xCURRAHEEx Interview with SMIT! 30/11/2011

This week, BALL BREAKERS caught up with local Hardcore pioneers xCURRAHEEx to see what makes them tick. These are a genuinely exciting and vibrant group of lads who produce a fantastic racket with conviction to boot. Here's the interview!

Who and What is xCurraheex ?

xCurraheex is me (Smit: vocals), Mike (drums), Mike Time (guitar) and Taf (bass). We’re a Straight- Edge band from Manchester that play youth crew.

What made you start a Hardcore band?

There were a few bands in Manchester that all featured a friend of mine... Also another friend left his band More Hate Than Fear and gave me the phone numbers of all the guys in the band- I called them and we got together and started xCurraheex. Before this I'd never thought about being in a band- I just loved going to shows. Making that call was the best thing I've ever done. I couldn't imagine not being in a band now!

Which groups have influenced your sound most?

For me Youth Of Today, Warzone, Floor Punch and Reaching Forward have always been in my mind when it comes to writing. This won't change for our future creations.

You've certainly succeeded in re-introducing a raw, no- frills, old- school style of Hardcore but how do you feel about bands who have moved with the times and experimented in a more Metal- based sound? 

We're all open minded and we've all had other projects. Myself and Mike had a Metal band called Wound Up which for me was a way of getting my aggression out in a more powerful and poetic way. I could talk about other feelings of emotion but to the audience they could just feel the sound and be taken in by the more "moshy" side of the music... xCurraheex is different- it's straight- up- in- your- face and it touches on modern life. It will always be old school and no frills for me!

What do you try to achieve with your songs?

As the vocalist I want every song to have a meaning. You can listen to any Pop/Indie/Rock band and they'll all have album tracks which have no real backbone or story. This is why Hardcore, Punk Rock and Rap are the best forms of creativity 'cos its all based on real life. My priority is to make a point and make it stand for something.

The first time I saw you guys was on 18/07/11 supporting Agnostic Front at Moho Live in Manchester. How was that gig for you? 

That show was great 'cos it was very busy and gave us a chance to get our music across to a variety of people from our area. That was a Punk show- we turned up virtually unheard of and we were singing about Straight Edge to people drinking beer! But people were nodding along and some even got involved in dancing. After the set we got a lot of praise from people coming up to us and saying we were great, so all in all we enjoyed the show.

How important are the audience to you at a show?

Well, we've played in front of 10 people and we've played in front over 100. It only takes a 10 strong crowd to dig your tunes and all buy records to make it a success. Obviously being Straight Edge and playing to about 80% non- Straight Edge audiences can be daunting but I'd like to think that they just respect that we have a positive message and enjoy our music 'cos it's Hardcore. If one person in the audience buys our record then there's one more voice spreading the word!

What do you enjoy most about live shows?

There's no better feeling than playing live and people singing and dancing to your music. Whether or not they know it doesn't bother me though 'cos I still get the same buzz! I have a lot to say in our songs so to perform them on a stage is just amazing!

What would you be doing if you weren't in a Hardcore band? Has it affected or changed your life in any way?

Well we'd all be still going to shows so it wouldn't affect our lives in any way. We all do other activities away from music like football, muay thai and skating... So I guess those hobbies would get more attention if we didn't have music.

How do you feel about today's mainstream music? Does it bother you or do you tend to ignore it?

From 1980 - 2011, Minor Threat to Critical Point... Hardcore has survived and is still alive! Considering the amount of money and business in mainstream music it still hasn't affected what we listen to! The mainstream does affect me- it affects us all... At the end of the day a tune is a tune and if Rihanna brings out a classic then we're all gonna buy it!

Is there anything about bands in the Hardcore scene that pisses you off?

I dont want to start a war of words with any bands, but there are a few around who I think are in it for the wrong reasons. The "chuggy", "moshy" Hardcore is what everyone is into lately and people are just creating "moshy" songs. There's no substance to what they're playing. It's easy to make people move to music but what's the point of the vocalist? I wanna hear what they're about and what they've got to say! Hardcore is a sub culture. It brings less fortunate people together- it's something we can all enjoy and afford to be a part of. For bands to demand £100 for playing and £20 for a T- shirt is outrageous! That part of Hardcore really gets to me. When was the last time a city rented a venue and got 5 or 6 local bands to play for free and charged £3 entry to cover venue costs? It doesn't happen!

What's next for xCurraheex?

The next step is a split with Truth Inside (USA) followed by another split with xUnforcex (Malaysia) and we'll also be featuring on some compilations. We're also touring Europe in December (2011) and March (2012). For us it's just another year! As long as we're together we'll continue making Hardcore music.

Cheers for your time, Smit!

Check out xCurraheex on facebook here:  http://www.facebook.com/xcurraheex

LEATHERFACE'S FRANKIE STUBBS INTERVIEW! 23/11/2011

Ball Breakers Media had a chat with the legendary Frankie Stubbs of Leatherface in anticipation of the band's upcoming appearance at Manchester's Night & Day Cafe on 9/12/2011. Here's what the man himself had to say!

Although we can probably guess, why the name Leatherface?

It was better than calling ourselves teapot...

How did the group form in the first place?

Because we had no friends!

Why did you start the band?

To make friends!

What was it like in the early days? 

Shit! And good!

Did you find audiences receptive straight away? Did you care?

I didn't give a shit- that wasn't the point. Playing a gig is a two way thing; hopefully it's about

having a good time. If a band plays with no audience it's a shit gig... if there's a huge audience but no band it's a shit gig- we need each other! Leatherface always had this thing that whether we play to 2 people or 2000 people we play the same, it doesn't matter, we go for it! To be honest I prefer the sweaty bars where people are 2 inches from your face rather than 20 feet away behind a crash barrier!

What's the best on stage experience you've ever had?

One time a girl got on stage, exposed her breasts and then pissed her pants! It might not have really been the best experience ever but I remember it!

And the worst?

At the same gig Wat Tyler  exposed their breasts, nowhere near as pleasant but at least they didn't piss their pants!

How are you feeling about the approaching gig at Manchester's Night and Day Cafe?

I will not feel anything about it until the night... I look forward to playing and we'll see what happens on the night.

Leatherface have an incredibly unique sound- if you could name five things that have influenced this sound the most, what would they be?

The Sex Pistols, Killing Joke, AC/DC, The Police and Gordon Smith guitars.

What is the usual song- writing process for Leatherface?

We fuck about and hopefully a tune comes out...

What do you hope to achieve through your songs and music?

I hope I don't end up in a hospital for the terminally insane!

You seem a lot more thoughtful and eloquent than most "punk" bands. What do you think seperates you from the crowd?

The fact that we are more thoughtful and eloquent maybe?

Do you have a favourite Leatherface song? If so, what?

I have... but they change from day to day

How do you think you've managed to achieve such a misanthropic, stand- apart sound?

Misanthropic is a fantastic word... I don't think we have a stand apart sound- but we do have a

stand apart attitude- which in turn affects the sound. It involves not being big or clever and just trying to make the best songs we can!

What do you hate most about being in a band?

Mostly the other members of the band! I love them but as in most close relationships they can drive you nuts... I wouldn't have it any other way.

Frankie Stubbs, thank you for your time.

Not-So-Firm Casuals

  Lars Frederiksen seems intent on undergoing as many identity changes in his music career as possible and pretty soon will be edging out David Bowie, Madonna and Marilyn Manson- unless of course he sticks to this brand new, oh- so engaging, not-in-anyway-bandwagon- orientated fad. The Old Firm Casuals might be the worst idea the man has ever had. It's been embarrassing enough in Great Britain watching every other teenage punk fan transform into skinheads or casuals with lexicons to match in the wake of films such as This Is England, Football Factory and The Firm- let alone a grown man from California.
  What makes this outfit so terrible isn't just the inane attempt to be a part of a social phenomenon which necessitates a little more than buying the right outfit; it's the fact that the lyrics are so unashamedly thug-by-numbers and could have been ripped  straight from some nauseating "film" such as Green Street. Screaming about wearing designer clothes and breaking peoples noses as though you're part of a firm is completely devoid of creativity, wit, intelligence or depth of any sort. It does nothing but pander to a contingent of society of which Lars and co. are most certainly NOT a part. If you're going to scream this loudly about being a casual, you clearly aren't a casual- you just really really really want to be one PLEASE! It really does remind you of that kid in school who used to bullshit his way to the in- crowd by buying the same trainers and speaking the same way as everyone else. Pathetic.
  When Lars has finished deciding whether he's a punk rocker, skinhead, biker or casual maybe he'll produce some decent music again. For now, we have this flimsy nonsense to avoid and their slack jawed fans who for some reason can't see the ludicrous nature of this endeavour. Thank god for the artistic genius who decided to base the logo on that of famous clothing brand Lonsdale. As though we didn't get the fucking message, Lars. Burberry help us.

'Ard as Naiws, son

"A Way Of Life: Skinhead Anthems"- The Last Resort

  When you consider the title of this catastrophe, and for argument's sake grant it the authority it boasts, it's enough to make the most dedicated shaven head consider not just hanging up his boots- but fucking burning them. For, if this god- awful collection of bullshit really is a summary of skinhead life committed to record, then the skinhead is a violent, old- lady scaring, bigoted mongoloid who should probably be shot in the face. Thankfully, proper skinheads know better, and there's plenty more choice out there for sincere sta- prest enthusiasts.
  Evidently, it wasn't enough for Roi Pearce and chums to simply release an album that was badly produced, out of time and played by what sounds like a bunch of monkeys fighting over the chance to shit into a speaker. No. They had to throw in some truly awful lyrics too. After the musical masturbation that is "Freedom" finally ends we are thrown into the world of Pearce's inanity and well 'ard lexicon. Unfortunately, life in the east end doesn't seem to have had the same effect on him as it did on well executed outfits such as The 4- Skins or The Business, and lyrically it sounds like one of their little brothers having a go. Whilst tunes like "We Rule OK!", "Violence In Our Minds" and "Resort Boot Boys" are, let's face it, irresistible to any oi! fan- the rest of this racket really lets the album down. And that's putting it mildly.
  To communicate my criticism in a more visceral fashion, the lyrics to "Red, White and Blue" and "Soul Boys" are particularly fucking irritating. "Soul Boys" centres around what sounds like a minor and laughable rivalry that occurred in the group's hay- day between skins and soul boys, the pathetic rhetoric used is hopelessly generalising for a band who could have served to defend ferociously the most misunderstood subculture in history (The Skinhead). Dubbing all soul- boys "pricks" or "a bunch of cunts" is hardly imaginative or fair when you consider the history of abuse and prejudice suffered by skinheads at the hands of the media. It hardly seems compatible with a scene that evolved FROM SOUL MUSIC to criticize another subculture based entirely on fashion tastes and the occasional punch up. Anyone with any sense got bored with that shit in the 60's. There's rivalry and then there's stupidity. As for "Red, White and Blue"- the band ramble on about England- attempting to articulate deep seated emotions of patriotism- and instead produce something a ten year old could. Further, for a song entitled "Red, White and Blue" there seems to be a lot of emphasis on just England- I've nothing against such statements- but just call it something else for Christ's sake!
  What I will say for this record is that the three legendary aforementioned tracks helped define a genre and time in history- something some bands never achieve- and you can't take that away from The Last Resort. Also, the overall guitar sound produced is- whether accidentally or not- a corner stone of Oi! music today and no doubt influenced (or resembled a sound that influenced) modern bands such as The Templars. Unfortunately, the three classic tunes to be found on here are drowned out by nonsensical lyrics largely concerned with lookin' well 'ard (even if such things are achieved by "making old ladies die with fright- nice- just what the subculture needs) clumsily made vocal over ploddy, struggling beats all devised by a group who can't keep in time with themselves. It's a good job this band had the name of the famous shop The Last Resort to ride off and the power of this record is definitely mainly due to association with a wider, exciting scene. Therefore, we are bound to find some kin ship and do in the songs previously stated... As for the rest of it? Don't fucking bother.

"Off The Wagon"- Belligerent 86

If I had to pick the greatest  example of a beer- fuelled, testosterone- driven, bar- trashing, no- frills, fighting, fucking, born to lose motley crew of misfits it would surely be Belligerent 86. This is not to say that the band are a set of moronic meatheads content with mindless violence- it is to attribute to them the ability to convey in the most brutal, heartfelt and communicative manner the noise that best characterises the Oi!, Hardcore and Punk Rock of the East Coast in America. “Off The Wagon” is a collection of tales of a discarded working class ferociously defending their identity whilst finding the time to have fun down the bar, fall in love- be it with alcohol or women, and present their broken hearts and lives to us on a silver platter soaked in bile, beer and vitriol.

Stand- out tracks include “Belligerent 86”- a manifesto of the collective’s “suck our dick” attitude. “It’s Over” and “Down and Out” meanwhile are episodes of break- ups and betrayal in which alcohol is anointed as the appropriate cure. We are also treated to a couple of covers- of Sam Cooke’s “Saturday Night” and of Jennings’/Nelson’s “Good Hearted Woman”, both of which are a refreshing, cut- throat treat. If that wasn’t enough, there are also the standard skinhead- pleasers “Punch Out Time” and “Walking Mardi- Gras” which tell of days at work, nights at the pub and friends lost along the way.

What we have here, readers, is a racket that deserves out complete attention. It is as brutal and damaging as a chainsaw, as uncomfortable as a punch in the stomach, and bears the scars of a once handsome set of young men made ugly by what life has thrown at them. This is nothing short of absolute genius.

"Hospitals"- Off With Their Heads

   “Hospitals” by Minnesota’s Off With Their Heads is a jaunty trounce through a flower bed of depression. There’s something about this band’s ability to marry together sentiments reminiscent of introspective convictions of inadequacy with ferocious punk- rock that leaves the listener quite shaken. Although, any OWTH enthusiast should have an idea of what they’ve let themselves in for from opening track “Die Today” which articulates beautifully and concisely the hopelessness of depression and throws into the context of everyday life and the desire to escape.
    The band then go on to cement the premise that their sound is characteristically soul- destroying yet joyous with “Theme Song” which features the wonderful lyric “Life’s got the best of me, now I just want to drop to my knees,  scream, and punch the concrete until my hands bleed”. It feels as though Ryan Young and co. specialise in exposing the deepest and darkest corners of their personalities only to keep the beasts at bay with soaring melodies and an “I don’t give a fuck” facade. It feels, in short, like this is a band passed caring and in reluctant acceptance of a very morbid fate indeed (the only near- solution to which is to chronicle every moment of melancholy in audio form). The only respite from this- or possible respite depending on how you view the lyrics- is the track “Idiot” which on first listen seems like a bit of a joke- a 20 second gambit typical of a punk- rock outfit not taking themselves too seriously. Then you remember who you’re listening to, and even the phrase “you’re a fucking idiot” seems introspective and motivated by self- loathing.
   Such suspicions are more than confirmed by the end of the album, as Mr Young proclaims that “he’d rather be in New York doing heroin again” and then recants a traumatic trip to the hospital to a trudging, relentless beat that sounds like a depressed entity dragging itself through your consciousness before collapsing and rotting in even the most inaccessible recesses of your brain. Fantastic.