What more can really be said about Mouthpiece at this point? I’m sure you know their story and how influential they were on 1990′s straight edge hardcore that didn’t sound like Pantera or some emo bullshit. This CD has everything I could ever think to include and more in reverse order, from their final recording on the Antimatter Fanzine compilation all the way back to very early live tracks that never made it to the studio.

Most of Mouthpiece’s records have held up at least moderately well. Some parts of Face Tomorrow remind me too much of Dag Nasty or Chain of Strength, but With This Regret is pretty awesome. In high school, a jock once commented about my Face Tomorrow era shirt (with a band pic on the back) that “those guys look gayer than you.” So says the dude who plays the sports where they slap each other on the butt. What Was Said was definitely the high point for the band, with a heavy influence from Judge. The very pointed lyrical content has always moved me (especially Nothing There…see this month’s podcast for the story) and the record sounds fresh with a bit of a remix. The first seven inch has a few not as good songs (Can We Win especially), but Frame is a monster, a furious, pissed off, straight edge song. I’ve always loved the lyrical picture of “a mold, a frame…” Various compilation tracks top this discography off. This is essential for fans of straight edge hardcore and a highlight especially for those of us who grew up in New Jersey.

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Playlist

Dead Kennedys-We’ve Got A Bigger Problem Now
The Snobs-Take Your Side

No Tolerance-Pay The Cost
Framtid-Stay Against

Agnostic Front-Your Mistake
Urban Waste-Reject
Judge-Forget This Time

Battalion of Saints-Modern Day Hero
Breathing Fire-Gates of Ivory
Suicidal Tendencies-Won’t Fall In Love Today

Black Flag-Can’t Decide

TSOL-Property is Theft

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1. 1.6 Band, Self Titled LP, USA, 1992
2. Acme, Self Titled 7″, Belgium, 1994
3. All Chrome, Flounders Flyers College & Canada LP, USA, 1999
4. Arms Reach, Self Titled 7″, Australia, 1998
5. Assuck, State To State 7″, USA, 1993
6. Aus-Rotten, Fuck Nazi Sympathy, USA, 1994
7. Bastard, Wind Of Pain LP, Japan, 1990
8. Bikini Kill, The Anti-Pleasure Dissertation 7″, USA, 1995
9. Born Against, Industrial Relations Department 7″, USA, 1990
10. Breakdown, Blacklisted LP, USA, 1997
11. Burn, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1990
12. By The Grace Of God, For The Love Of Indie Rock 7″, USA, 1996
13. Charles Bronson, Youth Attack LP, USA, 1997
14. Citizens Arrest, A Light In The Darkness 7″, USA, 1990
15. Chopping Block, Grizzly Fetish 7″, USA, 1991
16. Cop Out, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1993
17. Crossed Out, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1991
18. Crown Of Thornz, Train Yard Blues 12″, USA, 1995
19. Dead Nation, Face The Nation 7″, USA, 1998
20. Deadguy, Work Ethic 7″, USA, 1994
21. Death Side, Bet On The Possibility LP, Japan, 1991
22. Devoid Of Faith, Purpose: Lost 10″, USA, 1999
23. Disclose-Tragedy LP, Japan, 1994
24. Down But Not Out, Demo, USA, 1998
25. DropDead, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1992
26. Electric Wizard, Come My Fanatics LP, England, 1996
27. Endpoint, In A Time Of Hate LP, USA, 1990
28. Eyeball, More Days To Come LP, Germany, 1998
29. Eyehategod, In The Name Of Suffering LP, USA, 1992
30. Face Value, Coming Of Age 7″, USA, 1990
31. Fastbreak, Where It Lies 7″, USA, 1997
32. Fit For Abuse, Mindless Violence 7″, USA, 1995
33. Floor, Dove LP, USA, 1994
34. Floorpunch, Goal Line Stand Demo, USA, 1995
35. Four One One, This Isn’t Me LP, USA, 1991
36. Fu Manchu, The Action Is Go LP, USA, 1997
37. Full Speed Ahead, Demo, USA, 1998
38. Gauze, Kao O Aratte Denaoshite Koi LP, Japan, 1997
39. Get High, Demo, USA, 1996
40. Gordon Solie Mother Fuckers, Chairshot Politics 7″, USA, 1998
41. H-100′s, Distort Cleveland 7″, USA, 1995
42. Hatchetface, Volume Two LP, USA, 1995
43. Haywire, Private Hell LP, USA, 1990
44. Heroin, Paper Bag 7″, USA, 1992
45. His Hero Is Gone, Fifteen Counts Of Arson LP, USA, 1997
46. Huggy Bear, Don’t Die 7″, England, 1993
47. Human Remains, Using Sickness As A Hero CD, USA, 1996
48. The Icemen, Rest In Peace 7″, USA, 1991
49. In My Eyes, Demo, USA, 1997
50. Infest, Mankind 7″, USA, 1991
51. Inmates, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1995
52. Integrity, Humanity Is The Devil 10″, USA, 1996
53. Into Another, Ignaurus LP, USA, 1994
54. Jello Biafra With DOA, Last Screams Of The Missing Neighbors LP, USA/Canada, 1990
55. Judge, The Storm 7″, USA, 1991
56. Kiss It Goodbye, She Loves Me…She Loves Me Not LP, USA, 1997
57. Laughing Hyenas, Crawl 7″, USA, 1992
58. Leeway, Desperate Measures LP, USA, 1991
59. Los Crudos/Spitboy, Split LP, USA, 1994
60. Madball, Dropping Many Suckers 7″, USA, 1992
61. Mainstrike, Times Still Here 7″, Netherlands, 1995
62. Man Is The Bastard, Sum Of The Men 12″, USA, 1992
63. Man Lifting Banner, Ten Inches That Shock The World LP, Netherlands, 1992
64. Mouthpiece, What Was Said LP, USA, 1994
65. Mukilteo Fairies, Closet Check 7″, USA, 1993
66. Neanderthal, Fighting Music 7″, USA, 1990
67. Neurosis, The Word As Law LP, USA, 1990
68. No Comment, Downsided 7″, USA, 1992
69. No Escape, Demo, USA, 1990
70. Out Cold, Self Titled LP, USA, 1994
71. Paintbox, Screaming Shouting Crying LP, Japan, 1999
72. Poison Idea, Feel The Darkness LP, USA, 1990
73. Puncture Wound, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1999
74. Quicksand, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1990
75. Ringworm, Demo, USA, 1991
76. Ripping Corpse, Dreaming With The Dead LP, USA, 1991
77. Rollins Band, The End Of Silence LP, USA, 1992
78. Rorschach, Protestant LP, USA, 1992
79. Rupture, Righteous Fuck 7″, Australia, 1991
80. S.D.S., Scum System Kill 7″, Japan, 1996
81. S.O.D., Speak Swedish Or Die 7″, Sweden, 1990
82. Saint Vitus, Die Healing LP, USA, 1995
83. Septic Death, Theme From Ozobozo LP, USA, 1992
84. Skewbald/Grand Union, Self Titled 7″, USA, 1991
85. Sleater Kinney, Dig Me Out LP, USA, 1997
86. Sleep, Sleep’s Holy Mountain LP, USA, 1993
87. Spazz/Black Army Jacket, Split 7″, USA, 1997
88. Speak 714, The Scum Also Rises 7″, USA, 1999
89. Sportswear, It Runs Deep 7″, Norway, 1998
90. Supertouch, The Earth Is Flat LP, USA, 1990
91. Talk Is Poison, Straight To Hell 7″, USA, 1998
92. Team Dresch, Personal Best LP, USA, 1995
93. True Blue, Demo, Germany, 1998
94. Turning Point, It’s Always Darkest Before The Dawn LP, USA, 1991
95. Verbal Assault, On 12″, USA, 1990
96. Voorhees, Spilling Blood Without Reason LP, England, 1994
97. Warhead, Cry Of Truth LP, Japan, 1991
98. Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh! – The Record, Compilation 7″, International, 1991
99. Forever, Compilation 7″, USA, 1991
100. Rebuilding, Compilation 7″, USA, 1991

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How did you end up in Ten Yard Fight?

That’s a good question. It all started in the summer of 1995. I had gotten out of the Army the summer before and my life just kind of sucked. I had a lot of personal problems and I needed a change. I got back into Straight Edge when I got out of the Army and I started going to shows again now that I had a lot more freedom to do what I wanted. Well, in the spring of 95, my mother was getting transferred to Boston and, like I said, I needed a change in my life so she was like, I could move to Boston with her and live rent free and to go to school up here. So I figured I had nothing to lose, plus I always remembered Boston having a good scene with Slapshot and Wrecking Crew, so I did it. The thing was, while I was in the Army, I kept listening to the hardcore that I loved like Youth Of Today, Judge, Gorilla Biscuits, and stuff like that. When I got home nobody was really playing that anymore. I ended up meeting Rama at school and he told me about Ten Yard Fight being like all the bands that I loved, and through him I met Anthony P. and Sweet Pete, and then I went to a party at the 38 house and met Lacroix and Wrench. So I was hanging out with Lacroix, helping him with Extent, and going to a few shows around here with them, using my mom’s car to take equipment, and selling merch. Then on my twenty forth birthday I went on a road trip to New Jersey with Ten Yard Fight and got to hang out with all of them and I told them that I wanted to go on tour with them, even though they weren’t planning on taking anyone. I went on the first tour, took care of the money and merch, and carried equipment. After we got back I just kept doing that and started handling booking and keeping that shit in order. When John broke his hand last year I filled in on bass for two shows. By the time the summer tour was rolling around we still didn’t have a steady lineup, and the tour was a month away. I was going on the tour anyways, so they decided that John would try out to play guitar and I would have a try out at bass. We already knew that we could all get along, it was just to see if either of us could play. We decided that we would do it with the lineup of me on bass and John on guitar for at least the tour, and when we got back we just kept it.

How long were you in the Army for?

I was in the Army for four years.

What made you go into the Army? Was it a good experience for you?

My senior year in high school I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, and my best friend had already joined. I asked him about it and he set up an interview with a recruiter for me. The recruiter came to my house and told me all about the benefits and I kinda just joined. About three months later I left for basic training and this was during the whole Iraq thing. I finished basic training and went on to advanced training where you learn your job. I worked in communications and while I was at advanced training the bombing of Iraq started. I had orders to go over there, but the war was over so fast I never had to go. After that, I was sent to Germany for two years which was really cool. I was nineteen years old, right out of high school, and I got to go all around Europe. After that I went to Colorado for the rest of my time in the Army. I got to see a lot of awesome stuff the whole time I was in and I had a lot of fun. It definitely isn’t a life for everyone, and sometimes I’m surprised that I made it through as easily as I did, but it was a really good experience for me.

What is going on with Ten Yard Fight right now?

Well we recently got a new guitar player. His name is Tim and he moved to Boston from Maine just to be in the band. He was the first kid we tried out, and then we went to Europe, and when we got back he was still available. We figured that since he could play the songs and hang out and get along with us he was our man. The sad thing is that not too many people expressed interest in trying out or if they did, they lived a million miles away. It would be hard enough to just pick up and move, but these kids don’t think about a place to live or jobs or anything. Plus they have to come here to try out first and then we’d have to think about it. But Tim is in; he’s working out really well. We weren’t going to play any shows until the end of April but he’s working out so well that we got asked to play at the end of March and we’re doing it. So basically we are just practicing a lot and trying to write new songs. We have a new one we’re gonna play at our next show. We are also trying to get our summer tour plans together for a full US tour and hopefully when we get back we’ll record a seven inch for Equal Vision.

Where do you go to school?

I went to Northeastern University majoring in music industry. I stopped going after the last quarter, it just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. I may go back later on, but Northeastern i so expensive, I really can’t afford it anymore, and a lot of the classes I was taking were not teaching me anything I haven’t learned from being in and around bands.

Recently, this has been on my mind a lot. What do you think of people who talk shit under fake names on the internet? A lot of people talk shit about people like Tim McMahon, Susan Wills, um…me, and occasionally I see it about Ten Yard Fight too.

I’m really glad you asked about that. That is by far the lamest thing you could possibly do, pretend to be someone and try to bring that person down by spreading lies. It is no different than telling lies to anyone within earshot or lying in a fanzine. Actually, it is worse because I think it is easier to access the message boards than it is to get a little fanzine of about one hundred copies. Kids from all around the world can read this shit. I think the internet is an important tool when it is used for its intended purpose: to get information out to a lot of people. But when these fakes use it to gain a little fame from their friends, it is such bullshit.

If you go on and say you are Lacroix, or Tim, or little Jimmy Straight Edge and talk trash about bands or spread lies, you are such a fucking coward. Didn’t those Youth Of Today lyrics you learned so you could impress your friends by showing them how “old school” you are when the Youth Of Today covers get played at the shows. Take a fucking stand. Speak up! Stand up and say what you got to say, don’t hide behind some lame pseudonym or even worse-someone else’s name. I know, I always put posts as The Clevo, but you’ll always see my email address on the EVR board. If I say something that pisses someone off, I expect to hear about it, and will accept the full consequences of my actions if I am called on my shit.

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Playlist
Little Rascals-No Shirt No Shoes No Dice
97a-It’s In Our Power

Fury-Space Love
Hands Tied-Rearrange
Fit For Abuse-Nuclear Threat
Shark Attack-On The Attack
Ten Yard Fight-First & Ten

The Evens-All The Governors
Signal Lost-Blueprints For Babylon
Negative FX-Protester
Lion Of Judah-War Of Souls
Restless Youth-Already Dead

Icepick-Angels N Demons
Bold-Speak Out
Judge-No Apologies
Righteous Jams-The Fight Your Game

Siege-Grim Reaper
DRI-Reaganomics
Spazz-Donger

Mental-DFJ’s Diary
Knife Fight-America’s Hardcore
Soul Swallower-Dead Fall
Low Profile Threat-Untitled
Tragedy-Product Of A Cold War Depression
Direct Control-Ronnie’s Dead

Splitting Headache-School Of Life Drop Out
Mind Eraser-Thawed Out
Frank Castle Gonna Break Your Neck!-Fuck Your Flag
Look Back & Laugh-Violent Coercion

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I remember Victory sending out a newsletter sometime in 1996, probably the summer, about their new releases.  The usual garbage like Snapcase and Earth Crisis had new releases, the One Life Crew controversy was covered, and there was an announcement about a new band called By The Grace Of God.  This band was supposed to have members of Endpoint and apparently had recently played their first show, playing three songs and a Judge cover.  At the time of course crap like Snapcase was huge, real hardcore bands like Devoid Of Faith and Floorpunch were starting to gain momentum, so hearing dudes from Endpoint were doing a band that covered Judge was a good thing.

I got the 7” shortly after.  I was pretty floored by it.  It sounded, by the time period’s standards, pretty “modern” but was still hardcore and a definite return to the older Endpoint style.  Throw in a cover of fucking Plastic Bomb on the CD and I knew this band was good.

I saw them live twice.  One at Manville Elks Lodge with the scab version of Deadguy & C.R.. The other time was of course at the infamous show in Yardley PA.  I actually missed the whole thing!  Our friends in the band Rad opened the show but then Saves The Day was playing so I walked down to the Wawa at the end of the street.  By the time I had come back everything had happened.  Whoops.

By The Grace Of God would go on to record another record for Victory and then one more record on a smaller label.  Members of this band have gone on to be in Black Cross, Good Riddance, and Elliot.

Here is an mp3 of Fissures.

These songs are posted for sample purposes.  I post them so that people can be turned on to cool music and hopefully return the favor for someone else.  Each mp3 will be up for one week and then will be taken down. please support the bands and labels by buying these records and checking them out when they play your town.  DIY hardcore punk bands deserve your support as an alternative to Clear Channel/MTV/RIAA nonsense. 

If you are the artist or copyright holder for this song and would like it removed please email me and it will be removed in a timely manner.

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This interview was conducted at the basketball court down the street from the New Providence Hall during Ensign’s set. Also present were myself and one of ROTP’s friends named Lee. I think I asked one question. John and Justin handled the rest. Ronny Little and Matt Smith give answers.

Who is in the band and what do they do?

Ronny-Right now it’s me, Ronny Little, I sing. Matt Smith plays bass; Chris Ross plays Drums, Justin Phillips and DII on guitars.

When did you start as a band and what was the purpose?

Ronny-Well, I started the band in the summer of 1994 because a lot of bands today aren’t playing the style of hardcore that I want to be hearing except for Mouthpiece and a few others. I just decided that it was time for me to take a whack at this hardcore thing because I’ve done bands but I never actually wrote the music that we were playing. This time I was actually writing the music and I learned how to play guitar, so I could be in a band where I liked the music.

Did any of your other bands ever release anything?

Ronny-I was in a bunch of shitty bands that started out good but they ended up playing really lame shit and that’s why I wanted to learn how to play guitar, so we could go through the process and not write lame songs. So then, I got my shit together, and Rain On The Parade is the first band I’m completely happy with.

We know Rain On The Parade is a Half Off song, but why did you pick that song to name your band after?

Ronny-I was listening to a lot of Half Off when I was starting to write all of the songs. Actually, our original name was Glue, but we decided that a lot of bands use that, like punk bands, but that was before Justin. It was Glue when it was just me and DII and these two guys who really didn’t care about the band. So as soon as they were out DII and I were looking for new members but nothing really came together until the summer of 95 and that’s when we changed our name to Rain On The Parade.

What do you think is the worst hardcore record of all time?

Ronny-I’ll let Matt go first since he’s been silent.

Matt-This list is too long.

Ronny-Probably one of the bands I was in during high school.

Matt-Any band that played before Stand Up played; the bands that didn’t even headline over Stand Up were the worst.

Ronny-Unisound was a really shitty club in Reading PA that all the worst bands would play, but it was cool because all the worst bands would get to play with good bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Token Entry, Judge, Turning Point. I’d have to say that the Unisound bands were the worst hardcore bands around. I really want to choose someone but I can’t. It’s weird because I always knock bands left and right but when somebody asks me I can’t remember the shitty band’s names.

How about the cheesiest bands?

Ronny-Matt think back, what are some really bad records you’ve brought?

Matt-Billingsgate.

Ronny-Billingsgate, yeah! And Even Score, they got it; they are even cheesier than Victory Records shit.

This leads to our next question-Are there any Victory bands that you like?

Matt-By The Grace Of God

Ronny-Yeah, By The Grace Of God; they’re the only band I’d say I like

Do you guys like Murphy’s Law?

Both-Yeah I love Murphy’s Law!

The reason why we asked that is because a lot of people that are straight edge today are so close minded, they say, well Murphy’s Law aren’t edge so we can’t listen to them.

Matt-That’s dumb. I’m straight edge

Ok here we go with the generic style-Do you guys skate?

Matt-Yeah, I skate

Ronny-I skated in high school but I was never really good.

What was the downfall of glam rock?

Matt-Grunge. When grunge became cool and mullets weren’t. People traded in their construction boots and Ratt t-shirts for Soundgarden shirts and Docs. That was the downfall of glam rock.

Ronny-I think the downfall of glam was just how conservative the 90′s got all of a sudden. The 80′s were very wild, the styles were ugly, the crazy patterns and florescent colors. The 90′s we are seeing a lot of bands not wearing costumes on stage. I mean, Twisted Sister-look at them. You know that they don’t walk down the street like that. You know that they don’t walk in for Thanksgiving dinner like that and go HI MOM! in their makeup and big hair and plus I think that glam was just bad. People in the 90′s just woke up.

What do you think of Ebonics?

Ronny-Ebonics? I thought we were talking about hardcore?

Matt-Speak English. Ebonics is a thing people learned like five years ago. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.

Ronny-I know that, that is the way people talk in the ghetto and stuff but sometimes I hear it at a hardcore show.

Matt-I worked in Philly with mostly people from the ghetto and that is how they spoke and I refused to listen to them when they started speaking in Ebonics. I would always be saying “what?” Then they would speak white boy or something and they would explain it to me. They can speak English but they choose not to.

Ronny-I think it’s a racist thing to be honest, you know I don’t think racism is something that is reserved for white people. I’ve seen a lot of fucked up shit and I think that it’s just one more barrier that they are putting between us. I’m speaking a language that I was taught in school; they can be speaking it too. I understand that there is a lot of animosity, that’s fine, actually that’s not fine because I’m not glad it’s there. But they could make it a little easier, I’m not saying all people are like that though. When I hear it at a hardcore show I know that these kids lived in suburban homes and stuff like that. Ebonics just separates people, I don’t know why we can’t just speak the same language.

What band best represents hardcore?

Ronny-Minor Threat or SSD

Who would win in a no holds barred steel cage match, Barney or Grimace?

Ronny-Grimace has that retard strength. There is a reason why dinosaurs are extinct, they were weak. Grimace will pound his ass!

What is Grimace?

Ronny-Grimace is a facial expression, not a purple whatever the hell he is

Before you mentioned Minor Threat was the best representation of hardcore, what do you think of Embrace?

Ronny-I like Embrace

How about Fugazi?

Matt-They’re alright, I mean they never set out to be a hardcore band

What about the whole no dancing thing?

Matt-They aren’t really a danceable band. People see them as an alternative band. I mean, why would you want to dance to Fugazi anyway?

Ronny-I think they play good rock and have been consistent at it for years. Every album they have recorded has been either good or at least ok. Repeater is awesome!

What about Black Flag? What do you think of the rumors of a reunion?

Ronny-I love Black Flag! Is that reunion thing happening? I’ve been hearing about that for years. If they came around to Philly I’d definitely see them. I’d be the first one out, whipping out my credit card and getting tickets from Ticketron.

What do you think happened to Rerun?

Ronny-I think The Doobie Brothers beat his ass after he tried-

Matt-To bootleg tapes and when they saw the tape recorder fall out, they stopped the show. Then they went to Rob’s place and worked it out.

What’s up next for you guys?

Matt-We recorded nine songs and eight of them are on our 7” that is out on My War Records.

How about a full length?

Matt-It was supposed to be out as a full length but it got messed up. Most of the songs weren’t ready so we will try to do that next.

This question is kind of awkward, but if you could see any band do a cover of any band, who would it be and what song?

Ronny-I’m not really big on covers, you know what, I would like to see our band cover Rain On The Parade!

So Ronny, is that Government Issue song named after you?

Ronny-(totally clueless) Sarge?

Nevermind…

Ronny-When Government Issue was playing I was listening to Van Halen and AC/DC so I don’t know.

Most important question of the night-Favorite Van Halen singer?

Ronny-You don’t even have to ask that. Let me make this clear, there was only one Van Halen singer and that is David Lee Roth. They were Van Hagar when David left ok?

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• Weapon X opened and sounded good. Of course, at the time anything that was not “metal” sounded good to us. Something about body bags and all that stuff you know? They busted out two covers at the end of their set, Insecurity by Turning Point and In My Way by Judge. They sold shirts (with the Calvin edge logo that I think is on the ep too if I remember correctly) and had 200 clear vinyl eps. I got a shirt and an ep. About a year later, in one of my first eBay sales, I sold both for a lot of money.

• In My Eyes and Fastbreak got crazy reactions if I remember correctly. Those early In My Eyes shows were pretty amazing. Fastbreak were still good at this point.

• I remember Justin buying, for both of us, the Time Flies and Count Me Out demos. At the time they were just two more youth crew bands to us, I never would have thought both would get as big as they did.

• This was also the first show with the new lineup (I think?) for Hands Tied. I remember being really excited but not many other people watched them! Despite all the cool shows in the summer of 1997, two big things were missing for most of the summer: Hands Tied and Floorpunch. We went outside to go to the car (for some reason we packed our lunches for this show!?!) and Justin and I overheard a couple “scenesters” openly talking shit about Hands Tied. This bummed me out hard. I wish 26-year-old Bill could go back and let 17-year-old Bill know that he had better be prepared for many bum outs in the next few years.

• Despite the lure of singing along to the words hope is good, don’t do drugs, we skipped Shutdown to go get something to drink down the street at Quick Check. On the way down the street, we saw some workers cleaning up a nasty car accident. This older woman was standing on the curb, so we asked her what happened. We started talking and she, surprisingly, started asking us about “the concert at the lodge.” We made small talk for a few minutes and she seemed to really get where we were coming from. I remember feeling really good about that.

• I do not remember anything special about Ensign’s set. I probably saw them about twenty times that year, so most of it is a bit blurry.

• We did not bother watching Good Riddance. Well, Courtney may have; I know I stayed outside and tracked down Nate for Weapon X interview below.

For a long time this was the only Weapon X interview ever done, but apparently someone in Europe did one a few years later too. Present for this was Nate, myself, Justin, Pete Smith, and Justin’s sister Courtney. This is an amusing interview for me; the comments certain interviewers make in here would seemed ridiculous shortly after. Courtney’s brief cameo near the end of the interview would become a Manahawkin catch phrase for a while after. Sorry Courtney; we were assholes back then, especially me.

Bill-Who is in Weapon X?

Weapon X is Nate Edge on vocals, Chris Youth on bass, Positive Paulie on drums, and Shaun Edge on guitar

Bill-Are you gonna play more shows?

I want to

Bill-I haven’t gone off like that since Redemption 87, and that was the first band of the day!

Awesome

Pete-In My Way did it for me

Bill-Turning Point and Judge covers

It was good people were singing along because I couldn’t remember part of it…

Pete-My day isn’t complete without listening to the Judge 7”

I always mix up verses

Bill-Who from Strength 691 is in Weapon X?

Just me

We bullshit for a couple minutes…eventually the conversation gets into this dick measuring crap about hockey. I was not too into this back then and I really cannot stand it now.

Justin-Ronny Little was saying how the Flyers were going to win it all but they went down.

Pete-The Flyers and Rangers can both go down. Now the Devils on the other hand…

Justin-Yeah

Bill-Here we go again…

I’m all about New Jersey but I’m just not a Devils fan…not really a big sports fan

Bill-With the Turning Point cover a lot of people seemed to not know it or even the Judge cover. What do you think of that?

Doesn’t really bother me… I did Judge because, well…Judge is Judge! The thing with Turning Point is I love Turning Point ever since I first heard them. They’re so awesome; I always wanted to cover them. The closest I came was Strength 691 was going to cover Guidance but we never got around to it.

Bill-Has Ensign been supportive?

Tim pretends to hate it

Justin-That’s so you stay in Ensign!

Bill-You’re like Porcell…in so many bands

I told Tim some of the stuff is four to five years old. I had stuff written for a long time. I really wanted to do vocals for old school straight edge hardcore. I had people but I would get a guitarist and by the time I got bass the guitarist would’ve sold out.

Justin-You have a striking resemblance to Jimmy Gestapo…just a little

It’s the glasses; I have pictures of us hanging out

Justin-Awesome guy

Bill-Jimmy rules

Take them off and you get Civ

Bill-Yeah, wow

Justin-RJ…(Laughs)

Bill-Our friend RJ looks so much like Porcell

Awesome

The conversation turns towards band reunions. Judge and Wide Awake come up; Justin makes some embarrassing comments about loving Wide Awake.

Justin-What do you think about old bands getting back together?

Let’s put it this way…one minute you’re in your face straight edge, supporting the scene, and when the scene went bad they broke up and now their back for the money. I don’t want to name names…

Bill-That’s our job!

That’s what Ressurection on the demo is about

Justin-Never seen the demo

Real small press

Bill-Are all two hundred seven inches clear?

Yeah

Bill-Are you going to do a 2^nd press?

I want it to be like a Schism release…like New York Crew…if someone else wanted to repress it I’d be into it but I’m not going to

Bill-Is Weapon X going to be playing any of the Ensign/Good Riddance tour dates?

No because they’ll all be here and I’ll be on tour

Bill-Be funny if you played to the pop-punk kids…

That’d be awesome; the guys in Redemption 87, when they were out here for that weekend, said Weapon X should fly out, the kids would love it.

Bill-They’re playing their last show tonight

Justin-That’s funny because when Redemption 87 came out here Eric said New Jersey was the best place he’d ever played

Pete-Zoli said the same thing when Ignite came here, he said in California the kids have no energy

Well New Jersey is the best

Pete-When my brother came home from California with Hogan’s Heroes two years ago he said they loved them, especially at Gilman St.

Bill-Did you see Justin’s construction gloves?

Yes they’re awesome. I was going to get a pair but didn’t have time

Bill-You need chains and construction gloves for the whole Judge thing

I think I’m going to go for the whole Underdog thing and get football jerseys

Justin (suddenly peaking up)-Play Frontside Grind!!!

I wanted to do Back To Back

Bill-Play Say It!

Can’t…

Bill-During Ensign’s set Tim was like “you want to hear Say It?” and everyone was like YEAH and then he’d say “nope”

Bill-What happened during Shutdown’s set? We weren’t here…

Stupid shit

Justin-There was some kid raving tonight

Bill-Our whole high school is ravers

Courtney-I’m in the middle school, I’m not a raver

Pete-You could exchange their skate shirts for an Earth Crisis shirt because they already have the pants and shoes, you wouldn’t know the difference

Bill-I can’t tell sometimes

I remember when I started skating everyone was into hardcore

Justin-Token Entry

Bill-Ok, let’s finish up

Thanks for the interview; we had a great time tonight, awesome show

Justin-What do you think is the worst hardcore record ever?

Hmm…gotta think on this one

Bill-New Strife?

Pete-I’d have to go with Billingsgate

Bill-Ray and Porcell…that record just sucks

Yeah that would get my vote definitely. Ok I have to go help load

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What more can really be said about Judge that has not already been said? This discography contains all of their released material- NY Crew Ep, Bringin It Down LP, Chung King Can Suck It LP, There Will Be Quiet… EP, plus a couple demo tracks. All of this is great and all, but I have a problem-Why isn’t the complete demo on here? Oh wait, they need a “bonus track” for the vinyl. What a bunch of bullshit. It’s called a fucking “discography” for a reason. Why would I shell out more money for three more songs I have had for years on tape? Duh, uh, no. At least Revelation didn’t remix/otherwise fuck with this stuff like when they ruined the Youth of Today and Chain of Strength records with shitty remixes/new layouts. It would be nice to have that WNYU set on CD also. I still think that is the best recording of Judge out there. My small (and really they are small) complaints aside, this is essential material whether you are straight edge or just like good hardcore. NY Crew is essential. Bringin It Down has not held up too well for more, but having Chung King on CD is also nice. I have always preferred that version for whatever reason.

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