HERE. - Typical Culture

LEVIL UNIFORM,
I am an old punker who has been out of the scene now for
almost ten and a half years. I try as much as possible to
keep my self updated on the music and punk politics. At
times it does get a little hard though.
I know your shoe string "operation", and times are rough
for eveyone, but if you can afford an old, used back issue.
I'd greatly appreciate it.
In Solidarity,
Steven Andrews Inmate #H09842
TC I - Annex, Perry Florida
Stay Punk
POX,
What's up? I seen your rag reviewed in Zineworld number
27. I also noticed that it is free to prisoners. Check it out!
I'm a California State Prisoner. I also write my own zine.
I've enclosed a copy of Sic Boi number 2.
I've been down for two and a half years, and I got one and
a half more to go. I got 5 years at 80 percent for stealing a
car, plus I already had two strikes.
So look I wanna check out LEVIL UNIFORM issue 9, the
review says there is an interview with Dave Dictor. I'm
way into punk rock, I'd also like to check out and back
issues you can send also!
Please send mail,
R. Johnson Inmate #F22545
Paskenta California
Dear LEVIL UNIFORM,
I'm writing in question to receiving a
subscription to your zine! I'm an indigent
inmate in a Texas prison!
I have no support from my family! But! I'm a
SK8ER by heart and loves music!
Thanks for you decision to help a down'd bro,
Bartholomew Inmate #J13666
Folsom prison, Folsom Texas
Well Paco, I’m fuckin in jail.,
I don’t have a goddamned clue what
happened. I vaguely remember some
shattering glass, and ranting in the back of a
police car. Coulda been the whiskey, coulda
been the gin... Right now we are all gathered
in the common area watching Total Recall with
Arnold Schwarzenegger fucking shit up on
mars and I feel sick to my stomach everytime
he kills someone. The food here sucks, and I’m
pretty sure I just threw whatever they gave me
last night in the toilet because this morning
there was a few peices of wheat bread and
some mystery meat in there this morning
when Iwoke up. I really wish I knew what I
did. I really hope I get outta here before the
deadline for this issue. This fuckin sucks dude.
If you don’t hear from me, send stamps!
Jason Levins Inmate #12879
Mulnomah County Jail
”After the first time you get high, that’s best it ever feels. It’s the
best rush of complacency and euphoria, both rounded in reality
and in fantasy. The problem is, it all goes downhill from there,
and you will never be that high again. Addiction stemming
from it only leads to feeling back to normal, only to crash and
feel worse than before. So don’t do it.”
”And the thing with heroin is that your body will re-assume its
tolerance, no matter how long it’s been. If you were shooting five
bags a day thirty years ago, got clean, and started up today, by
tomorrow you’d be shooting five bags a day again.”
”I had to give my dog this insulin shot, and it just clicked in my
head. It was always in the back of my mind, but this knocked
something loose. I looked over to everyone else in the room and
said, ‘God, you have no idea how bad I want to put this needle
in my arm.’ I think that freaked them out.”
“SOMETHING ABOUT STICKING A NEEDLE IN AND WATCHING
THE BLOOD COME UP... MMMM! SOMETIMES I’D SHOOT UP
WATER WHEN I WAS ALL OUT; HALF MY ADDICTION WAS TO
THE NEEDLE.”
”You’d read about a couple of fatal overdoses in Hartford in the
paper... next thing you know there’s a car full of junkies heading
to the city because the heroin is extra potent.”
You guys have gained a lot
of momentum since the
new album. How’s the tour
been going?
Really good actually. The response has
been bad ass.
So on your new album
Do guys have a song
Static Tensions, what would
writing process, or does
you say the overall idea is?
the writing come when
How has the crowd reacted
jammin’?
to the new batch of songs?
Pretty good. It’s kinda’ a lot to take in
with two drummers, a mad woman on
guitar, and everyone singing. I think
most of the people comin’ out have seen
us before, but I think they wont get the
lyrical aspect as much as if they listen to
the album.
Well I’m sure you’re making
some new fans playing with
Mastodon. It must of been
quite the task recording
two drummers for the new
album. How’s that working
out live?
Live it’s pretty hard because you
don’t hear much of the cymbals,
but the studio was the hardest. We
spent a good amount of time making
this album. There was a lot of time
experimenting with the mix.
It comes a lot of different ways.
Sometimes it just comes out
through jamming. Sometimes
one of us will just come up with
an idea, or a vision they want us to
follow, and everyone tries to catch
on to that vision.
Lets talk about Kylesa
art, because you guys
have had pretty diverse
album work. Pushead,
John Beasley, your
guitarist Laura… Do
you convey your ideas
to different artists, or do
they feed you ideas?
We found over the years that it’s
best to let the artist do their own
thing. Sometimes we want the
artist to base it on a certain song
Phillip Cope – vocals, guitars
Laura Pleasants – vocals, guitars
Corey Barhorst – bass, vocals
Carl McGinley – drums, percussion
Eric Hernandez – drums, percussion
or a certain look. We just had a Seattle
artist do a shirt for us and he titled it
based on a line from one of our songs.
It comes through in the art. I kinda’ got
goose bumps the first time I saw it. It’s
cool when they get it. Some artists do
their own thing, and I understand, but
sometimes I don’t get it.
What motivates your song
writing?
Just trying to get through the day, man.
Just trying to live my life. There is never
not something to vent on. These days
there’s always something fucked up
going on in the world, and in our lives.
What are some of your
favorite bands?
Fugazi, Black Sabbath, Neurosis, Flaming
Lips, Black Flag, Pink Floyd. I could keep
going, but those are the ones that have
lasted over the years.
One of the lyrics from the song
“Almost Lost” is “Well adjusted
is the new insane.” What are
you thoughts on the human
condition?
That’s a pretty good question. It’s pretty fucking
twisted these days. It’s something I’m disturbed
by, and I seem to write a song about it on
every album. I cannot get over the amount
of prescription drugs that get handed out to
people, and how you’re told your whole life that
drugs are bad, but you’re constantly being told
to take drugs. The whole contradiction of that.
How weed is illegal in most places, and the
drugs they give out have tons of side effects and
aren’t tested very well. That shit will scramble
your brain. I’ve seen some friends get their
heads scrambled. And that’s the brief idea.
So if you were around in the 70’s
what would Kylesa sound like?
Haha. Pentagram. I don’t know.
POX CATCHES UP WITH BROOKLYN'S SMOKEY, HAIRY, BOOZY, LOUD
Who gets drunker, Colin or Johnston?
Colin: I used to be able to drink like Chris too when I was
a 25 year old pussy.
Gonzo: Oh shit... well Chris can drink more... But they
both become belligerent asses... It just happens to Colin
after like a beer and a shot.
Dino: I think Colin. He can’t even drink a shot without
getting wasted.
How was your show at Bato’s party?
Colin: I had a blast. Dino and I took some mushrooms
and I had a pretty gnarly trip. I ended up in a parked
car staring at the rain hit the windshield while listening
to some drunk-ass snoring in the trunk. Dino ended up
lying on a on a bed in the hooker room staring at babes
69ing on a pool table. Chris had a 100-meter foot race
against a snow mobile. It wasn’t even close but he ran
his ass off. Can’t wait ‘til next year!
Dino: Bato’s was sick! The show was so much fun. A
real epic time. Collin and I took shrooms afterward. I
had a blast! I think we’re going back again this year to
play. Can’t wait!
Gonzo: I froze my sack off!
Johnston: I’m the fastest foot-racer in NY, but sadly Bato
on a Vermont’bile got the best of me that round.
Dino- guitar & vocals
Johnston: guitar & vocals
Colin: bass
Nic Gonzo: drums
Favorite produce item?
Colin: Cauliflower
Dino: Apples
Gonzo: Potatoes! Baked, fried, mashed, fuckin’ roasted.
I’ll eat the shit out of ‘em.
Johnston: Asparagus
So Colin, who’s bright idea was it to
play on the Party Bus? Did you fall
over drunk for the first or second set?
Colin: I think Chris’. I didn’t really believe we were
actually going to do it until we were finally set up on
the bus. The first set was actually really good. The
problem for me was the final stop at Rusty Knot where
Gonzo bought some volcano drink that we all slurped
out of straws like we were in a race. I think it was a
race. It only takes a tiny bit of hard liq’s to put me on
the floor. So the second set would be the one to put
me out.
Dino: The party bus idea I believe was Chris’. When
he told me we should play a show on it, I thought it
was a strange and unrealistic idea. Chris convinced
the owner of the Rusty Knot, Taavo, and the manager,
Skyler (ex-Children) to do it. We did it! It worked!
Dino, what happened to you the time
your hair caught on fire at The Rusty
Knot?
Dino: My hair actually went up in flames at the
Trophy Bar in Bushwick. I was drunk leaning against
the wall, and there was a ledge behind me with
candles across it. Somehow the fire on the candle
made contact with my hair. I didn’t have any idea
until a chick screamed out “Your hair is on fire!” They
doused me in water, then the girl cut off all my burnt
hair. The whole place stank and I was left with a bad
haircut.
So when Natur dressed up as TSS
for Halloween, how well were you
represented?
Colin: I was in Arizona, so Curtis Johnston filled in for
me on that show. I’ve seen the pictures and Dino did a
pretty awesome job. All he really had to do was make
himself a nerd.
Dino: Colin went back to Phoenix for a few months.
Curtis was playing bass for TSS at that time, so I actually
dressed up as Colin. I had a wig and glasses. Ryan was
Chris. Damien was Gonzo, and Tooth was me. It was
hilarious! TSS wore dresses when we played. I wore my
girlfriend Ana’s dress, while Nic, Chris, and Curtis went
to the Salvation Army and bought some cheap, ugly
dresses. That was a terrific Halloween!!
Gonzo: Damian the Mexican was dressed as me... And
rightfully so!
How did your new demo turn out?
Dino: Well, the demo is what it is. It’s basically the
first three songs that we wrote: “Post-Apocalyptic
Warrior,”“Total Social Suicide,” and “Remain Insane”. I
was pleased with how they turned out. The guy who
recorded it, O.T., did a super duper job. The vocals
were rushed, but it’ s just a demo.
Favorite guitar?
Dino: My favorite guitar is a 1978 Gibson Les Paul
Custom (Lefty). I own one!
Johnston: Old Fender Strat w/full maple neck, you can
bend ‘em cool.
Guitar heroes? Shredders?
Dino: Uli Jon Roth, Tony Iommi, Eddie Van Halen, Kirk
Hammett, Slash, Duane Allman, Richie Blackmore,
Gary Moore, Stephen Stills, Frank Zappa. SHREDDERS:
Glenn Tipton, Kerry King, Dave Mustaine, Dave Murray.
Johnston: Curtis Johnston
How come they don’t have Canadian
bacon in Canada?
Dino: No Canadian bacon in Canada? Chris and I stole
all of their pigs and brought them to his house for a
pig roast.
Johnston: I DON’T KNOW?! They say that shit’s ham,
but I just wanted some fucking Canadian bacon!
Judas Priest: SWOD or Painkiller?
Dino: SWOD?? Painkiller!
Johnston: Painkiller! You know this man!
Who would win in a steel cage match,
Accept or The Scorpions?
Dino: The Scorpions! They’re all in great shape for
their farewell tour.
Johnston: Accept, obvi!
Colin: Sails of Charon!
Gonzo: Scorpions.
Jozy. photo: Mary Henlin
An Interview with Jes Soule By Pox
I remember one time in downtown Portland, OR, where I was too drunk to drive and needed someone to pilot my
car home. So I tried bribing Jes... with cocktails. She didn’t have a driver’s license at the time, but it certainly was
better than the one I had that was drowning in a distillery. At first she seemed into it, but as the night wore on,
and my inebriation graduated from humorous to concerning to near-lethal, Jes had enough and bailed out of the
situation. She called a cab home because baby-sitting wasn’t on her list of things to do
that night. I sucked it up and took the wheel, only to drive about fifty feet before hitting
a pedestrian crossing the street (relax, I was only going 5 mph). Somehow I didn’t get
arrested and made it home safely. When I retold the account of the night to Jes the
next day, she really felt bad for not being there. Not to drive everyone home safely,
but that she didn’t see me hit that guy herself! Jes rules. -Pox
You were born and raised in Portland, OR. How has that
shaped the end result of your work?
Portland is way more liberal, progressive and generally open-minded and
diverse than a lot of other places. And given that I’m indigenous to this city,
and I’m a young-gun, and a female, in the time I was coming up I could
access music and culture with the greatest of ease and didn’t have to worry
about getting my ass kicked or being called a fag for having a Mohawk and
listening to metal and hip hop AT THE SAME TIME. While a lot of people
that I know who aren’t from here, which is most, got shit for some aspect
of their lifestyle or “outlandish” appearance growing up. I didn’t have to
order my music from another state. I could go to a show like every night
if I wanted to and still can. It was “cool” that I made my own clothes
and fucked with my hair and whatever when I was younger, whereas It
would not be in a lot of places and just being able to experiment like
that enabled me to develop the style and the skills I use to do my work.
Anyone can find something about their hometown to bitch about but
I really did not have it rough by comparison to many as far as growing
up in a place in which I had access to a lot of what I wanted/needed
and where doing my own thing was pretty widely acceptable, and
still is as an adult.
Can you say your designs are Crust? Or
Metal? Is there a category?
I wouldn’t say there’s a particular category at all. Individual
pieces I guess could be categorized more easily but as far as
the line as a whole, all the individual designs and ideas for
making them are pretty diverse and derived from so many
different random places/things/etc. that I don’t think it would
really make sense to throw it all under a single “title”... And
apart from all that, within the last six months I’ve made a
man-sized teddy bear suit, “sexy” PVC shark and alligator
outfits, and a fringe suede vest for a wiener dog, so I suppose
“pigeonholes” are kind of obsolete at this point ha-ha...
Christina Locke. photo: Jaime Robillard
What gave you the idea to sew clothes
anyway?
I had the crafty gene instilled in me from birth and I
learned how to sew by hand pretty much as soon as
I developed basic motor skills. My mom let me dick
around on her sewing machine not long after that and
way before I even gave a shit or had a clue about my
own sense of style, like preschool-status. I’d get ideas
for stuff I wanted to make or replicate, draw them out,
pick up remnant fabric from the fabric store and just
mess around making miniature versions. I think the
basis of it was/is really a combination of wanting to
create something I don’t see or haven’t seen in front of
me- not just for me but for other people- and making
exactly what I want, and not just settling for what I find.
As I grew the fuck up and actually started caring about
my own wardrobe, my models and designs obviously
evolved into human form but my “creative process” and
reason for “creating” what I do has remained relatively
simplistic and juvenile and I suppose really hasn’t
changed that much.
How did you get involved with doing
clothing for The Mongols 1% MC?
What was that like?
Started off when they started working on compiling
their calendar about a year ago. They hit me up to be
a model-of-a-month and heard of how I made rad
clothes. So they gave me a couple of their “support”
shirts to do with what I pleased. I tricked em out, got
my buddy Angela in on it and we threw together a
little photo shoot featuring the shirts. And some heavy
machinery. It was cool. They were pretty stoked on the
outcome. We’re in talks of doin’ some collabos on custom
leather jackets in the near future.
Your artwork is morbid and bizarre.
I’d even say creepy. It’s not your
average shock/exploitation; it seems
more morose and schizophrenic. Any
comments?
Well a pretty common initial reaction to someone seeing
a piece of my artwork is “boobs” as well, so you might
want to add that to the roster of adjectives ha-ha. I
tend to completely zone out when working on a piece of
artwork and, if there’s a point or theme to it, I’ll forget
it until its all done and then I’m usually pretty amused
at how much of a sicko it makes me come across as.
Like a lot of artwork of the more “bizarre” and “morose”
Sage. photo: Travis Geny
persuasion it’s often derived from a similar state
of being. And like a lot of people who make art,
my work tends to thrive most when I’m horribly
bummed or angry ha-ha. I have pretty serious
crushes on predatory animals, anatomy, science/
science-fiction and Babylonian mythology, so
there’s a lot of nudity, blood and bones. [There is]
A lot of pretty candid commentary on drugs, booze,
whores, monsters, misery, squalor, decadence, and
combinations thereof. Etc, etc... so it’s sort of this
Babylonian, nightmarish point of view on the world
and the things within it that catch my attention.
Jes herself. photo: Pox
Where do you find your array of
loyal models?
On the corner mostly. My models are almost always
my friends. They’re rad, they’re babes, and they
represent a sort of microcosm of the people who are
most enthusiastic and supportive of what I do and
make and they definitely take a sort of ownership
in what I do as well because they get the stuff out
there in the best way- by actually wearing it. That
sort of “active publicity” is the best. When I do a
photo shoot it’s very likely that a piece(s) of clothing
someone is wearing in a shot is something that I
made custom for them. Plus, believe it or not, girls
and guys who wear leather and spend obscene
amounts of time doing their hair enjoy playing
dress-up camera whore just as much as (if not more
than) anyone else, so that makes for good shots and
good times on-set.
Do you make clothes for guys? Are buxom
females who you typically have in mind?
There’s a lot more freedom and versatility as far as what you
can do in women’s fashion in the realm of everyday wear
and I guess “reality” than there is in men’s fashion so I tend
to gravitate more towards the female end than otherwise
because of how much more I can experiment with it. But yes
I do make clothes for guys. I’m currently working on a lot of
projects for guys on a custom-made/request basis and that’s
where most of the men’s work resides as of late, but it will
be expanding a lot more soon. For now though, guys, if you
want a pair of killer ass-hugging leather pants, holler at me.
How important is the recycled materials
aspect to Suture Club? Is it part of what
defines your clothes?
I’d say its pretty definitive. Though not every piece is made
from found or recycled materials, the ability to make due
with what I have - which has often been pretty limited - is
really what enabled me to start making and distributing the
stuff I make and continue doing so since day one. Everything
is made from scratch and I almost never use patterns- and if I
do I make them myself- so I’m usually wingin’ it when I start
off making something. Then I basically take a pile of scraps
and try to make the idea in my head come into fruition,
which can be challenging, but it has made me better at what
I do and really made me further establish and hone in on the
style. Now I can make anything out of anything, and I prefer
working that way. It makes me think more. And the more I
have to think the better the finished product tends to be. The
destroyed, disheveled aesthetic of a lot of my stuff isn’t some
machine-made, prefabricated effect. I dig through bins and
go to random places to find vintage or discontinued material.
It makes the outcome real. It’s just better. You can’t fake it. I
get an immense amount of satisfaction from taking “nothing”
and turning it into “something”.
Cigs, booze, or drugs? Which is necessity?
Depends on the situation ha-ha. I’m a fan of smoke breaks
but I don’t generally do anything of the creative/productive
nature whilst under the influence of fuckee-tude. It breaks
my focus. And dexterity. Rather save the rest for the afterparty. After which, the only things I will find necessary will
be a slurpee and a fat burrito.
How often do you have clueless dudes at
the Doug Fir ask about your Iron Maiden
hat?
Everyone who’s anyone knows that dudes at the Doug Fir are
too cool to ask questions...
Unbroken Bones - Demo- D.I.Y.- (Pox)
Good to see a band influenced by Motorhead that doesn’t rip them off! This
is totally charged riff-oriented metal punk. Unbroken Bones’ demo tape is a solid first
release. It’s also interesting to see a band that skates but doesn’t fall under the “Skate
Rock” category. This demo sounds great, but on some of the tracks the pre-gain on the
guitar could have been turned up more! Ah, stupid pet peeves. Best songs are “Only in
Dreams,” and “I’m a Skater (The Boneless Ones)”. This demo is raw as fuck, packed with
face-scabbing, head-collapsing intensity of a variety that you can only get from a band
that skates. MPDS!
Ketzer - Satan’s Boundaries UnchainedKneel Before the Master’s Throne- (Flo, Thrash Attack Zine)
Fucking hell the wait is over and yeah it was worth it. I’m really proud that
Ketzer were able to deliver such a killer record, especially as it’s their first official output.
They only had a couple of demos before, which were important for their development as
a band. And Kneel Before the Master´s Throne has released it in a fantastic way; a limited
quantity with patch, shirt, poster and on blood-red vinyl. Still you don’t need all this
extra stuff, the music is what counts and it is very, very good. Eight songs that include
one rerecording of “Crushing the Holy” which is one of my faves, and it sounds way more
“crushing” now he he… In general Ketzer´s sound has changed a bit to a more blackened
style, less thrash influenced, and more in the Australian direction. Of course the few times
they use blast beats aren’t my fave moments, but I guess it fits to the songs, so I can
definitely live with it ahaha… In my opinion they’re the most professional and one of the
technically best bands in the current German deep underground scene. Recommended.
ketzer-thrash.de
mastersthrone.de
Speedwolf/The Hookers - (Split 7”)- Splattered! Records(Flo, Thrash Attack Zine)
And here we have already the next Speedwolf release, a very cool 7” split with
US metal punks The Hookers. The Speedwolf song is very rocking and a bit punk influenced
with loads of Motörhead and heavy metal influence. It´s called “Up all Night” and I guess
when you sniff away those lines that’s what will happen haha…you should know what to
do…
But damn, the other side with the The Hookers song is by no means any bit
worse! Terrific speeding metal enhanced with punk atmosphere and killer raging vocals. “For
the Master,” gives you the feeling that makes you want drink lots of beers, raise your fist and
raid the streets with some friends, no matter what might happen… [This is] one of the few
times when I get a record without knowing the band and this blows me away. Can’t say a
lot more except for get this, there are three different versions, but I guess by now only the
regular one is left…
Every summer in Northwestern Germany the area fills with
the sounds of heavy metal. Old school bands to the latest
death metal groups in a smorgasbord of open air and club
festivals. Time for reunions and regroupings of old standby
bands, as well as the bands who have endured the years
and still tour. For those who aren't familiar with Germany's
loyal metal population, you are to be informed now.
It all seems to start in a small town outside
Hamburg called Itzehoe with the warm up
show for the HOA (Head bangers Open Air
festival), which is a three day, thirty band
event. The warm up show features bands
who are scheduled to appear at HOA over
the next three days. The venue is called
Planet Alsen, and was once a huge steel
and concrete factory that is now closed and
gutted, leaving vast rooms and a unique
circular area that I believe was used to
mix cement or contain water for cooling
the molten steel. Today its vast walls are
painted by the world’s leading comic and
graffiti artists, and you will not find such
a wonderful work of art anywhere. Full of
vibrant colors and techniques which add
to the scenic beauty of destruction that
surrounds the grounds of this compound.
There have been many a music video shot
here. They’ve had high line fashion shows,
and a host of other events in this compound
that is disguised by trees and brush. You
have to drive into the place on a road that
seems to lead to nowhere.
As with all the German fests, bier is in vast
quantities, and the age to consume is up to
the consumer. There is also a bar stocked with
everything you can imagine. Wild Dogs was
the first US band to grace the stage at Alsen in
2008, and we autographed pics and a framed
newspaper article that celebrates the first warm
up show that lies behind the bar. When Wild
Dogs played it was a spur of the moment affair,
and 190 people showed.
This year with my old pals Vicious Rumors
headlining the six band show, there were 500
people in attendance. The room was hot, filled
to capacity, and overflowing to the vendor’s
stands who sell the most delicious pork
sandwiches and sausages.
Headbangers Open Air was started by Juergen
Hegewald, whose record store Hellion in
OItzehoe, is the Mecca for people finding hardto-obtain copies of their favorite old-school
releases. He also has a small label that releases
and distributes CDs from a selected group of
bands. The HOA festival site is a family farm
down the road a piece in Hörnerkirchen, a name
hard enough to pronounce it could be used as a
DUI test (which if you drive in Germany the limit
is .05, not .08 like here in the States). Everyone
Helstar, Tank, Neil Turbin’s Deathriders (Neil is the singer on
the first Anthrax album Fistful of Metal), A Swedish group
called Bullet, and many other bands you’ve never heard of
(if you live in America). And the place was packed to the
gills. Despite the rain and mud and all the bier, no fights
or incidents took place... amazing! The HOA fest has been
running for fourteen years now and will continue to host
the hard-to-get acts that Juergen secures himself.
He has been instrumental in the reunions of many a metal
band who has called it quits. I call him the patron saint
of old school metal. Streetclip TV covers the whole event
with five cameras, and a DVD of the previous years fest
is available at the next years event, as well as online at
streetclip.tv. This year I carried out my duties as a roving
reporter for Streetclip, interviewing the campers on the
final day of the fest. By which time everyone is blitzed
drunk and dizzy from the days spent headbangin’. I did
camps at HOA in the large camping area adjacent to the
stage area which was once a barn of some sort. In Germany
the weather can be hot as hell, or as it was this year, wet
and muddy. There was black mud two feet deep and winds
strong enough to collapse a tent. There is no rule about
bringing in your own food, beverage, or whatever, and after
you run out you can go to the bar which is in the stage area
and run by my friend Steffi, or one of the other bars outside
the stage area. There is also food and ice cream, and many
vendors selling leather goods, metal memorabilia, and a
Hellion Records store inside the stage area.
Unlike concerts anywhere else, this whole affair is treated
like a giant backyard party, because that is exactly what it
is. Only with top-notch legendary bands and a ticket price
that would astound any American. I think it was fifty euros
for three days, and that included camping!
Last year Exodus headlined the first night, as well as the
reunion of Sweet, Savage, and many others who made
their first European appearance (including my band, Wild
Dogs). This year the lineup included Vicious Rumors,
two one-hour sessions while dodging the rain this year, and
got some priceless quotes form many people which will
appear in next years DVD. You can see the HOA online at
headbangers_open_air.de.
Following the fest is always the after show party in
Hamburg, at the Hamburg Ballroom not far from the action
in the Reeperbahn, where the fans get a second chance at
seeing their favorite acts, and the bands get a chance to play
a third gig if they so desire. This year after the after-show
party was Nightmare at St. Pauli, which lies just minutes
from the Reeperbahn and featured more acts from the
HOA fest including Deathriders, Wild Dogs, Italian metal
maniacs Triankurius, Thrashtanaica from Holland, and The
Fingernails, another Italian band. The three-day club fest is
a warm up for Wacken and promoted by my friend Ktacho of
Stone Cold Black, a thrash metal band from Hamburg.
As for me, that filled my week up with enough memories
and bier to last a while in the memory bank. With so many
people flocking to Hamburg, the big city close to the fests,
it’s a metal Mecca. And Wacken Open Air starts the Thursday
following the Nightmare gigs. 100,000 people attend
Wacken, which once started out as a biker club party who
wanted some old school metal bands, but kept growing
every year form the initial 500 people to its 95,000 who
attended this year to see Motorhead and Saxon headline.
Last year Kreator and Iron Maiden were the draw. With Iron
Maiden broadcasting on MTV Europe, people tell me now
it’s too big to go to five stages with two bands going at
the same time. It’s not the same vibe as HOA. Bottled
water there is four euros (six US dollars). One of the
drivers for the HOA was a paramedic who was going to
work Wacken for free tickets, as they are quite expensive.
But if your idea of fun is attending a huge concert, it’s the
one for you.
I’ve sent people from Holland and Italy to cover the
festival for me for years. Wild Dogs was invited to play in
1998 when it was more intimate. And as with all fests,
the band pays their way over, and are provided with
ground transport and hotel for their time there. Now it
is a corporate deal with Wacken much like the Ozzfest
where bands will pay up to $150,000 bucks to get on the
festival!
I’ve never had a better time than going to Germany and
hanging out with their people. They really take their
metal serious there, and many magazines are there to
cover the events and bands. They have higher standards
and expectations than anywhere else I’ve found. But
when it comes to good people there is no better place.
You will meet many metal heads from every country
imaginable. It’s not like the people in their 40’s and 50’s
toss on a concert tee and a pair of jeans; it’s is their life,
and for many, their livelihood. If I had a wish for America,
it wouldn’t be national healthcare, but it would be more
true metal heads joining forces to put on the same types
of events.
Speaking of health care, I spoke with many of my friends
who make less than 2,000 Euros per month and 500 of
it goes to health care and the other 500 is split up on
other things (when I asked about taxes they laughed at
me and said the government takes 50%). So we are still
lucky here and by the state of people in general I don’t
think national healthcare makes anyone more healthy.
In fact it may be a cause of everyone drinking, smoking
and generally not thinking about their health like we do
in the states...
“0H, BECAUSE WE CAN GO TO THE DOCTOR FOR FREE!” As
one guy said.
“Who needs to look after your health, we get sick we go
to the doctor and get it fixed - wanna cigarette?”
I said I don’t smoke and they laughed again at me.
“Don’t smoke?”
“No... never have.”
But one thing I did notice is when it comes to alcohol and
driving, they take that very seriously and take a taxi or
stay put. The police test you on the spot, and if you are
over the limit your expensive drivers license is taken away
for at least a month, on two occasions it’s for life. The cost
of getting a driver’s liscense is 2,500-4,000 Euros and nine
months of training and classes. No one eats or talks or
texts on the phone while driving here, which I found to be
really nice. With a speed limit of 100 kph you can’t have
any distractions. On the road where there is no posted
limit, you really need to be aware.
Natural Koncept for life... or death. JZ. Front Boardslide. photo: Chris Martin
Photo: Christopher Martin
Hey Brett, there’s no tranny on that wall just so you know. Bret Farrell. FS Rock.
photo: Pox
“Dude, they’re just not taking the bait this year.”
Rocco Caravelli on his success being a High School Senior. Handplant in the deathbox.
photo: Pox
If I ate Peyote in the desert this is the shit I would pull. Corey Denomy. No Comply.
photo: Ryan Loughridge
Taking the road less traveled... Tiger. FS Grind transfer.
photo: Pox
Shoeless blunt to fakie, Jamie Thomas eat your heart out. Greg Shaw.
photo: Ryan Loughridge
Farewell. Unknown Soul. photo: Fletcher Meisenberg
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