I remember a time when a band was considered HARDCORE it
meant something way different than what it does now. It didn't mean a billion palm mutes then a mosh part, it didn't mean Warped or Ozfest tours, inventive
facial hair and faux leather fashion endorsements.
Detroit's Bill
Bondsmen take me back to a simpler time (High School) when it was called
Hardcore PUNK. Pumped with anger, packed
with contempt and sloshing in beer they do the full on rage with a dark sense
of humor thing the way I remember it. Here's band's mouth piece Tony
"Gabby" 4TG and I yakking for a while about a bunch of shit.
-interview by Dale
Okay-Both of us grew up in greater southeastern Michigan so
we were raised on Bill Bonds logic but we have an international audience
here...So before we go any farther could you explain to the fine readers who
Bill Bonds is.
I'm sure all over the world there's a guy like him in each
town. He used to read the news here on TV but he now does ads on TV for
furniture. He challenged the equally crazy ex mayor of Detroit, Coleman A.
Young, to a boxing match on TV. If you wanna see him check out "Escape
From The Planet Of The Apes" where he plays a newscaster.
What about Detroit's current mayor Kwame Kilpatrick? Does he
think he's Puff Daddy or some shit?
Well, since I didn't get an invite to the mansion I'll say
asshole. He's kind of an unfunny Coleman Young. He's about as ghetto as Coleman
but I don't think Bill Bonds will challenge him to a boxing match any time
soon. I'm waiting for him to answer a question at a press conference with
"Yo mama!"
When did hardcore get all fucked up and take a turn for the
worse?
Ahh there's 100 reasons for that. Part of it is that a lot
of hardcore bands seem to only listen to hardcore which makes them really derivitive.
Like why listen to a band who sound like whatever band sounded like Youth Of
Today who sounded like SS Decontrol and DYS when you could just listen to SSD
and DYS? This really applies to any genre. Not only that but when metal came in
around 86 it opened the floodgates for the jocks you see that act like the
people that kicked people like us' asses in high school. I actually ran into a
dude who beat me up in high school for being a "punk rock fag" at a
bar a few years back and he was suddenly my old friend. Fuck that! Like Cider
said "You're not a part of us! You never fucking were!"
How do you react when some moron says that they are
"totally into hardcore-y'know like Korn and Hatebreed"?
Well, I'm tempted to go on a loooonng rant. I guess if
they're dumb enough to like that crap they kind of already said it all didn't
they? Personally I'm trying to bring back "hardcore punk" to
differentiate between that crap and what bands I like do. Personally, i'd
rather talk about the article I read in the van about the guy from Korn that
found god cuz now you can say that "god gets Head". HAHAHAHAHA.
Do you ever wanna walk up to those type of kids and rip
their piercing out of there faces and when their crying in pain you can say
"What the fuck dude. I thought you were all tough and street and
shit."?
Well, I don't really see those kids anymore. I'd rather take
some of the gangsta hawdcaw kids and drop em off in a non rebuilt part of
Detroit and watch them piss themselves. I'd also like to ask some of these kids
who all look the same if they genuinely feel they're any different than the 100
kids just like em. I guess I miss the days where you couldn't go to Hot Topic
to buy a wardrobe so we all did stupid shit like draw on our pants or screen
your own shirts etc. Back when you spiked your own belt.
What's your opinion on songs that have classical guitar type
intros ?
Well, Poison Idea had a lot of neo classical moments
("Plastic Bomb") but those were mostly with pianos. I suppose if done
right. The intro to "No God" by the Germs sounds pretty classical but
I doubt Pat Smear actually played that. Hmmm... I'll take "Sucks" for
100 Alex?
How heavily were you into Metallica in your younger days.
They had classical guitar intros. When did you realize they sucked?
Well, I make it no secret that as a kid (like early grade
school) I was really into NWOBHM/thrash metal stuff until about 5th grade when
I finally heard punk rock. I used to be waaaaaay into Metallica amongst other
thrash bands because they were cooler, back then, than most of the stuff you
could find at a record store for the most part. I realized they sucked when I
heard "And Justice For All" back in 1988. It was so slow and long and
boring that it had no exciting aspects. I recall buying it thinking it had to
be cool because Pushead did art for it. Boy, was I wrong. I hadn't felt so let
down since I first heard "Join The Army" by Suicidal Tendencies...
What do you consider good metal?
I actually listen to a lot of old metal still to this day.
Stuff like Venom, Celtic Frost/Hellhammer, etc still get listened to quite a
bit. I still dig it because it's essentially punk if you can get past the
solos. I wouldn't call Motorhead metal but I guess some people do. I listen to
them all the time. I also like a lot of Japanese stuff that's pretty metal like
Assault...
Ron Reagan inspired a shit load of bands in the 80's with
their rage...Do you think Bush Jr is making the same mark?
Not that I'm aware of. We have a tune kind of about him but
not as much. The real difference is that back when Ronnie was prez there was
less access to information so when he was caught in some shit it was a big
surprise. Now, we're so skeptical and have access to everything the bastard
does that I think we're just lulled into being too relaxed about it because
it's no shock. "Oh! He lied again... What's on channel 62?" or
"Oh! He mispronounced another word..."
I honestly think we kind
of deserve him. After all, is he any dumber, ill mannered, or ill informed than
75% of the people you run into on a daily basis? I honestly don't think
so.Today alone I had to listen to some guy at a bar tell me that the Middle
Eastern people just want to be left alone but that Kwame is a"nigger"
and if we had a white Republican in the mayor's office blah blah blah. A co
worker told me that "if you don't believe in Jesus i've got some work to
do" and then tried to sell me on evangelical Christianity (ie the words of
the bible literally translated to their suiting. These are the fuckers to be
scared of... Reagan and both Bush's believe in the same thing. Anyone who has
actually read the bible... Look at what's happening in the Middle East,
specifically Israel. These whackos are trying to make "Revelations"
happen today... Remember Reagan saying that the Anti Christ was here today?
Bush has said similar things about Sadaam and the Palestinians... I could go on
and on on this topic...).
Regardless, everyone is insane around us and most of
us with two brain cells to rub together are asleep at the wheel because, much
like watching your best friend get killed, we're all desensitized and
numb...Besides, the focus has changed in punk rock... It's no longer a baby. No
more thoughts of "this could change the world". It's more like
"this could change me" or "there's nothing I can do so let's
just party!" The only people still clinging to the idea of "Anarchy
In (insert region)" are nothing but dogmatic bible thumpers with too much
time on their hands...
What up with all the cracks you make about the Kinks?
I will go on record and say that I LOVE THE FUCKING KINKS!
All the way up to "Destroyer" which is usually way past most people's
cut off points. But! If I hear one more band buttfuck "You Really Got
Me" or anything by The Sonics I will fucking puke! It's worse than when
ska was big. You worked at a record store so you've had the misfortune of
seeing the waves of generic clones for every good idea. If people would take
more from the music and do something like The Maharajas from Sweden have done
it would be way cooler than rehashed bullshit. Anyone can take any genre and
mimic it perfectly but the best bands always add something to it or turn it
inside out.
How much fast food and convenience store snacks can a body
take?
Well, that's a good question. I can eat burgers like it's
goin out of style and my dentist can attest to all the candy i've eaten thru
the years. I would have to say that 3 rolls of Sweetarts plus a Jolt and two
McDonalds double cheeseburgers is probably the max i've eaten in one day
without puking. I don't really eat healthy so i'm probably the wrong guy to ask
when too much is enough.
What's your ideal "Power Breakfast".
4 to 5 cigarettes, a diet Mountain Dew (can't handle regular
pop unless it's fountain and then I still 50/50 it), and a Starbucks
"Double Shot" on a weekday. Maybe a sausage, onion, and cheese
omelette slathered in enough hot sauce to kill a cat. That usually puts me in
shape to face the world. On a weekend, 1 diet Pepsi, 1 cold beer, 4 to 5
smokes, and whatever I can round up food wise. Usually chips or toast or
something lame. Usually while listening to something decidedly "un
punk". As of late that means The Faces...
Okay Tony, time for some word association...
-Japan
Musical heaven for me. I will go there soon enough. Too bad
about thier porn though...
-Mexican Food
Zumba in Royal Oak.
-Cigarettes
I love you. Now if only my love wasn't killing me at $10 a
day.
-Matt Coppens
All around good guy. Looking forward to playing with his
crappy band Glorified Trash (Ladies, contain yourselves) in beautiful....(bonus
part;) Grand Rapids : Shit hole. Makes Detroit seem stable. Nah, we've had bad
luck but there's some cool stuff that goes on there.
-Henry Rollins
"He's not gay. He just does a lot of gay things like
weightlifting and poetry." - the only good quote to come from Steven
Blush.
-Ace Frehley
The only rock n roll part of KISS. Without him whadda ya
got? A snake oil salesman, a sissy who sings nothing but love songs, and a
coked out guido who thinks he's Otis Redding.
Vodka or Gin?
NEITHER! Last time I drank vodka I got thrown out of my own
show and almost got arrested by the Brooklyn PD. Ended the night passed out in
front of some bar. This is after my last vodka moments that ended in me passing
out on New Years at 10 pm (smashed my head into the toilet) and the time I
threw up at the bar and had to be carried out of the Magic Stick by bouncers
and driven home by some girl from another state. Did it all on feeling....
("You're going the wrong way!") Last time I drank gin I was 15 and I
threw up on some christian's birthday cake and passed out on their lawn. I only
drink beer now and that's about it.
Can you speculate how Bill Bonds would've handled a Bud
Dwyer type situation?
Well, if he was covering it he probably would have just
called Bud a pussy and offered to kick his ass despite him being dead. You are
talking about the city of Detroit in human form after all. The man is hard as
nails! He's our version of Bill Brasky.Speaking of Bill... If anyone has any
footage of him, especially his post 9/11 "I'll kick your ass, Osama!"
rant, send it this way! I'm also looking for the "groin terrorist"
rant about AIDS.
Who's a greater American? Hugh Hefner or John Brannon?
Well, i've never hung around Hef but i'm thinking it's Hef.
Isn't the American dream to do nothing yet get rich and have fun doing it? The
man could literally glide across a floor of silicone tits any day he wants. He
does hang out with some tools but those early Playboys up to the 70's had some
style to em. Brannon can sing better but he doesn't have 4 or more hot girls
that willingly act as a harem for him does he? The ultimate indicator is who
would you rather be? I think we know the answer...
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