Nunca entendi muito bem o porquê, mas é fato que há uma síndrome de cachorro morto que aflige o cenário de shows brasileiro. Então você tem a tal banda, muito celebrada, muito desejada. Quando enfim vem tocar no Brasil, yeah, a celebração é geral. Mas aí o tal grupo volta dois anos depois, e a recepção já não é a mesma. Se comete o erro de voltar ao país pela terceira vez em não menos que cinco anos, esquece: vira pé de página de caderno cultural, na melhor das hipóteses.

Vejam o caso do Bad Religion.

Contemporânea a alguns nomes dos mais cultuados do hardcore californiano (Dead Kennedys, Black Flag), não é exagero dizer que a banda divide com eles o epíteto de “uma das mais influentes do estilo”. Como se não fosse suficiente, reúne atualmente uma verdadeira seleção, que inclui músicos com passagens por Circle Jerks (o guitarrista Greg Hetson), Minor Threat (o também guitarrista Brian Baker) e Suicidal Tendencies (o baterista Brooks Wackerman). Apesar de tudo isso, cometeu um “erro” não repetido por seus cultuados conterrâneos: desde 1996, já veio ao Brasil quase 10 vezes. Pronto, estava perdida a aura.

Em quase três décadas de carreira, a banda já reinou no underground (o guitarrista Brett Guruwitz é fundador e dono da Epitaph Records, responsável por nove entre dez nomes saídos da sunny California), se aproximou do mainstream (assinou com a Atlantic em 1993) e voltou à independência em 2001. Ao longo de tudo isso, afora algumas mudanças pontuais (30 anos, afinal de contas, pesam nas costas de qualquer um), permanecem relativamente fiéis ao estilo que os consagrou (vide álbuns recentes como “New Maps of Hell” e “The Empire Strikes First”).

Às vésperas de voltar ao Brasil, para shows em Fortaleza, São Paulo e Curitiba (o Rio dessa vez ficou de fora), o baixista e fundador da banda Jay Bentley trocou uma idéia exclusiva com o Subsom, que você confere agora.

- Olá Jay, como você está? Animado para tocar no Brasil?

Olá, amigo!  Nós sempre ficamos animados para tocar no Brasil! Os fãs são ótimos, nós fizemos muitos bons amigos por aí ao longo dos anos.

- É a sua sétimas vez no país, certo?

Acho que sim, foram tantas que já perdi a conta (risos).

- Pelas minha contas, é isso mesmo. Depois de tantas apresentações, planejam algo novo para esta vez?

Bem, acho que se for planejado, nunca será uma surpresa de verdade (risos). Nós nunca sabemos o que vai acontecer em cima do palco, é sempre uma surpresa, até mesmo para nós!

- Como você se sente, ao ser tão popular em um país distante, após todos esses anos de carreira?

Sem demagogia, acho que a melhor definição seria uma só: honrado.

- Qual é a sua melhor memória do país?

Que pergunta difícil, cara! São tantas...e geralmente envolvem sentar em uma praia e tomar muitos drinks (risos).

- Algum show em especial que você considere o melhor?

Nenhum show é melhor que outro. Nós sempre entramos no palco tentando fazer com que cada show seja sempre o melhor.

- E sobre o novo álbum? Estão correndo pela internet alguns boatos de que poderia sair em 2009. Algo confirmado, ou são apenas planos?

Na verdade, nós não temos nada planejado ainda. Tudo o que vem correndo não passa de boato. Nós provavelmente não pensaremos nisso pelos próximos meses. Greg vai começar a dar aula novamente (além de vocalista do BR, Greg Graffin também é doutor em paleontologia!!!), e nós teremos alguns meses para descansar, escrever e pensar no que vamos querer fazer daqui pra frente.

- Nós definitivamente vivemos uma época conturbada, com problemas políticos, no Iraque, Irã, África. Ainda assim, a maior parte das novas bandas punk não parece ser tão politizada quando as da geração anterior. O que você acha disso?

Ainda há muitas boas bandas por aí, mas o que acontece é que as mais populares hoje em dia são as bandas emo. E elas em geral não gostam de falar sobre política, preferem falar sobre garotas. Para mim não há problemas nisso, o punk rock sempre falou sobre isso também.

- Depois de tantos anos, você acha que o punk rock ainda pode falar pelas novas gerações?

Definitivamente sim! Boas bandas sempre vão continuar surgindo!

- Ainda sobre isso, vocês têm algumas músicas sobre guerras, como "Let Them Eat War" e "News From the Front".  Qual é a sua visão sobre a Guerra do Iraque?

Para mim, sempre foi claro que esta é uma guerra travada pelo controle do Oriente Médio, das reservas de petróleo e por questões políticas. Nós escrevemos sobre isso, e talvez escrevamos mais no futuro. Mas são apenas músicas, e as pessoas que se importam realmente com isso devem ir fundo no assunto. Há milhares de documentos, até mesmo na internet, que podem ser lidos por qualquer um que tenha interesse.

- Você já tem candidato para as próximas eleições presidenciais americanas?

Sim! Vou votar em Barack Obama, com toda certeza.

- O Bad Religion escreveu "20th century digital boy" no começo dos anos 90, antes do início dessa febre de internet e telecomunicações. De lá pra cá, veja só o que aconteceu, com todos esses “garotos digitais” (“digital boys”). Como isso te parece hoje?

Às vezes a realidade é mais estranha que a ficção (Stranger than Fiction) (risos). Não acho que nós sejamos videntes nem nada do tipo, mas naquele momento certamente era fácil prever o caminho que as coisas estavam tomando, que a humanidade estava trilhando.

- Vocês vêm tocando há quase 30 anos, e obviamente influenciaram muitas e muitas bandas. Você se considera um veterano?

Hmmmm... eu nunca pensei as coisas nesses termos, mas por que não ? Acho que “veterano” é uma descrição perfeita.

- Como você vê o Bad Religion pelos próximos 30 anos?

Alguns mortos, alguns velhos, alguns ainda surfando (risos).

- Após quase 10 anos afastado, o guitarrista Brett Gurewitz voltou para a banda em 2002, mas somente para as gravações de estúdio. Por quê?

Brett é responsável por uma parte enorme das composições e das letras dessa banda, sempre foi e possivelmente sempre será. Mas é impossível para ele deixar a sua gravadora (Epitaph) por períodos muito longos, o que é praticamente inevitável quando se está em uma grande turnê. É preciso chegar a um meio termo, entre as necessidades dele e as nossas, e honestamente, esse foi o melhor acordo ao qual nós pudemos chegar, e é preciso aceitar as coisas da maneira como elas são.

- Então não há chances de o vermos em uma turnê com a banda pelo Brasil ?

Acho que não, ele não está excursionando conosco.

- Vocês estão tocando há alguns anos com o baterista Brooks Wackerman (ex-Suicidal Tendencies). Agora que a mudança está consolidada, quais as diferenças que você percebe entre ele e o antigo baterista, Bobby Schayer?

Bem, Brooks realiza um treinamento mais diversificado do que o que era realizado por Bob. Quando Bob chegou para entrar na banda, no começo dos anos 90, em “Generator”, ele era tão impetuoso, um dos caras mais legais e divertidos para se ter por perto. Era um prazer tocar em uma banda com ele. Mas com o passar dos anos, ele foi se tornando menos capaz de tocar da maneira como desejava, e isso terminou afetando a maneira como ele se divertia, e o seu prazer de estar na banda praticamente acabou.

- Por falar nisso, como Bobby está? Ele se recuperou do problema de saúde (o baterista deixou a banda por causa de um problema no ombro)?

Honestamente, eu não falo com Bob há alguns anos, nós realmente perdemos contato. Eu sei que ele está excursionando com o Interpol (n.e: como roadie), nós temos amigos em comum, alguns dos quais trabalharam com ele. Eles disseram que ele está bem.

- Mande uma última mensagem para seus fãs do Brasil...

Vocês são os melhores!!!

*November 1st
Natal, Brazil
Festival Dosol
*November 2nd
São Paulo, Brazil
Inferno Club
*November 7th
Porto Alegre, Brazil
Manara

As coisas estão melhorando para o Nordeste, sexta agora, vai ter Bad Religion aqui em Fortaleza e dia onze de outubro tem Millencolin. Semana passada teve show da Tarja, e se não me engano vai ter show também do Nightwish. Enfim vou ver a Donna R de pertinho. :)

HOJE NADA TIRA A MINHA FELICIDADE. :)

Beijos =**

Donna I.

Terhenyak, aneh, sempat tak percaya, waktu pertama kali saya menemukan band bernama He Who Corrupt ini. Bagaimana tidak, band yang mempermainkan durasi, tempo, bahkan memiliki skill SDM berkategori diatas rata-rata. Bisa disejajarkan dengan Agoraphobic Nosebleed, The Locust, Fantomas, The Dillinger Escape Plan, sekalipun. Memutuskan merilis split album dengan band “post hardcore/screamo”, For Dire Life Sake. Sungguh terjadi di luar ekspektasi. Entah bagi para penghamba, “Grindcore” ataupun penyanjung “emo”. Tafsiran mengenai rilisan tersebut hanya menyulut satu kata di kepala saya, pembongkaran. Seolah adalah sebuah penegasan. Mengubur keseragaman atas syarat kemiripan komposisi musikal maupun wacana yang ditebar melalui departemen lirik guna bisa merilis album bersama dalam satu kemasan.

Inspirasional, sebuah langkah praktek berani. Mengingat seperti terdapat "jarak", sekarang ini, di arena pengembangan ranah musik ekstrim "independen" lokal, Indonesia. Terdapat benturan hebat bersifat ideologis. Kajian “asal muasal” ataupun “sebab akibat” memang tak bisa dipinggirkan lagi. Apalagi kalau menyangkut pehaman ideal. Akan terjadi adanya dikotomi. Suatu kewajaran, menurut saya. Mungkin bisa jadi itulah konsekuensi dari dengungan suara-suara orang di dalamnya, keinginan menuai pluralitas pola pikir ataupun perspektif dari setiap individu. Atau mungkin saja bukan seperti itu. Hanyalah, mungkin. Karena tampaknya berangkat dari “kemungkinan” itulah, kita masih bertahan sampai saat ini. Dan entah sampai kapan. Sampai mati mungkin?! Karena kata mati sepertinya bukanlah jawaban tepat atas kegelisahan serta keresahan kita ketika masih memutuskan bertahan hingga hari ini. Ada “proses”, “waktu” dan “harapan” saat kita bersikeras bertahan.

Seperti sikap yang diketengahkan Ryan Durkin a.k.a Tommy Camaro (Vokal) melalui interview ini, setelah hampir 10 tahun lebih berupaya keras mempertahankan He Who Corrupt dengan setiap pillihannya. Bersama dengan Cory Lockheart (Guitar), Maxwell Brotherhood Shredmoore (Guitar), Caz U.L. Friday (Guitar), Rory Lockheart (Bass) serta Ross Boneyard (Drums). Menorehkan rentetan karya yang terhitung tidak sedikit, mulai dari; HWC/GodStomper – CD/EP Split, HWC/InfestationofAss – CD EP Split, HWC/Third Degree – Split Album 7”, HWC/Tuck – Split Album 7”, HWC/Willbur Cobb - Split Album 7”, HWC - Der Eu-Investitionstrag LP, HWC – Discographer, HWC/For Dire Life Sake Split Album 7”, HWC – Master Of Profits, HWC/Don’t Worry About It – CD/EP, HWC/FKS – Split Album 7”, HWC Teen Step To Succes – 12”, HWC – Smell Of Money EP, HWC - Smells Cover Of Money EP dan HWC – Microeconomics EP adalah rilisan mereka yang terbaru.

Bagi kalian yang merasa terkorupsi, kali ini, saya suguhkan serangan chaotic-math-grindcore pembunuh dari Chicago, USA yang sempat tertarik menggelar tournya di Indonesia. Tapi karena beberapa pertimbangan, mereka mengurungkan kedatangkannya. Tolonglah, nyamankan diri kalian, Ok?! Ini dia…

Siapa nama kamu, apa yang kamu lakukan di He Who Corrupt dan ceritakan sedikit tentang He Who Corrupt. Kelihatannya selalu terjadi pergantian personil sejak band ini mulai terbentuk? Apakah ini benar adanya? Bila saya salah tolong dikoreksi…

Nama saya adalah Ryan Durkin dan saya memegang vokal di He Who Corrupt. Band ini mulai terbentuk di akhir 90-an… Saya rasa… Hahaha… Saya tak bisa mengingatnya lagi. Pada awalnya kita hanya berempat tapi kemudian menjadi berlima semenjak pemain gitar lama kita yang telah digantikan karena dia harus pindah, sekarang dia kembali lagi. Sebenarnya kita juga telah mengganti posisi gitar lagi dikarenakan gitaris lama kita pindah lagi. Tapi saat ini pemain gitar lama kita telah kembali, jadi secepatnya kita akan menjadi enam orang!!!

Apakah setiap personal di dalam band memiliki pekerjaan agar dapat mempertahankan kelangsungan band ini? Atau mungkin dengan He Who Corrupt kamu bisa mendapatkan sedikit uang? Dan pekerjaan apa yang paling buruk pernah kamu jalani?

Ya, kami memiliki pekerjaan sehari-hari. He Who Corrupt sama sekali tak pernah menghasilkan uang yang cukup. Saya tidak pernah berpikir bahwa hal tersebut akan menjadi ambisi kita. Kita hanya enjoy setiap kali memainkan musik kami. Pekerjaan terburuk yang pernah saya miliki adalah menjual mesin jus ke orang-orang. Di dalam masa percobaan pekerjaan tersebut mereka mengatakan kepadaku bahwa saya harus mengetuk pintu dan menanyakan ke orang-orang jika “hari ini adakah yang bisa di jus dari mereka”. Terdengar sangat seksual bagi saya :p

Bagaimana kamu menyiasati pekerjaan kamu ketika kamu sedang melakukan tour? Bisa jadi hal tersebut merupakan waktu yang sulit saat harus mengalami stak di tempat duduk mobil selama perjalanan yang panjang. Apakah kamu sudah mempersiapkannya sejak awal mengenai hal ini?

Dalam jangka satu tahun pekerjaan kami, mayoritas dari kami mendapatkan libur beberapa minggu. Seringkalinya kami menggunakan waktu tersebut untuk tur. Meskipun begitu, satu di antara kami seringkali kehilangan pekerjaannya setiap kali dia memutuskan untuk tur… dimana hal tersebut sangatlah menyebalkan sekali.

Jika kamu bosan dengan pekerjaan dan band kamu, apa yang akan kamu lakukan?

Mati.

Apa inti pesan yang kamu miliki? (Tentunya dengan He Who Corrupt)

Jangan membuat dirimu terlalu serius. Hardcore bisa jadi sangat menyenangkan. Buatlah dirimu nyaman.

Kadang-kadang, saya pikir, orang-orang tak perlu pergi ke sekolah hanya untuk edukasi, karena bila kamu memiliki keinginan untuk mencarinya, edukasi akan mudah sekali ditemukan, tak peduli kapan dan dimana. Ngomong-ngomong, untuk apa kamu pergi ke sekolah? Dan apa yang akan kamu lakukan hari ini bila kamu tak pernah membuat keputusan tersebut?

Pada intinya saya setuju keputusanmu mengenai bagaimana membuat dirimu terpelajar. Sekolah adalah sebuah papan loncat untuk kamu bisa melompat tinggi, tapi hanya dengan pergi ke sekolah tidak akan membuat kamu lebih pintar. Kamu yang memutuskan bagaimana efektifnya bagi diri kamu sendiri. Saya pergi ke sekolah untuk ilmu komputer. Jika saya tidak pergi ke sekolah, saya tidak akan memiliki petunjuk kemana saya harus pergi. Saya rasa hal tersebut bukanlah masalah bagi saya karena isi yang ada dalam diri saya dipenuhi dengan dimana saya berada saat ini.

Siapa band-band favorit kamu selama lima tahun terakhir, maukah kamu mengatakannya?

Meskipun mereka tidak tergolong baru: Melt Banana dan Fugazi.

Band apa yang bubar dan sempat membuat kamu sedih mendengarnya?

Dead Kennedy’s.

Dari semua band yang sempat tour dengan kamu, siapa yang menjadi favoritmu?

My Lai.

Saya termasuk pengagum keseluruhan karya He Who Corrupt, Bagaimana mengenai rilisan barumu, Microeconomic EP, dibandingkan secara musikal maupun lirikal dengan album kamu sebelumnya?

Lebih pendek dan langsung ke poinnya.

Apa maksud sebenarnya Microeconomic EP?

Hanyalah sebuah kemasan CD menyerupai kartu kredit yang bisa diambil dari dompet.

Jadi apakah kamu sudah merasa cukup mengenalkan bandmu kepada banyak orang dan tidak menutup kemungkinan juga beberapa band baru?

Saya pikir kami berhasil menarik lebih banyak orang terhadap band ini. Kami malahan seringkali menggelar tur di luar US daripada di dalam US area sendiri, jadi hal tersebut cukup membantu penyebaran musik kita sedikit lebih maju daripada berada di skala nasional.

Ngomong-ngomong, Bagaimana menurutmu mengenai Fall Out Boy? Dimana para personilnya berasal dari band-band hardcore seperti Racetraitor dan Killtheslavemaster, dan sekarang mereka merubah arah musikalnya hampir 100%. Bagaimana menurutmu mengenai hal tersebut?

Saya satu sekolah dengan pemain bassnya, Pete. Dan boleh percaya atau tidak, saya membantu menyiapkan show pertama kali mereka. Mayoritas dari mereka dulunya bermain di dalam band-band hardcore yang dapat membuat beberapa band lama saya bersedia manggung bersama. Saya tidak terlalu mengikuti perkembangan band-band mereka dan saya bukanlah fans dari Fall Out Boy. Saya tak peduli guna mengikutinya. Saya melakukan apa yang harus saya lakukan dan mereka melakukan apa yang harusnya mereka lakukan.

Bila kamu harus memilih antara Panic! At The Disco dan Fall Out Boy, siapa yang kamu pilih?

Saya tidak bisa memilihnya. Saya tidak menyukai sebab keduanya terbentuk.

Ketika kamu memutuskan untuk membuat musik seperti yang telah dilakukan He Who Corrupt, Apakah kamu pikir itu sudah semestinya menjadi daya jual?

Tidak. Saya telah memainkan musik grind/hard lebih dari 10 tahun sampai sekarang dan motivasi saya selalulah sama… lakukanlah sampai kamu tak merasa nyaman lagi. Saya masih merasa nyaman, jadi saya masih melakukannya.

Bagaimana menurutmu tentang Ozzfest? Apakah kamu pernah manggung di sana? Kamu lebih memilih mana diantara Ozzfest, Warped Tour atau mungkin Sounds Of The Underground?

Sungguh saya tak memiliki opini mengenai hal ini. Kami tak pernah terlibat di dalamnya. Sempat saya pergi ke Warped Tour karena Bad Religion main dan saya menyukainya. Saya tidak terlalu menyukai band-band yang bermain di Ozzfest ataupun Warped Tour sekarang ini. Begitu pula saya tak terlalu menyukai Sounds Of The Underground. Saya lebih suka main di sebuah fest/show yang kecil untuk orang-orang yang bisa saya lihat tanpa ada batasan antara kita. Hal itu merupakan situasi penampilan optimal bagi saya.

Bisakah kamu menceritakan mengenai records label kamu? Sepertinya setelah merilis melalui 625, kalian pindah ke label seperti; Force Again, Bloom Explode atau Eugenics. Sekarang ini label mana yang merilis rilisan kalian?

Kami tak memiliki sebuah records label tetap. Kami suka merilis rilisan kami di dalam sebuah label yang berbeda di mana kami bisa bekerja sama dengan orang-orang yang kami suka. Kami memiliki sebuah rilisan yang akan keluar melalui Black Market Activities… dan rilisan berikutnya sudah terencanakan dengan baik.

Apa rencana kamu sepanjang tahun 2008?

Kami berencana melakukan tur singkat di Puerto Rico dan merilis 7” dengan seorang rapper menakjubkan bernama Chica X.

Apakah kamu pernah mendengar mengenai band-band Indonesia? Bila pernah… Bisakah kamu menyebutkannya…

Yap! Proletar, Extreme Decay dan Tersanjung 13.

Adakah kata-kata guna menutup interview ini? Terima kasih banyak atas waktunya, saya berharap kamu bisa mengatur beberapa show di Indonesia dan kita bisa bisa bertemu disini. Melakukan interview lagi, bagaimana menurutmu? Sekali lagi, terima kasih.

Terima kasih atas interviewnya, Chotax. Kami sangat menghargainya Kami berharap suatu hari nanti bisa datang ke Indonesia tapi saya belum yakin itu kapan. Sementara itu, sepertinya band lain dimana saya terlibat didalamnya akan datang ke Indonesia ketika musim semi 2008 melalui Utarid Booking. Terima kasih untuk Arwith. Kami adalah 97 Shiki http://www.myspace.com/97shiki - Chotax

*Pics taken from the net

Creepy.

Lest anyone misconstrue, this story is decidedly NOT teh awesome.

Prosecutors play taped confessions in former pastor's trial.

It is funny, though, the way I've gotten caught between two worlds.  I hate the idea of pink and green together (except on the cover of Never Mind the Bollocks) but I'm not keen on solid black either.  One day I'll wish I could stomp around looking like Brody Dalle, the next I'll spend forever on my hair.

It's also weird being the only punk fan among my friends.  Sometimes I wonder what they would think if they got a hold of my iPod.  "The Distillers?  Bad Religion?  Where's Rihanna?  And who the hell is Black Flag?"

When I really think about it, none of that bothers me.  Punk music makes me happy.  The square peg in a round hole syndrome is something I'll just have to take.  The early punk bands didn't spend years being called a "menace to society" so that I could dither about clothes.  If they hadn't persevered, I still wouldn't know what punk was.  So I'll keep being a hybrid, humming along to "Reject" as I head for class in toxic green Crocs.  I yam who I yam...and I still hate spinach.

Der Klimawandel ist gerade stark im Kommen. Mal bläst er uns kalte Luft um die Ohren, einen Augenblick später schneit es und ehe man sich umsieht fallen schon die Blätter von den Bäumen. Tag Nummer Eins bei der dritten Ausgabe des Lüdinghausener Dorffest - Area 4 - und der Klimawandel, nett wie er ist, hat sich auf strahlenden Sonnenschein eingestellt. Nicht zu warm, aber immer noch so warm, dass der Pulli und die Regenjacke im Zelt bleibt. Bands haben übrigens auch gespielt am heutigen Freitag......und das nicht zu knapp. Den Startschuss gaben vier Jungs aus New Brunswick, New Jersey. The Gaslight Anthem. Man ahnt, dass man von dieser Band nicht zum letzten Mal hört (in Kürze auch hier im Interview). Sie versprechen stets mit einem Lächeln die Bühne zu betreten und tun dies auch. Frontmann. Brian Fallon, ein nicht allzu großer Mann, mit ganz vielen Tattoos, der jedoch ganz groß ist, wenn es um singen geht. Der raue Klang erinnert teilweise an einen jungen Joe Cocker. "The 59. Sound" ist das neue Album, welches sie im Gepäck haben und sie ernten ordentlichen Applaus und haben sich sicherlich wieder einige Freunde erspielt an diesem Tag. Denn sie verlassen die Bühne wieder mit einem Lächeln.

Schweden hat ein musikalisches Output wie kein anderes Land. Da muss selbst der größte Möbelhersteller des Landes an seine Grenzen gehen um ein ähnliches Output zu schaffen. Und so darf getrost mit 90er Wahrscheinlichkeit sagen, dass das, was musikalisch aus Schweden herüberschwappt, begeistert. So auch bei The Sounds. Mag es die Dynamik von Sängerin Maja Ivarsson sein oder die tollen, poppigen Songs, die eine Prise Wave in sich tragen. So wirklich weiß es keiner, aber es funktioniert und das mehr als gut. Wenn man das von den Möbel auch sagen könnte.

Mit hübschen Mädels ging es dann prompt weiter, bei Blood Red Shoes, unseren Lieblingsnewcomern von der Insel. Die im Frühjahr eines der Alben des Jahres ablieferten. Eine Platte, die vieles in den Schatten stellt, doch live hat das Duo sogar noch mehr zu bieten. Die fast schüchtern wirkende Laura-Mary Carter an der Gitarre weiß trotzdem, wie sie die Massen kriegt. Hits wie "Say Something, Say Anything" und "This Is Not For You" bringen nicht nur die Tanzflächen einiger Indiediskos zum brodeln, auch das Area 4 ist begeistert.

"Punks Not Dead" – seit Anfang des 80er ein Ausruf einer ganzen Generation. Fast zeitgleich zu diesem Zeitpunkt fanden sich Bad Religion zusammen und zählen heute zu der einer der größten Band des Punkgeschichte. Sie verbinden jung und alt, ziehen ihr Ding durch und haben ihren typischen Sound über all die Jahre entwickelt und geprägt. Da nimmt es Ihnen niemand übel, dass mal Texte vergessen werden und das der inzwischen unhörbare „PunkRockSong“ doch in der Setlist auftaucht. Das macht alles nichts. Nebenbei wird noch Barack Obama gratuliert, Offspring Sänger Dexter Holland zurecht den Kakao gezogen und die Songs mit viel liebe runter gerotzt. So und nicht anders sollte eine Punkrockshow sein. Ein Gruß an die großen Helden. Danke!

Auch seit Anfang des 80er verkehren sie in ihrer eigenen Welt des Punkuniversums. Keine Band versteht es so ihr Ding durch zu ziehen, wie die Ärzte. Fans fordern Elke, die Band interessiert es nicht. Endlose Ansageschleifen, gestört von Liedern, die jeder mitsingen kann. Eine Band, die wie keine weitere die Massen vereint. Jung und alt, grau und blau, schwarz und weiß, groß und klein, Punk oder Anzugträger. Alle sind sie da und feiern eine 2 Stunden Party. "Der Himmel ist blau und der Rest deines Lebens liegt vor". Himmelblau eröffnet jedes Set dieser Tour und es könnte kaum passender sein, wenn beim Höhepunkt des Liedes der Vorhang fällt und BelaFarinRod zu erblicken sind. Die Zuschauer tanzen, klatschen, machen sinnfreies mit. Erlauben dürfen sie es sich wie keine Andere. Auch wenn die Songs schon tausend mal gehört worden sind, es ist immer wieder schön. Und es scheint, solange der letzte Nazi auf dieser Welt ist, solange brüllen immer noch tausende Ärzte-Fans "Arschloch" im Refrain von "Schrei nach Liebe", in der Hoffnung, irgendwann mal doch in einer besseren Welt zu leben. Wenn Farin und Bela sich dann noch am Ende von "zu Spät" im Reimen batteln, grüße wieder Richtung Düsseldorf gehen, dann weiß man, dass war eine gute Show. Und ist doch schon enttäuscht, wie schnell zwei Stunden um sein können.

Ein guter Anfang erster Festival-Tag. Wir freuen uns auf noch mehr Party und noch besseres Wetter!

Der Samstag, hier nachzulesen, der Sonntag hier.

mehr Impressionen:

The Sounds:

Blood Red Shoes:

The Futureheads:

Bad Religion:

Martin WhiteTapes

Legendary punk rock band, Bad Religion, will take the stage at etnies’ annual Goofy vs. Regular (GvR) skateboarding contest on Saturday October 4, 2008 in Lake Forest, Calif.

As a leader in the punk rock movement since the 1980’s, Bad Religion’s music has been featured in countless skateboarding videos throughout the years. They will be performing a free private show for the etnies GvR at 8:00 p.m. in the parking lot above the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest. While the concert is free, tickets are required for admission and are available at select etnies retailers throughout Southern California. Stay tuned for more information on tickets for this special performance.

The original 16-track album was, arguably, the punk album of 2007, despite concerns from some fans they had sold out, after the first single “Honest Goodbye” showed a slower, softer side to the band. Such fears were allayed, however, as the album mixed the passion and pace of their eighties’ releases and the precision and song quality of their later albums. The classic Bad Religion sound rings throughout, from the vocal backing “oozin’ aahs”, the fast power-chords, the melodic leads, to the thunderous trademark drumming.

So is it worth fans buying the deluxe edition if they already own the original album? In a word – yes.

Anyone who enjoyed vocalist Greg Graffin’s two solo albums will appreciate the additional acoustic and piano tracks, performed by Graffin and guitarist/songwriter Brett Gurewitz. The acoustic tracks reflect Graffin’s folk and country roots - reminiscent of his “Cold as clay” album from 2006. Of the additional songs, three are completely new and the remainders are versions of songs from their almost 30 years of recordings. Re-recordings of 2002’s “Sorrow” and 1990’s “God Song” display a raw honesty that prove to be a powerful display of how creative this band is. One of the best tracks from the original album, “Dearly beloved” is equally impressive on acoustic guitars. The last track, “Skyscraper”, one of the band’s finest moments, is the highlight of the album - recorded here in the style of American Lesion’s “Cease”.

The DVD features a mini-documentary into the recording of the acoustic tracks, providing an interesting insight into Greg and Brett’s song writing processes. The live concert footage from a free show in Las Vegas last year captures the energy and atmosphere of the band’s live performance quite well; however falls short of 2006’s Live at the Palladium DVD.

DVD aside, the additional tracks alone ensure buying this album is worthwhile. For a band renowned for hard and fast punk rock, the harmonies and superb song writing of the acoustic tracks successfully capture the listener’s imagination, and will create that rare tingly sensation only the most honest and passionate vocals and thought-provoking lyrics can rouse.

If you don’t own the original, this version is well worth the extra few dollars. If you do, buy it anyway, even as a means of injecting more funds into the band’s retirement savings.

Before you read the rest of this post, open another tab and listen to "You're no one if you're not on Twitter" in the background. It's in the little music player at the top of this page. Just a little soundtrack for ya.

And, while you're distracted, go ahead and follow evolvingmusic on Twitter.

Now, not everyone agrees with the merits of twittering as a part of an overall marketing strategy for musicians. I, however, would not only include Twitter in my strategy, I would make it one of the main features.

I know, Twitter can be mildly reminiscent of a 90s chat room sometimes. (I never really understood the appeal there). But instead of creepy old men posing as teenage girls and lonely housewives looking for excitement, it's an entirely different crowd. Twitter is full of intelligent, resourceful, witty people who are passionate about new technology, endlessly curious about a wide range of topics, and more than happy to share helpful information. Twitter has become a great resource for all kinds of things, and perhaps surprisingly, for as-it-happens news as well.

But it seems to me that not very many musicians are taking advantage of this brilliantly simple tool. Yet.

As most of us know by now, the music industry has dug itself into a deeper hole than it can get itself out of for the time being and musicians are pretty much on their own when it comes to creating their own success. Obviously, you need a MySpace Music page. (I hate MySpace. I really do. But it IS necessary for musicians.) Obviously, you need a website, where you post your photos, tour dates, bio, etc. The next steps are also important: your blog (let your fans get to know you), your Facebook page, a Last.fm account, a YouTube channel for your music videos. These are all part of a multi-pronged approach to creating your musical identity online. Let your fans find you in the places where they are already spending their time. Give them the content they are already looking for.

Ok, so if I do all this, do I still need Twitter? Who cares what I had for lunch? Isn't it a waste of my time??

Absolutely not! And here's why.

First, it's another way to broadcast the key things that you already have on your MySpace, Facebook, website etc, like tour dates, album release dates, and what not.

Second, and more importantly, it's a way - similar to blogging - to get more personal. To let your fans get to know you, the person, in addition to you, the musician. Whereas blogging allows you to rant and rave and express your opinions in a very personal way, Twittering (which is technically microblogging), allows for the same thing. Just, you know....in 140 characters or less.

Those who follow you (presumably your fans) are interested in what you have to say, what you are doing, what you are feeling and thinking. They care. Whether you tweet about what city you're in for your tour tomorrow or how much you hate the president today or what color underwear you have on, they care. (And if they decide they don't care, they'll just unfollow you.)

Say important things, say meaningless things, say witty things, ask questions. It's all relevant if it's on your mind.

Next, as a way of rewarding your loyal followers, give them stuff. Much like Obama sent his VIP pick out by text message first, you could announce a small show or party only on Twitter, or include a link to a free download in a tweet so your followers get it first.

Lastly, it's a way to interact with your fans. Ask them for suggestions, like song requests for a set list at an upcoming show. Ask them which songs they like best on your last CD. Let them show their adulation with their @ replies.

One mistake to avoid: Don't let someone else produce your Twitter content for you. Letting a PR manager or college intern or your unemployed roommate write your updates for you will defeat the purpose. Only you can mold your online identity and make it actually you.

Which artists are currently on Twitter? Only a few have caught on so far. Here is a sampling: Snoop Dogg, MC Hammer, Jimmy Eat World, Sara Bareilles, Bjork, Brett Gurewitz (of Bad Religion), A Fine Frenzy, and Patrick Wilson (of Weezer).

No Feeling. No Future. No Fun.
Maledettissimo Punk. Trent'anni dopo, rantola ancora e riaffiora in superficie o sottotraccia un pò ovunque.
I colori verde acido, rosa shocking, giallo fluo e nero opaco. I font e la grafica contemporanea. La moda stracciata, macchiata, borchiata, strappata, stropicciata. Il cinema di Danny Boyle, Spike Jonze, Tim Burton. I racconti di Palahniuk. Il design irriverente di Moooi. Le t-shirt e le Vans dedicate a Johnny Ramone. Le canzoni dei Green Day, Offspring, o Bad Religion. Il glamour nichilista e oppiaceo di Kate Moss e Amy Winehouse, & so on...
Dito medio puntato sempre e comunque contro tutto e tutti.
Da antagonista per definizione, non-genere assoluto, conflittuale, scomodo e inclassificabile che era, il punk oggi deve sopportare l'insopportabile, cioè l'ironico fardello d'esser diventato, suo malgrado, uno stile.

Thanks for the text to Maurizio Marsico.
Thanks for the image to Murilo Grafics and Maybe-thistime Blog.

Thanks for the music punkrock selection from the adolescent diary of Niznoz.

. . . . . .

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sorry for the delay here's some Bad Religion videos

top 5 this week

#1 Sorrow

#2 American Jesus

#3 Punk Rock Song

#4 21th century digital boy

#5 Streets of America

we live and die for friday night!

Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction
VÖ: September 1994 (Atlantic Records)

"Stranger Than Fiction" wurde 1994 als erstes Album von Bad Religion auf einem Majorlabel (Sony/Atlantic Records) und stellt bis heute den grössten kommerziellen Erfolg der Band dar. Bekannte Musiker wie Tim Armstrong (Rancid), Jim Lindberg (Pennywise) und Wayne Kramer (MC5) sind als Gastmusiker vertreten und es ist bis 2001 die letzte Veröffentlichung mit Gitarrist Brett Gurewitz gewesen.

Mit "21st Century Digital Boy" enthält das Album auch einen überarbeiteten Song aus früheren Zeiten, der zumindest während meiner Jugend in jeder vernünftigen Indiedisco (gibts die überhaupt noch?) rauf und runter gespielt wurde.

Das Rätsel um den grossen Erfolg ist eigentlich schnell gelöst... Die achte Platte der Band aus L.A. präsentiert echten Punkrock, jedoch ohne simpel und eintönig zu klingen und wartet mit intelligenten Gesellschaftkritiken auf, die teilweise lyrische Qualität erreichen. Diese Mischung stellt wohl Fans des Punkrocks zufrieden und zieht gleichzeitig Hörer aus weniger speziellen Musikrichtungen an.

Und natürlich weil auf "Stranger Than Fiction" ein Knaller den Nächsten jagt. Es ist ganz einfach so, daß man sich am Ende eines Songs direkt auf den nächsten freut. Oder kann mir jemand einen Song nennen, der zu unrecht auf diesem Album geladet ist? Bad Religion zelebrieren ganz einfach Punkrock auf höchstem Niveau und schaffen es in jedem Song eine Spannung aufzubauen, die der Hörer nur abbauen kann, in dem er die Musik zelebriert, mit dem Zeigefinger die musikalischen Highlights in der Luft markiert, Texte mitsingt, auf dem Tisch trommelt und die Soli mit den Schneidezähnen auf der Unterlippe auf seiner Luftgitarre die imaginären Saiten anschlägt. Die Spannung der Songs, die Geschwindigkeit und Energie, die Symbiose von außergewöhnlichen Texten mit dem für Punkrock anspruchsvollem Songwriting machen.

Denn wer kann schon solchen Perlen wie "Incomplete", "The Handshake", "Infected" und "Hooray For Me" widerstehen? Die meisten Bands bringen Songs dieser Qualität vielleicht ein-, zweimal in ihrer Karriere zustande und Bad Religion, die Teufel, haben ein ganzes verdammtes 17 Songs umfassendes Album damit gefüllt. Diese 17 Songs hauen mit der Faust auf den Tisch, und danach ist Ruhe im Karton! Diese 17 Songs sind zu diesem Zeitpunkt die Essenz des Punkrocks. Diese 17 Songs bilden eindeutig einen Klassiker wie er im Buche steht...

O guardian faz uma breve e interessante história dos 'mosh-pits' (as saudosas 'rodas' nos shows de rock, em bom português). Tem vários vídeos mostrando diferentes tipos de rodas, sendo que eu não vi todos porque a conexão aqui é uma merda com um copo de cajú.

Nesses tempos em que as bandas de rock estão cada vez 'pra dançar' (o que é ótimo, que fique claro) a arte do 'slam dancing' (o famoso 'pogo') vai ficando mais restrita. As rodas são uma excelente descarga de adrenalina e provavelmente o único lugar onde as pessoas podem sair na porrada com camaradagem e sem violência, por mais paradoxal que isso seja (salvo aquelas onde pitboys e afins se fazem presente). Tentei puxar pela memória a última roda da qual participei e creio que foi no show Pennywise+Bad Religion em São Paulo em 2005 (ou seria 2004?). Aliás, as rodas mais memoráveis da minha vida foram nos shows do Bad Religion, me lembro com carinho de um show em 2001 no Metropolitan relativamente vazio onde a roda estava absurdamente grande e selvagem, merecendo inclusive elogios do Greg Graffin.

Não duvido que nos próximos anos volte a ser cool novamente sair na porrada nos shows de rock. Provavelmente a minha época para isso já passou, mas eu tenho uns primos que andam ouvindo umas coisas estranhas tipo NXzero e aprenderão muito com uma boa e velha 'roda'.

Pour une fois, la citation en tête de billet n'est pas du principal intéressé. Ce n'est pourtant pas faute d'avoir cherché, mais que voulez-vous, en matière de musique, les producteurs ont rarement la parole. Et malheureusement, Jerry Finn ne l'aura plus jamais puisqu'il est décédé à 39 ans des suites d'une hémorragie cérébrale : au terme d'un mois de coma, ses proches ont demandé la cessation des soins.

Il laisse derrière lui quantité de contributions dans le monde du punk-rock, Finn ayant travaillé avec Blink 182 (pour Enema of the State), MxPx, Bad Religion, Rancid (sur ...And Out Come the Wolves), Green Day (l'inoubliable Dookie), The Vandals, The Living End (l'album éponyme, leur meilleur), Alkaline Trio, AFI... Un sacré palmarès, complété par un disque de Sparta (une partie des ex-At the Drive-in) et auquel s'ajoutera en 2009 le nouvel album de Morrissey, Years of Refusal.

L'ex-The Smiths avait d'ailleurs déjà bénéficié dans le cadre de You Are the Quarry des talents de Finn. Coup d'ombre pour un homme de l'ombre. Triste ironie.

Discazo que sacaron los Bad Religion allá por el 1994 y que aún hoy me parece uno de los mejores trabajos que ha sacado la banda californiana de punk rock. Reconozco que no soy muy aficionado al punk rock anglosajón, sinceramente me quedo con el punkrock en castellano, euskera, o italiano. Cuestión de gustos, me motivan más estos idiomas. Pero tengo que reconocer que Bad Religion se merecen un puesto de honor dentro de mis Top de bandas favoritas.

Este disco es una gozada, son 15 temazos que hay que disfrutar con el volumen a un nivel cercano a molestar. Destacar que, según la wikipedia: Incluye una nueva versión del tema "21st Century Digital Boy", que ya aparecía en su disco de 1990 Against the Grain.

Bad Religion actuaban en paralelo a las ultrafamosas bandas californianas The Offspring y Green Day, pero sin alcanzar la repercusión mediática que estas dos citadas. Ello siempre les ha connferido más credibilidad y no solo porque me parece que tienen más talento que estas dos bandas más populares. Así que solo me queda recomendar este disco de los Bad Religion, que un poquito de Punk Rock es lo que le da explosión a la gasolina en la música.

The Japanese version of this album includes acoustic versions of two older BR songs: "Sorrow" and "God Song" played by Greg Graffin.

My three favorite songs on this album is:

• Lost Pilgrim
• Requiem for Dissent
• Scrutiny

Most of BR's albums will eventually end up here in AOTW, but this one was the first! :)

Right now I have a lot of problems with the punk/ pop-punk music scenes. It seems like we have developed a suburban white kid version of crunk music. Yes. I think that adequately sums up the level of thought behind the music being made out there this minute. I think there is a thick veneer of blah painted over punk rock music and with only a few glaring exclusions, the entire genre has become what it was originally created to subvert: the commercial music industry.

It's bad enough that all the music in this genre is made with absolutely no thought behind both the music and the lyrics (the lyrics being any random amalgamation of overused cliches and horribly overwrought imagery. Go through their lyrics and see how many songs use words like love, bleed, black, sky, heart, leaving, etc.). What's just as sad is that it all sounds the same. I defy you to try and tell any two of them apart based only on sound. In a time when seemingly every kid in America can afford an instrument it is a real shame that none of them can pick up a book and expand their brains beyond their droll and generally meaningless adolescent existences. Can I get a song decrying the fall of Eastern civilization in general and indigenous culture specifically at the hands of globalization? No? Didn't think so. The big record labels don't want us to care about that because, let's face it... they don't care. But I digress. We aren't here to talk politics (not right now, anyway).

I would really like to know why the bands of the 90s didn't have a greater effect on the music of the 2000s. That is, after all, how music has grown over the centuries. New genres and artists build upon the works that they listened to growing up and alter them slightly to create something new. Why aren't we seeing this in the new punk rock scene? It seems people are more interested in making money for moneymaking's sake than they are in producing an art that makes some sort of definitive statement. I fail to understand how the kids who grew up listening to bands like The Anniversary, The Get Up Kids, Anti-Flag, Bad Religion, and others can produce such boring, uninspired and insipid music. Hell, even when you throw in the influence of the less serious (or less "emo" bands) of the 90s such as Lagwagon, Millencollin and NOFX there is still no evidence of that influence in modern music. None of the tongue in cheek humor or melody driven pot shots at various public policies, political figures or social issues.

Fortunately for those of us who care about this sort of thing, many of these bands are still around in some form or another. But what will happen when these bands retire (or in the case of NOFX, when their livers fail in the middle of their 1 millionth tour)? Who will give us something to simultaneously think about and scream along with at the top of our lungs? I say it is time for someone to step up to the plate and take us back a few years in the way of punk rock music.  Sure, there are a few acts out there that are holding it down better than the rest (Strike Anywhere, The Explosion, to a lesser extent Rise Against), but the presence of a few good bands in a sea of mediocrity is just not good enough.