Okay man, so tell me first and foremost, how’s life post-shotpointblank? How was the send off?
Life is great. Since Shotpointblank ended last year at Hardcore 2007 I have been pretty much on the road Tour managing and teching for a bunch of different bands. I have also started up a clothing label which takes up my time off the road. I still have been able to avoid working a real job, which is something im quite proud of as I cant stand the routine lifestyle most people are forced to lead.
The send off for Shotpointblank was amazing and a lot bigger and more emotional than we could have ever expected.
Weber on the skins @ SPB last show HC07
The Straight Edge is something I know that is really important to you, what made you want to pick it up? How long’s it been?
Ive been straightedge since 1997, so its been a while, but unlike a majority of people as I get older it is still one of the values I hold most dear to my heart. Its kept me out of a lot of trouble, got me off a destructive path and kept my mind clear at times when I needed it most. I originally heard about it from bands such as Minor Threat, Gorilla Biscuits and Earth Crisis. To be honest at first I thought the whole idea was dumb as when your a 16 year old teenager smoking weed and drinking every weekend the idea of not doing that sucks, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me so I gave being drug free a go for a while. I got siked on an album called Destroy the machines by Earth Crisis which inspired me to take the step to claim straightedge along with the fact that I grew up with alcoholics in the family. Seeing the destruction drugs and alcohol did to peoples lives along with listening to such proud straightedge bands made calling myself straightedge and committing myself to a drug free lifestyle for life was an easy choice. Obviously it took some getting used to and at times I doubted if I could do it, but I stuck with it and for that Im proud of myself and happy I made such a positive change in my life.
You have a clothing line out now, if people haven’t heard about it by now within Australia they’ve been living under a rock. What made you want to go ahead and start TRUST COMES TOUGH? What’s your focus?
Mid last year, I guess just after Shotpointblank broke up I felt like I was really doing anything that creative so I came up with the idea to make some straightedge shirts. I thought it would just be a few shirts and that would be it, but kids seemed to dig it so I kept printing more. I was stoked on the response so I decided to do a few new designs and they were pretty popular too, so yeah I guess it just kept on growing. It is and always will be a drug free/straightedge clothing label. I have plans for another label next year, but Trust Comes Tough is something I want to keep positive, with a message and to promote the lifestyle I love and lead.
Trust Comes Tough T-Shirt
So, we get to see a lot of you on the road here and there these days since working for resist, are you on the road right now? What’s next for you?
Right now Im on tour with Carpathian on their Isolation tour to promote their new record out on Resist Records. We are flying to Tasmania tomorrow morning where the temperature is a maximum of 8 degrees celsisus! So thats something to look forward too! After this I do two months with one of my best friends Deez Nuts. 1 month here in Australia with Crafters new band Confessions and 1 month in Europe with Bring Me The Horizon and The Red Shore. I then stay on in Europe and meet up with Parkway Drive for the Never Say Die tour with Unearth. Straight after that is parkway Australia for a month, so yeah Im pretty flat out for the next few months!
You and I were talking about our favourite Edge bands last time we saw each other in Brisbane, What would you say are the most influential bands for you, and why?
As I mentioned before as far as straightedge is concerned its definitely Earth Crisis, Minor Threat and Gorilla Biscuits as well as early Throwdown, Another Victim, The Path of Resistance and Onekingdown. Early Hatebreed and Madball were also bands that although not on a straightedge level, inspired me and made me proud to do my thing and be myself and to not worry about what others thought.
There are a few newer Straight Edge kids about at the moment it seems, caught up in the tattoos and thug life image or wearing cut off shorts and SxTx style thrasher caps... have kids lost the plot man? Is this what’s it’s come down to in Australia, imagery over philosophy?
Its hard to say. You cant generalize with anyone group of people. Theres some young kids who are probably in it for the wrong reasons as there is thug kids. On the other hand there is thug kids and young kids that definitely know whats up and I have alot of faith in. Image is always something that creeps into all sorts of lifestyles, I just try to ignore it and make sure that the reason I do something has basis and meaning. I have plenty of friends that do or are involved in things I might not always agree with, but at the end of the day if they are good people that can bacck up what they preach thats all that matters to me.
I guess with the new also comes, the old. What’s your stance on people that drop the Edge man, does it REALLY change the person that you are inside, affect friendships, and break up bands, how bigger deal is it for you?
Its always weird. I still get disappointed when one of my friends breaks edge and starts drinking, but thats all it is to me, disappointment. I dont hate them, I just feel sad that something that was so important to them and me now means nothing and they are happy to succumb to the pressures of society. Its gone both ways for me, sometimes friends have broken edge, turned into a jerk, talked shit on edge and become people id rather not associate with, but I have also had friends that break edge and are still the same great person they always were but just drink now and to me thats fine. Dont write off a friend just because they make a different lifestyle choice. if they turn into an asshole then fine, but otherwise if your really good friens then your friendship should be stronger than that.
I saw you have a hip-hop project in the mix now, “Cobwebz”, are you doing everything yourself? Seems like a lot of fun.
I just did it for fun and seems like a few people liked it so Im just gonna see where it goes and maybe try my luck at a few more tracks. Ive always liked hip hop and figured since im too busy to commit to a band of 5 people for now I can still use some creativity through doing the hip hop thing.
You've been involved with hardcore for a long time in this country. A lot has changed in that time... do you remember the first show you ever went to? What was that like for you?
Well the first show I ever went to was all Adelaide surf/punk bands. The Bearded Clams, Numbskulls and Wheres the Pope, that was probably in 1995. I then started going to see bands like Frenzal Rhomb, Damaged and then stuff like Forcefed 9 and Price of Silence. From there I started to go and see as many hardcore shows as I could, There was probabaly 30 people at some of these shows. Me and my friends started putting on shows at the Adelaide Community centre and this is where bands like Day of Contempt, Shotpointblank and I Killed The prom Queen played their first shows. We would get 50 kids to some of these shows and thought that was huge, so to see 1000 kids at shows now is just insane.
Was the scene a welcoming place to be and something that was easy to feel a part of? Do you think it still is/isn't?
When I first got involved in hardcore everyone was in it because it really did mean something to them, it wasnt cool, it wasnt mainstream, it was a tiny scene that only we cared about. It grew into something we could have never imagined but I feel these days hardcore has lost its basis. Not completely, there is still a lot of bands and people that do really care and know what it means to live and breathe hardcore but there are also a lot of people that are only there because at the moment its big and a "cool" thing to be involved in. I dont have any problem with anyone attending shows and I know not everyone wants or cares to be as into it as hard out as maybe me or my friends are, but it would be cool if more of these kids understood where it all came from and what being hardcore really means.
I think hardcore is still very welcoming, obviously there are aspects that may deter some people, but in what scene isnt there an unwelcoming element? It was probabaly actually harder for a new kid to come to shows back when there was 50 people because you couldnt hide. Shows were full of all these dudes that were totally dedicated to hardcore and then your the new guy who comes along and you dont go unoticed, these days you can just blend into the crowd.
There's been some amazing bands grace these shores... everything from the Have Hearts and the Banes to the Shutdowns and the Strifes. What bands hold the biggest parts of your memory?
My fondest memory is seeing Strife with Satanic Surfers at Cartoons in Adelaide in about 98, I was so excited, i had learnt every word the week before instead of doing my homework for school and when the curtain came up I had never been so pumped in my life!
Do you have any last words bro? Mad props or shout outs?
Thanks again man and good luck with the zine!
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