Tom Kuntz from Pressure Release - Part II

This is the second part of a two-part interview with Pressure Release axeman Tom Kuntz. Click here to see the first part:

http://doublecrosswebzine.blogspot.com/2008/05/pressure-release-tom-kuntz.html

Much, much more Pressure Release material to come soon!

-DCXX

What would your favorite PR song be if you had to pick one?

Hmmmm...I like the second side of the 7 inch. "Obstacles" into "Not All In The Mind." They feel introspective and I like the melodies. Oh hell...I like the first song too. The second half of that song, the long instrumental part, I still find very enjoyable...it's like the outro that keeps giving.

How did you get linked up with New Age all the way across the country? Why did you go with them? What did you think when the record finally came out? What do you hear when you listen today? Are you satisfied with it 20 years later?

I can't remember how we got hooked up with them. I just became friends with the owner (can't remember his name). He said he wanted to put the record out and we were like "OK."

What do I hear today? Well. Hmmm...it's sort of interesting to think of being immersed in this particular scene so much. I've made so many different types of music since then, that it's interesting to hear this particular moment so documented.


[Pressure Release Photo: Joe Snow]

What was the story with Ben's vocals getting erased? Was this a major bum out? Were you really unhappy with Doug's vocals as they appeared on the record?

No no, like I said above I think he deserved to be the one singing on the record. Maybe at the time we weren't crazy about Doug's vocals. I cant really remember, but if I listen to them back to back now, I much prefer Doug's vocals. I think we just re-recorded them because Ben was the current singer and it seemed like the right thing to do. I'm very glad Doug's vocals made it on.

What caused the band to break up?

I seriously can't remember. I think it was just sort of "time." I think we were all a bit tired of the straight up hardcore thing and the scene, etc. I was getting into a lot of different music, that lead me away from the straight forward hardcore sound. I think once Doug left, we probably didn't feel it was the same band anyway, and that lead to a feeling that it was over.

Where did everyone go from there?

Alex quickly went into other bands like BURN, etc... I started a band with our long time friend, Jeff Leach, which was a more experimental rock sound, based on bands like KINGFACE from DC.

What about you personally...were you "done" with hardcore at that point?

I think I sort of was. Not in an animosity sort of way...just in a way that wanted some breathing room from it. It was quite an incestuous scene.

What are you doing today and how have you gotten there?

I'm a film maker now. After making the fanzine GIVE THANKS in high school, I realized I loved doing design, so I went to college for that. When I graduated college, I found myself more drawn to the moving image. Now I direct mostly TV commercials and music videos. I have done videos for bands like LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, THE AVALANCHES and ELECTRIC SIX, and I direct all the crazy SKITTLES ads you see on TV! I am working on getting a film project off the ground as we speak. I realized in college that I didn't want to make music my career because I didn't want it to be anything but a pleasurable thing in my life. I didn't want to have to depend on music. To this day I'm still an insane music fan with a very, very large record collection, though sadly, I sold lots of my hardcore records when I was broke in college. I still have a handful of goodies though...

[Pressure Release Photo: Joe Snow]

Did you stay in touch with the other guys over the years? Alex specifically seems to elude everyone, are you in touch with him at all?

Alex went MIA. I've heard various rumors of exactly why. I ran into him one day in NYC about 8 years ago and he was OUT OF IT. I have no idea where he is right now. He was always a very eccentric guy.

What type of connection do you have with hardcore today? Any records still hold up over time that you listen to?

I still love the EMBRACE record. Makes me cry. Such a personal, awesome record.

What were your thoughts on Doug's untimely death? (Ed. Note: Doug died in 1999 from an asthma attack. Rest In Peace).

Very sad man. Just random and sad. He and I were still good friends when he died. We were actually in a new band together at the time with a bunch of our childhood friends. I was playing drums and he was playing records in the band. The band was called Mediteranea. We would get on stage without any prewritten songs and just start playing and see what happened. It was pretty ballsy. When he died it was just fucking jarring and sad. I still dream about him.

How would you feel about a PR discography?

Why not!? But I want to design the artwork!!!

Murphy's Law - New Years Eve at The Anthrax 1989

A couple of weeks ago I posted a Judge video that I had found on YouTube. Quality wise, this Judge footage was some of the best I'd seen, so I made it a point to contact the poster. Turns out the guy's name is Cliff. He started going to the Stamford Anthrax in 1985. Once The Anthrax moved to Norwalk, Cliff started hanging out in the sound board booth and says he became the official videographer. Cliff and I have been going back and forth and he's been linking me to his latest YouTube entries. So far he's got up an entire Judge set broken down into individual songs, Youth Of Today doing "Honesty" from 1989 and this here video of Murphy's Law doing "America Rules." Cliff says he's easily got 10 hours of first generation live footage (Sick Of It All, BOLD, Shelter, Youth Of Today, Judge, Underdog, Murphy's Law, etc.), so expect to see more up here as I'm updated. -Tim DCXX

Dan McGinnis - Pagan Babies, Brickhouse, The Heels

[Pagan Babies photo: Ken Salerno]

This is part of an ongoing piece where we asked various people from bands over the years what they recall as the most memorable show they ever played (or attended, if they were never in a band), and why. What is posted here is only a sliver of what is to come, so be sure to check back. -DCXX

Wow... not an easy question to single out one moment in time in relation to the bands I've been in. At this point in my life all of it means everything. Hardcore was, is and will always be part of me, the bands I was in and the shows I went to and the relationships that were forged remain vital. I've had such good fortune with the bands that I was a part of (Pagan Babies, BRICKHOUSE, a short stint with Starkweather and now THE HEELS). What I mean by good fortune is that we shared the stage with so many great bands. Social Distortion, The Exploited, WarZone, Underdog, Youth of Today, 7 Seconds, Marginal Man, Uniform Choice, Raw Deal and Killing Time, Supertouch, Crumbsuckers, Gorilla Biscuits, Dag Nasty, Side By Side, 76% Uncertain, Gwar, Token Entry...the list goes on.

One show that stands out was when Pagan Babies was on tour and we played a show in Reno, NV in the basement of the local Punk Rock record store. It was a small room with no stage and they packed in about 100 kids. I seriously doubt anyone knew to much about us but they were there to support their local scene and any bands that were in town. Whatever was in the water or air that day it just all came together in what can only be described as a Hardcore love fest, we killed it and they loved us. Perfect show. In addition we were introduced to a whole new breed of animal: the Reservation Indian Skinhead. You heard me.

America's Hardcore - Part II

Here is the promised second half of the interview with AHC singer Danny Slam, done by Tony Rettman. Part one is here if you missed it:

http://doublecrosswebzine.blogspot.com/2008/05/americas-hardcore-danny-slam.html

OPEN YOUR EYES!

-DCXX

What were some of the more memorable AHC shows and why? What were some of the more memorable shows you saw back then whether or not AHC was on the bill?

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. Two weeks later we played in Frisco twice, the first at the Tool & Die with Secret Hate. I remember this show because I got in a fight with Bob Noxious (Fuckups) while slamming during another band.

The second show was at the On Broadway with Minor Threat, 7 Seconds and others. That trip was an incredible experience. We felt like we had "made it" playing shows away from home. Also memorable was our little mini tour with the Circle Jerks to Las Vegas, Phoenix (where I sang from the top of the wrestling cage) and Tucson (playing to a packed house!) in September 1983. I remember all gigs as being a huge rush with tons of butterflies as we got on stage and prepared to start. Then an amazing feeling of letting go and raging through our set with unabashed enthusiasm, screaming the lyrics as loudly and energetically as possible.

Memorable shows for me are too many to count. Fear at the Whiskey with a line of crazy fuckers from Venice around the front of the building; the most crazy slam pit during Suicidal at the Olympic; driving with Circle One to Frisco for Eastern Front and seeing Wasted Youth's drummer get knocked out by a flying whiskey bottle; getting beat up by the LAPD outside a Hollywood show; my first slamming at the Whiskey for the Circle Jerks; punks doing the frog stomp during the Vandals in San Pedro; the first time I saw Minor Threat at Alpine Village; slamming on a manic dust high during the Necros (ED. NOTE: Can you imagine that shit?); stage diving and breaking my wrist during the Misfits at Mendiolis (2 weeks before the riots); the last two Bards Appollo shows with Vicious Circle in the crowd and John from Circle One stomping through the pit in his trademark plaid pants - that dude was bigger than fucking life.

The thing I find interesting about bands like AHC or Justice League or Stalag 13 is the fact you were (in my opinion) influenced bythe D.C. or Midwest scenes more so than the scene going on around you. Am I correct in this assumption? If so, was it a conscious reaction to maybe start a scene more based around the ideals represented by the D.C. bands other than the L.A. scene which may or may not had nothing going on but kids hanging out getting wasted?

As I said above, we were definitely influenced by bands from all over the country, but also by local bands. It was a mix. The foremost thing we cared about was playing HC music. Our lyrics were a mix of fuck you LA punk attitude and an idealistic positive outlook. So our immediate environment had its influence, and part of that was definitely going to shows and getting drunk and then going crazy when the music hit your gut. But as we listened to more and more bands from all over, and reading their lyrics, we started caring more about putting out a positive message about going to the shows and supporting your favorite bands, not being rock stars (like the bigger LA bands were becoming), and staying out of trouble.

What were the out of town shows AHC played like?

Exciting times. For the most part the kids in each town would be into what we were doing. The main thing I cared about was if people slammed during our set. For the most part, they did.



Were you friendly and/or did you know the people that would eventually form Uniform Choice? I get the feeling they probably started up a year or so after you guys broke up. Am I correct? Anyways, were you aware of their 'borrowing' of your t-shirt design and using song titles similar to AHC ones? How do you feel about that?

I have no problem with influencing UC. I think they opened for one of our last shows. I certainly was aware of them towards the end of our time.

Here's how I was made aware of AHC: My brother started taking me to HC shows in the summer of '84. It seemed every band that came from the west coast and/or just got back from there via touring had AHC stickers on their gear. I remember one being plastered on Die Kruezen's boom box. It was also around that time the Mystic 'Copulation' comp came out with 'Cops are Criminals' on it. Then I saw photos of the Stretchmarks wearing your shirts...then of course Jeff Nelson on the back of the 'Salad Days' 7" etc. My intial reaction was 'Damn! These guys really seem to know how to get the word around about their band!' Were you guys always giving out shirts/stickers to touring bands? How did Jeff Nelson get that shirt?

Yeah, I think Drew deserves credit. He made the stickers and t-shirts and we gave them out to people at shows, but mostly just to the kids that came to our shows. We played shows with Die Kruezen (who I loved) and Stretch Marks and Minor Threat, so they got stickers directly from us, and my guess would be that Drew gave shirts to other bands, too. I know we sold a few through the mail for something like $4, so maybe that's how Youth of Today got one.

Why didn't AHC ever do a 7" or something in their time of existence?

That's a sad tale. We were practicing a lot at Sin 34's Spinhead studio, getting ready to do some sort of album when I quit the band. I blame myself for the band's demise. I was in a weird space and thought, foolishly at 19 years old, that I needed to be a responsible dude and not go running off on a big US/Canada tour that we were planning and leave my live-in girlfriend and our 4 dogs to fend for themselves. Funny thing is, that girl was out of the picture not all that long afterward. It's a big regret in my life, not going on that tour and doing the album.

Were you aware of the influence AHC had on some of the late 80s Straight Edge bands like Youth of Today?

Only from seeing one of our shirts on the cover of one of the YOT albums!

How did you get the nickname 'Danny Slam'?

As I said before, I would get to gigs early and pretty much slam during every set of every band. If I liked a band, I slammed. I think Darin Price was the friend who came up with the name. Guess it stuck b/c everyone kept calling me that.

Why did AHC break-up? What was your last show?

Our last gig was the end of October with Necros, Decry and the Corruptors at a hall in Sun Valley that I put shows on sometimes.

Please breakdown the recording sessions AHC did. Where and when they were recorded, how many songs there were (and which ones), and were they intentionally recorded for those Mystic comps or for other reasons? Did you record with Doug Moody? Any good stories from the session?

We recorded at two separate studios. To be honest I don't remember why we were recording, only that it felt like we had really made it for real. Each time we recorded a handful of songs, maybe 3 or 4 at each place. Once was at somebody's professional home studio and the other was at Mystic with Doug Moody. I remember it was weird to sing the songs by myself while listening to the rest of the band. Very weird. Took some getting used to. It's a real bummer, b/c I'm sure there are more studio recordings than just the 3 songs we have on MySpace: "Open Your Eyes" was put on a We Got Power compilation, while "Cops are Criminals" and "Born Prejudice" were put on Mystic comps. I have no fucking idea what the other songs were, or where those recordings are. I remember going back to get our shit from Mystic after Drew's brother, who was a lawyer, told us that the contract we signed was lame. But that went nowhere.

Please break down where everyone from AHC ended up after the band and how they are living today. Also feel free to give any final comments.

I still talk to Scott who is a horror screen writer in Hollywood, Pat who still digs skating, and Raffi who runs a jewelry business and actually made the rings that my wife and I wear. I've tried in vain to get ahold of Drew, John and Aaron.

It was fun going down memory lane with this interview.

Luke "The Duke" Abbey

A man who needs no introduction, I was psyched to catch up with Luke recently and pick his brain. Expect more from Lukey Luke soon. ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!

-Gordo DCXX

How did you get linked up with Warzone? What are your best/clearest memories of hanging out with Raybeez and co., and what would you say is your favorite Warzone song if you had to pick one? Some people slagged Open Your Eyes and still do. Personally, I love it, even if EK had replaced you. What are your thoughts on it today?

Hooking up with Warzone was pretty much by chance. They had sort of broken up at the end of '86 after Todd joined Murphy's Law, and Ray had gotten Walter and Arthur to play bass and 2nd guitar along with Brad. I was tagging along to a practice with Walter and whoever was supposed to be playing drums didn't show up, so I sat in, and at the end of the night Ray asked me to join. It was pretty cool to say the least. I loved Warzone. I stayed in the band from the beginning of 1987 into the spring of the following year, recorded some compilation songs as well as the first 12".

The whole Warzone crew was a trip. It was like a little scene within the scene. Those guys were a lot of fun to hang and play with. When Jay, Paul, and John joined, we kind of stepped it up a bit. That was a really productive time. We practiced constantly and got super tight. I mean, we recorded the whole DFTS album live. There were guitar leads and back-ups that were done separately, but that whole record is the five of us playing at once. Ray was really organized and clear about what he wanted to do. He was also incredibly supportive, had loads of ideas, and was so involved in everything going on.

Favorite Warzone song? Maybe "Wound Up" or "In the Mirror." I like all the songs written by Todd. The demo tape they put out is by far and away my favorite Warzone recording. Sonically it's a mess, but that's what hooked me - that scratchy, feedback filled demo. I think the main line-up which I was a part of was cool, maybe tighter overall as a band, but the Warzone of 1986 is my personal favorite. "Open Your Eyes"... yea, I liked some of the songs on it but I didn't really dig that record.

GB...seven inch or Start Today? If you had to pick one show that you played with the band that is your all time favorite, what would you pick and why?

If I had to pick, I'd go with "Start Today." It's a more solid and soulful record in my opinion. It kicked our collective ass getting that record completed, but I think the time and patience we exhibited paid off. And though Civ's voice on the EP is priceless, we were all considerably better musicians when we did "Start Today."

As far as GB shows go, I can't say which has been my favorite in the past, but the reunion show we did at CB's in 2005 is my favorite in recent memory. I got chills when the horn intro kicked in. And getting to play with those guys again in that place, sounding good and receiving such an enthusiastic response after so many years was so rewarding. There was nothing contrived about it. The show had such good vibes all day, there were so many old friends there, the comedy factor was at an all time high. Just a great fucking day.

The YOT We're Not In The Alone promo photos...can you recall any memories from when those were taken? A lot of people feel like those photos capture the band and "the crew" to a T - would you agree?

Oi vey. I remember somebody hurling a chunk of cement at us from a window on our way down to bandshell on Grand Street. It was pretty early in the morning too I recall. I don't think those pictures capture anything accurate about how things really were though. If anything, I think they probably just presented an image which people eventually used as some kind of "youth crew template."

What type of tabs did you keep on hardcore when you left GB? What exactly did you go off and do? Had HC changed to you at that point in time?

I kept pretty few tabs after "leaving" GB. I spent some intermittent time in college in Poughkeepsie, but pretty much split New York altogether for the mountains to basically ski everyday. I spent a few months living in Salt Lake getting put up by the guys out there I'd met on summer tours. After that season, I spent the next several years moving around different areas in Colorado, California, and New Mexico. Worked in a lot of kitchens and made turns daily. It was a fantastic time.

The GB reunions seemed to be an overwhelming success. What dynamic had changed the most in going out on the road for weeks at a time with Walter, Civ, Arthur, and Alex?

I think the GB reunions have been amazing too. Yes, the dynamic has changed, but not as much as you might think. It's still the funniest group of dudes I've ever had the pleasure to hang out and travel with. We're all both more tolerant and less annoying, which makes for a good blend. Everything since that CB's show a few summers back has just been a really enjoyable experience and the shows have been tremendous. Maybe we'll get to play again. Who knows?

Todd Youth Interview

Sergio Vega Interview