Vic DiCara round 2 with 108

Last week Vic answered some questions on Inside Out. In the intro to that piece we mentioned that Vic had described DCXX as "a bit assholish."

We want to clarify this statement.

In talking more to Vic we realized some things were lost in email communication and Vic was actually referring to his own answers as "a bit assholish," and not DCXX. So, we stand corrected, and apologize to Vic. Ahh, the joys of email.

Further, Vic wanted to respond to what some of our readers had said in the comments section of his interview and on the Livewire message board. This is what he had to say:

"HELLO HARDCORE PEOPLE:

1. Stop taking yourself so seriously.
2. Stop taking your "heroes" (but OH NO they're not "heroes") so seriously.
3. Relax. Floorpunch on gold, you'll get it in your next life. It's ok. Nothing else matters in the end.
4. I said that I was annoyed by youth crew straight edge since very early on. Does that really bother you so much?
5. I apologized for coming across a bit assholish in my answers.

GO PRACTICE A MOSH.

xoxoxo,
Vic

And now, we bring you some more questions and answers with Vic regarding 108.

Ok you guys just got back from South America - how was it? Any stand out stories or experiences? What are the biggest differences between the hardcore scene there and what you have experienced as of late in America?

The first half was great. Ecuador, Columbia, Chile, Argentina. Especially Chile. Brazil was somewhat lame until the very last show in Sao Paolo at the Animal Liberation fest.

The stand out story was staying in the home of a Christian hardcore band in Vittoria, Brazil and having the father say a prayer for us - a LOOOOONG ass prayer - on our way out - all the while with his arm around the great Atheist / Agnostic / Christian-hater Alan Peter Cage.

Big differences... not many... especially considering it's so far away. Hardcore is disappointingly uniform from scene to scene for the last 20 years or so. One thing was that girls were in the pit en masse doing their thing and there was no big debate about it, and no big issues surrounding it. It was completely normal and natural.

South America also saw the inclusion of Alan Cage on drums in 108. How did this come about, and what was it like playing with him again? Did it take him any practice at all to nail the songs? Where would you put him on the list of drummers you have played with over the years? Any drawbacks to playing with him?

It came about because Alan and I have been musically connected for about 20 years now. It was amazing. He played everything really well, very heavy and mid-tempo - not rushed or fast. Alan gets the energy from hitting the drums really hard and badass, he doesn't need to make energy from speeding things up.

We practiced for a day in Ecuador.

I put Alan not only at the top of the list of drummers I've played with - but also at the top of the list of Drummers... period.

There were no drawbacks except that it was an awful lot of songs for him to learn in a short period of time. Alan is a great player and a really cool guy. The band got along great with him in it.

You sold some of your guitars on Ebay recently - some of these had seen many stages over the years and withstood a lot of damge (or, maybe they didn't). Was it tough to let them go? What are you currently owning/playing, and how long is a guitar typically lasting you these days (considering some of your on stage antics)?

It wasn't hard to let them go at all. I'm not really into "things" that much. I don't collect stuff, and I don't care that much about equipment. I guess that's part of the reason I got into spirituality, I'm not particularly into material things. It was fun to let them go. I'm glad that the guy who got them was really into them and happy to have them.

I have an endorsement from B.C. Rich. Right now I have a black Mockingbird special and a spalted (or something) maple Bich Exotic Classic. They are both excellent guitars. I can keep a guitar working indefinitely provided I don't crack the neck, which has only happened 2 or 3 times in my life. As long as the neck doesn't break I just work with whatever else goes wrong. I don't fix it, I just make it a part of the sound. Like if the frets get jagged indentations it stats to make cool sounds, buzzes, what have you. I do need to fix jacks though. That shit sucks when it breaks. These two guitars I have now have proved to be really strong so far.

Although it isn't new at this point, how do you feel about the new record now that it has been out for a bit, has been received, and you have played the new material quite a bit? How much new material has been written, and where will you try to push 108 in the future creatively?

I like the new record a lot and enjoy playing the songs. For the next record I would like to go a few steps further and create something I actually want to LISTEN to a few times a week. We've written about two albums worth of new songs so far. I am not sure if we will actually use more than one or two of the songs or ideas. As soon as I settle down a bit and get my studio together (I just moved), I want to start writing some things that are a LOT different than New Beat..., and more like Curse of Instinct, drawn out in a new direction.

The band really seems to have been moving at full charge. Record, touring, etc. What are you doing outside of the band? You guys aren't 18 anymore. How do you manage to do this as much as you do and still balance it out? What happens in your life if 108 breaks up tomorrow?

It's full charge considering I'm 38. It's not full charge for an 18 year old. Outside the band I do my thing and tinker my way through life. If 108 breaks up tomorrow I'll regret it and get it back together in a few years to really piss you motherfuckers off. ;)

Since "returning," what 108 show stands out the most to you in terms of importance? The type of show that solidifies why you are still doing this?

I have a weak memory for that type of thing. I would say the shows in Chile. The show at the Knitting Factory in New York. I don't really know. 108 reorganized my life in a huge way. It's more than just shows. It actually realigned my entire life in a huge, huge way.

Similarly, you guys have played all over the country in the past year or so. What do you think of the modern hardcore scene in America and the average hardcore kid? How is this different from 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago? Do you still connect with a 17 year old whippersnapper who is mad at the world and jamming on power chords?

It's kinda tiring to be around "hardcore" kids - - - they are always checking you out. Estimating you. Evaluating you. Measuring you. Seeing if you are "true." Seeing if you are "cool." Seeing if you are still cool to think of as someone who is thought of by others as cool, etc. etc. etc. There just seems to be SO MANY rules that are potentially broken that it's just tiring. I don't really smoke pot myself, but I think a few dozen bong hits would do the collective hardcore scene a bit of good. Relax. Shit is not important. People are people. Music is music. Let it be.

Age doesn't matter. You are either 14 or you are 84...that has nothing to do with it. I could connect with you or not connect with you regardless. What's more important is if you have a broad mind or a narrow one.

Which current bands are your favorite? A lot of people who came up in the hardcore scene you came up in will say that there aren't any good bands today, they aren't the same, etc. etc. How do you feel? Are young hardcore bands today just as powerful as they were in 1987? Is it tough to be objective considering you aren't the same person?

I like Rise and Fall. I like Converge live. I like Blacklisted live. There are still good bands, but there isn't a lot of newness. Newness seemed to go out of style with the breakup of Quicksand. I like Ceremony live. I like shit that is at least slightly different. Musically, play something different. Yeah, it's powerful. And probably for a 17 year old from Boston, Have Heart or something is really powerful. They are just as sincere and better musically than the bands they are based on were. But the thing is for me, I've heard it over and over again for 20 years. So it's great for a kid hearing it for the first time, but for me... I'm more interested in a band doing something DIFFFERENT, saying something DIFFERENT.

PS - I love you.