Hardware #8


AUTHOR'S NOTE}I first heard SEPTIC DEATH on the P.E.A.C.E. compilation in 1984
"Silence" was one of the stand out tracks on that out-of-print, but essentail
double LP. At the time Pushead was writing for MRR and was known for his use of
"big" words when reviewing records. He was also becoming well known for his
exceptional art. Many hardcore records in the early eighties had Pushead art,
either on the cover, label or lyric sheets. Then came the amazing flyers. SEPTIC
DEATH would then release their classic 12". As with bands like the GERMS and THE
NIHILISTICS, SEPTIC DEATH to me are "aquired taste". They are not for everyone
and you definately have to be in the right mood to listen to them.

Towards the end of the Eighties, Pushead was being noticed outside the hardcore
circle and ended up doing art for alot of "big" acts, most notibly METALLICA.
Then he seemed to disappear all together. Well in the past few years, Pushead
started a new label and begun a "fan club" which is very popular. He also is
doing more art than ever before and that of course is a good thing.

Well..where do I begin with this one. About a year and a half ago, Brett and I
decided we wanted to interview Pushead. Both of us(and quite a few others) had
a million questions to ask. We knew that is was said that the last interview ever
was back in 1990. The challenge was on. We tried friends of his and other sources
but the answer was no across the board. Fuck, oh well, we tried. Then when I least
expect it, Dan from CAVITY calls me up and said Pushead will do it. Holy shit!!!
Stop the presses!! It was a shocker because we were turned down so much. I guess
persistance pays off(at least in this case).

I want to thank Pushead for his time, effort and the inspiration he has given us.
For those who might not know, HARDWARE is named after a SEPTIC DEATH song. The
lyrics have always meant alot to me and I'm sure many others have found them to be
inspiring also. Hope you like this...Dave K.

P.S. As I went over the review section, I noticed that the review for the Bacteria
Sour "Taste" comp. CD wasn't included. My apologies to Pushead. Check it out, it's
pretty good-DK

Hardware:

How does hardcore relate to your art and how did you get involved with the two?
Did you have any formal art training? Is art your only source of income now? What
other mainstream stuff beside METALLICA have you done?

Pushead:

First off:What is hardcore and how does it relate to anything? I say this, because
since the evolution of hardcore/punk music, even though I don't consider the two the
same, but one bred the other, it seems like a system of divisions has continually
happened. Dividing the people who gotten involved for the love of the music. Too many
rules, restrictions and hypothetical stances that make anyone involved confused to
what's going on beyond the sound.

I was into hardcore music before I did art for the music, even though I did art way
before the music. It was 1980, when I did a few illusrations that I hoped would be
used for gig flyers in L.A. I sent these pieces down to my good friend Glen E. Friedman
(I was living in Idaho at the time...) who I had known through the "Skatepark" days.
Glen was involved in L.A. photographing this new explosion of bands like BLACK FLAG,
CIRCLE JERKS, etc...Glen was pretty aggressive(to say the least...) and I had figured
he might possibly show some of this art around. He did and some of it got used.
In conjunction with this, I was corresponding though the mail with good people in
Washington, D.C., NYC, Boston, and the Detroit area, as well as correspondence in England,
Scandanavia, and Japan. I had originally thought to conceive a fanzine, but when I sent
out samples of the art, there was more interest in the art than the fanzine. I was busy
doing lots of art and listening to the rise of a great generation of bands. Totally
excited to be a part of it all!

As for art training, i am basically self-taught. But I would recommend for anyone who
can to go to school for art, just so you can use the equipment they have vailable.
It can be very helpful. Artwork is not my only form of income and I have to work long
hours to make money from the art.

I don't know why it seems so important to be concerned whether its mainstream or underground,
it is just all art to me, and every "client" whether from the mainstream or underground
treats you different. I couldn't say one is better than the other. Beside stuff for
METALLICA...RUSH, AEROSMITH, SOUNDGARDEN, MINISTRY, etc...

Hardware

How did you get involved with MRR and why did you stop writing for them?
What do you think of them now as far as policies go, etc...?

Pushead

I was in contact with Tim when he was doing the early days of the radio show.
I sent him some xeroxes of art, but he said he had no uses for them. After he did the
"Not So Quiet..." double LP, he decided to do the magazine and I submitted a piece for
the first issue. After that I contributed regularly doing interviews, articles, and reviews.
When I stopped at MRR, it was during a period when I was extremely busy(too busy...)
and I decided to put more of my effort into "puszone" since I felt it was attracting a
different audience than MRR who had an established audience and I wanted to continue to
introduce new sounds to new minds.

As far as their policies go, I think it's quite funny how many people cry over everything
that MRR does whether its positive or negative. Everyone has the ability to create,
sometimes I think it would be better if they did that, than whining and worrying about what
MRR does. I see Tim as the editor of MRR, which means it's his responsibility, no matter
who does what and at the end of his day, his choices or chances have made it what it is.
He created it, it is what he believes in. When he started it back in 1982, not too many
fanzines represented hardcore as a worldwide music and the MRR format still exists today.
That's a tough one to continue.

Hardware

What is the complete SEPTIC DEATH story? Who wrote all the music, etc? How did you
hook-up with Kirk from METALLICA to play on the "Kichigai" 7"? How many shows did you guys
play? Did you ever tour? What was the best SD show? Is there any unreleased material?
Was the Lost and Found record legit? What about the alleged SD boxed set?

Pushead

SEPTIC DEATH was formed in Boise in 1981. It was created based on my desire to
manufacture music similar to what we were listening to, and the fact that there were no
hardcore bands in Boise. Only Top 40 cover bar bands. In the beginning, it was just a
project band that had no desire to play live or record, just make "fast" music. A friend
of ours would come by to our practices(without a bass player at the time...) and just
start talking about our band to everyone he knew. By the time our bass player came in,
he had asked someone to help get us to play live at some radio promotion pizza parlor
birthday bash, which we did end up playing, but most of our friends were having so much
fun, we were asked to stop after six songs, since this other band felt we were stealing
the show from their spotlight(not a "punk" band). Oddly this lead to another gig being
put on by an underground noise band a couple of months later across the street from the
pizza parlor. Someone recorded this show and we sent a tape up to our friends POISON IDEA
in Portland. Tom and Jerry loved the tape and invited us to play in Portland with them.
So we did. It was great to experience such new young talent like POISON IDEA and FINAL
WARNING, it made us develop more since it was such a positive force. We started putting
up shows in Boise, so Boise could experience what we saw in Portland (and L.A.), it grew
from there, beyond anything we ever expected.

All SEPTIC DEATH music is created as follows. The song structure is broken down into parts
by myself, then Onj and I work on guitar riffs. Once he has enough riffs, we assemble it
and see if it works. Then the music is completely put together with drums and bass.
(I have always been picky about the drum sound and the way the drums are played). Once
the music is finished, the lyrical portion of the song is fully constructed then vocalized.
Every song has a working title until it is finished. Sometimes Onj and I could create 7
songs in one sitting. There are many songs we never recorded.

As far as Kirk playing on "Kichigai"(or on "Crocodile Tears" with Tad), since he's my
friend, I just asked him and he wanted to do it. It was a lot of fun with Kirk in the
studio, he was just really loose and fast. He could come up with riffs quickly and was
easy to work with. Lots of our firnds play on SEPTIC DEATH tracks. Tad was origianlly
from Boise and a big SEPTIC DEATH fan(as we later found out...) who went to all the gigs.
I have no idea how many total actual gigs we played and we did tour only the West Coast.
As far as the best SD show goes, I'd say it have to be 2 or 3 different Boise shows, not
because of SEPTIC's performance, but because of the crowd. Just so fun to see everyone
singing along, having fun, going crazy, doing death piles.

SEPTIC DEATH unreleased material? Yes..there's some. A few of those tracks will be
released on "Crossed Out Twice" which comes out mid 1996 and is an anthology of SEPTIC DEATH,
but some songs will never be released, since we had an unforseen problem with the master
2" reels, and how glue seperated from the tape. When run, the tape/glue would stick to the
heads, thus ruining the music. It's a bit more complicated and technical than this, but
this is the general idea to explain it. We found out that there was a bad batch of 2"
tape and even some "big name" acts were affected by this bad tape. I saved what I could,
but some tracks could not be saved and are lost. It was a sad day when Onj and I were in
the studio and the engineer first made us aware of this problem. There is a SEPTIC DEATH
box set. I made a few using test pressings and artwork. Lost and Found=bootleg, anyone
can figure that out.

Hardware

Why did you end Pusmort and start Bacteria Sour? How do you choose bands? How does one
get into the fanclub?

Pushead

I stopped using the name Pusmort for a variety of reasons. The main one being...that
when I started the label, it was just a combination of two words, of when I signed some of
the early L.A. flyer art as Pushead Lamort (La Mort is French for death). As time went on
I decided to do "Cleanse the Bacteria" and since that was a lot of fun I decided to continue
doing the label and the name stayed. It was unique. The problem I ran into, which is more
of a personal thing, as the art became more popular, the name Pushead became more popular.
When I would do a release, especially if I did a cover, produced, or was in the band, the
credits would just have too much "pus" in it. With the label being Pusmort, it was all too
much for me. Then a few things happened, which in turn had me slowing down the label.
When I decided to kick it back in gear, I decided to change the name, give it a fresh
start and open it up so I could be more than just a label to do other things/projects.
I'm still working on the structure/formation of Bacteria Sour and it should all come more
in focus in 1996. It's still a mystery now. I want it to be a fun project orientated type
thing, than just a business. Bands are chosen on their sound and how I like it.

The fan club was created so I could express a lot of ideas and be able to communicate.
At one point, the mail got overwhelming for me and since I do everything by myself, it
became hard. Especially since I was so fond of writing back, it was really difficult. When
I started putting so much pressure on my hand doing art, letters, etc... that my hand
became inflamed in pain and sometimes went numb. I had to make some changes or I would do
some permanent damage. There was really no one way to explain. So the fan club was born.
It's been really fun. You get to the true core of the fans and their ideas/opinions which
is exciting. I've tried to keep it very small so I can handle it by myself. The small press
runs that I do, led to serious delays which are frustrating, but everyone seems to enjoy the
end result. To join, just write for info. Phase 2 which exists right now is closed. Phase
3 should start this summer(of '96).

Hardware

We heard you had tinnitus and can't go to any shows. True?

Pushead

Yes, it's true. But I do go to shows-rarely. When I first heard of anyone having tinnitus,
it was Nick Blinko of Rudimentary Peni. It was hard to imagine what he was telling me. That
his ears would always ring, non-stop, no matter what, it didn't go away. So when it happened
to me, I fully understood. I've been to the ear doctor, and I've learned certain facts about
it. It's hard to deal with, but you get used to it. I don't want to do any more damage and
loud music is the first thing to stay clear of. Even if I wear ear plugs, my ear will ring
louder than normal, so I spend more time listening to recorded music than live. I could tell
everyone to be cautious, wear plugs, but it won't help. 'Til the day comes when the ringing
should of stopped and it doesn't. Ringing in the ears is the first sign of damage. If it
lasts more than 24 hours, time to think what your future sound might be.

Hardware

Other than the cover SSD's "Get It Away", is there any other hidden messages in your art?

Pushead

Sometimes there is. But I never tell anyone anymore, just let the viewer see what they see.
Can you believe someone found some kind of subliminal message in Disney's Aladdin? You really
got to be bored and desperate to seek out what they found. Society is really becoming a comedy
routine.

Hardware

What about those sculptures? What are they all about, how does one get one, etc..? New
ones coming out?

Pushead

What do you mean. "What about those sculptures?" (you saw them.) There's 2. "Rising From
Her Shadow Blood" and "Hydrobaby". They are unpainted resin and extremely well crafted. My
friends' company "Planet Earth" made them. I don't know if Planet Earth will be doing anymore.
I will still make some. You can write to me and I can send info, if you're interested.

Hardware

Your art seems less "graphic" these days. How did this come about and was it a conscious
decision? Do you ever have "artist's cramp" and can't think of anything to do?

Pushead

I guess it depends on what you see and how you perceive it. Everyone has a different opinion
when it comes to art, especially in what they see in it. As far as if has it been my decision to
make it less graphic, I just alwyas try to create ideas, whether graphic or not, it's always been
that way. If you talk to one person, skulls are "graphic" and another might say its no big deal.
I feel you don't need to show blood to be graphic. Fear exists in the mind and everyone's fear is
different. What scares on person makes another laugh. Then again, look at the METALLICA "One"
sleeve. A quad-amputee who is hanging on display in the cornerm who has swung back and forth
smashing the bloody limbs against the wall to spell "METALLICA". The concept is sick, the image is
graphic, but one of METALLICA's members said to me, "It looks cute." This single sold more than
1,000,000 copies worldwide. Do you think people bought this based on the cover? HAHAHAHA!!!

Not artist's cramp, I get that in my hand. More of the "Artist's Block" but I rarely get that.
There's always something to think to do. Sometimes its more the composition and the execution
to make it work right that's much more trouble than the idea itself. Especially if you are working
in a time frame. Sometimes its amazing what can be created and completed in a 24 hour period when
that's all the time you've got, it's almost like two different trains of thought.

Hardware

Have you done any gallery showings since the one at Psychedelic Solution in NYC and how did
that come about anyway?

Pushead

I've only done that gallery show. I'm not much of a gallery person myself, so I don't push
for that avenue to showcase the illustrations. The show itself came through he suggestions of Rick
Griffin who I became friends with and was really inspired by what I drew. Which was an unusual
turnaround for me, since I have always loved Rick's work, since I was little. He had the utmost
talent and creative imagination, it's so sad that he passed away, there was so much creativity in
him. Anyway, Rick had had shows at that gallery and was good friends with Jaecaber who runs the
place. Then Jaecaber contacted me and I was surprised. I decided to do it and see what it was
like. It was an interesting experience. I do not know whether I would do it again or not, but
there seems to be a demand for it.

Hardware

What was Boise, Idaho like as far as the scene went back in the early '80's and how did you
end up in SF?

Pushead

Boise. The beauty of nature versus a cultural desert. And smolering in there someplace was
an underground scene of hardcore. Until we started outting on our own shows, hardcore was something
we experienced out of town, usually in L.A. or S.F., that's where we went to shows, bought records,
etc... It just didn't exist in Boise. When I tried to put on that first show, it would have been
great: MISFITS, POISON IDEA, 7 SECONDS, SEPTIC DEATH, DISSIDENT MILITIA, etc...
But the MISFITS van blew up in Las Vegas and we had to cancel it. There always seems to be a curse
on Boise for years No gigs or cancellations, and I felt we were the victim of it also. So finally
the first gig happened. We built the stage, got the hall, did all the promotion and worked so hard.
I was in charge of getting the bands since I was in communication with everyone. The first gig would
feature YOUTH BRIGADE, STRETCHMARKS, SEPTIC DEATH and DISSIDENT MILITIA.
We had no idea what to expect, but it turned out great. About 300 people showed up and it was one
of the craziest shows. There was so many people on stage during YOUTH BRIGADES's set, we thought
it would collapse. Soon after that the craziness would continue for bands like 7 SECONDS,
THE F.U.'s, THE FREEZE, etc...The bands couldn't believe the energy that existed in Boise.
No fights, just fun. During that time, there was a small handful of bands...Besides SEPTIC
DEATH, there was DISSIDENT MILITIA(who later bacame STATE OF CONFUSION, who later
formed a side band, TREEPEOPLE), BLIND ACCEPTANCE, COMMON ISSUE, SKIDMARKS,
THE PUGS(a rockabilly band), TECHNO PEASANTS( a noise band) and SHADES
OF GRAY, who were from Twin Falls(100 miles east of Boise). There were no actual record stores
that specialized in the sound. Just a small punk section of ome store. So mail-order was the key.
There were a lot of people who had big record collections of hardcore. All in all the scene was
very small when I left in 1984.

Hardware

Have you heard the INTEGRITY versions of the two SD songs?

Pushead

Yes, I've heard the single. I found out about it after it was finished. It's good and very
similar to the original. I never thought people would cover SEPTIC DEATH songs (RORSHACH did
"Hardware") much less be influenced by the music. I'm in communication with Dwid(INTEGRITY)
and it's amazing that he is getting the entire SEPTIC DEATH 12" cover tattooed on his back.
I met someone who had the "Kichigai" person tattooed on their arm, but this, that's alot of
detail. Also, I just finished the cover for the new INTEGRITY "Humanity is the Devil". I
wonder if Dwid will get a tattoo of that too? Ha Ha.

Hardware

Do you still do flyers at all?

Pushead

No. Nor have I done posters(in this collectable rock poster age) either. Wait, I did do a
small printed poster for the 16 Japan Tour, and a small postcard for the ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT
Japan Tour. No one really asks for flyer art, just xeroxs that they could use for flyers.

Hardware

You always seemed to be more interested in foreign hardcore than American. Why?

Pushead

I would say that's a misrepresentation, but I can understand why. Being a reviewer at the
time, American hardcore was easy to get and different people could review it. But foreign
hardcore was hard to get, and I had sources to always get it. I thought a % of the stuff was
amazing and I wanted people to know about it. There's no reason to review BLACK FLAG or
CIRCLE JERKS(even though I did that when their first releases came out...) when everyone reviews
that or knows it. So I spent more of my time to the unknown. 10-15 years ago, I was able to
hear some great bands like ASYLUM, RDIMENTARY PENI(UK), ANTI-CIMEX, SHITLICKERS,
CRUDE SS(Sweden), TERVEET KADET(Finland), JESUS AND THE GOSPELFUCKERS, AGENT
ORANGE(Holland), CIVIL DISSIDENT, MASSAPPEAL(Australia), NEOS(Canada), GISM,
EXECUTE, OUTO(Japan) just to name a few, and I felt other people should hear these
great powerful bands. That's also one of the reasons I did "Cleanse the Bacteria".

Hardware

Will "Cleanse the Bacteria" or any of the old Pusmort stuff ever be released on CD?

Pushead

"Cleanse the Bacteria" will never come out on CD. A lot of people ask for it, but it was
a vinyl release, it would be hard to contact all the bands to see if they would want it on CD.
I would rather make "Cleanse the Bacteria" Vol. 2(Ten Years Later...) and that's what I plan to do.

{AUTHOR'S NOTE}The first set of questions were done through the mail per Pushead's request.
He wanted to get all the major questions out of the way first, then speak to us on the phone.
Which was a great idea, but nobody figured that the phone part would be close to an hour and a
half(the following text is only the first hour, the rest was not captured on tape, which is
actually a damn shame). In the beginning the interview is a little stiff(due to bad questions
on our part) though hang in there because it gets good. Interview via phone on Valentine's Day
1996...............

Hardware

When it comes to the art, how do you actually prepare and do everything? Do you do pencils
first and the do inks, or just inks?

Pushead

I do pencils first. It's hard to describe to you without getting too technical. You might
not understand. First I have to get the paper ready and figure out the kind of paper that I want
to use because each kind of paper has a different kind of texture and I can get it to work different
ways. Then it's centering and how you are going to do the composition. And then I go through and
do the pencils. I try not to overdo the pencils so I don't smear it with my hand. So I might ink
certain parts and then pencil more. Ink it so it doesn't go through that. Once I have say a base
line work of it, then I'll start to go in and do detail.

Hardware

So basically you have your own way of doing it. Not a set of mechanics or anything.

Pushead

Yeah, I have my own way of doing it, though it's probably similar to other people. I know
comic book artists there is a penciler, he pencils the whole page. Then it goes to an inker and
an inker inks it. That's why if you go and buy a copy of Spider-Man from ten years ago to a
copy of Spider-Man today and it's the same artist and it looks different, it could be the inker.

Hardware

The inker pretty much erases everything and does his own stuff.

Pushead

Not always. You wouldn't have people like Jack Kirby if people did that. It just depends on
who you found to ink, to ink what he had done.

Hardware

Did you ever get any offers to do comic work?

Pushead

Hmmm..I think so, I really...it's not something that I keep track of. It just wasn't for me.

Hardware

It's not something that interests you then.

Pushead

Nah. even Dave Stevens was pushing me to do comics for somebody. I kept on telling him this
is not what I want to do. I like looking at comics. I don't want to work in that kind of industry.
Also, the way I render is different than what they do in comic books becasue comic books is pretty
straight, either brush or a certain kind of pen stroke. I don't use those elements very often to
draw with because I'd rather have a broken up scratchy line and a brush makes a really clean line.
That's what they really look for. Also, it's really quick. Alot of times, when you look at comic
books, inkers can do 3 pages an hour.

Hardware

Really? That fast?

Pushead

Oh yeah. I could never even get that close. If you know Simon Bisley's or Bill Sienkiewicz's
work and their painted stuff, they do like two a day, but they are just like really fast in the way
that they do things.

Hardware

Well, how long doews..like as an example, when you did the "Cleanse the Bacteria" design, how
long did that take?

Pushead

I really don't remember.

Hardware

Well, how about something more recent, like, I don't know...but on average how fast does it
take you to do something?

Pushead

Well, if you take "Cleanse the Bacteria" now, it has a lot of different types of detail. Now I
do even more detail than I did before. So something now where I should actually take less time
for what it's being used for, I end up taking more time. Just because I like the original to look
a certain way. With T-shirt art, all I need to do basically is to do the line work and seperate
where the colors are going to go. But I still do all that detail, it doesn't even show up on
the T-Shirt. Jesus, I think, "Why am I doing all this" but I like the original to look a certain way.

Hardware

What do you do with all your originals?

Pushead

They are sitting here.

Hardware

I wish they were sitting here!(laughter)

Pushead

Well, I started to sell some of them because I have too many. The last time I sold any of
them was when I did the gallery show in '89. I haven't sold any since, except for recently I
offered them for the Fan Club and I offered them for relatively pretty cheap.

Hardware

How about "Get It Away"?

Pushead

I don't have "Get It Away". Al has that one.

Hardware

Well, that would make sense.

Pushead

He was the one who came up with the idea, "No Humans".

Hardware

Just alot of newspapers blowing around.

Pushead

Well, basically he wanted it to look like a dead end alley and all the stuff that...I don't
know how he actually said it, but something like how different kinds of trash was kinda pushed into
the alley. I don't remember if that's where it goes or if that's where it belongs. With "Get It
Away", the original is much better than the way it got printed.

Hardware

It's the silver.

Pushead

It's not the silver so much. There is a lot of grey washes in it that doesn't come out in it,
and it comes out as black lines. Because they didn't half-tone it right. I don't know. But people
see it as it is and that's the way it's represented. That's an old piece.

Hardware

Do you have any favorite artists?

Pushead

I have tons of favorite artists. I don't think you can be an artist and not enjoy other
people's art.

Hardware

Is there aby artists that people might look for that people think are good?

Pushead

Well, if they like what I do and they want to see what I'm influenced by is to get anything by
Virgil Fenley(spelling?) He was an artist that basically drew for pulps and science fiction magazines
in the '40's and '50's. He died in the '60's. There is a company that is re-issuing some of his
books because some of his early books are really hard to get. When I look at his stuff, he's just
a master of detail and how to put it together. he was so prolific that in his lifetime, he did
like 3000 pieces. That's alot.

Hardware

What do you think of more modern artists such as Boris or the Hilderbrant Brothers?

Pushead

It's okay, but it's not something I buy the books of or look at. I think that Boris just wants
to be Frazetta. Alot of people just want to be Frazetta. Because I think Frazetta came out and was
very strong in the sixties into the '70s, it inspired a lot of different artists from Boris to
Jeff Jones. They all saw what he was doing and how the popularity was. You know, a lot of artists
do that. They get influenced by somebody and they kinda rework their style based on what they like.
Sometimes they can become a better artist and sometimes the can look like somebody else.

Hardware

OK, about the fan club. I know you explained earlier in the written interview..how does one get
into it, how much money is it?

Pushead

Well, I won't say how much money it is 'cause the Phase that I'm on now is closed. The next
phase would probably be a different price according to what feel is...

Hardware

So people just have to write you and find out.

Pushead

Yeah. For Phase Two, we had a little form that had a little index card that you fill it all out.
It makes it easier for us to do reference. We find out stuff like...what kind of fanzine that people
like to read, because then we know...you know I try to do this whole promo thing, but I think it's a
disaster becasue the way the system works and so I'd rather give promos to magazines that are really
going to do something with it. If people can write in and tell us about magazines that they read,
then you can research it and buy them at the store and see what it is that they like.

Hardware

Sometimes I don't understand how labels operate when they send out hundreds of copies of stuff
everywhere. It must cost a fortune and it really doesn't do anything for them.

Pushead

Well, I think as a label you are in a difficult position. You could have a band that well
"We want Press". See ourselves everywhere. You are faced with that dilemma of well you have a
choice that they might or a choice that they might not. Many times the success of a band radio
or press wise, is due to the people working in it, based on who they know or don't know. And if
that particular person catches on to the sound or whatever attracts them to the music. There could
be great, great bands out there, but people just don't catch onto it at that time. It goes nowhere.

Hardware

I'd imagine a lot of people send you records and stuff just becuase they would want to get your
opinion on their music. I was wondering how you handle a situation like this?

Pushead

In which way?

Hardware

Let's say you get something...You gotta understand that people will probably respect you opinion
just because of who you are and how long you have been involved and things you accomplished. I was
wondering how do you get across to someone that you don't like what they did without like writing
them off or whatever? Do you get back to all these people because I can imagine it must take up alot
of time just for that.

Pushead

Well, there is different sides to it and there is probably side to it that you didn't even think
of. First, there's the person. According to what Dave said, you are going to put out a FLOORPUNCH
record, right? We will use that as an example. You send me a FLOORPUNCH record and I say I
particularily like it. Especially in the days when I was writing reviews and me, I never look
at my reputation as the utmost importance. I just do what I do and I have done that. My popularity
has grown over the years but I still don't try to change the way I do things. Say if I do like the
FLOORPUNCH record, it can work in two different ways. One, I can write you and say "yeah, I think
it's really good." and another I could write a review of it. The band could go "Wow! This is really
good. It's a good kick in our butt. It really influences us. We have done something good and we
want to progress with it.: Or it could work the other way where all of a sudden, they take it out
of context and the go around bragging how someone like myself recommended that their band was this
great. It goes to their heads. I'm not responsible for those kinda things, but they do happen.
At the same time, say what exists in our society when you see press clippings or press reports for
movies or music...it's like I could also write a bad review of FLOORPUNCH. Somewhere in there I
could say, "Packs a whallop that puts you to sleep,"(laughter) but you at the label writes "Packs a
whallop!" It is exactly what I said but it's not the complete of it. And it's so misleading.
There's alot of things that can happen when you recieve something like that. Even sometimes with
stuff I like. I don't have a chance to write back and basically you try to listen to everything
fairly and what would attract you to what you like. Sometimes you could get five tapes in one day
and you could put on all five tapes and it could be amazing, but every tape sounds the same.
Each one could defeat itself and you have to go back and listen to each one in a different way.
Or you see that there is no potential in the songs or the song writing. Sometimes what most
important about a band is how they write songs. There are some bands that people think are great
bands but they don't write great songs. A lot of people think that. "Oh, this is the greatest
thing!" If one person thinks it's the greatest thing, then another person wants to check it out.
It goes from that.

Hardware

Do more people send you recorded material because the think "Hey, Pushead's going to like this"
becasue of the type of material it is or because they are hoping to get on your record label?

Pushead

I think it's a combination of both of those and other things. Sometimes they just want to know
your opinion. Everybody approaches it differently though. Now some people will straight out say
would you people be interested in doing something with us and some will say "What do you think?"
or "I think you might like this". Say in a case, where'll I'll be working with a band like
CAVITY...someone in the fan club who was a friend of CAVITY sent me their record, "I thought you
might like this. Please enjoy it." with no motive for me to release it. Whenever I communicate
with anybody I have no idea. I don't think "Oh yeah, they'll say yes. They'll want to do a record
with me." I don't think so. I just hope to get their letter back with "Yeah. we'd like to do
something."

{AUTHOR'S NOTE}(At this point I ask a generally stupid question, "Do you think bands were better
ten years ago? or something to the effect of that. We then discuss the unfairness of it. We are
really running out of questions now(though we have a million in our subconcious) Luckily, Brett
breaks the ice.

Hardware

When was the last interview you did?

Pushead

In Japan, '94.

Hardware

I remember seeing one in Thrasher

Pushead

That was the last one in the U.S.

Hardware

It said "Last Pushead Interview"
Actually, the SOLD OUT interview said it was the last one

Pushead

I think both of them came out around the same time. I think I did the SOLD OUT one over the
phone with him a little bit. I don't even remember it. It was a good fanzine, but many people don't
know much about it though.

Hardware

We had a little 'zine was. My old 'zine I had a big beef with him.
I liked it. Other than your label is there anything that you are involved with locally as far as
music goes?

Pushead

Yeah, probably?

Hardware

Probably?

Pushead

I mean...how do you break it down to what you do.

Hardware

Well, do you help out others with their endeavors whatever they might be?

Pushead

I can recommend something over here. I can contact somebody and say, "Hey, my friend has a shop
in Japan and would like your record can I buy some from you and send it over there." Then you get a
record in a spot where the people have never been or do you want to deal direct. Like you guys asked
in the interview about INTEGRITY doing SEPTIC DEATH. I asked Dwid. "I have some friend's shop in
Japan, they'd like to get some. Can I get some from you?" "Oh yeah, no problem!" Try to put other
people together. You know, matchmaker. The dating game.(laughter)

Hardware

So basically you are doing the same thing as before.

Pushead

Yeah. Just doing the same thing I have always done. I don't think I've changed things as to the
way I do things. It's just that over time it just became...

Hardware

You see the reason we are asking questions like this is because you really aren't in the public
eye too much. A lot of people are interested in what you did, who you are but don't have enough
information about you in general. Just try finding out.

Pushead

But that's more my doing though. I'm more of a reclusive type person and I like my privacy.
I'm not going to run up to people and say "Hey! I'm Pushead! How are you doing?"(laughter) I'll
stand there and not really do that. That's every person's prerogative to choose what they want to
do. I'll try to do the communication the best that I can. Some people get mad. I think it's
redundant to do interviews and talk about myself and what I do. I think most bands, it's almost
pathetic to where it is a new record and "Oh, this record is much better than our last record."
Then when they do the next record. "Oh, this record's much better than the last record." You're like,
"This is what the public wants to read?" It's like we have to glamorize something and make fiction
into fact. I think it all just becomes redundant. My logic is let people just look at the artwork
and enjoy the artwork. Even with the fan club, I do the fan club more just to communicate with
people. But what am I going to do, have the "PUSHEAD INTERVIEW"? Like we do this interview
and I'll get some issues to let them read what you guys came up with. Then they see your magazine
and see what you have to do with anything. I always give that kind of information through the
fan club becasue there's still people out there who want to find out information about all different
walks of life. They might want to know about this that or another thing. Hey, they know nothing
about FLOORPUNCH.

Hardware

Reaching back to the early days of punk and hardcore, how do you feel about seeing people on
MTV talking about punk? Something that you were involved with at its early stages.

Pushead

Well, people are going to classify, judge, and do whatever they want. That's what they are going
to do. I don't really care, but it really kind of confusing to me when a band like NIRVANA comes
out and says, "We're punk." I'm like, "Ah, I kinda missed that." Then you are going to get a
classification where..I don't have nothing against NIRVANA, but I don't understand where they're
punk. I don't understand that at all.

Hardware

You gotta figure most of these people who say they are into punk, they have never been to a
show where independent people put it on, booked the bands and rented the hall.

Pushead

I think when a lot of people go to shows, I don't think they pay attention to who did what.
Only a select few bunch of people pay attention to some aspects.

Hardware

Yeah, you know you can tell as time goes on, as cycles go, who is in charge of things who's
paying attention. The older people are usually running the show, organizing things or setting up
distributions. Usually the younger crowd are the people who come and suck it all in. Hopefully,
some of them will do the same thing when they get older. I think the turnover rate is about 97%.

Pushead

I think the problem that exists in hardcore/punk or whatever is that there is such seperatism
that exists. Everybody has their own ideas on what should be done and how it should be done.
It's almost like a selfish little in-crowd, but the in-crowd has fifty different chapters.
Some people will go, "Oh, you are a new guy. You don't belong here, you like GREEN DAY!" How's
anybody to know that GREEN DAY was the starting point to get him to go to the show at CB's,
turn him onto FLOORPUNCH. We are really giving them a lot of publicity.

Hardware

They'll be really happy about that.

Pushead

I still have no idea what they sound like.

Hardware

They sound like YOUTH OF TODAY.

Pushead

The point that I'm trying to make is that this individual could come there and he could be the
one that gets so influenced by going down the line, that he could be the one who starts a cool
record label or a cool fanzine. But you got these people who control the scene are like, "We are
going to beat you up. Get out of here!" You scare away...then there that line like, "well, we
don't want our scene to get too much bigger." Oh gee, you might as well have shotguns at the door,
if they don't fit your criteria.

Hardware

Believe me, I'd like to sometimes.

Pushead

Sometimes, I think the people who should be shot are the people who think they are inferior.
It's like I saw a letter in a fanzine and I won't quote anything about it. Somebody wrote their
opinion and what they felt about it. He was basically pointing the finger at one individual in
one band. They guy responded and what the guy wrote back made him look worse than if he would have
said nothing.

Hardware

Instead of keeping his mouth shut and looking stupid, he opened his mouth and proved it.

Pushead

What he wrote was like, "Yeah, I'm telling him" and he'll talk to his friends and they'll say.
"Yeah, we are telling him." It's like, "Hey buddy! You look even worse now than..." He should have
just said, "Hey, sorry this all happened." It would have been much more diplomatic to say something
like that. But nah, hnah. Why don't you get both feet and stick them down your throat?

Hardware

I hope you are not talking about me.(laughter)

Pushead

But I think what has happened, and I even see it in your fanzine. You guys have done it too.
Especially in hardcore and in the world in general, people are taking their opinions a little too
seriously and they are letting them run amok a little bit. And the opinions aren't well-thoughtout.
I think that people are printing letters by other people and there is a responsibility in it.
A lot of the letters are a lot of diatribe of people explaining the whole life history of something
instead of just making their point. They are taking up a lot of space so it looks good, but it's
not reading good. I think a lot of these opinions have just really gotten out of control. Of course,
when you can turn on TV and watch these talk shows, and you have these people coming on with their
love life and crisises and what they think is right or wrong. Someone could honestly
get up there and go, "They abused me for years so I took the knife and butchered their face."
And the crowd claps and applauds? You start to wonder. It's like what's the mentality here. I
hope you understand what I'm saying.

Hardware

Yeah, I know a lot of people say that our 'zine, we have like strong opinions but at the same
time they respect it, because they read other 'zines that don't.

Pushead

I just think that people are taking things a little too far. Everybody has their opinions and
that's what we obviously live in America for is freedom. Though I think people have taken the
word freedom and taken that to a whole other thing. As long as people in groups and scenes like
hardcore and stuff, bicker on what we are doing how we are doing it, and who is doing this, this
is too metal, this is too hardcore...it's going to allow these people like the Religious Right to
come up in our society, which they are starting to do. We are going to have problems.
Right now, we can watch, we are all in an election year, we are watching all these idiots vying
for the big pole position and how they will do anything to win. They will say anything to win
and they will do whatever they have to do. Whether they contradict themselves to promise you
a million dollars or they take their opponents and rip them to shreds. All that matters is that
they get into that pole position and they are ready to run the Indy 500.

Hardware

Who are you going to vote for?
Exactly.

Pushead

What the hell are we going to vote at this period in time and this is only for like this
month. But it's like Bob Dole vs. Steve Forbes. "Steve Forbes is up in the poll!" and Bob Dole's
people are like, "Find something to discredit this guy! We want to win!" This is really something
for me to be selective about and this is my right to vote? That I'm looking at the two...the
Republican Party can go down the toilet as far as I can say, the two possible characters at this
point in time is Dole and Buchanan? You know, please we got a scary thing going.

Hardware

The thing I don't understand is, take somebody like Steve Forbes and he'll spend $14 million
a month campaigning for a $130,000 a year job or whatever the Presidency pays. Sounds like a bad
business decision to me. Like I wouldn't pay $200,000 for a $30,000 job.

Pushead

You should see the kind of write-off he could do for the I.R.S.

Hardware

Oh well, there's always that aspect.

{Author's Note} (At this point I had to change sides of the tape damn!!!)


Hardware

There's no politics in hardcore...(very sarcastic)

Pushead

Well, you know we are in this year and we have to go through all this you know, this crap.

Hardware

There is a lot of people, especially some of the kids in the hardcore scene that say, "Go out
and vote!" You have to vote. Vote for somebody!" or the take away vote. The vote where you know one
guy is going to win, so you vote for the opposite guy, just because you get that vote anyway. So you
put somebody in office and four years down the line everything gets screwed up again in a different
way.

Pushead

I think that the reality is that the American people don't pay attention to is that it's alot
more complicated than just electing a president and what the president wants to do. I think alot of
people at this point in time with this debate over to get a budget correct. It's like the president
is saying no and the Republican Party saying we want it this way. I think in the long run, it makes
it easier for Clinton to be re-elected 'cause I think more of the people believe in Clinton than
the other people. Then again, if Clinton gets too much ahead in the polls, then we are going to
have to bring up Whitewater and make him look bad. What does Whitewater have to do with anything.
It's what people grab onto to destroy people. The most important thing in the voting situation is
like the little propositions and stuff. But what I think confuses the public them most about them
is the way they are worded. Sometimes, people are being conned into voting for somebody that is not
correct. That's why you see propositions getting voted for and people are suing for it now. I love
it. The proposition wins and then people sue to block it. And the people who represent the company
is going to have to fail because of whatever the proposition did or something. The scary thing is
when you get into politics is the reality comes down to, luckily never happened, but when the day
comes everybody will rip up their voting priviledges when they find out the American people do not
vote for who becomes President. The electoral college does.

Hardware

That's basically what it boils down to. Nobody even realizes that. Oh, brother.

Pushead

That's what it breaks down to. The American people do not vote for who's president.
The Electoral College does and if it has to be Clinton vs. Dole and the public votes for
Clinton and the Electroal College votes for Dole. Boy, do we have a problem.

Hardware

That did almost happen once.

Pushead

But that's the kinda thing. At the same time when all this bickering goes on, and it's
being put on the national media. You know, we are telling the whole world. There is some
people out there who don't think that America is number one and the greatest place in the world.
It's really good to be giving out that kinda information. Sometimes, I wonder about the
intelligence of people and their need to know information.

Hardware

Look at what Clinton just did...the choices are made. Bob Dole, they think he is going
to become the Republican candidate and then Clinton just put his signature on a bill which will
change the whole Internet situation. Now they can deem whatever they think is indecent.
Get fined like $100,000 or jail for downloading something. It's really getting crazy. And it
seems like no matter what, you really don't have no power to stop it.

Pushead

But see, as long as the people live in fear and allow things to happen and let the whiners
of the world to complain about things that they think is bad, indecent, or work of satan and
those people attack, those people you have to look out for. As long as we live in a society
that's based around religion and religious beliefs and the fact that there is so many religious
sectors and they all believe in different things and one of the seem to get along. And in the
other countries they fight over what religion it is, these people think it's God and Jesus's
way to tell you how to be and not be. That's why this year's election is all going to be
based on the abortion issue. You wonder sometimes what people are really thinking.

Hardware

They can't even get the budget right and they expect everyone to go vote for all these people.
They totally screwed up everything by shutting down the government every couple of months.

Pushead

Basically, when we talk about politics, it's stuff that's presented to us according to the
media interpretation. It might bo even be right. I found it so humorous. Luckily, I wasn't in
America when the whole O.J. Simpson thing went down. So I didn't have to watch the beginning of
the plight of society.(laughter) I can't believe that America is so divided about who did it
and who didn't do it. And how O.J.'s guilty or not guilty. Or how the media can tell you,
the black people say O.J. is not guilty and the white people think O.J. is guilty.

Hardware

Just the fact that it became a total media thing was totally disgusting. And they changed it
into a racial thing 'cause when it initially started it wasn't. They weren't even talking about
race at first. It was all brought up in the courtroom and then they bring these people in to
talk about it. It really screwed it up.

Pushead

It's the media which changed people's minds and maybe not by telling the truth all the time
and wanting to get the lead story, beat them in ratings. It does decide people's minds, it's so
funny when you can watch people like Goldman's father sit there with the rage and anger that he
has, and what he is saying and what comes out of his mouth. One, you feel sorry that his son was
murdered. It's just you better have everything that you need to have to make the accusations you
are making and that the believe everything that's going on and whatnot. But that's like a
sad part of our society.

Hardware

What should we ask next, Brett? That was a whole political thing that we never get into.
Yeah, we never get into that.

Pushead

Because you guys are so politically correct?

Hardware

Oh my god, No!
Nooooooo! Well, you could say we are but we don't throw it in people's faces. I know some people
would be horrified at some of my opinions. That's why I don't go blathering off, because I'm like
into the death penalty and all that but at the same time I'm against the justice system so there's
a contradiction right there. It's a real hard thing.

Pushead

Well, when you go and look at it that way. You just look at it how it goes. And you wonder...
how I was raised when I was a little boy. I was kinda led by the beliefs of the school and the
system because the death penalty did exist. The way the system worked was if you committed crimes
against humanity within our system, you lost your right as a citizen in our country. But if you
look at the way things are working now, that doesn't seem to happen. You know, they have rights,
they have books, magazines, and TV, free room and board. It makes you wonder. I mean there is
people who are wrongly accused and stuff like that. But there are people who our society is
paying for who shouldn't be there. I guess you can get into that religious thing. "Who has
the right to kill somebody."

Hardware

It's a question you can talk about but people get really angry about it.

Pushead

It's like a snake that eats itself. It's the thing, why do humans have no right to kill
humans, but at the same time, they can get a shotgun and kill animals, ot it's OK to go to
your store and buy meat by cows who are raised in dark little dungeons and have a bolt stuck
into their head. The reason that the bolt is stuck into their head is so that the meat won't
get hard when they have fear. That way they can give them an instant kill. People just go,
"Well, God put these animals for us to eat, for us to kill" and "God did everything for us,
and he also gave us the knowledge to create cars to pollute our environment, to make chemicals
to kill other people."

Hardware

Well, that's a human society.

Pushead

But, it's like a snake that continually eats itself. At this point in time they're no solution.

Hardware

So I guess you are a vegetarian or no?

Pushead

I'm not vegan. I'm close to a vegetarian though. I eat chicken and fish.

Hardware

All right! Yeah!
We have to throw those generic questions in every once in a while.
Like, "Do you skate?"

Pushead

I can say all kinds of things that go in our society but their's certain things in ourbreeding
that the way we were raised. We become accustomed to certain things. I know lots of people in
America who could never survive in like Japan because they were raised totally different than we
were. Especially in their eating habits.

Hardware

Yeah, that's a major difference. But just look how bad it was when Americanized foods were
introduced into Japanese society. Like the younger people are eating it and their health habits
have gone downhill.

Pushead

It all revolves around how your society is. You are raised different ways. One considered one
way and another is considered another way. You can really get into cultural clashes. But what
people eat, it goes back to that snake eating itself. It's an evolution. Like some people have
real serious belief's about what they believe in, only a handful of these people with the serious
beliefs are going tostay with these beliefs the rest of their lives. If we direct everything around
and we toward I would assume your two favorite subjects is straight edge. And you look at the
people who at one point were the big leaders of the straight edge movement and they are nowhere
near that anymore. I saw something in your magazine, "I want to punch that guy in the face!"
Well, that's an ignorant statement. Sorry, but this is his choice of what he wants to do. But
I understand that kind of mentality where it goes that this guy really preached something and maybe
looked down on other people because of it and then he became what he disliked. And I'm sure there
is excuses, "Well, people make mistakes." Alot of the people that are involved in the straight edge
movement do not understandand will have a hard time in the long term of it, is that America's number
one recreation, sorry to say, is to drink beer. And some people when you choose not to drink beer
you alienate yourself from a large group of people. It's really easy for them to go, "Hey, Let me
buy you a beer!" "Let's sit down and have some beers." It's easy to break the ice talking that way.
When you go,"Sorry, I don't drink." You change their whole revolution. Once, you are going to have
the person that I would say is an asshole to me, "C'mon man. Just take one drink." They are trying
to get you to be like them. You know, "Why don't I just put on face makeup and be a clown? I'd be
just like you now couldn't I?" It just depends on how you look at it. When I made the choice to
stop doing all that kind of stuff, years ago, before there was Ian Mackaye, "I gotta straightedge"
and everybody goes "Straightedge Movement". I took a chance, this is what I decided what I was
going to do. Nobody else told me to do this and then I watched the repurcussions that came
afterwords. But I still stuck to what I have chosen.

Hardware

Yeah, well me and Brett still go through that everyday. But that's just our choices too.
I don't think either of us have done any of that stuff so...

Pushead

Sometimes I wonder what Ian thinks. It's like he wrote a song about how he felt, no idea it
would be taken this way. "The Straight Edge Movement".

Hardware

I think he totally distanced himself from everything.
I wonder if he's still straight edge?

Pushead

He probably has to be because that's all people talk to him about or give him a hassle about.
Nothing else that he's ever accomplished in his life..."Hey Straight Edge Ian!" You know, like
great job you created Dischord Records, Jeff, Eddie and the rest of the guys...It's just "Hey
Straight Edge dude!"(Laughter)"Are you Straight Edge like me?" "I think that you forgot what
we were trying to say in the song." "No way, Straight Edge all the way!"

Hardware

Too many people take it as just a fashion statement and they are the onew who will just.

Pushead

"Fashion Statement" has nothing to do with it, like the extremism that some people have gone
to. "That band is not straight edge because they are metal!" The contradictions that exist, you can
make books...an encyclopedia on it. That's what seperates in the music scene that we have.
People don't want to get along.

Hardware

Hell, we want to get along with everybody, but nobody wants to get along with us.(laughter)

Pushead

Well, there was times you told me that you didn't want to get along. you had a fight with this
guy, or a war with this guy, or you got on somebody's "bashing bandwagon."

Hardware

Ah, Dave loves getting on people's cases.

Pushead

But that's not what I mean though. That's not trying to get along.

Hardware

Well, I don't want to get along with everybody.
Brett is the most friendliest person at a show. He talks to everybody. I'm the kind of person who
just sits behind the table and lets people come to me. Christ.
I like talking to people.

Pushead

I'm not trying to downgrade you guys...

Hardware

No. No! We are just talking, that's all.

Pushead

You know, that's what I see. I've been in this scene since the very beginning...

Hardware

That's why we respect your opinion.

Pushead

There's a lot of people that I used to communicate with that are totally gone. They have no
concern. It's that kind of one-sidedness to where you pinpoint an issue and you spend your whole
life around it, it's like life is alot more than that. Or the face that, "Yeah, this is my
hardcore buddy!" Then the guy admits, "We'll I like AC/DC". "You suck dude. Get the fuck out of
here!"(Laughter)

Hardware

Brett like KISS. Oh God, if I was like that, I wouldn't even speak to him.

Pushead

I think there is a lot of kids into punk becuase of the age group that has a KISS background.
KISS was the first band that the younger population took to. Before that, it never happened.
Music didn't exist in people until they turned like 14 years old or more, and KISS brought kids
that were like 6,7,8, years old.

Hardware

They didn't even listen to the music, they just bought the Halloween costumes and stuff, like
the dolls.

Pushead

KISS was something that was...I think that when they first came out, people looked at is as
a joke, and it escalated to something way beyond that. Slowly, but surely, the music deteriorated.
They took their make-up off.

Hardware

Their first five albums:awesome. The next three were all right. After that, I don't even
bother. I don't even have them.

Pushead

Well, I think "Rock and Roll Over" was the beginning of the end.

Hardware

"Love Gun" was probably their last good studio album. After that, there was "Alive II" which
is awesome.

Pushead

The first three are good records for the time it came out.

Hardware

Hell, the first album was recorded in like '72.

Pushead

Simple chord, hard rock. At the time, it was hard.

Hardware

A lot of songs about girls and stuff, drinking...

Pushead

I think they wrote whatever they were going to write. They still do that. It's funny,
the thing that, maybe even you guys don't know, and nobody ever acknowledges and that's what's so
hypocritical about our scene, is that Gene and Paul are like straight edge people.

Hardware

From what I understand from interviews, that's true.

{Author's Note}Brett and I discuss the proposed KISS reunion tour in make-up, that's supposed to
happen this summer while Pushead takes his call waiting.

Pushead

But the reason, let's say, from what I can gather from the knowledge from what's published,
Ace isn't in the band because he was a junkie and had no control over it.

Hardware

He was really screwing up and they kicked him out, from what I read. Then he almost killed
himself. Then he straightened out his act.

Pushead

I think he's been on a bad road for quite sometime.

Hardware

But he hit the road face first!(laughter)

Pushead

But from what I read these guys are suppossed to be like really straight. And that they
have been that way for a long time. I don't know if they have been like that from the beginning,
but people who are straight edge don't look at that stuff.

Hardware

Well, you don't find too many people who don't anything about straight edge, who don't drink
or do anything at all.

Pushead

Well, now straight edge has become to represent X on you hands, a certain font in the computer.

Hardware

It's gotten a very bad name for itself.

Pushead

But there is certain people who created that for it.

Hardware

Yeah, I know. I'd like to find those people.

Pushead

There's alot, you won't find them all.

Hardware

We know that. There's people who look at us like that, but we are not that way. I have plenty
of friends who drink.

Pushead

Once you put the point that you are straight edge, and they know what it mean, it's a
classification that they can judge you by. It's kinda the same thing, how people are racist.
"He is this way because he is this color." We saw it yesterday, in a Taco Bell. We saw a
woman just blatant racism. She saw Hispanic people making tacos and she goes, "Oh they are
not wearing gloves! You people should be wearing gloves!" Everything was "You People!"
(laughter)

Hardware

Maybe she meant the people making the tacos should be wearing gloves. They should be.

Pushead

She got her money back and when she was walking out the door, she was going "USA!"

Hardware

That's just stupidity.

Pushead

Yeah, you can go it's stupidity, then you can scratch your head and go like "C'mon!" This
Taco bell is like in a Hispanic neighborhood. "What are you a tourist!?" On top of that, this
is 1996. Hasn't anybody learned yet? We were going through Nevada once and they had this big
sign up, "English spoken here!" You are like, "Duh, why don't you tell everybody to leave then!"

Hardware

I hope you stopped in Las Vegas.

Pushead

Vegas is cool. Vegas is something like...I mean gambling is probably something against the
straight edge thing.

Hardware

On no, I love it!

Pushead

You really go there to gamble. It's just really interesting to see what they constructed
and that people enjoy to go there.

Hardware

I don't buy that anti-gambling thing. I like to gamble.
No, that is a Krishna thing. Which we are totally opposed to.

Pushead

I have no idea the recruiting methods of certain people.

Hardware

Oh brother. That's one of the things that really ruined it out here. I don't even want to get
into that jazz.

Pushead

Well, you had a very strong figure who chose something and it was kinda like a mad lemming
and the rest of the lemmings followed. I don't think that ever happened out here, but it's
really small. Now, I think they are trying to downplay the whole thing becuase they want to take
the band some place other than what it is.

Hardware

Whatever that is.

Pushead

I would think they would go...let's see what would be a good place for them to play? Irving
Plaza's too small. So they would be playing the Academy? Roseland? Hey if they could fill up
Roseland or the Academy, hey, why not? And look what they would get paid. That's what it all
boils down to..."Well, we struggled playing at CBGB's for years!"

Hardware

Wait! Struggling? They got top dollar everywhere they went.

Pushead

Well, they didn't at first...

Hardware

Not at first...

Pushead

You got to remember..what were YOUTH OF TODAY considered a NY band or from Connecticut?

Hardware

They were a Connecticut band at first, they moved to NYC specifically to be a NY band.

Pushead

But NY at the time had no scene.

Hardware

NY had like the Falso Prophets.
It was a lull.

Pushead

The whole scene was in the Anthrax in Connecticut, wasn't it?

Hardware

I would think that started around '87, more or less. In '85 or '86, when YOUTH OF
TODAY first started. The scene in NYC was in a lull between the early '80's and then, there
wasn't too much going on. They came down and pretty much started from there. Then all the bands
started getting together and that pretty much started the whole thing.

Pushead

I mean, I know Ray before he did the whole change over. I never talked to him since.
Not because I don't want to but becasue we do different things and I have never crossed paths
with him. I talked to him. He was a good guy, we went skateboarding..he chose his path in life.
That's what he chose in life and chose for his band. Porcell decided to go along with that.
That's fine, that's what they want to do, but then everybody else follows because that's what
they want to do, that's where the bitterness comes in. It's when everybody goes along and that's
when everybody starts pointing the finger. Same thing with GREEN DAY. GREEN DAY was
a band that probably had mixed reviews in this area but when they got signed to a major which
is a big thing that you don't do. "Oh, you don't that..." kind of stuff. They were probably
like, "Well, we don't have everybody supporting us and somebody is interested." Nobody knew that
they would be that big. Now that they are...

Hardware

But they really are not. They are on their way out because their second album did not sell
nowhere near...

Pushead

Their second album is not dead yet though. You can't be a predictor in this industry.

Hardware

Yeah, but in the major industry it goes in cycles. It's like a yearly thing, especially in
this country. They are on the outs already.

Pushead

Well, I don't think they are on the outs yet 'cause they are still kicking out singles.
It's kind of, why is OASIS top of the charts now? This is like their second record and they
have released singles previously to this one.

Hardware

But, only in England though, they weren't pushed in Ameica.

Pushead

But in America now, they're in the top ten.

Hardware

Now, they are being pushed by the label.

Pushead

Well, that goes to what I said before. They were pushed before and no one paid attention
to it. Somebody offered this song and whatever happened. It clicked with somebody. And they
started playing it and it clicked with the crowd. Why did NIRVANA "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
create such a change?

Hardware

Well, that's a good question.
I tell you the way I look at it is, the people think on that level from what they put on the
radio, you can put on anything on there and people just follow it. It becomes hot and...
Get's a life of it's own.

Pushead

What happens is you have to be that person in the band, and you have no control that
some "alternative" DJ on some station starts playing your song and it gets into heavy rotation,
and before you know it, you're selling records that you can't control. It breaks right down to
it, if you don't want anybody to hear your music, don't make records.

Hardware

You know, in five years, GREEN DAY is going to be on one of those shows, "Whatever happened
to?" That's whats going to happen. It seems like every act that gets on a major they seem to
get wasted after a year and that's it. Look how many bands get on a major label after their
fifth record, they finally make it to the majors and they end up breaking up because their
creativity is gone.

Pushead

Their creativity might not be gone, it might be something that's difficult to understand
unless you are sctually in that position. Because all of a sudden, you struggled all the time
with the music and stuff and you still want to write the music but you can't control anybody's
ego or brain, and how they are going to relate to what's happening. Or people only consider you
as a band member and what your opinion is. They put you in every different magazine and people
start to look at you differently than they did before.

Hardware

It's how they could market you.

Pushead

That's how anything is sold in this society. If you happen to be in FLOORPUNCH and
FLOORPUNCH has a hit single on WFMU, then it goes over to Q104 in New York. Then they start
playing it all the time. Then you got Mike Gitter coming over to talk to you. "We should
have you at Atlantic".

Hardware

They'd tell Gitter to take a walk.

Pushead:

But do you understand what I'm saying? Because all of a sudden, there's attention...

{AUTHOR'S NOTE} And sadly the tape ended...I can't even remember all the cool shit we talked
about after that. The funniest thing he said was, "You guys should change you 'zines' name to
"Change of Address" because you guys move so much." Let's just hope this guy doesn't wait
another six or so years to do another interview again!-DK