Okay...first up, names and what you do?
Jaimie-vocals, songwriting
Andy-guitar
Tristan-bass
Jon-drums
How did you guys get started?
Well, Jaimie was moving to Florida the summer of 99 and had a bunch of songs, him and andy recorded a few and when he moved back to boston a year later, we started playing out
What have been some of your influences?
Initially, rock n roll and black metal. We sounded like a mix between systral and Thorogood or Nashville pussy or something, then we lost the doomy metal side, then we lost the rock n roll. Now we just play hardcore, I guess we split the differece.
How does your local scene treat you?
Boston's awesome. If your good people, you'll get show's. Even if your band sux. Trust me. It's somewhat segregated like the
bonehead's who like shit like hope conspiracy or whatever, the pretty boy emo kids, the crusty un- pc punks and the more straightedge crowd. We fall somewhere in between the last two.
What is the most important political stand that you take?
Pretty much not being a dick. Being aware of who you are, and for the majority of kids in the scene, that's a middle class white male, and what you do. That includes what you buy, what you say, how you treat your partner or friends and so on. Realize that taking a job based on your skin color is wrong, realizing using the word bitch or gay are words of hate and can quickly and
easily isolate those around you, as well as making yourself look stupid.
What is the response you usually get at shows?
Well we tend to dress like mormon's, and since we don't wear the
uniform to begin with, kid's think we're like a Christian ska band
or whatever. Punk rockers are one of the most ignorant and judgemental groups I've ever encountered. It get's the point across though, people come up after the show and tell me they were really surprised and hopefully they begin to think twice about the way they judge people. I dunno.
Do you see being in a band as a hobbie...does it take a lot of work?
It's just therapy for me. I just scream about what pisses me off and get bloody. It's the only thing that works so far.
Do you think the hardcore scene should get more political or stay away from it?
Like I said, the majority of punks are white male's, and if you can afford records, your better off then half the worlds population financially as well. Therefore, I feel there is a huge untapped resource and voice for the otherwise voiceless. The meatheads at my work woulden't give a second thought to the
idea's I present if I wasn't a white male, and that's really
fucking sad. Who know's how long food not bombs could have stayed afloat if a white 20 something male didn't greet the cops when they would come by in Florida. The fact that there are still show's where every member of every band is a white boy is really sad. And then the same fuckers that book these show's wonder why there's no Women or African Americans etc.. in punk and hardcore! Fuck that. If it werenžt for white boy Sid Vicous or whoever you wouldent be into punk either dick!
What is your stand on co-op economics; do you think it should gain more attention?
I feel people are hesitant toward co-op economics because it takes a great deal of community to keep a co-op system alive. I also feel people are starving for it. Not only are we feeling the effects from post-industrial economics and isolation but we are also experiencing a simple fight to survive. It's a lot like first grade, if you will. We're all just sitting around sharing blocks, when out of nowhere, Bill Gate's or whoever snatch's them all up for himself and just sits on them. What I mean is, in the 50's, you could put three kid's through school on a milk mans salary. The middle class was booming. They would earn money, spend money, earn money and spend money, and so on. Money moved and the American economy was great. Now more than half that cash is sitting in banks and we need to work our asses of just to
afford a car to get that shitjob!
What are some of the things you hope to accomplish as a band?
Play more show's in smaller towns I think. Otherwise it's preaching to mostly the converted, and I'm not about that at all. The message in the songs are straight to the point and easy to understand so we hopefully serve as a jumping off point for alot of the local kids. We are from Ipswich which is North East of Boston and ideas such as Veganism or anti-consumerism are so
foreign to the kid's that go to show's here, as well as simply the
fact that there's an alternative to working some shit job just to buy a fuckin SUV with a "united we stand"; bumper sticker on it.
Do you have any indivdual plans being in a band?
Recently this great place called Artspace in Gloucester, MA got indefinitely closed for show's after these stupid fuck's in this band The Enclitic trashed it during a show. Artspace is a collective formed in 1995. It is unique to this area, or anywhere else for that matter, it's an art gallery, an all ages venue, a workshop and a studio among other things. I started a recording studio there and I want to record as many band's as possible and give the proceeds to this space to keep it afloat during this period. If any bands are interested please contact me, Jaimie, at
Codethrteen@aol.com. I don't charge much, whatever you can afford.
Does Bob Barker serve as a symbol or just a name?
It's a simple metaphor for the way I felt as a teen, a conditioned
consumer.
Do you have any releases planned?
Yea. We have a split 12"; with this band from Boston called ...and I can't wait. They're good friends of ours and we might tour this
spring. Hopefully everything will work out.
Any last words, Thanks!
Thanks for all your help Paul. You fuckin rule.