Henry n' HR: The Bad Brains' 'Pay to Cum' has never sounded so brilliant

Henry Rollins and HR with Andy's brother, Ed, stage right. (Anna Summa photo)

Since the above photo generated much discussion on the Black Flag Facebook page this week, we now give you the lowdown on that gig for the ages:

By Andy

HR and the Bad Brains were in full swing, absolutely raging to the ferocious punk-rock beat, when some guy turned around and yelled, "What's PMA stand for?"

"Positive Mental Attitude!" I blasted back, but I'm not sure if the guy heard me over the roaring vocals, guitars and drums -- all steamrolling toward us with such finesse that all other bands that evening seemed useless.

And when Henry Rollins joined the band on stage for the finale, "Pay to Cum," forget about it. Nothing could top that.

The night was March 12, 1982. The place was the Ukrainian Cultural Center on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Seven bucks for the Bad Brains, Bad Religion, the Lewd and Jody Foster's Army. A powerhouse bill that was hard to beat.

JFA's "Blatant Localism" EP had been a staple on mine and brother Ed's turntable for awhile, so we were stoked to hear "Beach Blanket Bongout" and other tunes live. If my memory serves me correctly, singer Brian Brannon displayed his own version of double-fisting during JFA's set: mic in one hand and a joint in the other.

We also had our eyes on the Lewd that night since its "American Wino" LP was one of our faves, as well. J. Sats Beret whined and gargled his way through the set to our approval, and bassist Olga de Volga and the rest of the SF crew powered things home.

Unfortunately, the cops were up next as they crashed the party-- to our disapproval-- and threatened to pull the plug on the gig because of some problems with the punks outside. After a long wait, and much worrying that we wouldn't get to see the Bad Brains, things were sorted out and the cops toddled off into the night.

Bad Religion then ripped through its set of favorites -- I believe the brilliant "New Leaf" was in there -- but most of us were already leap-frogging the locals' time in the spotlight for what awaited us next.

Yes, Washington, DC's Bad Brains were in the house, and they tore it up in some spots and slowed it down reggae-style in others. And Mr. Rollins and HR brought it all home with a bang in the end.

But that would not be the last we'd hear from those four bands.

A few weeks later, the Bad Brains did it again as they joined the Circle Jerks, Circle One and Public Nuisance for a gig at Devonshire Downs. I'd see the BB's a few more times over the years, but they were never as potent as those first two times in '82. That ROIR cassette still gets some serious airplay around mine and Carrie's home.

JFA surfaced in the LA area again a few months later with Battalion of Saints (!) and the Blades at Bob's Place. I saw them again later at the Whisky, and many years down the road with Carrie at the Hey Punk! festival in Seattle as Brannon traded in his "green" for a piano on some songs. Fu Manchu did "Bongout" right with a solid cover.

We all know what happened to Bad Religion-- some good songs and a lot of average ones that led them into the mainstream. I used to be afraid of my parents seeing their "cross-buster" logo on fliers that adorned the bedroom wall, but it eventually didn't shock as much over time. It's still hard for them to best "New Leaf" in my mind.

The Lewd has also stayed with me over time: I've seen them three times up here in Seattle (where they started out), including two nights straight at the old Breakroom. Beret's body and vocal cords are a bit worn these days, but he can still bring it. "Public Execution" is one of their great "lost" songs and "Dressed in Black" is a stunner.

As for Henry, he did his Black Flag thing well, but a few months after his HR pairing, he crowded up to the stage with us for a Minor Threat gig at Dancing Waters in San Pedro and sang along with Ian MacKaye on "Seeing Red" like he owned the song. Another killer night with Hank and another one of his DC brethren hit the spot for us punk-rock faithful.

A Metal Frenzy with Black Breath and Crew at the Comet Tavern

Black Breath in action. (All Cat Rose pics)

By Cat

The Comet Tavern in Seattle may be way too small to fit another Black Breath gig.  Apparently, it was advertised in a local newspaper as the "place to be" that night, but as far as our crew is concerned, a Black Breath gig is always where it’s at. And Friday night’s gig (1/27/12) did not disappoint.

We got there early to secure our entrance, a little too early-- the tables were still out, which they quickly removed entirely along with most of the chairs.  Usually they will just move the tables sideways for crowded shows, but for this one, they had to completely go. 

Occult SS, above and below.

It was quickly packed as the first band hit the stage, Occult SS, who powered through their hard-hitting set.  Next up, Leatherhorn, who almost knocked it out of the park with singer Jeff swaying, screaming, screeching and sweating on and at the crowd.  Third was Scourge Schematic, loading the bases with the crowd in tow, and then the Grand Slam: Black Breath.

Leatherhorn, top and bottom.



Scourge Schematic, above and below.

Black Breath worked it as they always do with a new guitar player to boot (at least since the last time we saw them).  As they blasted out their set, I had no choice but to get into the crowd with my SLR and work my way to the front, got up on a chair and was there for a few songs, then eventually was knocked down. But the bruises that are still with me today (5 days later) were totally worth it.  My neck also paid the price for the continuous head banging (when not taking photos), but seriously, whose wouldn't?

And here are some of the Black Breath results, enjoy:

A chat with Ian MacKaye: From Minor Threat to Fugazi to fatherhood

Ian MacKaye at Dischord House. (Pat Graham photo)

"I feel like right now while we're talking, there's some kids, if they're not already playing it, they're cookin' it up-- it's comin', can't be stopped. And if it can be stopped, then we wouldn't be talking, because I wouldn't have been able to do it back then. It's never over."

By Andy

Ian MacKaye is never at a loss for words -- he's about as outspoken and insightful as they come on music (above quote), life, politics and whatever else comes down the pike.

The Washington, DC native, who will turn 50 in April, has certainly been around the block when it comes to hollering (and softly singing) into a microphone and strapping on a guitar and bass for the last 33 years. He forged his way onto the music scene by playing with valiant hardcore, post-HC bands Teen Idles, Minor Threat, Embrace and Fugazi, and for the last decade, he's pulled up a stool and toned down the tunes in the indie-rock duo The Evens.

We spoke by phone Jan. 20, about an hour before he rehearsed with drummer Amy Farina, his bandmate in The Evens, at Dischord House:

--How's that all going, you guys writing new stuff, new material coming out?

We put a single out in November and we're working on trying to finish writing an album. These last few years have been pretty quiet for us-- actually, our lives have been busy, but in terms of the band, we haven't gotten to do a lot of work. It's taken us a while: We've (Ian and Amy) got a kid who's 3 years old now, and that and along with a lot of other stuff that's been going on with our families and also with Dischord. Dischord had to change distribution three times in the last three years, so it's been an enormous amount of work, but things have settled down and I think we're finally at a time where we can finally get back to work and make it back on the road, which would be nice.

MacKaye and Farina: The Evens. (Harumi Aida photo)

--Speaking of parenthood, how's that going there for you?

Great... it all makes sense to me.

--As far as parents, what kind of an influence did they have on you to go through life and do what you've done over the last 30 years; any words of wisdom from them to keep you going?

I think my parents, with all their kids -- I have three sisters and a brother -- there was no pressure to make money or no pressure to sort of be successful in anything other than what we wanted to do; they didn't push us in any direction. For some people, that could be, many people could feel, 'Oh well, I didn't get enough encouragement.' I think in our case, our parents felt that our hearts were more important than our billfolds. I would say they had a pretty profound impact on me in terms of really pursuing music the way I have, or thinking, 'This is what I wanted to do.'

I actually think life is a wide-open field.

(He likens society to an imaginary grid, like on a football field) ...

If you're within it, you feel compelled to play by the rules. My parents at least got us to understand that there was a grid and we could choose to be in the grid or not-- it's up to us.

--(With Dischord) How does it feel 30-plus years later to have gone beyond those first couple releases and to have made such a huge impact on the alternative-music landscape?

I don't think, 'Wow, I've really accomplished so much' or, 'Wow, I've really affected culture' (laughs). I just can't think like that, because my work is always in front of me.

I think at the time, all we were doing was putting out those singles, because that's what was in front of us. And now I'm trying to finish this record with Amy and work on the archives stuff. It's what's in front of me.
I just do the work, that's all I've ever done.

-- As far as Dischord goes, there's a lot of releases over the years, is there maybe one or two you feel have really stood the test of time for you?

I have to say most of the records on the label stand the test of time for me; there's some where the production value, the way some of it is recorded, like the technique of the recording, maybe the style, the way the effects were put on it, maybe that is kind of a give-away, that might be a little dated. But in terms of the actual songs and the band, none of those things feel dated to me-- they're actually great, I just love them.
There are some bands, for instance, that I was really, really connected to-- my brother's band The Faith is a band that was very important to me; and a band like Lungfish, extremely important to me.

The Faith. (Malcolm Riveria photo)

Having said that, every once in a while, when I'm working I'll pull out some Dischord record and I'm really just blown away how good these songs are; these people are writing these great, great songs -- I love 'em.

(He finds it sad and frustrating that Dischord often gets pigeonholed as a strictly hardcore, straight-edge label, when in fact, they're just putting out great music-- period. The label features a variety of music, from Minor Threat to Shudder to Think to Slant 6 to Beefeater and beyond. He calls Dischord's catalogue a folk-music collection: musicians speaking about politics and their community and world.)

At some point, I hope people would recognize that what Dischord is is a documentation, a way of showing what was happening with an underground music scene in Washington, DC: a vibrant, thriving underground music scene that went on for a solid 20-25 almost 30 years, and maybe longer depending on whatever the hell happens next.

I hope that people at some point will kind of go back in and revisit these records, and without the kind of notion that it's, 'Oh, more straight edge, drill-sergeant stuff' ...that just drives me crazy. It's first of all inaccurate, and second off, it'd be like getting a really delicious steamed vegetable, but then dousing it with some A1 sauce or something-- you can't taste the vegetable, and I think people's perception of the label ... I think they don't actually get to the actual taste, which was what the point was in the first place.

Minor Threat: MacKaye, left; Henry Garfield (Rollins), center, skanking; Lyle Preslar, right. (Susie Josephson photo)

-- I can attest that listening to Dischord records from Day 1 'til now, it always made us think what it was like to be there in DC, and especially when the photo books came out, it kind of gave us the full picture, and I appreciate it the whole way through (the bands, and definitely the DIY ethic).

I would say that you and people like you are precisely the reason we continue to keep going, that's why we make records, because somebody out there was getting it.

If nobody is interested, I don't want a record label-- this wasn't my idea in the first place, I just wanted a way to get the music out. The actual record-industry aspect of it is horrible for me, I don't give a damn about it; I've never been to a music conference; I don't have a lawyer, I'm just not involved with any of that stuff. I'm just putting out records.

-- I always try to look for the most current news on a certain band, and I was just watching this thing on VH1 Classic the other night, this 'Metal Evolution' series they have, and they have this thrash-metal episode, and they had some Minor Threat at the beginning of it, as far as maybe being a bit of an impetus for that scene-- did you see that?

No, but I'm not surprised.

I think Minor Threat, we had a refined sound, and also we'd seen the Bad Brains and the Circle Jerks, we were aware of those bands. Minor Threat... those guys were super players, three of them: Brian and Jeff and Lyle. I think especially Lyle Preslar, the guitar player, I mean he's one of the most unsung guitar players. He's playing full, six-string-position barre chords at that speed-- that's just insane. His accuracy and his rhythms are so incredible.

When I was in the band, we were just caught up in the moment, and obviously being kids, teenagers, we were spending a lot of time screaming at each other, it was such a crazy time. It wasn't until years later that I actually, when I was working on putting together the DVD of some of the videos, that I had kind of a perspective to look at the band and think about their musicality -- and I was stunned, really, to think that Lyle was 17-18 years old and playing that way is just phenomenal.

Minor Threat setlist from San Diego gig. (Andy/Cat archives)

Minor Threat. (Susie Horgan photo)

Jeff was a great drummer... I'm not taking anything away from my work or whatever, I had a really clear vision about the music. A lot of the songs I wrote... I think that that music was something that really resonated and continues to resonate with people. And I understand how like the thrash thing, Minor Threat would have been one of the bands that would have led to that scene, because it was fast, aggressive and that really connected with a lot of people.

See, I wasn't coming from a metal place, I didn't grow up on metal. Hendrix was a huge influence, continues to be a huge influence to me, so was Janis Joplin and the Beatles.
I think for a lot of kids in the '80s era, they were into Ratt and bands like that, more metalish kind of hair bands, so that collusion of the speed of Minor Threat and punk rock joined with the sort of squealing kind of guitar of metal, I can see how that could come out. It's actually something I really love -- I love the way all the various tributaries run together to form creeks.


--(In a bit of a rambling statement, I note that I'm on the fence about old hardcore bands reforming for nostalgia's sake, adding that a retro-type band like OFF!, while sounding great, doesn't move forward musically. It's here where the conversation veered, and then he touched upon the initial subject.)

Yeah, I think it's like the blues or something. You think of a form, and I think OFF!, for instance, not only their pedigree, but they're also good at what they do. Obviously, Keith and Steve are serious veterans, and they were sort of the architects of that form with Red Cross and Circle Jerks, and the other guys are clearly -- Dmitri and Mario -- they're just great players. I think in terms of the form, I think they present it really, really well.

A friend of mine once called them reenactors, but it can still be really effective. I also believe that Keith, he's the real deal-- he's just not a bullshitter. And they've gone out and done the work-- they go and throw down pretty hard.

Keith Morris sings with OFF! (Andy photo)

(He stressed that OFF! is unlike punk bands from the past that have returned to the stage to make some cash by playing big punk fests. That's fine, he says, but it doesn't interest him.)

Obviously, I've pondered this a lot. Black Flag, for instance, they just did this thing with the Goldenvoice 30th anniversary, and Chuck and Keith and Bill Stevenson and Stephen, so those guys did that thing and, on the one hand...
I mean, Black Flag for me, that's just one of the most important bands of all time.

(He spoke about getting Flag's 'Nervous Breakdown' EP and calling Dukowski on the phone after seeing the band's number listed in an ad in Slash or Flipside. He wanted to know more about Flag and 'I couldn't stop listening to that record.' He became friends with the band through more phone conversations, and when they came to the East Coast for the first time, Ian and his friends went to New York to see them; and when they hit DC, they stayed at his mom's house when he was living there.)

That band was just so deeply, deeply important, that music was so important to me. So, on the one hand, by hearing those songs performed by Keith and Chuck (today), there's something very heavy about it. And, on the other hand, it's so out of context, I find that it's hard to take for me, to see it in this setting, like kind of a 100-percent professional production, like if you look at the staging and the security. But even the people-- it's almost like a snow globe, a bunch of people standing outside of the snow globe.

For me, part of the visceralness of punk, what was so important about it was that it was a joint effort, the band and the audience, they fused together to make something that was transcendent. So that music, I think of it a lot like gospel music in a way, because when it was live, it took on a spirit of its own and was largely fueled by the audience. So now it's sort of like a weird, slightly different thing, because the audience has a different relationship with this music.

So, it's a puzzler for me, but ultimately, it's fine: I'm sure people were psyched to see it, a lot of people were not even born at that time. I'm not somebody who thinks, 'Well, too bad, you weren't there.' It's fine.
For me, it is a puzzler, it's just a different way of thinking about life and the way time works, and how people perceive things. Having been there, and having been there in my own brain, right? because everybody was there in their own brain, they have their own takes on it. My relationship with that music ... it can't be replicated just because the same people get up on stage with instruments-- because things smell different now.

--You know from our blog entries that we've been going to shows for a long time. It's weird how time goes on and you've got your own memories of things. And it is weird to see that happen with the Black Flag thing.

But the thing is, you were there and you got to see some of that stuff, and there were plenty of people who never did-- to actually see Dukowski play live, that's kind of exciting.


Dukowski plays Black Flag songs at the Goldenvoice gig. (McHank photo)


I've been to jazz fests in New Orleans, I saw some jazz stuff, and I was like, 'Oh my god, I'm actually seeing this person play.' And even though I know it's a far sight from where this person has made their bones or whatever, just to see them in flesh and blood and actually play, cuz that's the thing, Dukowski is the real deal, he's not a bullshitter, and when he plays he's not kidding. When you see it, it's pretty mind blowing. I think especially now, it's important for people to actually experience things in the flesh and blood. Just to be there, it's pretty good.

--I'm stoked for those folks that are able to see it, kind of pass the baton in a way, 'This is your turn to check it out.'

The way I kind of try to counterbalance it is I'm always looking for the band or the musicians or the scene that is doing that thing now. And also understanding that it's gonna be a different music: they may look different, they may act different. Somewhere, something real is always happening. So I'm always interested in that. For me, the greatest moments have almost always been in rooms with like 50 to 100 people. So I just keep looking. Not only is it time-specific, but it's also geographically-specific. So had you come to Washington, DC, in 1979 or '78, it would be like, 'OK, well there's nothing going on here.' But if you came two years later, it would be like, 'Wow, what the fuck? There's so much going on here.' So I think that you just have to wait.

MacKaye with Fugazi. (Joe Henderson photos)

--As far as the Fugazi live series, how's that all going?

It's an enormous amount of work. A lot more work than I even thought. We probably spent two years putting it together, but just getting it started and up and running has been challenging. There's so many submissions, just trying to figure out the way to get all the stuff in and up and then, we have another 700 some shows to master and edit-- it's pretty daunting.

--Is it successful?

You know it's interesting, we have sold quite a few, people downloaded a lot of stuff, it's good. I'm a little startled-- I don't really check the numbers very often, but about a week and half ago, I did an interview with somebody from Italy, and they asked me about the numbers, so I asked one of the guys who looks after that stuff to do a report. So we looked at it together and I was really stunned to see that -- there are some that have been downloaded a lot -- but the number of shows, we have 150 up now, and a significant number of those, there's been one download. One. And I was shocked by that. 

(The cost of a download runs on a sliding scale from $1 to $5, and he said that a lot of people are contributing just $1. It's a vast archive -- almost too big -- he said, but he assumed that since Fugazi played to hundreds and thousands of people in each venue worldwide, there'd be at least five or 10 downloads apiece. The project is just 2 months old, so there's time for growth.) 

--I was always curious about, actually one of my favorite bands that you were involved in, was Embrace. That gets a lot of praise nowadays, people are digging back into that record or maybe for a lot of people, it never left... 

It was a band that was almost forced in a way by the four of us. The other three-- Chris, Mike and Ivor-- had already been in the Faith together with my brother singing and had already had a pretty nasty breakup, and through a series of almost comedic moves, they ended up being in a band together again.

MacKaye with Embrace. (Joe Henderson photo)

(A back story leading up to Embrace's formation:

MacKaye noted that after the breakups of Minor Threat, the Faith and Insurrection, people from those bands aimed to get new groups together in October 1984: Rites of Spring played one show around that time, but after a band member left town, they took a break.

Everything finally came together for Embrace and Rites of Spring in the summer of '85 -- dubbed Revolution Summer: 'The idea was that it was just a mark, it was a target for us all to get busy.'

Early versions of what eventually became Embrace featured, in three separate lineups: MacKaye first on bass, then guitar and finally, vocals; Mike Hampton on guitar; Mark Sullivan (from MacKaye's first band, the Slinkees, and later Kingface) on vocals; Chris Bald on bass; Jeff Nelson on drums; and then Ivor Hanson on drums.
The MacKaye (vocals), Bald, Hampton and Nelson lineup wrote songs and practiced -- a tape of that lineup exists somewhere.

As in Minor Threat and Teen Idles, MacKaye and Nelson disagreed on band direction, and Nelson soon left. Hanson returned from college and the band asked him to join.)

The problem was that they already had a breakup, the three of them, so the band almost from the beginning was doomed, and we only played 14 shows and we did two recordings. Then, that's the record-- I do think there's some great songs on there. The production value is a little tricky on that one for me, but that's an example of a really specific era of recording; but that has to do with the gear and the effects that were used. The songs were (great), Mike was such a great guitar player, they all were great at what they did-- I was really happy with those lyrics.

--It was good to hear you back in a band again.

It was also a super-confrontational time, there was a lot of problems with skinheads in this town. And that music was really not only a response, but also like a clarion call to arms, 'OK, we're gonna do our thing.' So, a lot of Embrace shows were huge confrontations with skinheads, like gangs of skinheads: They did not like the music, but that's alright, we did not like their violence. So we just stuck to it.

--With this Fugazi live series, is there anything down the road happening there (playing live again)? 

The thing about us that's just a little bit odd: the four of us, we never broke up; our lives just required us to not tour and make records. So I think in our mind, we're still in a band together. Whether we play together publicly again or not-- don't know. There's a lot of logistical problems (bassist Joe Lally is living in Rome, for instance), but I think that we're forever connected, and I think we always will just do whatever we do. And some people thought, 'Oh, does this mean you guys are playing?' No. It means that we have this archive that we want to share with everybody.

MacKaye, left, with Teen Idles. (Lucian Perkins photo)

Corrosion of Conformity: Old school or new style, the Raleigh band is blasting away with a vengeance on new record

Woody Weatherman and Reed Mullin at Maryland Death Fest last summer. (All Cat Rose pics, except where noted.)

By Andy

As heavy raindrops fell from the blackened sky and hammered metal fans scurrying for cover at the tented Corrosion of Conformity merchandise table, guitarist Woody Weatherman was all smiles. He was soaking up the atmosphere of last summer's Maryland Death Fest: from sun to storm; from loud guitars to silence as Neurosis fans wondered whether the band would appear after blistering sets by COC and Aura Noir. 

Oh, the sky soon cleared and Neurosis played, but it had a tough chore of following COC, which has returned to the metal/punk world in the form of the three-piece "Animosity"-era lineup of Weatherman, Mike Dean on bass/vocals and Reed Mullin on drums/vocals.

Although the band is playing tunes from the "Animosity" and "Technocracy" records, it's not a nostalgia trip, Weatherman ensures.

"We wouldn't come out here unless we had some new tunes," said Weatherman as he took a pull from an ice-cold beer as Cat and I helped him pack up the merch and head for the band's van backstage.

Woody at Death Fest.

At the time of Death Fest, the "Your Tomorrow" single had seen the light of day and the band was rumbling through that "Mad World"/Trouble-esque tune and a few other newcomers on stage. On Feb. 28, the band will offer up its latest self-titled, 11-song ripper on Candlelight Records. I've been sporting the Brian Walsby-drawn COC "The Moneychangers" T-shirt for a few months now, and have explained to several fans that it's a new song and more "Raleighwood"-style tunes were forthcoming. (Peruse Walsby's review at the end of this entry.)

The new self-titled album is a fist-raising, gut-gripping frolic through COC's past and a head-first dive into its present. On that journey, imagine yourself stepping on album-sized slabs of stone that represent each COC album: from "Eye for an Eye" through "In the Arms of God." As you trek onward, you'll visit some punk, rock and metal destinations that have made COC fans' bodies and minds twist and turn with pleasure for 30 years. Dean's early spastic hardcore growl may have given way to a melodic gnarl, but it nails down modern-day COC alongside the firm hammer of Weatherman's chugging, smooth guitaristry and Mullin's bludgeoning drum beats. Mullin also gives his voice a workout by singing lead on "Leeches," "What You Become" and "Come Not Here."

Mike Dean at Neumos in Seattle. (Andy photo)

Much like Washington, DC, stalwarts Scream -- who were jamming in that town the night of COC's Death Fest appearance -- COC recorded its new platter at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in LA. Both bands, who also shared a bill the night before, are matching old tunes alongside new ones with aplomb these days -- and they're digging it all the way, judging from Weatherman's grin and recollection of the previous night's gig with COC's old buddies.

As for Mullin, who was clearly stoked on Neurosis for the first time at Death Fest, he enjoyed telling a Grohl story of when he met up with his fellow sticksman at a Them Crooked Vultures show in Atlanta on Mullin's birthday. Grohl was ecstatic to see Mullin in attendance, and he pulled Led Zep/Vultures bassist John Paul Jones in Mullin's direction to introduce the two and praise the COC man's drumming style.

After seeing the classic punk-rock, wedding-reception sketch on Saturday Night Live with Grohl and others as 'Crisis of Conformity' a few years back, Mullin -- who released Grohl's first band Dain Bramage's record on his Fartblossom Enterprizes label in the '80s -- said, 'I gotta go fuck with Dave about this!'

Reed thanks the crowd at Neumos. (Andy photo)

Mullin added some extra zing to the story as he and I chatted by phone Jan. 15:

'So I showed up, and they were already playing. I knew the tour manager, he was the guy who used to work with DOA, and he got me a good pass, so I was right behind Dave when they were playing. They were like a third through the set, and he saw me and said, 'Oh my god, Reed, what are you doing here?' This is at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, place is packed, and he jumps up from his drum stool and gives me a big hug right in the middle of the set. The band's like, 'Where the fuck did Dave go, oh shit!' He runs to the side of the stage and grabs John Paul Jones, so now there's only two guys left on stage, and he brings John backstage where I'm admiring the show: 'John this is Reed, Reed this is John...John, this guy's the reason I play drums.' (I thought) What's that bullshit? Just hearing him say that made my head just fall apart-- disintegrated. For him to say that is such a big compliment, and John Paul Jones goes, 'Reed, you must be pretty good.' (Laughter)

After Mullin hung out with the Vultures all night, Grohl invited the band to record at his studio in March. And now the record is nearly ready to roll, and Mullin is set on talking about it and life in COC:

--What is it about the record that really stands out, what's gonna make it leave its mark?

Well, I think we were fortunate to convince John Custer to produce us again. I really love his creative input. We already had a batch of what we thought were really good songs that we had been touring on, but I think it's a good mixture of-- if you're a COC fan, I think it will be hard for you not to be pleased because it has glimpses of old school, the 'Animosity' era, it has glimpses of the mathy, more metallic 'Blind' era and it also has the swampy, doomy Pepper feel. It has screaming, it has melodic stuff-- I think it encompasses what the name Corrosion of Conformity says, that we pull off a lot of different styles of music, because we have done so many different styles of music.
I'm proud of it, I think it's one of our best.

--How does it feel to back behind the drum kit on a COC album?

It was as easy as eating an apple pie. Woody and Mike and I really learned how to play our instruments individually together, so we cultivated some kind of weird hybrid of whatever it is that we do. A lot of people say to me, 'How the fuck can you play with Mike Dean-- he has such a weird bass style?' And a lot of people say to Mike Dean, 'How the fuck can you play with Reed--he has such a weird drum style?' It's because we have played together for 30 years, it's just this genuine natural thing for us.

What we were planning on doing was jamming with Pepper and doing some shows over in Europe, and he ended up having some Down gigs instead. So we were like, 'What the fuck, man, this is so much fun, we oughta continue on.' So many people had been asking for years for us to do some of this old-school stuff. There's a lot of people who weren't born when 'Animosity' came out, weren't born when 'Technocracy' came out. (We said) 'Let's do it,' and we did it, it was fun and things just kept on going.

--As far as the new songs go, who's the main writer? I know you play guitar, as well, do you guys all contribute with the riffs?

Absolutely. Mike does more of the lyric writing (Reed adds some, too), but in terms of the music, we all contribute a great deal. And you will always see on a Corrosion of Conformity album from now on, 'All songs written by Corrosion of Conformity.' The way I feel, a band is a band and a solo project is a solo project. If you're gonna sit down in a sweaty basement and work out arrangements and all that other bullshit (it's a unified effort)... plus it helps the band last longer, everybody feels like they're contributing and they're gonna get something in the end.

--How does it feel to still be playing with these guys and playing your style of music so far down the line?

For me, certainly it's a dream come true that I can continue to play, do something that I love and get paid for it off and on. I don't know how to do anything, I can barely get up in the morning! The idea that I'm able to cruise the world with two of my best friends ever and get a little cash in there for it, it's certainly a blessing. (Talks about going to the gym, and preparing for gigs: 'Being the ancient creature as I am, stretching and all that stuff is super good.')

--Not many people can play with such a ferocity over that course of time...you still have that passion and energy for it?

Absolutely, it hasn't gone away. In fact, I think it's increased. When I was a kid, it was like, 'Earplugs are for pussies,' we would just go for it all the time.

--As far as this band going strong with new music out, do you guys have any goals where you're gonna go from here?

I think this is COC and it will be together until we start to crumble-- I can't imagine us stopping now, I think we're just getting geared up... and do another 30 years, COC 90-something (laughs).

--I could push you around in the wheelchairs if need be.

Yeah, right!
We're enjoying ourselves. I think we appreciate it a lot more. From getting in the van, like Rollins would say, and touring the country and Canada, and then accomplishing a little bit of success with 'Blind,' 'Deliverance' and 'Wiseblood,' and then losing all that and sort of breaking up a little bit, I think we really appreciate it, any ounce of pleasure and the ability to provide sustenance for our bellies-- our growing bellies.

--Just seeing you guys doing this, and watching you guys all these years, you guys make me happy.

It's funny you say that-- the last couple batch of shows we did with Clutch, it was almost every night I had somebody, some kid, some person who maybe hadn't seen us before, say 'You are the happiest drummer I've ever seen... I mean, you're intense, you're playing hard, but you seem so happy, what's going on up there? Are you doing Ecstasy?'

--You're on natural ecstasy, just life, having a good time and appreciating everything.

Yeah, my life couldn't be any better: I'm married to a beautiful woman, have a beautiful house, playing some good-quality punk rock; I even got Mike Dean to do a Bad Brains cover-- with our other band Righteous Fool, we did 'Right Brigade,' and that's cool.
So, life is good, man.

NEW COC ALBUM REVIEW --
By Brian Walsby

I would like to say that I am really happy and “stoked” for my old pals, Corrosion of Conformity. When I had completed my last book, MANCHILD 5: RABID PACK WITH SIRENS HOWLING, I noticed that the three of them had done what I just never thought was possible.

But let me backpedal a bit: About three years ago, I was having what I would like to call “a really bad day” and I found myself at a place in Raleigh called the Dive Bar. I was seeing Mike Dean and Reed Mullin playing together in a band with guitarist Jason Browning called Righteous Fool. They were damn good, Jason is a great guitarist and it put a huge smile on my face to see Mike and Reed play together again, to put it lightly. Plus I got to see a lot of old faces that night: Ricky Hicks, Andy Freeburn and even Woody Weatherman’s incredible parents, Toney and Karen. It was really cool, but I didn’t think that would lead to Woody eventually joining Mike and Reed and setting COC up again, which they did.

Two things were great to see: That the three of them (when I saw them eventually not too soon afterward) still sounded great and that old chemistry remained intact. The other great thing is that Reed and Mike also didn’t abandon Jason and that Righteous Fool are still a band. I think that shows what kind of people Mike and Reed are. RF will have an album out eventually, but that is another story.

So after at least a year's worth of touring, the band with longtime producer John Custer flew to Los Angeles to record what would be their almost-ready-to-be-released self-titled album, out in February. A week or two ago, I was able to get a copy of the record.

So how is it?

Well, it is great. It just might be my favorite Corrosion of Conformity record yet. After a band being together as long as them, that is really saying a lot. And one thing is clear: it isn’t some hokey “crossover” record. Instead it is a recording of three men and how they kept their chemistry intact without pandering to it. So essentially they took the risky situation of coming back and sidestepped the entire issue of nostalgia and maybe sucking. Very few people pull it off. They did. They took the bull by the horns and came out on top, no doubt about it.

And there is something here for everyone. I like every song on the record. As much of a fan I am of this trio when they last recorded together, I still can’t say I like every song on “Animosity”. The record and the songs all flow together very nicely and the record does not overstay its welcome. It is almost like the approach here is: get in, and then get out. Which is a nice approach if you think about it. Custer’s production is incredible, organic, heavy and clear. It really sounds good.

Courtesy photo

You want hardcore punk? You listen to “Leeches”. You want a musical voyage? You have the next track, “River Of Stone”. You want slow doomy punishing music? You have “The Doom”. You want Bad Brains worship? You have “Rat City”. You want some punishing new ground? You have “The Moneychangers”. You want some weird hybrid of Black Sabbath jamming with Discharge circa their “Warning” 12-inch? You have “Your Tommorow”. And even stranger: you want some weird cross between Led Zeppelin and Voivod circa their “Angel Rat” album? You have album closer “Time of Trails”. I could go on, but you get the idea.

All three of them play like they have something and yet nothing to prove at this point. I think the reason why it might be my favorite COC album is because it is here NOW. There are only so many times you can put on some old record and wax nostalgically.

Regardless of your bias with whatever era of the band that you like and don’t like, it’s a good one. You’ll like it. I sure do.

Thanks guys.

Scott Hill and Fu Manchu: Some Black Flag and Blue Cheer equals a heavy dose of rock

Scott Hill rocks with Fu Manchu in Seattle. (All Cat Rose photos)

By Andy

Greg Ginn is Scott Hill's "main man."

When the Fu Manchu guitarist and vocalist straps on his clear Dan Armstrong guitar, slashes at those six strings and furiously shakes his head -- sending his blond mane rocketing every which way -- there's some Black Flag pounding away within the walls of his band's rocked-out, punk-influenced tunes.

Equal parts Flag and Blue Cheer -- and tons of other bands from both genres hammered into the mix -- Fu Manchu has been at it for 23 years. Hailing from San Clemente in Southern California, Hill got his first taste of Flag via a live tape that a friend flowed his way in December 1980.

He's never looked back, and Hill -- along with guitarist Bob Balch, drummer Scott Reeder and bassist Brad Davis -- visited Seattle's El Corazon Jan. 14 to unleash Fu Manchu's "In Search Of..." record on the crowd, along with a host of other Fu favorites.

Hill's partner in crime on guitar, Fu Manchu's Bob Balch.

Prior to the gig, I caught up with Hill in the comfort of the band's van for some conversation about his Flag guitar reverence and how Fu Manchu came into being. Hill and I both separately attended the Flag, Misfits, Vandals gig at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in '83. He also owns a copy of my old band Sorex's "Portrait of a Prisoner" EP circa '85 ... so that's a plus.

--Growing up and seeing some of those hardcore bands, what kind of lit a fire under you to start doing it yourself?

Just love hardcore punk-rock music-- loved it, loved it. I'd go see bands, and instead of skanking or stage diving, I was watching how the guitar player set up or how he tuned, fingers where they went-- that's how I learned to play guitar, just watching... 'Oh, that's it ...oh, he's got a tuner, that's how you put the strings on.'

-- First hardcore tunes: Hearing his pal's Black Flag tape...

I was like, 'What the fuck's THIS?' And he was, 'BLACK FLAG!' I was in junior high, and we had punk day: 'Punk is Bunk,' people wrote on their shirts. I was listening to Deep Purple, Blue Cheer, Nugent and stuff, and I heard Flag, and I was like, 'Holy Shit'... took the tape and didn't even give it back to him. I got turned on to the Adolescents, you know, went from there, Circle Jerks, and it was like, 'Oh Shit,' just bought everything I could, every zine, kept my fliers, wrote bands, just every dime I had went into buying records.

Hill: hair flying, ripping on the Armstrong.

-- What was your first show?

Let's see, Circle Jerks, Shattered Faith and Minutemen... in Riverside, out at the Ritz, I believe, that was January of '81. I snuck out of the house.

--What about some of those guitar players back in the day?

Ginn. Favorite record of all time -- 'Damaged'...everything about it is my favorite, so Ginn. Starts with Ginn, and then it goes Lyle (Preslar) from Minor Threat, (Greg) Hetson Circle Jerks, (Rikk) Agnew Adolescents. Any guitar player in any punk band that I'd see was automatically my favorite. (Also mentioned digging the sounds of Bubba Dupree from Void and Rob McCulloch from Negative Approach on record; SSD and Die Kreuzen get the nod of approval, too.)

-- So then you formed Virulence, and then you came to where you're at today. How did that whole sound come about?

We started Virulence at the end of '84, and we wanted to do fast Gang Green, just BEYOND FAST-- YEAH. Couldn't play that well, so we couldn't get that fast, so it was more like mid-tempo faster. And then mid-to-late '85, saw Bl'ast! live-- shit our pants, just like, 'Here we go, slow down.'
We were at the Balboa Theater (in Los Angeles) with JFA and Die Kreuzen...they were loading up their gear, two Armstrongs, and we're like, 'Holy Shit.' Even to this day, I listen to that (debut) record once a week: it's just a perfect fuckin' record, it just sounds insane, it's just an awesome record. (Mike) Neider does all our merch, prints all our shirts; we just played with Clifford's (Dinsmore's) band (Dusted Angel) the other night in Santa Cruz. We got to be good friends with those guys.

-- Probably dipped back into your old Blue Cheer records?

My buddy, we threw his down the street, his Deep Purple, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Way seriously, skipped them down the street. Mine -- I put in the closet, I put 'em in the back, I'm not gonna thrown 'em.
Yeah, started pulling out Blue Cheer. Then probably '87, started listening to a lot of Swans and Gore from Holland and late-period Flag. We slowed down. Melvins, and we're like, 'Oh Jesus, Melvins-- fuck.' (In '88-'89) Heard Tad and Soundgarden and Nirvana and stuff-- just went from there and we slowed down even more, used a lot of single-note, D tuning and still tried to mix it with our hardcore stuff.
And that's pretty much where we're at today, I just mix Black Flag, Blue Cheer, Deep Purple-- all the colors! (Nowadays, he listens to old hardcore stuff along with Blue Cheer, Black Sabbath and Captain Beyond.)

Hill locks in with bassist Brad Davis.

-- After all these years, you still gain that inspiration from listening to that hardcore stuff? It never leaves you, I play it all the time. The stuff that you grew up with, the stuff that really had that impression on you, especially in a live setting.

That's totally what it is. I'll put on that first DYS record, and just get some 'Yeahh!' -- just STOKED on it.

--The growl (courtesy of Dave Smalley's vocals).

Yeah, that's the first stuff that just got me amped to wanna start a band. Almost every cover we've done is an old hardcore cover -- we obviously slow it down and stuff.

Balch bangs away with drummer Scott Reeder.

-- As an older and wiser gentleman, as we all are -- maybe sometimes-- how does it feel to still be kicking around and still doing your thing?

It's crazy. We started (Fu Manchu) in late '89. I had no clue we'd last this long. I didn't think I'd get to Europe or Australia (they go to Europe twice a year and are going Down Under in a couple of weeks). No clue we'd put out 10-11 records.
Slowing down a little bit, can't tour 8-9 months, I've got a 3-year-old daughter and don't like being away for too long.

-- What does your daughter think of the music? Is she a Fu fan?

Yeah (laughs). She's got her little pink drum set, I can play guitar with her. She wrote a song called 'Everyone's Odd'-- no words, she just told me that title; I was like, 'Let's go, there you go: perfect.'
She likes it. She thinks the pictures are funny with my hair flying all over, she laughs, 'Ah, ha.' I don't play our stuff for her, my wife does.
It's cool, I still enjoy it or obviously I wouldn't be doing it. We're not making millions of dollars, but it's just fun. I like getting in the van with everybody and going out for a couple weeks at a time.

-- Music still speaks to you? Just as vital as it always has been? You could see within the hardcore scene or within whatever scene, people grow out of it and go on and do other things, but just something that hit you hard at first and has never kind of left?

Pretty much. I still get stoked: I'll pull out my old zines and still look at 'em to this day.
Even if I stop playing in a band, I'm sure I'll still be playing guitar, it's just fun.
I just like making noise. Very loud, distorted guitar I love.
Anyone that's heard our stuff knows that it's pretty much what you get with a Fu Manchu record: loud, fuzzy guitar. We don't go off to mellow land or reggae land or whatever -- just pretty much straight rock.

Go 49ers, Take it All the Way!

By Cat

For the Niners finally having a kick-ass winning season, I received a new Niners bowling-bag purse to sport my loyalty. After the many years of pain that have followed us Niners faithful, it feels great to pull our heads out of the sand and stand proud. 

Not that I didn't represent, anyway, but I have to admit that my Alex Smith jersey hasn't been seen for a while; it has been tucked away in the back of the closet. Andy got me that jersey in 2006 when he had a decent season (more promising than the previous two years anyway), and at least beat the Seahawks both times=bragging rights for us up here in Seattle. The jersey emerged this year and was welcomed back into the society of my wardrobe.

So no matter how far we get in the playoffs, as I still am not 100% on Mr. Smith as our leader, in honor of the 13-3 record that we have not had since the Young days in 1997, here is a little ditty Andy found for me on 45 circa 1982 for the crowd noise and recorded in 1982--"Go 49ers!"  



Sung by Mike Chamberlin and the 49er Faithful; written by Chamberlin and Mike Vasile on Go For It Records.