Rev. Hank “Straight Edge” Peirce became known to many of us as the Slapshot roadie with a great nickname, and the only person to appear as a character in an actual Slapshot lyric (“Wake up Hank we’re off the line” - Step On It)
Gavin Olgesby... you may know him as the guitarist for legendary Orange County California hardcore bands, No For An Answer, Carry Nation, Triggerman or The Killing Flame, but before all of that he was simply known as the artist who painted the cover for Uniform Choice’s classic album, “Screaming For Change”.
BDTW was and still is a HC masterpiece. Only a very powerful and inspired follow up could ever hold a candle to it. By that measure I was not blown away by what we were coming with at first. It seemed Ray wanted to expand the possibilities of YOT’s formula.
The reformation of YOT in early 1988 seemed to condense a lot of activity in a short period of time. Despite each member having blossoming or ongoing projects (GB, Side By Side, Judge, Project X, Schism…)
Originally I had met Eric Ozenne, former frontman for Unit Pride, back in 1995 when he was starting his follow up band to Unit Pride, Redemption 87. Over the years I’ve kept in contact with Eric...
Memorable AHC shows include early April 1983 opening at the Rollerworks for Minor Threat, Suicidal Tendencies and others. This is our show that is seen on the Flipside video.Huge place, big crowd with people stage diving during our set, even though we were the first band on.
Friday June 9th, 1989 Exodus are headlining Trenton, New Jersey’s City Gardens. The opening bands were Faith Or Fear and the one that I came to see, Sick Of It All. Now first off, Friday night shows at City Gardens were kind of odd. The majority of the hardcore shows that I would go to see there were on Sunday nights. I guess because this particular show was being billed as a metal show, they did it on a Friday night. Going into this show I was a huge Sick of It All fan.
Thanks to Tony Rettman for doing this interview with Danny Slam, singer for California pioneers America’s Hardcore. We hope to have Tony aboard with us more in the future, and this piece kicks off his contributions with a bang. Be sure to check back for the second half of this interview real soon.
I think I speak for Tim as well when I say that Pressure Release is a band we both really love that started somewhere cool and ended up somewhere weird and mysterious, but simultaneously even cooler. Not to slag the early material, but the seven inch is so dark and bizarre (considering the time and previous material) that I have a hard time even thinking it was the same band with straight forward youth anthems a year prior.
The bill was Judge, Outburst and Intensity, the date was Sunday March 11th, 1990 and the venue was City Gardens in Trenton, New Jersey. This would be the first time Judge played City Gardens and to say that people were excited would be an extreme understatement.
BJ Papas may be the most legendary photographer of NYHC. Pretty cool considering the bad rap hardcore has always gotten for the lack of female involvement. Seemingly elusive and interview-shy despite still photographing bands and being connected to the scene which she grew up in, we were psyched as hell to be able to chat with her. Thanks BJ! -DCXX
Gus Straight Edge...Youth Crew all star, Gorilla Biscuits 6th member, and Discipline/Ocean Of Mercy singer are just a few titles he could have been given years back. But he is probably known best as the dude constantly diving and going off to hardcore bands all over during the mid/late 80s and early 90s....
