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MRR Radio #1583.5 part 2 • 11/15/17

On this special episode of MRR Radio, we pay tribute to the late great Fred Cole. This is part 2 ...

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MRR Radio #1583.5 part 1 • 11/15/17

On this bonus episode of MRR Radio, we pay tribute to the late, great Fred Cole, who has been screaming ...

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SNFU!!

MRR Radio #1583 • 11/12/17

On this week's MRR Radio, Rob turns the show over to Craig Billmeier to rock out with some of his ...

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MRR Radio #1582 • 11/5/17

This episode of MRR Remote Radio comes from Lima, Peru, where Gustavo answers the age-old question of what would've happened ...

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Maximum Rocknroll #415 • Dec 2017

Check it out, it's Maximum Rocknroll #415, the December 2017 issue! We are proud to feature an interview conducted by the organizer of ...

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Create to Destroy! Damaged City Fest


March 3rd, 2017 by

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I interviewed Chris Moore about Washington DC’s 5th annual Damaged City fest. This year’s fest is happening April 6th–9th. It’s coming up soon so get your tickets now, punkers! You may know Chris from one of his many killer bands such as COKE BUST, REPULSION, DOC, SICK FIX, GUILT PARADE, and THE REMEMBERABLES. So you know he’s a man of good taste, but I’m sure you can tell that already by this year’s lineup!

(flyer by Alex DiMattesa)

Is Damaged City a nickname for DC? Is this a dumb question?
Much like coming up with dumb names for punk bands we came up with this. Haha.

What’s up with the DC scene? It always seemed dominated by straightedge hardcore, am I wrong? What’s it like there now?
There was a decent amount of straightedge hc over the last 10–15 years but in the last five or so its been pretty mixed. I think DC being filled with straightedge bands is a common misconception. I’d say it’s more dominated by younger kids which is amazing. We have some really great punk, HC, and metal bands these days, such as KOMBAT, PROTESTER, RASHOMON, GUILT PARADE, PURE DISGUST, RED DEATH, PRIESTS, FLASHER, MISLED YOUTH, IRON CAGES, PINK FILM, HOMOSUPERIOR, SICK FIX, PSYCHIC SUBCREATURES, BAD MOVES, WITCHTRIAL, GAUCHE, BRAINPAN, UNKNOWN THREAT, COKE BUST, GENOCIDE PACT, and D.O.C., just to name a few!

Any cool local bands playing this fest?
Yeah, a bunch! KOMBAT, RASHOMON, IRON CAGES, PROTESTER, WITCHTRIAL, RED DEATH, GUILT PARADE, BATTERY, STAND OFF, and more.

Is this fest all ages? What are your venues like?
Yup, always all ages. That’s a must for Damaged City and all shows that I organize. The main shows are usually at St. Stephens Church, which has been hosting punk shows in DC since the ’80s. It’s a cool spot with a medium sized stage and good vibes. The after shows are at this bar down the street called the pinch where the shows get a little more wild. The last show will be at this club called the Black Cat where I also work doing sound. It’s one of DC’s oldest clubs, started by Dante from GRAY MATTER and IRON CROSS. I’ve been going to shows there since I was 13 and it’s an amazing place. The place is run by mostly punks and assorted rockers. It’s got a great vibe, people who work there are super friendly, and the food is great.

S.H.I.T. (photo by Angela Owens)

I love that your shows are all ages. All ages shows support a punk future. Maybe that’s why you also have a bunch of young punkers running around your DC scene. So, on another good note, you got the MARKED MEN to headline, which is really exciting!
Yeah! I seriously can’t wait. I fucking love them. I’ve been trying to get them to play DC for the last six or so years! Stoked!

What international bands are playing?
FUTURO from Brazil, ANARQUÍA VERTICAL from Spain, and HERO DISHONEST from Finland.

Is it a gamble to get international bands into the US?
Always, yeah. Depending on the members’ prior luck getting into the country, their criminal record, the mood of the border guard, immigration officer, and so on. So yeah, they could be turned away. We have all seen people being turned away with more frequency these days. Now with Trump in office, who knows what the future holds?

Triage (photo by Farrah Skeiky)

Who organized this thing? I’m sure a lot of hands are on deck to keep this running.
Myself and Nick, who sings for COKE BUST, came up with the idea for Damaged City on an overnight drive while COKE BUST was on tour in Europe. We just wanted to put together a big event to showcase all the cool shit coming out of DC and bring bands to DC that don’t normally come here. Nick stepped away from doing the fest this year. He lives in Brazil and it was just too much to deal with, especially form over there. I’ll miss our frantic late night Skype calls — haha! This year Robin from PURE DISGUST will be doing the fest with me. He has been an integral part of it from the beginning. Love that guy. It’s a huge community effort though. I couldn’t imagine it being pulled off or go nearly as smoothly as it does without the help from our friends.

How many years have you been doing this?
This will be the 5th year.

So, why do you keep doing this? Booking fests is a pain in the ass!
Haha, true. I don’t know. I love punk, I love DC, and I love the joy and positivity it brings to some people. I feel like it’s sparked an energy into DC a little bit. If people don’t get pumped on it anymore we will stop.

Dame (photo by Farrah Skeiky)

Love of punk will lead one to do all sorts of crazy things. Do you really have a Damaged City Twitter?
Haha, yeah — @damagedcity. It’s sad to say but most people find out about shows through the internet these days. Might as well utilize everything we can to punish people about it, right?

Yeah, I guess so. I’d rather have someone stick a flyer in my hand but I’m sure you’re being a good punk and flyering. I’m just a grouchy old school lady who refuses to change and like the last person not on Facebook. I hate the internet. I even still have a landline. The future scares me. Getting off my high horse now, how else can we stay up to date on the the lineup and show happenings?
We have a website — www.damaged-city.com. You can also sign up for a mailing list there. We are on Facebook and all that shit as well.

Are you going to announce any more bands?
For sure. Probably about 10 more bands.

Pre-shows and after shows?
Yup! April 6th will be the pre-show and on the 7th and 8th we will have after shows.

Where should out of town Punkers stay?  
If you are on Facebook I always recommend posting on the event page. People have had really good luck finding couches and floors there. There are cheap hotels if you get them early enough.

Sheer Mag (photo by Angela Owens)

Any packing advice?
It’ll be spring in DC so the weather should be perfect. Might rain.

Punks with charged hair, bring umbrellas. So, what’s fun to do in DC right now besides burn American flags?
Cherry blossoms will be out around Damaged City. Honestly my favorite time of year. The city is so beautiful. I would check those out, walk through rock creek park, find the old Capitol ruins, the arboretum, Congressional Cemetery, Exorcist steps, aqueduct, walk around the monuments at night, swim in the Potomac, and so on.

Good record stores?
Smash Records, Joint Custody Records, and Som Records, to name a few.

Any good places for vegans to check out?
Nu Vegan (formerly Everlasting Life/Woodlands), Sunrise, Sticky Fingers, Farewell, Daikaya, DC Meat and Food, Thai X-ing, Hong Kong Chinese, Amsterdam Falafel, Duccinis Pizza, and a crap-ton of other spots.

Why should we go to your fest?  
The bands rip, it’s fun, the vibe is awesome, might meet some good people, and DC is cool?

(photo by Angela Owens)

I’m sold. Why should we support DIY punk?
Well, corporate America has no intention of putting out the new BLAZING EYE 7″ anytime soon. Being in control, putting in the work from the ground up, actually seeing the fruits of your labor, and growing with your community is why we should support DIY punk. Punk was a catalyst for me to get out of a really dark place in my life. It helped me get sober, get a job, and start taking care of my mom. It helped me become a decent and mostly responsible human —haha! Nothing compares to the feeling I get from playing music with the people I love. I’ve met some of the most amazing people, established lifelong friendships, and have had the privilege of being able to travel all over the world. It can be a truly cathartic force.

Any last words, punk?
Thanks for asking me to do this! Tickets are on sale now!



Create to Destroy! Static Shock Weekend


November 3rd, 2016 by

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Tom Ellis does a lot for the punk community in London from booking gigs to having a distro and record label. Being a master gig booker, every year he tops himself with Static Shock Weekend. This will be the fourth year of the fest occurring for three days kicking off November 3rd and ending November 6th featuring headliners such as Kriegshög, Lowest Form, Warthog, Rixe, Wankys, and Iron Lung. Quite a stacked line up! Quick a stacked fest!

Are you excited for Static Shock this year?
I’m just abut hitting the point of feeling overwhelmed/terrified about everything that needs to be done and what could potentially go wrong to now just feeling pretty stoked that it’s so close. As I’m writing this the first bands are getting into town in about 48 hours time!

staticshockweekend_flyer

How is it different from other years?
This year is a little different in the way that we’ve tried to expand some of the shows. The main venue now has two stages this year which has meant we can showcase a few more local bands than previously which I’m pretty happy about. Obviously you can never quite squeeze in as many as you want to, but it’s a good selection of the diverse scope we have locally.

How long have you been pulling this thing off?
This will be the fourth time the weekend has happened since 2012.

Have you gotten a lot of help over the years?
Absolutely. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that the festival wouldn’t have happened more than once if it wasn’t for the encouragement and support from everyone who’s willing to help (and also sometimes inconvenience themselves) by suggesting/getting in touch with bands, doing the door, working the shows, putting bands up, feeding bands, making flyers, listening to my moaning for the six months beforehand. They deserve all of the credit, and hopefully no punishment over the fest.

Why do you keep doing it? Sounds exhausting.
This is something I keep thinking about. The idea originally came from traveling to fests such as Not Dead Yet (and Fucked Up Weekend before that), K-Town and Trashfest and always being jealous that there wasn’t something more like that closer to home. We always had the weekenders at the 1in12 Club and around the country, but it seemed a lot were always verging towards one particular sub-genre (be it crust, the more mosh friendly hardcore bands or whatever) and not really open to mixing it up. Fast forward a few years and there’s a lot more fests happening with pretty open minded booking which is great, but it also makes me wonder if there’s a need to keep doing SSW every year. Time will tell I guess!

ordenmundial

Orden Mundial

London seems to have changed a lot pretty quickly over the past several years, making it especially hard for punks and artists to survive there. How has the landscape of London changing effected your fest? Are there less venues and places for after shows?
There’s no escaping the fact that London is a hard city to live in, especially compared to some other cities around the country and around Europe. I’d like to think that this actually drives people harder to make things work out though. We also have supportive creative spaces such as New River Studios and DIY Space For London who let shows happen there so we don’t have to be too reliant on bars or other places that get sick of punk shows happening after a couple of times or whatever. This year we’re using four different venues of varying sizes (the smallest holding just over 100, the largest just over 500) so things are pretty good on that front. After shows have always been really tricky in London due to licensing laws, so we’ve usually ended up using wherever was willing to have us, however we have found an understanding venue this year in The Unicorn, so fingers crossed that goes well.

Are there more people from outside of London now who attend Static Shock than people actually living in London? It seems a lot of people have moved outside of London.
Yeah, it seems like half of London is relocating to Glasgow right now! An average show in London will pull in around 50–150 punks and there will be around 500+ around for the fest! A lot will travel around from all over the UK and also Europe to come hang out and see a bunch of bands they may never get a chance to otherwise. Some people have traveled before from as far as Australia, America and Canada as well which is pretty amazing.

Blazing Eye (photo by Simon Parris)

Blazing Eye (photo by Simon Parris)

Your headliners this year are IRON LUNG and KRIEGSHÖG, have you seen these bands live before?
As well as VAASKA, but unfortunately BELGRADO had to drop off due to visa issues. I’m lucky enough to have seen all four bands before. IRON LUNG and BELGRADO have been here before, but neither for a few years, so it’s great to have them back in town. I saw KRIEGSHÖG play in Texas a few years back in a warehouse with DOUBLE NEGATIVE and count it as one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, so as soon as I got wind they were playing again we invited them over. Fortunately they were really up for it, and have even recorded a new 7″ too! VAASKA have played Europe but never the UK before, so I’m very stoked to have them here closing the weekend. ‘Todos Contra Todos’ is such a killer record.

You have many international bands coming over, how do you make sure they are taken care of during their time in London?
Thankfully, we have a bunch of friends willing to open up their homes to the international punks coming through town and will make sure that they are well taken care of. If they’re coming all this way to play, it’s the least we can do!

Are you excited for the WANKYS? I love the WANKYS. Local noise heroes…
Mate, how can you not love THE WANKYS? The best band and the best people! True lifers who’s enthusiasm puts most people half their age to shame. This is actually going to be their ten year anniversary gig as well. I’ll be pogoing hard for “Just One Beer” with the best of them.

So jealous — I wish I was going to be there to celebrate their existence. Have any of your shows sold out?
So far the Thursday show with BELGRADO has sold out, but the Saturday matinee with DISGUISE and the VAASKA show on Sunday is not too far off!

How many venues are you using this year? Are they all ages?
This year we are using four venues (DIY Space For London, New River Studios, The Dome and The Unicorn). DSFL and New River are all ages, The Dome is 14+ and only The Unicorn is 18+. All ages are strongly welcomed and encouraged!

What local businesses should people check out while they’re hanging out for Static Shock Weekend?
For records, you should be aiming to check out Tome Records (located inside DIY Space For London, All Ages (Camden) as well as Reckless in Soho. Go for food at The Waiting Room or The Full Nelson in Deptford if you get a chance, the latter is a new punk run bar/restaurant.

DIY space for London is really cool and Tome Records has a La Vida Es Un Mus section- totally tits record store! Any exciting new bands in and around London right now that we should check out?
Yes! ARMS RACE are the best live band in the UK right now and are now fully London based. PINKGRIP have just started playing shows and are awesome. They kind of remind me a little bit of VILE (musically, not lyrically) with an extremely angry frontwoman, I wish I could have squeezed them on the fest. SARCASM are a great post punk band. MURDER formed from the ashes of DIE and play great straight-up hardcore punk. There’s a ton of others right now (RUNT, FEX URBIS, PAYDAY, SCRAP BRAIN, THE SWELL, BODY BUTTER), the list goes on.

Any last words, Mr. Ellis?
Thanks for the interest and I hope some of you can make the weekend!



Create to Destroy! 4th Annual Richmond Punx Picnic


October 26th, 2016 by

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I dropped the ball and did not post this in time. That said, I hope y’all still made it out to the 4th Annual Richmond Punx Picnic in Richmond, Virginia. Even though this has already passed, I think it’s important to read what goes into making a fest happen and get a mini update on RVA. Interview with Bobby Egger of Vinyl Conflict Record Store and Headcount Records and Nathan Ryan by Amelia

What’s the scene like in Richmond, VA right now?
Bobby: Richmond’s scene is ever evolving. At its base it’s a college town so we have a turn over always of new students coming and going every year. It is also still a moderately cheap place to live, so we still find lots of very active bands who will tour a lot based out of here. I wouldn’t say any specific scene is really popping off more than another at this particular moment, but there is really something for everyone. When bands come through and have a decent gig, we know how to put on a good time and our crowd is always quite diverse.

4thrva_punxpicnic_aseptic

Aseptic at 25 Watt, 2015 Richmond Punx Picnic

Any good bands we should know about?
Bobby: For Richmond the list goes on an on. I’ll do my best and probably forget something important. BARGE, MAD EXISTENCE, FIRING SQUAD, NOSEBLEED, FRIED EGG, LEFT CROSS, SINISTER PURPOSE, NIGHT SHANK, MEMORY LOSS, ASYLUM, and KOMMUNION for hardcore punk for sure. The metal scene is just as sprawling, but I’m not even going to start on that.

Crimson Scarlet at 25 Watt, 2014 Richmond Punx Picnic

Crimson Scarlet at 25 Watt, 2014 Richmond Punx Picnic

How’d the Punx Picnic start?
Nathan: We started doing Richmond Punx Picnic because other cities like Baltimore and Philly were doing their own punx picnics and we started talking about it and decided that since nobody in Richmond was organizing one, that it was our duty as punx to at least do one and to see how it went. Richmond used to have Best Friends Day, which was occasionally peppered with punk and hardcore bands as well as Kollapse Fest, which was always stacked with the best punk and hardcore, but both events had permanently stopped happening. There have also been other punk fests in Richmond that did quite well such as No Way Fest, which additionally stopped after its 3rd year. The first year that we organized RPP it was kind of a gamble — a whole lot of shows over one weekend while we were used to only handling one show at a time. By the end of the weekend, we could tell that everyone had a blast and people were already starting to ask about the next year, so…

Has it evolved since then?
Nathan: It definitely has. Each year the cast of people who participate as RPP “staff” has rotated a bit. In the four years that we have been piecing it together we have all learned a lot. It seems that it’s picking up speed and we seem to have an easier time booking bands that we really want as each year passes. People seem more aware of it now that it’s been happening for a few years. We have also figured out what types of events, venues, and advertising works for us over time.

Fourth year — did you ever think you’d come this far?
Nathan: Honestly, not really. As we mentioned earlier, the first one was more like an experiment more than anything. We weren’t really sure that we could even pull it off. The second year that we did it, we had people approaching us, saying things like “this could be the next big thing in Richmond” like it had the potential to turn into another Best Friends Day or Kollapse Fest. The thing is — we don’t really want that. What is the most important to us is to showcase a roster of awesome bands as well as place emphasis on our own local talent. We have traditionally made it a point to avoid going heavy on metal or hardcore bands as well — all of those guys already have their own fests and big show weekends. It’s called Richmond Punx Picnic for a reason. It’s punk. It’s for punx.

Left Cross at The Rockpile, 2015 Richmond Punx Picnic

Left Cross at The Rockpile, 2015 Richmond Punx Picnic

Who is involved in organizing it right now?
This year there are four main organizers: Bobby Egger (Vinyl Conflict Record Store), Nathan Ryan (ASYLUM), Ryan Zell (DISEVERED, ASYLUM), and Justin Hast (PRISONER). We have a lot of friends within the Richmond DIY community who always pitch in each year without fail, mainly Kasey Simcoe, who was one of the original weekend organizers but has recently moved back to her hometown of Baltimore, MD. Shout outs and big love to Matt Sachs, and all of the maniacs from VSC community.

Where is the show happening?
Nathan: This year we have two shows at Strange Matter (one on Friday and a matinee on Saturday). There is also a late show on Saturday at 25 Watt. Besides the show we are hosting a daytime cookout at a local park and then the actual picnic itself which always held at this sandy beach along a beautiful stretch of the James River.

2015 Richmond Punx Picnic Guide

2015 Richmond Punx Picnic Guide

Is it hard to find an all ages venue in Richmond?
Bobby: The issues aren’t so much finding all-ages venues as it is finding all ages venues that will host what we are bringing to them. Richmond is a college town. There are so many bars that want shows and only a few of them that really support what we have going. As far as actual venues go, there are only about three or four willing to do punk. Richmond has a curfew of 11p.m., which is actually why most shows end up being 18+ it isn’t some nasty jab at kids and it was put in place far too long ago and should be removed in this day and age. However these rules were not put in place for concert go-ers as much as they are weak attempts to bring down crime rates. So finding a place that will let us do what we want, but having it over at an acceptable hour tends to be the issue. We do have gigs that will be all ages, and at worst 18+. Nothing will be 21+, it’s about city limitations not adhering to drinking booze.

Aspects of War and Final Assault are your headliners, who has headlined in previous years?
Bobby: Last year we had THE PIST as a headliner! The year before that we had ASPECTS OF WAR and WHO KILLED SPIKEY JACKET?, with CRIMSON SCARLET headlining an earlier Thursday gig.

Are there bands with women playing this year?
Bobby: Yes! Actually most of our locals this year will have ladies involved! NOSEBLEED, KOMMUNION, MEMORY LOSS, and ASYLUM all have females in them. THE BROOD from Philly also has a female member.

How can we stay up to date on the fest?
Nathan: Richmond Punx Picnic has an Instagram account (@rvapunxpicnic) as well as a Facebook page. It’s actually listed as PUNX RVA PICNIC because we had an issue choosing the name we wanted. Facebook has become a huge pain in the ass over the past few years, but unfortunately it’s a great tool for networking and advertising events and gigs.

Any last words, punks?
Nathan: Thanks to everyone for attending or participating over the past few years. It’s always stressful to book a weekend-long event every year, especially while all of us have relationships, jobs, and school to focus on but in the end, seeing so many amazing bands and partying super hard with all of your buddies is what keeps punk alive and reminds you that it’s all worth it. Up the punx! Richmond rules, OK?

 



Create to Destroy! Total Punk Fuck Off Fest Vol. III


May 31st, 2016 by

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Last year’s Total Punk Fuck Off II Fest had LUMPY AND THE DUMPERS as well as the ACHTUNGS from Finland and ended in total chaos.  This year is the third and final year of the Total Punk Fuck Off — two days only, this weekend June 3rd and 4th in hospitable Orlando, Florida.  Go catch TIMMY’S ORGANISM and GG KING in the sweltering heat that is Florida in June and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.  This year’s fest will go out with a bang, for sure!

Did you ever think you’d make it to a third year?
That was the plan.  Movies, deaths, and festivals are best in threes.

The “Final Fuck Off” means this is the last year, right?
The train stops here. There may be more fucking off in the future but it won’t be on my dime.

Orlando in June sounds hotter than hell.  Should I still bring my leather jacket?
Hell’s got nothing on a Florida summer. Still bring your leathers though. Got to look cool to feel cool.

tptfo3ticketfinal

I see it’s an all-American line-up this year.
All American Punk. No Foreign Junk. KBD OOP RAR.

Tell us about the Florida bands that are playing.
The MOLD are our buddies from Jacksonville.  Bass, drums, and keys.  Punk à la SCREAMERS.  GINO & THE GOONS are from St. Pete and are party starting budget rock. AUTARX and MANIC & THE DEPRESSIVES are both from Orlando, share a singer, and are two of my favorite bands to come out of Orlando in a long time.  AUTUARX has got a deathrock kind of Agnew thing going on. MANIC & THE DEPRESSIVES are bass-driven minimal punk with alternating male and female vocals.  We’re also having a pre-party on Thursday night with my band GOLDEN PELICANS and another local called SECRET TRACERS. Three guitar stoner punk.

Who knew Florida was kicking?  What’s the scene like in Orlando right now?
Orlando has a really cool scene. There isn’t some cohesive sound like a city like Atlanta, but there are a bunch of good bands all doing their own thing, and a bunch of wild enthusiastic kids going bat shit. Plus pretty much everything happens within two blocks of each other, so most everyone lives in this one neighborhood. You never have to drive anywhere to go see a show, or eat a good meal, or go to the bar. It’s really the best thing about Orlando.

Florida in general?
There are pockets here and there, and it seems like more bands are popping up from around the state. St. Augustine and Jacksonville are always really fun to play.

What local hotels are dreading this fest?
Downtown Travelodge gets destroyed every year, but they keep allowing us back.  It’s the cheapest room in town, not too far from the club and they have a exquisite collection of bed bugs.

tptfo3posterfinal

What bands are headlining this year?
TIMMY’S ORGANISM headlines Friday night and COUNTER INTUITS, Ron House’s newest project, closes out the weekend.

Are the shows all ages?  Tell us about the venues.
The Thursday night pre-party is 21 and up but the rest of the weekend is 18+ (sorry kiddos). Here’s a breakdown of the venues, which by the way are all within a quarter mile radius of each other:
Wally’s: Orlando institution. Stiffest cheapest drinks in town. Small, smoky bar with all kinds of interesting characters.  Really excited that one of the shows is going to be here.
St. Matt’s (Joe’s NYC Bar): This place is something else.  It’s a bar with a stripper pole that also serves as a church on Sunday mornings. They are also “Orlando’s only steam punk bar”, and it’s the only bar with an alter ego.  Sometimes it’s St. Matt’s and sometimes it’s Joe’s NYC Bar. The inside is a strange combination of small English Chapel with gears painted on the ground (I think this is where the “steam punk” comes into play). The outside of the building always looks different. They will paint it like an American Flag for Fourth of July, then paint jack-o’-lantern faces on the exterior for Halloween, followed by snowflakes in December, but the best part is they just paint over whatever was there before so you can still see what is painted over. It doesn’t get much more Orlando than this place.
Uncle Lou’s: Pretty much the center of the Orlando punk universe.  Small bar run by a big Jamaican man named Lou. He’s the entire city of Orlando’s Uncle and if he ran for mayor, he’d probably win.
Will’s: Best venue in town, and run by a great supporter of the local music community. It’s where both night shows will be and have been every year for the Fuck Off. I honestly would never think about doing it anywhere else.

It’s nice that Orlando is so hospitable to punks and it sounds like a hospitable place for weirdos.  How long have you been preparing for this year’s fest?
I started working on this back in late September. It’s two weeks out and I’m still not done.  Whoever thought it would take so much effort to Fuck Off.

Is this a fest?
No, that happens in Gainesville.

Zing! What is a fest?
A bunch of people standing in a parking lot while a band plays inside.

I hate fests, do you?
I don’t hate fests but I due tend to get burnt out if they go to long. Two days is key. Sweet and short.

Any good stories from last year’s fest?
Lumpy knocked me upside the head with a heavy raw sausage that I paid for last year. ACTION SWINGERS absolutely killed it and none of his band members killed each other, which in and of itself is a miracle.  Three bands had their first practice with their current line-up hours before their respective shows.

How’s your label?
Best thing going.

What was your last release?
Put out two new singles last week: SICK THOUGHTS – “18 & Free” and GINO & THE GOONS – “Love & Hate.”  Next up is the debut single from New Orleans’ LSDOGS and a 12” by Oakland’s VIOLENCE CREEPS.

How many releases have you done so far?
Total Punk is getting ready to release it’s 48th. Floridas Dead now has two under it’s belt, and Floridas Dying (R.I.P.) had 42 releases.

Is your mother proud?
Who wouldn’t be proud of a 38-year-old who spends half of his year putting together an event called “The Fuck Off”?

Any last words?
I’m innocent.



Create to Destroy! Discos Enfermos


January 6th, 2016 by

CreateToDestroyLogoI met Inti because he reached out to me with my label Nightrider Records.  He lives in Barcelona and has a solid distro and label with many international punk releases.  He supports a lot of international punk.  He was also in ASFIXIA (Basque Country) and ALERTA! (in Barcelona). If you want to know more, feel free to email him at discosenfermos at gmail dot com and check out his website at www.discosenfermos.com (Interview by Amelia ANOK4U2) Another part of the Create to Destroy series.

Discos Enfermos is just a distro? Or a label, too?
Discos Enfermos is together a label and distro that comes on the evolution on my past label/distro.

logobueno.atentadoWhat other DIY labels are there in Spain right now?
There are many other labels, some with years on their back releasing and distributing great stuff. My nearest ones are Grita o Muere, Kremon, Trabuc, Crust as Fuck, Boston Pizza / Dead Moon… and there are some others working for years like DDT, In My Heart Empire, Metadona, Muerte a tipo, Against You, Discos Subterraneos,…and some others not existing anymore.

You live in Barcelona? Tell us about the scene there.
I live in Barcelona but originally I come from the Basque Country. Barcelona is bigger and has bigger movement, more or less because lot of people come here from everywhere. There are social centers, squats, bands…lot of things going on most of the time and also a lot of political people really working and fighting for prisoner rights, etc…

What are you past releases?
Actually I just released the reference #42 of Discos Enfermos (and craziest one at this point) that is COÀGÜL “Cobriu-me de Flors” flexi postcard (industrial noise/pop done by my good friend and great artist Marc O´Callaghan). Past releases are ATENTADO, DISKOIRÄÄ, METRALLETA, GOBIERNO MILITAR, AMENAÇA, BELGRADO, CRIMEN, PELIGRO!, PIEL Y HUESOS, DISTRABE, FINAL SLUM WAR, FRACASO, MÖRDARE, LOS CONEJOS, RAISER and VENGANZA (US), ARREST, CESIO 137, EYES OF CROW, SECT, ALERTA!, HHH (reisue of their 7″), MUERTE, SIEGA, GUERRA FRIA, RES, FZ10, URPA, VENGANZA (SPAIN), AUXILIO, PISSBATH, CADENA and POX (US).

What are you currently working on
Next releases are ZOTZ 7″ together with MassMedia Records in the USA (already at pressing plant) and next will be the SAD BOYS demo on 12″ record with some nice presentation, also working on MUJERCITOS 7″, VLTIMO IMPERIO demo and MUERTE LP (euro press) and some other things coming and waiting to confirm. I love to support the local bands that I like and that my friends play on, so probably future releases will be around this idea.

LOS CONEJOS

Do you distribute all over the world? How do you find record labels and distros to trade with?
Yes, I try to trade with everyone, usually people/label that I have done before or I know for years. Everyone interested taking on wholesale my releases also are welcome and I try to send stuff cheapest as possible. About mail order always getting orders from all over the world and sending.

IMG-20150404-WA0002 (1)Have you been doing this a long time?
Yes I think, probably since I start with my old label will be probably 10+ years on this- I’m 32 now!

Any tips and tricks to distros on packaging? Postal scams? Tips and tricks to keep records in perfect condition when shipping them across the world?
Not specially, the usual ones…as everyone, sometimes I suffer the disapointment of getting emails from labels or people who order records saying that they arrive broken or damaged…I can’t control the post workers. I use special mailing boxes for records and send them out of their sleeves to make them arrive in mint condition. I’m shipping 2-3 times a week several packages and very very few time happen any problem like this so I guess that I’m not doing so bad jejejeje.

I hear you- I feel like I live at the post office. Are you in a band?
Not currently, got some projects for starting a new band but actually not playing. I used to play in ASFIXIA (in Basque Country) and ALERTA! (in Barcelona). Both are bands which release something, also I had play in other bands in Basque and Barcelona but never releasing or even playing live.

Have you traveled Europe recently?
Not recently, last time was last year on tour with CRIMEN from Mexico.

What’s the state of Spain right now? Politically? The economy?
I could say that everything is fucked up and that is not true in the same way; there are going on some political changes but more or less are the same old fuckers with new faces, same old history, same shit with different smell. Inside this change I see that they start some years ago selling the “crisis” word to the reality of everyone, but that supposed “crisis” existed year and years ago. Everything is a lie, sometimes everything looks so fucking ridiculous that you will think that is a kind of reality show. Anyway, I don’t give a fuck about Spain because I’m not Spanish jajajajajaja- just a joke!

GOBIERNO MILITAR

GOBIERNO MILITAR

Is Barcelona (and Spain in general) a political punk scene?
I think it is, there are a lot of people doing things and fighting for so…I could say, with its good and bad things, that it is.

Have you been to any good shows recently?
Yes, a good thing of a big city like Barcelona is that most of the touring bands come here to play. Local bands are great and lot of times people go to see local band more than the touring band, we don’t give a fuck about a band just because is coming from the US jajajajaja. Last LA MISMA show was great and the last show I was with the local bands PIÑEN, ROTE ZORA and LAMAX was simply AMAIZING. And really looking this Saturday to see DIE, PISS, ANASAZI and MEDICATION.

I bet that was a good show! Why do you think bands from Barcelona are so powerful?
Are as powerful as in other places, I don`t think Barcelona had the great secret. People in the last year is paying lot of attention in Barcelona and looks like all the bands here are the fucking best and the reference and is not like this. Of course are great/greatest bands here, and some other that are just bullshit or products that lot of people make them like the best bands. I had seeing lot of bands really great and nobody giving a fuck about them and some others created just for release, tour and be a great band. Until bands like GOBIERNO MILITAR or LOS CONEJOS exist I will be happy of being part of this.

What do you have to say to punks thinking about starting their own record label?
Nothing to say, everyone is already doing and making it as if their label is the most “selected” and “limited” so…anyone can do whatever they want…just don`t come tome and tell how to do things…

What about punks wanting to distro?
For me both things have a total relation, I can understand starting a label without a distro, but I always worked releasing and trading and when it comes to releasing and not trading I start seeing things in a different way. There are some great distros not working as labels so…everything is possible, just if you want to do it, go ahead!

Any last words?
Thanks Amelia for giving me the option of answering this questions, I don`t like the interviews because is just my opinion and should not be reference of anything…so don’t take so serious my answers. Also I want to contact the singer of MYSTIC INANE, that guy have a tattoo of the logo of my label jasuajsuajsuajsujausjaus…he should be the one having all my records once I die.

Hey punks, look for the following upcoming releases from Discos eNfermos:

DENF #44 SAD BOYS “demo” 12″
DENF #45 MUJERCITOS 7″
DENF #46 ZOTZ “amargura” LP
DENF #?¿ VLTIMO IMPERIO “demo” CASSETTE
DENF #?¿ VENGANZA 7″ (NEW, 2nd 7″)
DENF #?¿ ABSOLUTE ORDER 7″
DENF #?¿ NUEVA FUERZA 7″
DENF #?¿ MUERTE LP (EUROPRESS)
DENF #?¿ RIP “83-84 Elgoibar, Vitoria, Lasarte, Barna” LP