someone (maybe Howie?) with three X's shaved into the back of their head and apparently colored in with a blue marker. If anyone knows who this is, please comment, Photo: Tim DCXX


Not sure how many people will think this is as cool as I think it is, but what we have here is the original Letratone stars that went on to be used in a number of the classic early Rev layouts (Together 7" comp, The Way It Is LP comp, etc.), Photo: Tim DCXX

Journeyman

Jeff, Chris, Dale, Tony and Roger of Journeyman

Anyone remember Journeyman? Early 1990's ex-Release meets ex-Up Front to bring you some heavy and polished very metal tinged HC with great live shows and a damn good demo. I came across this promo pic and had to post it. Have a safe holiday weekend. -Tim DCXX

Ken Salerno - Photographer

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, so here's a novel on a memorable show that Ken Salerno not only saw, but photographed of Murphy's Law at the Ritz on Labor Day in 1987. Proof again that Salerno is a God. -Gordo DCXX

Mike Ferraro - Judge

Mike and Jimmy with Judge at CBGB's, Photo: Jeff Ladd

Although it's taken us a year and half to finally get him on board, here he is... the man, the myth, the legend, the one everyone's been waiting to hear from, the one and only... Mike JUDGE. Mike kicks off his DCXX debut with a memorable show entry, but we're crossing our fingers that someday we'll get a little more from him. For now, enjoy this great story from the memories of Mike JUDGE. -Tim DCXX

There’s so many great stories in my head from back then, it's hard to pick one. I will tell one that sticks out. Around the time I first started hangin out, I was just this punk rock, hardcore kid. I just wanted it loud and fast. So me and my friend Paul were on St. Marks and we were heading down to this great record store called Free Being. We were going to see the Bad Brains at CB’s later that night and had a bunch of time to kill. Right next door to Free Being was a pizza shop. I don’t remember the name of it but it was a favorite for most of us cuz it was 75 cent slices. Paul and I sat down to eat and started talking music. Paul was older then me and was one of the older punks in my town that I had looked up to. He was in a band called Sand In The Face. A real good punk band. He also was the guy who lent me the Jealous Again record. That’s the record that got me hooked on the music.

While we were eating, Dave Insurgent, who was the singer of the great NYHC band Reagan Youth, came in to eat.We had never met Dave but it was a small place, so Dave sat with us and we started talking about how psyched we all were for the Bad Brains that night. Like I said, I was just a loud, fast rules kid at that time and I complained that the only thing that I didn’t like about the Brains was the reggae songs. At that point Dave gave me a lesson on how to listen to music, especially live music. He explained that heavy isn’t always the sound of the music you're hearing but the mood of the music you're hearing and what they're trying to say. Kinda like the “you're listening to the music but are you hearing it” kinda deal. Anyway, I listened to him and that night, the Bad Brains were great as usual but they were just that much better to me.

I still listen to music the way I had learned to that day. I find heaviness in the lyric or the meaning, not always the sound. Whether it be hardcore, metal, country or rock, if the band is being real, i'll give it a listen.


Mike feeds the City Gardens crowd a solid dose of Fed Up, Photo: Ken Salerno

Jonathan Anastas - DYS

Choke and Jon Anastas with Slap Shot at the Rat in Boston, while Hank "SE" Peirce takes on the crowd, Photo: Bruce Rhodes

DYS / Slap Shot bassist Jon Anastas drops a killer memorable show entry on us Boston Crew style. -Tim DCXX

DOA at Cantones in Boston.

Tiny Italian place in Boston's financial district by day, punk club by night. More "New Wave" than Hardcore. They don't know what to do with us as it is.

The band starts late.

Big pit starts. Boston punch thrash at its most intense.

First song, "Fucked Up Ronnie."

Someone goes airborne. I want to say it was someone from the skater crew, Jake Phelps, Larry Hitch or Paul "Punky" Roberts, as they liked the dives, where Al and Choke tended to like the ground more, but I could be wrong.

Either by accident, or on purpose, the diver catches and pulls down one of those drop ceiling tiles, the fiberglass with asbestos, and it hits the floor showering everyone with a white powder.

It's like a lightbulb goes off in the crowd's collective brain.

Second Song "the Enemy."

Everyone starts diving, grabbing tiles, pulling the whole ceiling down, tile by tile. The dust is now thick in the air, you can't really see or breathe. People are putting bandanas over their noses and mouths outlaw style, or pulling their sleeve hats down to cover their faces and protect their lungs.

The owner, Teddy Cantone and the fat bouncers go nuts, unplugging the band, throwing us out as the Boston Police arrive.

Two songs. Total chaos.

The Boston crew ends up milling around outside, covered in white powder from the tiles. Everyone looks like dry wallers. Everyone is coughing up asbestos and fiberglass.

There is never another hardcore show at Cantones and they soon go out of business.


Jon Anastas and Dave Smalley with DYS at the Rat, Photo: Steve Risteen

Dan O'Mahony Part V

Dan O'Mahony, Photo by: Joe Foster

More Dan O and another damn good read. -Tim DCXX

What was the deal behind the lyrics to "About Face"? What was the tension between you and Dubar/UC/Wishingwell? Was it a real falling out of friends or just observational type stuff? The story goes that some Unity lyrics on their 1988 LP also returned some jabs.

Now this is a band to band controversy I feel a bit more comfortable commenting on, as it involves people I was close to for years and whom I am certain have left it in the past just like I have. AKA I'm sure we'd be able to laugh about it in each other's company at this point, no hurt feelings, no bruised egos, just memories of another time. That said...

About Face was an attack on what I believed to be a dramatic shift in Dubar and Longrie's priorities. My take was part correct and well informed insider, part fascist and out of control lifestyle cop. By that I mean that when you no longer appreciate somebody's creative direction you have the right and ability to just walk away and find your inspiration elsewhere. That would have been the appropriate response via my current perspective. At the time I felt that a lot of their exploration was hinged on deception, meaning continuing to play to the same crowd and professing the same interests and message in interviews. I find no clear cut message in their later lyricism and said as much, but let's temper that with the fact that we all sort of bowed before the assumed genius of say... Fugazi, who frankly might as well have written most of their lyrics in Greek as they are desperately in need of translation.

It's like this: the song (About Face) stands up as a rather angry, strict and confining assessment of a group of young guys in a creative transition I didn't care for, but I wouldn't write it today. It was fun mimicking Dubar during the breakdown though, I think I nailed the impression.

A real falling out? Well we were never that close again, although I'd imagine it'd be water under the bridge by now. In fact we ran into each other in SF years after that era during the Mindfunk era, and had a pretty friendly conversation. Two guys in two very different places though.

I think Blood Days and/or Same Train are about yours truly, the firsts in a string of betrayal anthems from multiple sources of varying credibility aimed at this here great satan. What goes around comes around, huh?


No For An Answer, Photo by: Kent McClard

What direction did you feel yourself heading at the turn of 1990 and after the demise of NFAA? What were your own observations of the hardcore scene at the time, and what were you up to personally as you were into your early 20s? How had this changed from say, 1987?

Musically I was looking for a challenge. I was completely overasaturated with overarching minute plus thunderous intros leading into verse/chorus hardguy anthems and wanted to explore my limited range of ability more fully. Enter Kevin Murphy from Head First. Kevin and I were already friendly and had always been able to talk pretty comfortably. I remember when he gave me a 4 track cassette of what eventually became the 411 7" material... my new direction musically had arrived. Lyrically I think that examination of compassion and human interaction was the next logical step for me regardless of sound or line up, but certainly the change in line up and tone suited it well.

By this time I felt like crucial issues to my remaining energy in hardcore were being more and more marginalized in the sub-genre I was most affiliated with, while still being championed well by the Dischord types, the Bay Area labels, and countless others. My continued seperation from so called youth crew affiliations was the product of continued personal explorations more than anything else. Any artist/activist worth their salt can't afford to fear evolution, otherwise their work is basically a book report on things past.

What was the idea behind 411? How do you look back on the band and the music?
 


411 was about freedom and courage in terms of style and statement (sounds a little pretentious) but those are the words that occur to me. I look back on it as the most dedicated band I've been a part of. We were road warriors, practicing until our songs were water tight, and then putting everything we had into every show, playing anywhere to anyone with no fluctuation in intensity. I don't know how well the material has withstood the test of time, but the method and the ethic is something I'd kill to duplicate again.


Dan O, Photo by: Joe Foster

Chain Of Strength - Just How Much

Chain of Strength at City Gardens, Photo: Jason Jammer

I actually had a completely different post lined up for tonight, but at the last minute, decided to change it up. I figured if the inspiration was there, I had to run with it... literally.

So I decided to go for a run tonight. I'm far from a runner, as a matter of fact, tonight was really the first time I've ever even gone running, but I'm trying to get into the habit. So I threw on my New Balance 801's, my Livewire TFS Champion mesh shorts, grabbed my old late 80's Vision hip sack (I know... a hip sack, but with no pockets, the thing comes in handy!), tossed my iPod in it and hit the streets. My 6 year old son Trevor also tagged along.

We ran from my house, down the street to the high school and up to the track. We stretched for a couple of minutes, then I started scrolling through my iPod... "what should I listen to, what will pump me up and keep me motivated?" Easy answer, Chain Of Strength. I knew I had to get in a zone if there was any way I was going to actually be able to get around this track for as long as I wanted to.


Hoffman with Les Paul in air, Alex Pain brings it down , Photo: Jason Jammer

The Chain Of Strength "True Till Death" 7" has motivated me through many lawn mowing sessions, so I knew it would get me through a run. I put on my head phones, turned up the volume and off we went. As soon as the pick scrape came in for "Just How Much", I felt this extra lift in my step. Although Trevor had a slight head start on me, I burned right by him and proceeded to tear through the first lap with no problem. Trevor stuck with me for the first 3 laps, but as I was heading into the 4th, he took a seat. By the 5th lap into the 6th, I had to slow it down. It was starting to get dark, so I paused my iPod (after listening to the "True Till Death" 7" twice, straight all the way through), grabbed Trevor and started to head back home.

On the walk back home I was still all jacked up on Chain, so I listened to a great sound board live set of theirs from the first time they played City Gardens. The bill was Up Front, Insight, Chain of Strength and Social Distortion. I started thinking of the photos that my friend (Mouthpiece drummer) Jason Jammer had taken during their first song, which coincidently was, "Just How Much". Jason stood up in the balcony / band room for Chain's first song and shot an entire roll of film during that single song. After that song he hopped into the crowd, but the results from that 2 minute photo session blew my mind. There must have been at least 10 shots where the band was airborne and when they weren't airborne, they were stomping all over the stage or being showered with sing-alongs. Technically the photos weren't the best / highest quality, but the energy that was captured for that single song was impressive.


Hoffman, Canales and Barretto with Chain of Strength at City Gardens, Photo: Jason Jammer

So here are a handful of those shots that were taken by Jason during "Just How Much". Again, the photos are a bit dark, some are grainy and some aren't particularly clear and in focus, but Chain fan or not, you can't deny the energy that these guys brought to the stage that night.

Am I the only one left? My friends tell me I should just let it ride, I feel stronger inside... - Tim DCXX


Chain of Strength with a sing-along at City Gardens, Photo: Jason Jammer


Alex goes for it, Photo: Jason Jammer


Another Chain of Strength sing-along at City Gardens, Photo: Jason Jammer


Hoffman goes airborne, Photo: Jason Jammer


Chain energy , Photo: Jason Jammer


Chain of Strength at City Gardens, Photo: Jason Jammer

Caine Rose - Touch X Down, 4 Walls Falling, Fed Up!...

Self portrait by Caine Rose

When asked to contribute to Double Cross by sharing one of my favorite memories from a hardcore show, I took pause in indecision. The first show I went to was about 25 years ago and there were so many untold favorite memories that I lived in those early days. Which to tell of? Besides, I really don't listen to much hardcore music contemporarily, save "Eight Miles High" by Husker Du last night on repeat while I washed a sink full of dishes. And I'm not a nearly 40 year old man who wears band t-shirts, save the Antidote "Thou Shalt Not Kill" shirt I scored from Ray Cappo when he stayed at my house on tour in 1987, when I was working out the other night. Still, the chance to share a moment in time seemed too much to negate.

While I have many stories of the notorious youth crew cast of iconic bands such as Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Wide Awake, Side by Side, Judge, Project X, et al., I think my favorite memory is comprised of an event that few took part in and probably no one will ever read that remembers and that is both a shame and blessing, for now it gets to be retold.

It was the summer of 1987, all my hard work as a singer and band leader was beginning to pay off with more and more gigs manifesting. My original straight edge band, Screaming for Change! (circa 1986), had incarnated into What if!, as so many bands back then did. It contained essentially the same members and same songs, just a renovation to facilitate my quest for changing with the times. Where SFC! was a more hard-lined militant SXE approach inspired by say, DYS, What If! took the more diplomatic Dag Nasty route to drug free, positive liberation. We landed a show with none other than Brian Baker's brainchild, Dag Nasty at some club whose name I have forgotten in Virginia Beach.


Caine with Touch X Down at The Anthrax, January 2, 1988, Photo: BP

The one all ages matinee show turned into a youth crew adventure to remember. The event was set up by a guy named Eddie, who professed to be a local promoter who had a real interest in my band and just had to get us on the ticket. He invited us to stay at his place and even offered to ease a few of our parents into the deal with persuasions over the telephone. At the time, we were all 15 to 17 years old and a few of our parents were a bit tentative about unleashing their teenaged sons to a beach trip a couple of hours away from home with no adult supervision.

Eddie coaxed them with claims that he was a doctor that did social programs with kids and that he was hosting a drug free and positive environment with a cookout, et al. for all of us. When we finally arrived the night before the show, a 40-something washed up hippie/surfer named Eddie greeted us with, “hey dudes, ya’ll got any weed?”

We had brought along a posse of Richmond kids and the 10 or 12 of us that came along wrecked Eddie’s place that night. He had a vintage collection of surf and skate stickers that ended up on some of our boards by morning. And there was no cookout!

The show was finally at hand and what a great bill it was: Dag Nasty, Swiz, several other D.C. bands and What If! At the time, Peter Cortner was singing for Dag Nasty and we had a good relationship with him since he was a very personable and humble guy, but Brian Baker was every bit as stuck up and stand offish as rumors had it. I had met him before, but it was only as a fan who just wanted to express thanks for his contribution to Minor Threat. A couple of us got really burned up when we heard that he was sighted drinking alcohol either in the tour van or at some local bar before the show. It was all the impetus we needed to exact some straight edge revenge.

Near the end of the show, during a big sing-a-long, a couple of us grabbed the mike cord and wrapped it around his ankles just as a pile on commenced. He instantly fell back and onto his ass! As the cord got yanked on by fans who wanted to sing, it pulled him across the stage. He was rendered helpless for a few brief, but precious seconds. Revenge was sweet!

It was the precursor taunting to the later heckling of Ian MacKaye on the first Fugazi tour in Richmond, where we yelled at the former straight edge god after he cried about “not being in that band anymore” and that we “should just move on”. No one was there for Fugazi. We were there to see a Minor Threat reunion. What do you expect!? All these years later, my thoughts are, the only thing worse than those who try to divorce themselves from their former glory is those who parade around the carcass of their long expired glory. Be here now.


One of Caine's former bands, What If on a pretty damn good bill

Mike Neider - BL'AST! / GUSTO

Mike Neider, the man behind the Dan Armstrong

Former BL'AST! ripper Mike Neider is always a welcome addition to DCXX, and here we get into some post BL'AST! history as well as what he's up to now with his new steamroller, GUSTO. - Gordo DCXX

What was the idea behind spelling "Blast" as "BL'AST!" - where did the name come from, why the apostrophe and exclamation mark, and what did that name signify to you?

I came up with the name around the same time we started to play or maybe even a bit sooner. Just thought it was appropriate and very suiting and it sounds real good. We were very literal almost to the point of not enjoying it as much as we should of. Haha. But believe me we enjoyed it thoroughly. The exclamation point was to make it heavier then it already is and the apostrophe between the L and A was to fill in the space a bit cuz it was kinda empty looking there. Ha. I know.

Post BL'AST you played in a few different projects, some of which maybe never got real far and are still mysteries to interested fans. Can you give a full run down on each project other than BL'AST!, what you did in the band, and some full line-up details and info? Favorite band you ever played with (including BL'AST!)?

Ya, Post BL'AST! was always myself (vocals/guitar), Bill Torgerson (drums) and Dave Dinsmore (bass). We started out as Black Out and there were to many bands using that name so we changed it to LAB, which was Live and Burn/Life After Bl'ast!, haha. Lab was probably the most amazing time because we had a ton of fun and the tunes were out of control in a great way, we literally played 20+ hours a week. We had a ton of songs we dug and it was an amazing time. Brant Bjork joined in briefly and we also had Jerad join briefly but in the end it was always Bill, Dave and I. At the time we started getting some label interest and we were about to sign and playing out allot w/ Fu Manchu and others. I went through some lame times that made me have to stop playing for a while. Then Dave and Bill had their share of reality with there personal lives. So it was halted in a lame way, even though at the time we were ready to roll. DAMN.

Anyway we have a bunch of recordings / demos / whatever that we will release this year I believe on vinyl. Looking forward to it.

Favorite, that's like picking your favorite child. Haha. Doesn't work that way, ha. No, but liked each band for different reasons.


Mike Neider with Gusto, Photo: Ricardo Carles

The early 90s gave rise to a lot of bands in California that cited BL'AST! as a direct influence. Fu Manchu obviously comes to mind. It seems that bands like Fu Manchu, Kyuss, QOTSA, etc. borrow somewhat indirectly from the BL'AST! aesthetic: skate/Cali imagery, Dan Armstrongs, big Ludwigs, etc (especially Fu Manchu). Some of it is subtle but it is there. What do you think of this? Where did BL'AST! get it's own cues for these things? What is your relationship specifically with Scott Hill and the Fu Manchu guys over the years?

Well most of these bands that you mentioned are all friends and have been throughout the years. We all grew up with Sabbath/Flag etc...most of the same influences. Not too sure to be honest but for myself I liked doing stuff that was big and out of step w/the stream, dry and in your face as much as possible. Kinda the anti-text book, with quick attack, ha ha. Bands like Sabbath/Flag did the same thing.

I remember when Bill ordered his drums. He was a senior in high school worked his ass off and came up w/ enough dough to custom order his own set from Guitar Center/Ludwig. He ordered that huge chromo wood set that you have seen w/Bl'ast! It was radical.

Then we added our 12", 15", 18", 10" speakers w/ rack mount amps to do what we wanted to do with Bl'ast!

Mr. Scott Hill rips! The first time we met Scott I believe is at one of the first BL'AST! shows in '84? Maybe sooner or later a bit. We have been friends ever since, and all the Fu dudes rule. We have played with Fu a lot throughout the years. Scott got hooked up with Ampeg for Dan Armstrongs a while back and has hooked me up with guitars, very cool. But I am sure we will be playing more shows together. Fu Manchu is relentless.

Tell us all about GUSTO, and what's going on with the band now and what can we expect?

GUSTO is myself (guitar, vocals) Dave Dinsmore (bass) Alfredo Hernandez (drums) and the band is sounding very potent, it's kinda like our roots meet our present mentalled state, ha. In great ways. We started in 2006, due to tragedies in our families we have not gotten on a roll until now.

We have shows booked and good ones coming in the future and we are recording in 7-09 so it is looking good and we are stoked.

The tunage is very badass, like I said roots twined in some different ways and not. If your familiar w/ us you will know who it is. It is what we would like to hear and there will be a wide array tunes as time flows.

www.myspace.com/GustoJams


Gusto: Mike, Alfredo and Dave, Photo: Alric Kaczor

Darren Walters - Hi-Impact / Jade Tree Records, shares his Turning Point memories

Darren and the TP crew outside of CBGB's, Photo courtesy of: TP

Hi-Impact and Jade Tree guru Darren Walters reflects on the Hi-Impact days and his memories of Turning Point- Gordo DCXX

How did the idea for Hi-Impact come together? Was TP an idea for the label from its inception, or something that popped up after the label was already formed?

After years of being in bands and playing music, I realized that I may be better suited for life behind the scenes. The idea for starting a label eventually crystallized while I was at a family event where I was talking to my Aunt about how I was thinking about starting a record label, but that I wasn't sure how to go about doing it. My aunt told me that she thought I would be great at being a business person and basically gave me a pep talk and inspired me to finally get off of my ass. She was the motivation that I needed; someone to believe in me and show me that I could do it. It meant a lot and I immediately started the label after I got home.

I then called up my friend Victor, we became partners, and we started Hi-Impact. We wanted a hard-hitting name and there was this marker sitting in his room that had that wording on it and we loved it. Especially the way "Hi" was spelled. The name struck both of us as really "core" and so that sealed the deal and Hi-Impact was off and running. All we needed was a band!

Once we told our friends that we had started a label, our friend Scott (who was doing Terminal Productions, a tape label that did a bunch of compilations-including one with Pointless) passed us the demo he had gotten because he had worked with Jay previously. In fact, the demo might have even been tacked on to the end of a Pointless demo that Scott had. The important thing is that I recall hearing it for the first time and flipping out. I knew right then and there that this had to be the first record that Victor & I released. We may have even have called the guys up that night-we were that excited about it.


Turning Point at OJ's with Darren on stage in the background, Photo courtesy of: TP

What specifically was exciting about the TP demo? Did it just seem like another young SE band or something special you knew you had to put out?

The energy, the youthful enthusiasm and Skip's voice-it had an edge to it that when combined with the music really made the difference between what Turning Point were doing and many of the other bands of the era. That boy could sing! I ąm biased, but that band was something special. They were clearly talented and not some 2nd generation carbon copy youth crew band that could be easily dismissed. I think their impact speaks to that, as well as the songs that they would write later on in their careers.

In 1988, almost everything I listened to in hardcore sounded alike to some degree, so originality was not something that I heard all of the time, but I knew it when I heard it. Turning Point was not only the real deal-something I think they struggled to prove to other NJ/NY bands-but they were intent on making a real go of being original and almost swimming against the tide of the times. As a band the consistently made strides to move forward and certainly argued about doing so internally as they struggled with their growing pains. They also never tried to be something they were not, which to me, was really important and something which fans picked up on. They were five kids from the NJ burbs and despite all of the noise, they never sang about mean streets or hard knocks (and in fact, we joked about the hard shit that we did love all of the time) but instead addressed the shit we did deal with at that time such as white power knuckleheads at shows, the struggles of growing older or relationships as a young adult.


Darren and Ken, Photo courtesy of: TP

What was your relationship like with each guy from TP? What was the band dynamic as you saw it?

Overall, Turning Point were a fun loving, entertaining and determined bunch of kids. They never let the scene bullshit drag them down and they soldiered forward to really create outstanding music in a generic era of hardcore.

Jay (All Business / Ultimate musician - I remember watching him play the drums and thinking 'why the hell does this kid play the guitar?') and Skip (Sarcastic comedian): These two lived down the street from each other and I spent a lot of time at Skip's house, which was the center of the universe. Things centered around meeting there and typically crashing there as well. There was a lot of sleeping over, watching movies, eating calzones, drinking soda, talking shit and general good times had around their hood.

Steve (Band buddy): I spent a lot of time with Steve. We used to go to a lot of shows together without the other band members and hung out often. This became a problem when the band asked him to leave and I think had some bearing on the band eventually leaving Hi-Impact. I never took sides, but I definitely remained friends with Steve when he was out of the band and from that point on had less and less interaction with the rest of the band.

Nick (The kid with sardonic wit): At the time Nick was in the background more, but as time moved on, Nick moved out of his shell and become more funny and outgoing. Nick struck me as the kid who was along for the ride, but who eventually became a stronger voice within the band. One of the few members I am still in touch with these days. In fact, I have been emailing him the last few minutes.

Ken (The working man): Ken had a job, made a real living and his house was the practice space. He, as the drummer, was the solid one of the band. A good guy that you leaned on when you really needed something done. I recall going over there and spending many hours watching the band develop their new songs and direction. I saw many songs take shape, be played at a show once or twice, and then eventually get dropped.

It was a really interesting place to be, and a great time.

What were your ideas for the 7"? What can you recall about hearing the 7" recording for the first time, as compared to the demo?

To release the most amazing record ever! The record was done at a studio near where I was born and around the corner from my grandmother's house, so Victor and I attended the sessions and participated (Victor thinks we should have gotten production credits) in the recording process. I recall how while the recording was happening how flabbergasted we both were at how amazing it sounded. It synthesized what we were both thinking about how amazing the band could sound if they were recorded under better than average circumstances. In other words, in a real studio where their nuances could be heard clearly and then not compressed or distorted once transferred onto the vinyl. To this day I ąm proud of the way that the record turned out sonically. Especially for the timeframe of the late 80s when so many awful sounding hardcore 7"s were being released.

To be continued...


Hi-Impact 7" era Turning Point lineup up, Photo courtesy of: TP

Poll results for favorite NYHC 7", plus Keith Burkhardt from Cause For Alarm

I'm going to keep my comments to a minimum here regarding the poll results and instead, hand it right over to Keith Burkhardt, frontman for Cause For Alarm. Keith delivers a great story that we felt fit right in line with this last poll. Big thanks and much appreciation to Keith for sharing this. -Tim DCXX


Antidote - Thou Shalt Not Kill - 213
Agnostic Front - United Blood - 117
Abused - Loud and Clear - 49
Urban Waste - EP - 37
Cause For Alarm - EP - 29


Keith Burkhardt - Cause For Alarm

Tim has been kind enough to ask me what one of my most memorable hardcore/punk shows was. I thought about this for a while, of course the usual suspects floated into my mind's view . But just as quickly I had another thought as this question pushed me back in time, to a place I don’t visit much.

My mind’s eye brought me back to a 17 year old or so Keith, standing in a small, dark club called A7. Outside it was cold; grey…just another LES winter. Avenue A empty, except for the Park Inn and the bright florescent lights of Ray's just a few doors south.

Victor was manning the door, Doug (Kraut) was tending bar and the usual crew was milling around; Raybeez, John Watson, Robbie Crypt Crasher, Michelle, Stigma, Harley, Kevin, Manue, Lucy, Blue, Lazar, Jimmy, Rob, Alex, Linda, shopping bag girls, Poss, Glenn, Joe nails, Richie, Adam (Beasty Boys), Charlie, Kenny, Johnny Waste, Angelica, Laura and various other misfits, punks, drug addicts, drunks, hangers on, rich kids that found the “real” scene and assorted other freaks. Sorry, I know this list is incomplete, but you get the picture.

This was our little world, we ruled it. No cops or other authority types came into the hood back then, we policed ourselves. We all had some sort of story, some reason for being there. It was a mixed bag of rich, poor, abused, disenchanted or neglected…but if you were there, you had your reasons and for the most part you weren’t judged. It was very special; a sort of weird Burtonesque film set, magical comes to mind. Perfection of life it was not, but in its raw state it was very “real” and an almost parallel universe. It forced you to face who you were or else it chewed you up, you could become lost in a sort of hell, like in “What Dreams May Come”. It could turn you into a zombie, like being lost in a Bardo wandering aimlessly.

OK... to “The Show”. The Headlickers comes to mind for some strange reason? I have not thought about this band since 1982. I remember seeing them at A7, it was probably about 4am when they went on and we were all there ready for some fun. It was just all friends for the most part, the atmosphere was charged with good energy, everyone dancing, some off to the side rocking their heads. The band was fast and fun and at one point throwing out cherry cigars into the crowd (all 30 of us!). John and I were sporting our mad dance floor moves LOL, (Watson was the most stylish dancer hands down) LOL. We were all there, in that little shithole of a club at 4am acting like a bunch of jack asses! Reagan was in office, the recession was dragging, NYC was a different animal. But our tribe was holding court on this little point in the universe at avenue A and east 7th street and I would not have wanted to be anywhere else in the world.

Peace, Keith

Dan O'Mahony Part IV

Dan O'Mahony 2009, Photo: Kate O'Neil O'Mahony

Dan O returns... -DCXX

You mentioned Zack de la Rocha playing drums for NFAA - I had never heard about that, was he much of a drummer? Strange to think about today?

Zack's run in NFAA lasted only a couple of weeks, I don't know if it included even any shows. He was a good friend and doing us a favor during a tough time, drummers being scarce back then. Roach was one of these Kevin Murphy types who can play any spot in the band with decent results, guitar and later vocals were his strongest suits. Very strange to think about today.

You mentioned some of the strain with Bratton and some of the inland guys. There has been a long running question as to any beef between NFAA and Chain back then - surely it was juvenile stuff and nothing today, but Chain did go so far as to hint at it in interviews and even put it on their EP matrix. What was the deal? Again it's kid stuff obviously.

It really is. And while I understand the curiosity on the part of anyone fascinated with the era, I don't see anything productive in my trying to remember what caused what, who said what, or where it ended. On one of my forearms the words "That was then, this is now" are tattooed, on the other, "Not a savior, can't be a judge". I'm going to try to follow my own advice on this one.


Dan mixes it up with the Anthrax crowd, Photo: Jeff Ladd

How did Workshed get off the ground, and can you give us a little behind the scenes history lesson with the how and the why?

The how went something like this...Billy Rubin had taken over New Beginning in late '87 or early '88 I believe, and was running all of his manufacturing through a fellow named Kane Boychuck, who would aid in production and distribution for a cut of the returns. Kane was looking to his expand his operation and was hungry for labels, so Billy suggested me. Like any Gung Ho hardcore kid, I jumped at the chance to run a label.

Hard Stance was Billy's rather forceful suggestion as a first release feeling they fit in with the Dan O sphere of influence a bit better than what he was doing. I was lucky to have such a talented act available to me and am very proud of that release.

The why was even simpler...hardcore was my life.

A little known fact, the name Workshed has it's origin in a ludicrous scene from The Evil Dead II rather than anything noble or intellectual. That movie was a big VCR hit with all us OCHC types at the time.

How did you feel about the finished product of the NFAA LP? What were your hopes and expectations for that record? An LP on Hawker at the time was a pretty big deal.

I like the EP better. I enjoy the big sound of the LP but only about half of the songs, and many of the vocals make me cringe. I was going through some sort of a deep, dark, and gutteral-sounding-is-best phase with regards to my voice. I can't say I really feel that way anymore. Even the Carry Nation vocals are a bit less exaggerated and more enjoyable to me. With regards to hopes and expectations, changing labels helped us forge a seperate identity we were longing for, the full page ads were nice, but little else was expected, an album was our next natural step. Hawker was big deal intitially but plenty of people don't even remember what label that LP was on these days.


No For An Answer at The Whiskey, 1989, Photo: Dave Sine

As new talent was coming up by 1989, with guys possibly a few years younger than you, what were your general feelings as someone who was a member of the older guard and had been around for some time? (Especially as younger attitudes became possibly more righteous).

Sometimes my lack of appreciation for a band would be based on age but more often style and lack of originality. If you look at the 10 Workshed releases, no 2 bands sound alike, or even similar. That was becoming rare at the time. Predictable breakdowns, mosh beats as we were calling them on the toms, betrayal anthems up the wazoo all got pretty exausting. This is something even we were guilty of early on, but it just got so extreme.

As far as attitudes go, I'm not sure how you mean the term righteous, but the faux militancy, fondness for cult religions, and suburban mock gangsterism were all pretty embarassing and something I couldn't relate to. 9 times out of 10 you'd hear about these regional superheroes with a score to settle, meet them in person, and find that they couldn't break an egg with a hammer. That said, I'm sure the guys that preceded my generation found some of our affectations pretty silly. Every phase of this genre has produced a few real diamonds. We all tend to "dance with the one that brung us".

How exactly did NFAA wrap up? Did it just dissolve? There didn't seem to be much publicity of a final show or anything.

We did announce our final show as such, (I don't think it caused much of a ripple back east as we'd left Rev and hadn't travelled to the opposite coast much lately) and played it at the Country Club in Reseda. Zack announced us, and talked to the crowd about how it was hard to say goodbye to a band that had had so much to say. I treasured that. We had been losing steam for a few months, knew Sterling and Chris were moving on had no stomach for adding 2 more new guys. It was a pretty easy call.

When did the idea come up to do the Carry Nation record and play out? Had NFAA been put to rest at that point?

I don't remember how the idea came up, but NFAA was still going and Carry Nation was meant to be a side project. As it turned out, Carry Nation had a more dramatic, over-the-top style to it that lended itself to theatrics like intro music and lights-out set starts, banners, etc. that wouldn't really have fit NFAA and made it really fun for a while. A right time, right place thing that filled the gap between NFAA and 411 for me nicely. I look back on it fondly.


Carry Nation at The Country Club, 1990, Photo: Dave Sine

Birds of a Feather - The Past The Present

Birds of a Feather bassist, Jean-Paul recently hit me up asking if DCXX would be interested in running this story on the release of the bands new LP and a book on the history of European straight edge that coincided. I of course agreed to run the story and I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing and hearing both releases. Check it out. -Tim DCXX

"THE PAST THE PRESENT" LP

This story starts somewhere in the mid 80-ies. Bigma turned straight edge. Profound turned into Manliftingbanner when Bigma joined. After the demise of Manliftingbanner, Bigma continued his straight edge crusade with Mainstrike. In 2005 he was stuck without a band. Pushing towards 40, Bigma wasn't rethinking his ideals for a better society, instead his urgency to get out his message was growing stronger and stronger. He wanted to address the current hardcore scene, where the true spirit and meanings of the original first wave of straight edge had disappeared. Strangely enough, just around the corner from Bigma, JP, from Value Of Strength magazine, had mutual feelings. He wanted to startle up the scene with a straight edge band with members all older than 30 years, showing that the ideas behind straight edge still hold true, even in 'real life'. Birds Of A Feather became reality. The Our Aim 7" was recorded shortly after. Going thru some line-up changes, the band found it's definite line-up in 2007, with Jeff of Crivits and the X-men in guitar, Marc of Betray on guitar, and Paul, a then 30 year old "newjack", on drums.

So Birds Of A Feather is ready. Watch out for 80-ies style, youth crew sing-along hardcore, bringing an ever urgent message for a positive lifestyle and a better society. With the same drive to get out the message as in the 80-ies and 90-ies. To show that straight edge is not "a passing phase". To show that hardcore is not a passing phase. To prove that our ideals still matter, and still need work. Right then and right now:


Jean-Paul with Birds of a Feather, Photo courtesy of: BOAF

"The days that we lived our dreams are over
And the barriers are tougher than before
20 years passed by and we are back again
The way it was supposed to give meaning
What was said, what we believed In the past
What we said and still believe
Counts even more today"

Birds Of A Feather previously released the Our Aim 7" on Crucial Response (vinyl sold out, CD still available), a split 7" with In Defence on Give Praise Records (sold out), the Chapter 5 7" on Commitment Records (vinyl, still available) and their The Past The Present CD on Refuse Records (still available), and also in Asia on Crucial Times Records and in South America on 78 Life Records . "The Past The Present" contains 13 songs recorded by Menno Baker in Bunt Studios in Holland and mastering was done by West West Side Music, NY, USA.


"THE PAST THE PRESENT 1982-2007: A HISTORY OF 25 YEARS OF EUROPEAN STRAIGHT EDGE" BOOK (Marc Hanou, Jean- Paul Frijns)

The LP version of Birds Of A Feather’s album "The Past The Present" also includes the book "The Past The Present - a history of European Straight Edge 1982-2007". 108 pages and over 250 photos documenting the straight edge scene in Europe.

Straight Edge is a powerful subculture of a subculture. Punkrockers that don't smoke, don't drink and don't do drugs are the outcasts of the outcasts. By following a timeline from 1982 to 2007 the straight edge authors tell the narrative of the European straight edge with the oral history from those who were there and from those that are still there, the people that made and still make it happen. The particular development of the European straight edge is described by five Dutch bands, each representing a different era. Starting with Lärm's Do It Yourself punk ethics the straight edge scene in Europe has developed itself towards political activism of all sorts with a strong emphasis on vegetarianism and veganism as Eye of Judgement shows. Capturing the immense energy of a vibrant and vivid scene, The Past The Present contains stories from entire Europe, from Sweden to Spain and from Portugal to Poland. A document for anyone interested in hardcore or straight edge.


Larm, UK tour 1987, Photo courtesy of: JP

The authors
Marc Hanou (1967) discovered punk in 1981 at age 13 and saw Lärm play at age 14. He became straight edge in 1985 and vegetarian in 1986. He played in BTD, Betray, Dance Cleopatra, Longshot, Blackheads and in Twin Cities outfit In Defence. Currently he plays bass in Nixnieuwz and guitar in Birds Of A Feather. He had a straight edge radio show between 1988 and 1994 on radio Patapoe, Amsterdam, did Revelation Records Europe from 1990 to 1994, booked dozens of shows at the Dirk and the Maloe Melo, both in Amsterdam, and booked shows in Europe for dozens of bands as well, from Green Day to Born Against.

Jean-Paul Frijns (1973) heard punk for the first time on a new-wave compilation tape that someone made for him during the end of the 80's. Skateboarding and magazines like Thrasher and Maximum Rock 'n Roll got him more involved in punk and hardcore. It introduced him to straight edge and inspired him to start his own zine Value Of Strength, that is still around today. He organized the 'Geleen Festival' during the 90's and booked shows in the southern part of the Netherlands. He interned as a graphic designer for Victory records and lived in Chicago where he picked up the bass guitar. Currently he plays bass for Birds Of A Feather and books the occasional show at the Maloe Melo.


Man Lifting Banner in Belgium, 1990, Photo courtesy of: JP

Appearing in the book: Andreas Gruter, Germany ("Vengeance" zine, worked for Crucial Response Records), Atanasoski Vasko, Macedonia (F.P.O.), Bart Griffioen, Holland (PROFOUND, COLT TURKEY, MANLIFTINGBANNER, DEADSTOOLPIGEON), Bruno Miguel Piairo Lopes Teixeira, Portugal (NEW WINDS, THESE HANDS ARE FISTS), Bruno Pires, Portugal (NEW WINDS), David Leon, Spain (AFTERLIFE, THE DEFENSE), Fausto, Spain ("AHC" zine), Hans Verbeke, Belgium (RISE ABOVE, BLINDFOLD, SHORTSIGHT, SPIRIT OF YOUTH, LIAR), Inti Carboni, Italy (show promoter), Jasper, Holland (A STEP APART, EYE OF JUDGEMENT), Jennifer Ramme, Poland (Emancypunx Records), Jeroen Vrijhoef, Holland (MAINSTRIKE, Coalition Records), Johan Prenger, Holland (Reflections Records), Johnny van de Koolwijk, Holland (MAINSTRIKE, REACHING FORWARD, DOWNSLIDE), Jos Houtveen, Holland (LARM, SEEIN' RED, STAATHAAT), Jose Saxlund, Sweden (ABHINANDA, Desperate Fight Records), Lord Bigma, Holland (MANLIFTINGBANNER, MAINSTRIKE, NO DENIAL, STRIKE FIRST, BIRDS OF A FEATHER), Lucas van Heerikhuizen, Holland (EYE OF JUDGEMENT), Mario Tucman, Croatia (VASELINE CHILDREN), Marcus Erricson, Sweden (EYES SHUT, LAST HOPE, DAMAGE CONTROL, ANOTHER YEAR, ANCHOR, "Soulcity" zine), Mark Schenk, Holland (EYE OF JUDGEMENT), Michiel Bakker, Holland (PROFOUND, COLT TURKEY, MANLIFTINGBANNER), Olav van de Berg, Holland (LARM, SEEIN' RED, PROFOUND, COLT TURKEY, MANLIFTINGBANNER), Patryk Bugajski, Poland (SUNRISE, DAYMARES), Paul van de Berg (LARM, SEEIN' RED, PROFOUND, COLT TURKEY, MANLIFTINGBANNER), Ram, Denmark (artist), Rat, UK (STATEMENT, UNBORN), Ricardo Dias, Portugal (TIME X, DAY OF THE DEAD), Rob Beekmans, Holland (ABUSIVE ACTION), Robert Matusiak, Poland (Refuse Records), Robert Voogt, Holland (Commitment Records), Roel, Holland (EYE OF JUDGEMENT), Willem Jan Kneepkens, Holland (INSULT, EYE OF JUDGEMENT), Yann Boisleve, France ("International Straight-Edge Bulletin"),

The LP version of "The Past The Present" is released in a gatefold w/ the book:
Test pressing: 25 copies, exclusive cover with different artwork, black vinyl, the book signed by the authors
Pre-Order version: 100 copies, brown vinyl, white labels stamped and numbered
Limited color version: 122 copies, orange vinyl 
Regular 1st press version: 278 copies, brown vinyl

Birds Of A Feather: http://www.myspace.com/xbirdsofafeatherx


Recording the album "The Past The Present"


BOAF visits Poland (2008, 15th Refuse anniversary)

For ordering info get in touch with Refuse Records:
refuserecords@gmail.com


Betray, UK tour 1991, Photo courtesy of: JP

Brian Walsby - Double Negative / Artist

Brain Walsby at the drums with Double Negative, Photo courtesy of: Brian Walsby

We continue with another memorable show entry, this time from Double Negative drummer / well noted punk artist, Brian Walsby. -Tim DCXX

Let's see...Well I am an older guy and came into things in the early eighties or at least 1984. I saw Black Flag in March of that year and that was it...the band had already gotten the lineup with Kira and Bill Stevenson. The band came out without Henry and played the still unreleased instrumental Obliteration from the Slip It In album. That, more then anything else, just blew me away. Just the three of them playing that song. It sounded so massive. Henry had not even appeared on stage yet and already it was amazing. So I would say that, because it set the tone for everything else I would see, and looking back, that song just killed. I still think so to this day.

Mark McKay with some SLAPSHOT in your face

Choke with Slapshot at the Country Club, Reseda CA, Photo: Dave Sine

Slapshot drummer Mark McKay brings us the first round of answers to our never ending questions about one of Boston's baddest. Expect tons more to come - STRAIGHT EDGE IN YOUR FACE. -Gordo DCXX

When did the original idea for SLAPSHOT come together? What was the idea and outlook for the band?

Slapshot was born in September of 1985 out of sheer willpower from Steve Risteen. Steve and I (friends from high school) were determined to start a hardcore band, after Steve’s previous band (with later Slapshot cohort Chris Lauria), TERMINALLY ILL, broke up. He had been meeting up with Choke on occasion and had the guts to ask him if he wanted to start a band and get back into it. Much to our surprise, Choke was into it and we had become pretty good friends (after a ROCKY start!).

Boston was pretty dead for hardcore (no offense to anyone who was keeping it alive!!!), as a lot of the original bands we followed had imploded or just disappeared. Back On The Map was our manifesto and “call to arms” for all the kids in Boston to rally round their dying (but proud) scene and kickstart it again. It was a lot of hard work, but we all had been going to shows and supporting the scene since the early days, and had lots of friends to occupy the early shows – and they were really needing some release!

Not sure if we would even catch on, Slapshot just did everything as best we could – we often said (and still often say) “any show could be our last, so make it good!”

Was SLAPSHOT meant to be a continuation of the early Boston spirit or a new birth of sorts?

I would say both. We wanted to take that utter menace that existed in the early scene (perceived or real) and give it new life. We didn’t want the music to be all that different, though it came out a little more “Oi” sounding than the previous owners – we LOVE(D) that old sound: Minor Threat, Bad Brains, SSD, Negative Approach…


Mark McKay on his 21st birthday with a straight edge birthday cake. Choke, Steve Risteen, Jon Anastas and others cheer him on, Photo courtesy of: Mark McKay

How much of a focal point was Straight Edge for Slapshot at the beginning? Was it something immediately made part of the band's identity, or something that just clicked once things got moving?

We were VERY focused on the Straight Edge as that was the way that we were. Of course we had some fun with it (the “Straight Edge Chant” and some REALLY exaggerated early interviews), but we were all straight edge and wanted to have that be a piece of who Slapshot was. It was a real source of pride in Boston back in the day, and was still very important to us. So as soon as we said, “We’re Straight Edge” and the rumours started back up about Choke and the knocking of beer bottles from drinkers' hands, and tales of “drinkers and smokers being on the WRONG end of the hockey stick,” we ran with it.

In retrospect, what was the climate of the Boston HC scene at the time of the early Slapshot shows? What was Slapshot's "role" in Boston, and elsewhere?

I have a different tale to tell than the other guys, and I would imagine that everyone would have a different tale. In Boston, the pits were really hard. The shows were PACKED and hot. The music was WAY too loud, and the venues could not possibly have sustained this pace for as long as they did. But it was more excitement than menace, you know? There was no feeling that you would be beat up for doing your thing, and every freak had each other's back.

When we went to other cities, we knew a few kids in most places. But they were propogating the “myth” of Slapshot too, so when we pulled up to places like Buffalo, Detroit, Kansas and piled out of the van all wearing identical varsity jackets proclaiming that we were from Boston – it looks pretty weird, and most folks did NOT know what to make of us. The music eventually spoke for us, but the image of this gang of hoods invading your town was just classic to me – especially when we became friends with folks in the towns, and they were telling us, “we had NO idea what to expect." Just great! I hope we brought a bit of show, a bit of entertainment and a bit of menace back into the scene – that would make me happy.

Who were the bands Slapshot identified with most? How did you gel with others in Boston at the time? What about elsewhere?

Well, we did not identify with too many bands out there that we came across (again, apologies to those that we LOVED) – we were just too busy being ourselves to care. We have ALWAYS (well, nearly always) enjoyed each other’s company, and music was kind of second to our having a good time traveling and hanging out. Of course, we saw TONS of great bands, but usually would forego opening bands sets for just goofing around town or eating, etc. That sounds totally crass, but that’s the way it was…

Boston was always GREAT for us – we were playing to our friends, people we had been going to shows for years with – all of a sudden, we have a band of our own! I see some old pictures and all the kids up front were kids I had seen every show I had ever seen with! On show days, we would meet in Kenmore Square and hang out. Then we would grab our gear, set up and play. Then after the show, we would return the gear, and back to Kenmore Square to hang out some more. No separation, a good team of friends.

As for influences musically, well I think you can hear a LOT of the English “Oi” bands in our songs, a bit of Minor Threat and Negative Approach. I WISH we could claim that our stuff was influenced by Bad Brains (as we all worshipped them) but we were not able to play anywhere NEAR their level to even qualify…


Steve Risteen, Choke and Mark with Slapshot at The Paradise, Photo courtesy of: Mark McKay

Dan O'Mahony Part III

No For An Answer at The Anthrax with quite the crew accompanying them on stage. Porcell about to go for a dive, while Walter, Anthony Raw Deal, Arthur Smilios, Alex Chain and others watch on. Photo: Jeff Ladd

More history from Dan O. This is shaping up nicely! -Gordo DCXX

Did NFAA evolve early on as you expected?

Not exactly, as I mentioned previously the sound was faster, much faster than we'd intended, and the imagined early DC influences that were the big favorrites of all four of us from the You Laugh era didn't really surface. We sounded like rookie musicians playing basic HC. In retrospect, that result was a lot more fun and appropriate given our experience level. I wasn't Dave Smalley, Gavin wasn't Brian Baker...especially not in the mid 80's.

As far as the attitudes and positions of the band, we were all from the era when the distinction between punk rock and HC was not as clear or delineated as it later became, thus we stressed non-conformity and moderation in the judgment of others more than some of our peers.

Who were the closest friends and supporters of the band? How did NFAA fit into the growing SEHC scene of California in 1987-1989?

At the point of our formation in '87, our friends were many and had been established over the years, most importantly the legendary Anthony Persinger as the Beaver, David and Paul Theriault, John Bruce, Billy, Half Off, the UC and Insted guys, Big Frank, Ron Martinez from Final Conflict, and a host of others who all played crucial roles in getting us started on the right foot...getting shows, getting to shows etc. By '89 a lot of others from Irvine had their things going, Zack, the Hayworths, Popeye, the Head First guys,etc. These people were involved in the early Workshed offerings, the Spanky's and Heritage Park shows with NFAA and Carry Nation as well as many other things.

In terms of how we fit in, there are two factors, one chronological, the other regional. In terms of Straight Edge, UC hit in '84, NFAA in '87 (Carry Nation took a swing but didn't really materialize in '85), Insted pre-dated NFAA by a year or two but didn't really declare SE until their later Labate/Burt lineup, '89 or '90 I believe. Following those intial three (in terms of national recognition, there were others on the local level) the greater Posi/SE/HC scene blossomed a couple years later with Hard Stance, Farside, Reason to Believe, the Nemesis acts, Free Will, Blackspot, Headfirst, and dozens of others.

Regionally, OC didn't mix as well as we could have with people from other areas. The Bay area went largely ignored other than MRR and Gilman. The Inland Empire saw many members of old acts that had drifted slowly towards melodic almost rock formats suddenly re-emerge in highly derivative east coast type bands fronted by younger people from outside hardcore as we knew it. We rarely played with or interacted with them and that led to alot of unfortunate animosity, as NFAA was staffed by older, well networked guys, who had a real edge in terms of booking certain venues, drawing coverage from certain zines, etc. Twenty+ years down the line, we all represent the very old school and these rivalries seem pretty silly. I tend to enjoy running into anybody from the 80s these days.


Sterling and Gavin jam it out while Dan and the security face the CBGB's crowd, Photo: Ken Salerno

How did the east coast connection develop more? How did you fit in on the opposite coast with guys from NYC and CT?

On the one hand we were grandfathered in. Ray Cappo, John Porcelly, Richie Birkenhead, Mike Judge, and Craig Setari all lived with my mother and I in HB for months during the hammering out of Wishingwell's release of the original Break Down The Walls LP. Jordan Cooper was the one to meet us at the train station when we arrived in CT. Sam MacPheeters and I had been in contact for a while before the Hawker Is Hardcore trip and he and Adam, from what was later the whole Vermiform vibe, were our NY escorts, Gavin Van Vlack was one we met through them, and he became quite the provider. I guess you could say we had strong advance support!

In terms of fitting in, we were reasonably well recieved. We wore a little more black and a few less hoodies than our east coast brethren seemed to realize, but all in all it was an adventure I'd never trade for anything. CBGB was more interesting to us than the Anthrax primarily because there was a far greater diversity in terms of pesonalities and backgrounds, a little scary, a little sexy, very historic.

What did it mean to be on Rev at the time? How did it help/hinder the band?

Other than a brief period in the 80s when the whole youth crew thing limited people's understanding of us as an individual unit with our own opinions, tastes and sensibilities, separate from those of our labelmates, Rev was a complete help. They are why we gained national recognition...period. My relationship with the label remains intact to this day.


CBGB's Hawker Records showcase, Free For All show with members of Wrecking Crew, Rest In Pieces and No For An Answer preparing for the photo shoot. Photo: Ken Salerno

How did the connection with Hawker develop?

Firstly, John Bello from Hawker contacted us at an ideal time when I was not sensing a lot of enthusiam or at least prioritizing from Rev in terms of an NFAA LP. Futhermore we fit the Rev label image at the time less and less every day. At the time the DIY vs. Major debate was raging full swing and in my opinion was being oversimplified. My thinking in the late 80s being that if you could contractually protect your lyrical and artistic content completely while insuring vastly superior distribution, you had an obligation to your message to go for that larger avenue. Contrary to legend, the advance money was around $4,000, covered recording and a little merchandising, and played very little role in the decision.

Memories of the Hawker show at CB's?

A huge day for meeting the legends of the era. Check out the faces in that cover shot! A little known fact, that "Get back, it's way early" line is directed to the bouncers - not the crowd. One thing I remember about both trips is that a surprising number of west coast guys tended to make it back there with us, Joe Nelson and a few Sloth Crew types, Billy, Anthony, Josh Stanton and others roaming the east with us added a lot to the experience.

Can you discuss the causes for the lineup changes in NFAA? How did the member changes impact the vibe within the band (i.e Case compared to Bratton, John versus Sterling, etc.)?

Firstly let's do an NFAA membership inventory, there were many, many little publicized changes, some guys lasting a show or two if that, some being the players of record. Gavin and I were the only constants! Second Guitar - Rob Hayworth, Joe Foster. Bass - Jeff Boetto, John Mastropaolo, Sterling Wilson, Brian Howell. Drums - Casey Jones, Quinn Millard, Zack de La Roacha, Chris Bratton, Mario Rubalcaba.

Vibe? John was a very technical bassist, Sterling more of a fun loving rocker. John was actually the best man at my wedding in February! Casey was a nuts and bolts HC musician like Gavin and I, Bratton was a hired gun who really knew his shit and beat the hell out of those drums but gave priority to Inland projects. I like Chris and loved running into him at Radio Silence's thing in Hollywood, but his split focus took a lot of steam out of the band and contributed largely to our hanging it up. Maybe not a bad thing. We all ended up having other musical fish to fry in the very near future...


Another alternate Free For All shot, minus Token Entry plus Billy Rubin and Sammy Siegler, Photo: Ken Salerno