Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Chuck Treece - McRad, Underdog, etc.


Chuck Treece in the studio

Chuck Treece gives us some history and info from the streets of Philly to NYC and back again. Let's hope for more from him soon... -Gordo DCXX


How old were you when you got into punk hardcore, and who were the early bands you loved?

When I turned on the focus to punk I was at age 15/16. Mark Manuti was responsible for turning me on to the Sex Pistols. A good friend of mine way backm, Tod Werny, showed me how to play a bar chord. God Save The Queen was the song and the progression he showed me, so in a sense punk was handed to me though people who really loved the movement of aggressive music and thought. Rock, loud guitars and energy have always been in music. But punk relates to the age of decision making. You know, like 'what will you do with your time while your thinking about music and a lifestyle'?

Tell us about the early through late 80's Philadelphia hardcore / punk scene. Stand out bands, venues, record stores, fanzines, etc.

Early Philly bands: AUSTIC BEHAVIOR, MCRAD, BUNNY DRUMS, MR. META, RUIN, TRAINED ATTACKED DOGS, SHEMALES, Y DI, LITTLE GENTLEMEN, THE STICKMEN, SEEDS OF TERROR, DEAD MILKMEN and the list goes on and on. Philly has always and will always embraced music, so whatever the flow of ideals that are going through young peoples minds in music will be there. Philly is always on the creative side of any scene, check it out. Through every music change Philly has always shown its true colors.

Was there ever a feeling of competition between the early Philadelphia scene and the NYC scene? Considering both are two prominent cities within a couple hours of each other, I always had the feeling that there was this underlying competition.

As far as McRad, we went to NYC and showed what we were about when I was 19 in 1983. A bunch of NYC bands were there and we never claimed where we were from and all. We had a blast playing music, however, competition in the face of being creative suffers through being creative. I feel music regardless of what city I’m in. If one city has a great vibe, other cities will feed off that and make their own creative decions. Competition is like religion. It gives you an exact feeling...judging for intent to judge.

What are your fondest McRad memories? Did you ever think you'd still be playing in 2008?

My fondest memory of McRad is being able to be myself through my dreams in music and skateboarding. I have a family through music and skating. I have my hometown through the same. It’s my life in small words.


Chuck with Underdog at City Gardens, 1989, Photo: Ken Salerno

How exactly did things fall in place for you to join up with Underdog? What stands out from your time in the band? What songs do you remember writing? Any stand out shows you recall playing?

UNDERDOG is and was my favorite time coming into a new band with a great following. Working with Richie, Russ and Dean was always a blast. I was going through so much at that time. I wanted my career to be in music and was finding out the ways to survive and keep myself happy. My family has always been supportive. Songs I wrote or have an influence on were the reggae songs. I played the guitar solos on The Vanishing Point, Richie played all the other guitar tracks. We went in and recorded the basic tracks in two days. Great time, great shows, I moved on because of my life in Philly. Mostly we leave situations because of the lifestyles we choose.

My time with Underdog will always be amazing. The same for my time with BAD BRAINS and any other band I worked with.

MCRAD is the cause of me being involved with music. It’s my place where I work out all concepts of thought in music and skating.

THANX FER YER TIME-

NEVER ENDING DOMINANT FORCE/MCRAD/TREECE/FDR/ALTER ST/POCKET PISTOLS/CIRCA 1/VANS


Chuck with McRad

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great guitarist.

Isaac Golub said...

Voicebox with Dan O'Mahoney and Chuck is one of my favorite projects these guys did. No mention of it here but if you don't know now you know.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Voicebox, the music that Treece wrote for that wound up on his 1991 album Dream'n.

Anonymous said...

what the fuck is he talking about? some of those phrases and lines don't make any sense. marijuana much?

DOUBLE CROSS said...

Isaac... I love that Voicebox EP as well. I had actually sent Chuck a bunch of other questions originally, but some how or another he lost them. I then had to recall the questions and I obviously forgot a few. I know I asked him about Voicebox and his brief stint in Insight. Oh well, maybe we'll try for a follow up interview.

I will say, Chuck is a good guy. Has been around and involved in punk / HC forever and still stays active.

Sue Cosby said...

McRad, Underdog, ETC

ETC is right. There are few people who have been as consistently active as Chuck. His ability to play with so many different people, so many bands, so many different styles... true musician and great guy although I haven't had the chance to seen him in a gazillion years. Nice read - thanks!

Anonymous said...

At some point, I'll put the video I have of the one and only show that Voicebox played on YouTube. Sterling Wilson on bass and (I THINK) Steve Insted on drums. Damn good show.

Anonymous said...

McBoring.

D. Sine said...

I've always liked Chuck. He's a good guy.

Hey Jake,that Voicbox show, was that when they opened for HR?

Anonymous said...

Hey Dave, I'm not sure. The show was at the Reseda Country Club and Joe Nelson filmed it if that helps.

luciferyellow said...

Jake, I would love to see the Voicebox show, too! Curious to see how many songs they had in total. And yeah, Chuck Treece has made some awesome music over his career.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone else remember the piece about the recording of Dream'n that was on that cheesy show SK8TV ca. the time of its release? Would love to see that again.

Anonymous said...

Voicebox really BLEW.. Talk about a band with amazing players, and solid music ruined by a horrible singer. Same formula applied for 411.

Dan O was a decent front man for a strictly hardcore outfit, but quickly became the weakest link in anything involving the need to hit a note.

"I just did sommmm mennnnn tttiiiing sommmething wrrrrraaaa honnnnngg" still makes my skin crawl":

PAINFUL!

Anonymous said...

Sexus's ex-husband, I presume?

Anonymous said...

I agree, there's nobody here who can honestly say Dan O Mahoney was a good singer... unless you're maybe Jake Jacobs who would pay $500 for a chance to blow him or at the least have Dan fuck his ass for 2 glorious minutes.

luciferyellow said...

Ah, always refreshing to see when a lack of taste and homophobia go hand in hand. How original!

Anonymous said...

Sorry dude, but " God Hates Faggots". It's a fact so look it up.

Anonymous said...

I hate faggots.

luciferyellow said...

You're just proving my point, God doesn't have taste (or humor for that matter).

luciferyellow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Are your being serious? Read your fucking bible maybe.

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

So sorry, but GOD does have an opinion, and many of them. ..and Faggots are Abominations.. I know in this p.c. world thats hard to digest, BUT it's a fact, so deal with it .

Anonymous said...

I hate jews too.

luciferyellow said...

I know God, I went to high-school with him. His problem was that he never got laid. So I assume it's some kind of repressed anger.

In any case, I assume you're just trolling and not really that big an idiot.
But just for fun, I'll play along:

From the famous "Open letter to Dr. Laura:"
When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.

I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an Abomination (Lev 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev 19:27. How should they die?

i) I know from Lev 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev 24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Anonymous said...

You really expect me to read that scroll you just cut and pasted?

luciferyellow said...

No, my bad. You really are the idiot that I thought you only pretend to be.

Anonymous said...

I hate metrosexuals too.

Joe Nelson said...

Well It's been about a month since I've been on here, but its good to see some things haven't changed. Poor Chuck, one of the nicest dudes ever, and his piece turns into some weird diatribe about Gods view on Homosexuals.

Jake I love you, we're friends for life, but you're like the Pope of the comment section. It's crazy. You need to maybe consider posting 1 comment every 4 or 5 stories instead of 5 comments for every 1 story.

Anyway, I'm off to the "Circus". I've learned it's really is Britney's world, and we're just living in it...or at least I am : /

Anonymous said...

Joe, even though you're now just another one of Brit's bitches (which is, of course, a HELLUVA lot better than I can say for myself), I still love and respect the hell outta ya, so I'm gonna do just that.

Anonymous said...

I do like the blacks though. Especially Chuck. The whites stole rock music from the blacks and then Chuck stole it back. Gotta love it.

Anonymous said...

Luciferyellow, you are a fucking genius.

Stark-Arts said...

wish I'd seen this at the time - came to the blog a bit late but Luciferyellow really is a genius.
wow
I wish that they would make it so that you could not post from anonymous so the assheads would have to put a face/name to the stupidity...

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