Thursday, May 21, 2009

My new Movie

My New movie

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Loosely Based on


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Burning Fight Book Trip

For some reason it doesn't feel like I was in Chicago 18 days ago for the Burning Fight Book Release show. It seems like it was yesterday. I think that feeling comes from the good vibes that I had for the two plus days that I had when I was in Chicago. Burning Fight is a book about the 90's hardcore scene. Its a music scene that a lot of my peers and I grew up on. I would say that my high school experience in the late 80's was what I would call a moderate to poor experience. I felt very alienated in high school. I never felt like I fit in and I never felt like I had a place. I was the kind of kid who never went to lunch because I didn't have many friends and I didn't want to not find the few friends I had have to sit by myself in the cafeteria. Instead I stayed in the library read, did homework and whatever else I could do to occupy my time.

Anyhow the reason I wrote that is because until I found the hardcore scene I never felt like I fit in anywhere and the Burning Fight book is kind of my story . It's our story. Well the story of most of the people that I call my friends. It's where most of the people I respect come from. It's the only peer group I really feel that I connected with. I really feel that hardcore really helped me to salvage what was my lost directionless youth.

Ok this all besides the point. Last Saturday I set out on my "Burning Fight Roadtrip". I thought that since I'm 35 years old and I'm not much for newer hardcore that this would be maybe my last real roadtrip to see bands. ( I have since found out about an Error Type 11 reunion show in NYC that I will be attending). We flew to Chicago which I have never actually done for a roadtrip and got there in about 90 minutes. I've driven to Chicago and frankly 10 hours in a car isn't as much fun as one and a half hours on a plane.

The Rental:

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When I booked the car rental I picked a midsized car (Pontiac G6 or equivalent). Through priceline.com I managed to get a rate of $12 day which totaled about $40 with taxes and fees. At the car rental counted the rep offered us an upgrade. for $20 more a day we were able to rent a Infiniti FX-35 crossover vehicle which apparently a $42000 vehicle. It was between four guys so it only actually cost us an extra $10 a day. It was well worth it if not just for the story but we ended up not even driving on the second day. We took public transportation to the show. Even still none of us will probably ever get a car like that so for the fun factor I would definitely say it was worth it.


The Hotel


We stayed at the Howard Johnson in Downtown Chicago. Cak got a deal and we only had to pay $25 bucks a night for each room. I think hotel rooms in the hotel were normally about $140 a night. The deal was good but I think the rooms were only worth about $25 at best. The hotel was pretty run down and had a great view of a brick wall outside of the window. We also noticed some water damage on the ceiling. It was still a good deal overall though i really can't complain because of the price.



The Crew

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Cak JDS Farside


Uncommon Ground.



Right before the show we had lunch at this coffees shop called "Uncommon Ground". It was about a block from the show so it was pretty convenient and easy. ME, Jeremy, Farside and Cak went to get a bite to eat there. We sit down to eat our sandwich and we notive a customer lounging on a couch near us drinking wine. She starts to talk to Jeremy and Cak about their various tattoos and other subjects. The conversation then turns to her telling us that her husband had left her that very morning (for another woman we believe) and the lady started crying a bit. Cak then asks her "Is that why yer getting drunk in this coffee shop?" , to which she answers, "I'm not drunk" Cak then says, "Well you look like it!". The lady then started to cry a bit more and left. I guess Cak's tact is what I remmeber it being :)


Outside of the show.....

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I saw tons of people out side of the show whom I hadn't seen in a long time...

- The Damnation AD crew...Mike DC , Ken, Issa and others. We've had a long history with them which started with me meeting ISSA at the Columbus fest in '95 and continued with Damnation AS staying with me everytime they played Buffalo. This crew features two black men of hardcore who also happen to still be edge. This crew also features Mike DC who has been inspiring me as both an artist and friend for the greater part of the last 14 or so years.

-Michaela Morgan...Old Syracuse/DC hardcore kid who i became acquainted with because we both did hardcore zines in the mid nineties. Mine being "Hello My Name Is...." and hers being "Kismet" I've probably stayed closer to her more than most over the years because she now lives in New York City, which is where i'm originally from. We also share a very similar taste in music.

-Rich Elrath...The kid who according to Jeremy Smith..."singlehandedly ruins hardcore bands careers" Rich started the infamous Cleveland Riot and the Cleveland Fest in 1996.

- Celeste Peterson...when I was on tour with Despair in 1996 her and her sister followed us on tour. I think we met up with her in South Carolina and she and her sister followed us all the way to chicago.

Nicole Kibert...The one new person I met on this trip. Fellow shutterbug who took a ton of pictures at the show.

- Brian Ryder...my old friend from Chicago. He lived with me and Jeremy for a summer when he played drums in Halfmast. I lost touch with him a while ago but I'm hoping that we can stay in tiouch and get close again since I've recently learned he has a great love of Major League Baseball.

Not that anyone would be offended but I did come across some other people and i wanted to mention them....Chris Wyatt, Jay Jancetic, Zac "I thought you forgot me" Osner ,Chris Behm, Jim Grimes, Dan Cross, Murderous Dave , Carey, David Moore and these people all helped enhance what was a great weekend.


The Show

The highlights of the show for me were Split Lip, Damnation AD and Unbroken. As a younger adult I was able to see Split lip on a few occasions as both Split Lip and Chamberlain. While they were spot on musically I guess it wasn't the same but it was fun. I think the fun of it was seeing Split Lip with like minded Split Lip fans. Not too many of those existed in the mid 90's (well not in Buffalo anyway)

Split Lip

The same with Damnation AD. I knew of less than 10 Damnation fans in Buffalo in the 90's yet they still came to Buffalo to play which made them even cooler in my eyes. Time after time they would come, there would be about 50 people there and you were luck if one or two of them were moshing.

Unbroken was awesome mostly because I never got to see them in my younger days. I think everyone I know likes them and if they don't "they aren't listening right" Unbroken was one of those bands that combined fury, emotion and metal all in to one pretty package. On top of that the Life.Love.Regret CD layout is one interesting layout. The actual best moment of the show for me was when David Clairbourne was explaining the song "End of a Lifetime". He told the tale of returning to San Francisco to seeing his grandmother in her dying days and being ostracized by his family. It's something that hit home for me seeing that I rarely see my family because of teh distance I live from them and it always seems that it's uncomfortable when I do come home because of the infrequency of my visits.

Photo by Nicole Kibert


So my final thoughts.....I went into the show thinking that this would be my final band show roadtrip. That changed when I discovered that Error Type 11 would be playing a reunion show in NYC later this summer. I felt like I was energized by the show and it was fun. The bands were fun the people were fun and the all around atmosphere was fun. I wish every hardcore show experience could be like this one was but it can not and thats what made this show all the more special.


PS MORE PICTURES FROM WEEKEND

Monday, May 18, 2009

We'll make great pets!

So you take care of somebody's cats and this is the thanks that you get!

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You feed this guy, change his litter and clean up his puke....this is the thanks you get....

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Thanks Chairman!!!


At least Snugglebot was cute....


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Saturday, May 16, 2009

If I fell



If I fell in love with you
Would you promise to be true
And help me understand
'cause I've been in love before
And I found that love was more
Than just holding hands

If I give my heart to you
I must be sure
From the very start
That you would love me more than her

If I trust in you, oh please
Don't run and hide
If I love you too, oh please
Don't hurt my pride like her
'cause I couldn't stand the pain
And I would be sad if our new love was in vain

So I hope you see that I
Would love to love you
And that she will cry
When she learns we are two
cause I couldn't stand the pain
and I would be sad if our new love was in vain

If I fell in love with you

Friday, May 15, 2009

Damnation AD @ Burning Fight

Damnation AD (Burning Fight, Phase 1) from hate5six productions on Vimeo.




No more dreams of happy endings
i can't remember ever feeling so low
breathing-only because of instinct
i don't care to open my eyes

the room blurs
the curse leaves me
as i fall into darkness
and know peace - for the first time

no more sleepless - moonlit nights
forced to forget all those childish
thoughts of love and compassion
like a weed I wither away

the room blurs
the curse leaves me
as i fall into darkness
and know peace - for the first time

no more separation from all those soulless shells
that smiled and frowned and look down on
me for not wanting to be them

Friday, May 8, 2009

108

108 (Burning Fight, Phase 1) from hate5six productions on Vimeo.




Your hypocrisy
Your empty religion
Your proud hollow philosophy
Consumerism, thrice daily cannibalism
Your tv
Your constant sexuality
I oppose, vehemently
I vow

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Unbroken Life Love Regret.

D4-
"swallow my lies. as i obscure my emotions.
why must i contest myself.
always against myself."



End of a Lifetime-
"my life once so meaningful and long.
has now turned short into these few remaining days.
memories of a lifetime fill my mind.
as i close my eyes one last time."

In the Name of Progression-
"industrial insanity forces us to follow
we die they prosper only in death can we stop supporting them
only in death can they not have their way with us"



Razor-
"before i consume your filth
consume your product
consume this genocide
consume your media
give me a razor and with this I give my wrists a kiss of steel."

Final Expression-
"it is the last thing i have to give
it is the last thing you haven't taken from me
the final expression is giving up all expression."



Blanket-
"Help us, save us, help us, save us from ourselves
I see no heaven, I see no hell
I just see us, just us cling to the hope that it exists
Falling further with every prayer you whisper
It won`t save you, it won`t save you
Questioning this has saved yourself"

Recluse-
"No hands to touch not a soul to feel hiding myself hiding
emotion all sympathy has been forgotten all affection denied
i perceive nothing i perceive no one darkness is peace silence brings
me peace my heart is closed no one has the key
looking through tears i see your tranquility i see your joy out of reach
slipping away don't past my tears question them comfort me
pull me through the shadows of depression and fear
pull me through the shadows of depression and to the light that
has denied pull me out of this
nothing but fear itself i fear more i fear loneliness"



The Setup
"A means of addiction will be your means of power
Grounded with submission
So we won`t seek a truth
Clear the smoke from my eyes
Clean the toxins from my mind
For today try to escape this disease"

Curtain
"This love built up inside me i thought would last always
once burning wildly now being doused with pain"

Unbroken

Monday, May 4, 2009

thoughts I think the best thing about a hardcore show is the fact that kids like Unbroken, Damnation AD and Chamberlain have had a profound affect on my life without being on TV, without being marketed to me, without being sold to me. These kids from San Diego, DC, and Indiana have helped me get though some rough pretty rough times. I am forever indebted to them for that.
Farside just saw vince neil in the airport.

We still have about four hours to our flight unless we can jump on the 1030 flight. Viva la standby

Sunday, May 3, 2009

One day trumpets will sing for me.
Jeremy isn't where he needs to be

Correction: he's back
burning fight show. im at the burning fight show and although im having a good time im annoyed with the fact that I can't take pictures. its allowed but I had to check my camera bag at the coat check (which cost 3 dollars). I would have had to carry my camera in my hands all night which would have sucked. I guess I'm leaving the camera at the hotel tomorrow . In other news I got the Burning fight book and I was credited for several pictures.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Friday, May 1, 2009

Here is my first mobile blog