Sick Of It All
Guests: Lou, Craig and Armond from 
Sick Of It All
Moderator: Roree Krevolin
Topics: Their tour with Helmet, new LP, new label, and thoughts on
hardcore, music and much more.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Welcome to Hardcore Conference II. Lou, how was the
tour you just got off of with Helmet?
(LOU) It was great, easiest one yet.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Why was it easy?
(CRAIG SOIA) Rob is an old friend of ours. We call him DAS.
(LOU) 'Cause we had a bus.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Cool.
(ARMAND SOIA) There's nothing easy about sharing a bus with Craig.
(LOU) We got lots of sleep.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) How do you guys like your new label?
(CRAIG SOIA) OK, but the heavy kid is bothering me.
(ARMAND SOIA) The label has treated us well so far. Much better than
the clueless fools at Relativity.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Congratulations on getting off Relativity, I know
how unhappy you were there. How is the new record doing?
(LOU) Very well!
(ARMAND SOIA) The record sales just jumped considerably because of
the tour and MTV showing the video last week.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Are you pleased with it? Everyone seems to like it.
I have only heard good feedback. How is the distribution?
(ARMAND SOIA) So far its been fair but sometimes we haven't been able
to find it except for chains.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) At the Youth Of Today show you said "We never left"
before your set after Ray had said "We are back." That was classic.
You are one of the only hardcore bands that was around then. What do
you think of hardcore today?
(ARMAND SOIA) It has a lot of growing to do. The hardcore scene has
suffered in the last few years.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) What bands do you guys like (hardcore)?
(LOU) Black Train Jack, Shift.
(ARMAND SOIA) Snapcase.
(LOU) 108.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) What non-hardcore bands do you like?
(ARMAND SOIA) Strife, if they weren't so annoying.
(LOU) Sade!
(ARMAND SOIA) Horseshit has a very small life.
(CRAIG SOIA) Biohazard.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) I remember in the Burn, Van kids were shocked that
they listened to Sade and The Smiths. It's cool that most of the
bands that I know like that type of stuff too, that they do not limit
themselves to hardcore. What about you guys?
(ARMAND SOIA) People are always surprised but if we listened to
nothing but hardcore we would burn ourselves out on it.
(LOU) Yes, I agree with ARMAND.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) How do you feel about attracting such idiots to your
shows, when you are such nice guys? You seem to get linked with a
crowd that you do not even associate with?
(LOU) I think it has to do with the violent sound of our music.
(ARMAND SOIA) A lot of people are attracted to hardcore not because
of the music but because of the violence in the pit.
(SAM BRUMBAUGH) Lou, I read the Seconds interview. What do you think
of "indie" bands like Superchunk that use punk but aren't at all?
(ARMAND SOIA) The less we see this, the better.
(CRAIG SOIA) I think when the trend changes, so will they.
(ARMAND SOIA) Sorry, but I have to defend Superchunk.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) I like Superchunk. As I am vegan and I know that you
guys are not, I was always curious as to why you sang "thou shall not
kill" on the GB record. Not to knock you, I am just curious. For
those who do not know, it was a song about animal rights. A lot of
kids seem to wonder about that as well.
(ARMAND SOIA) None of us are vegan, but that doesn't mean we don't
understand where food comes from.
(SKASKA) What is the benefit on Saturday at CB's for?
(ARMAND SOIA) It's to benefit Hilly Crystal's pockets.
(CRAIG SOIA) In Europe we have done 3 benefits for the
anti-fascist movement.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Speaking of anti-fascist, what happened to SHARP?
Marcus is Tattooing, but what about the rest of them?
(LOU) I think SHARP got as bad as the people they were against.
(SKASKA) So what does everybody think about this new punk scene?
(ARMAND SOIA) I think it could be better if MTV wasn't controlling it
and keeping the thought out of punk.
(LOU) They used the name.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Do you guys have any good tour stories to share with
us?
(ARMAND SOIA) Tour stories are like inside jokes.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) What do you think of the Youth Of Today reunion?
(LOU) It was sad.
(CRAIG SOIA) In my eyes, a desperate attempt.
(ARMAND SOIA) I understand what Youth Of Today was trying to do, get
that old vibe back at a show. It just cut into our set time and
rushed us through our set.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) What do you guys think of the role of Krishna
Consciousness, Straight Edge and Vegetarianism in hardcore?
(CRAIG SOIA) A staged act.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Does it have a place?
(CRAIG SOIA) To each his own.
(LOU) To me all that stuff should be personal.
(ARMAND SOIA) I think any morally correct movement is great, as long
as people don't become elitists.
(CRAIG SOIA) Just don't judge me.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Craig are you still into straight edge?
(CRAIG SOIA) By your standards.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) What about the rest of you?
(ARMAND SOIA) Craig put an x on his hand but didn't take the oath.
(SELENA LEONG) I have a question. What are your future plans?
(ARMAND SOIA) Selena, I plan on shooting pool this fine evening.
(LOU) To get a job as a janitor.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) What's up with H2O? I saw Eric (Burn) the other day,
and he told me he was in H2O. I heard they had a show coming up.
(SKASKA) Yeah at the Limelight on January 8 with Cromags and
Merauder.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) I heard it got canceled.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Does Toby still bleed when he sings?
(LOU) H2O has 6 songs now.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Wow! I'm glad they are doing well. Go Toby!
(ARMAND SOIA) Why are we talking about this band that's never even
played a show?
(SELENA LEONG) How do you feel about being called A SELLOUT for
signing to a major label?
(LOU) It doesn't bother me.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Who do you want to go on tour with next? If it was
me I would say Bjork.
(SELENA LEONG) How about LUSH?
(LOU) Lush would be cool
(ARMAND SOIA) I like These Animal Men.
(SKASKA) That will make a odd bill.
(LOU) 7 Seconds!
(ARMAND SOIA) A band whose guitarist will make you sick if you look
at his stage faces.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) 7 Seconds rock!
(ARMAND SOIA) I would like to announce that we'll be playing NY with
Helmet on Feb. 10th at the Roseland.
(VLEWI) Why has it become hip for people in the hardcore community to
hate Biohazard?
(LOU) We don't hate them.
(SHIVER RAO) What did Biohazard do that was so bad?
(ARMAND SOIA) Biohazard never did anything wrong except use the name
hardcore when they shouldn't.
(VLEWI) It definitely seems like a mistake Biohazard will never live
down, don't you agree?
(LOU) That's my only beef.
(ARMAND SOIA) Biohazard is a very hard working band and deserve the
success they've had. Bio just comes from a different scene, more of a
rock scene.
(VLEWI) Does anyone know what Harley Flanagan does nowadays?
(ROREE KREVOLIN) He hangs outside Alcatraz.
(SELENA LEONG) Only cool people stand on Avenue A and St. Marks.
(ARMAND SOIA) According to Kerrang we fought Harley back in the day.
(VLEWI) Armand, did you beat Harley up?
(ARMAND SOIA) I didn't beat anyone up, I've always been the amiable
guy.
(VLEWI) Is Harley still around?? I was surprised to see the Cro-Mags
a couple of weeks ago and see that he was not in the band.
(ARMAND SOIA) Harley is homeless.
(SELENA LEONG) What exactly is a hXc ho?
(ROREE KREVOLIN) A girl that f*cks guys in bands because she thinks
that is all she is good for. When obviously she is wrong.
(SELENA LEONG) If a girl has that mentality then she needs a serious
beating.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) It is so sad about the girls in hardcore. I wish
they would respect themselves more. I wish the guys would too.
(SELENA LEONG) It's hard for a girl to be into hXc because she gets
treated differently because she has breasts or whatever.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Women are cool. Men should know that.
(SELENA LEONG) I mean most of my friends are guys and all they do at
shows is check out girls.
(LOU) Girls should think more highly of themselves.
(SELENA LEONG) Well, it's this whole domination/alleged sexual
superiority thing.
(ARMAND SOIA) Selena acts like it's not that way anywhere you go.
(SELENA LEONG) Bullhoooky. It's more prevalent in a "culture" where
it is predominately men.
(ARMAND SOIA) The planet is predominantly women.
(SELENA LEONG) Yeah by what, like 5 percent more?
(SKASKA) Sel, were you at SOB ska show?
(SELENA LEONG) I'm not really into ska. I never got into ska.
(SELENA LEONG) Armand: don't you feel weird on a 'puter?
(VLEWI) Lou, are they taking an underground approach in promoting the
album or are they trying to take it "to the masses?"
(LOU) Underground for now, then we'll see what happens.
(VLEWI) Lou, do you worry at all about what would happen if you guys
got really popular?
(LOU) I don't think we have "mass" appeal.
(LOU) Would anyone go see SLAYER with RANCID?
(SELENA LEONG) Slayer! Yay, my second fave band next to TESTAMENT.
(VLEWI) They are not playing together, are they?
(LOU) They were asked to do it, but turned SLAYER down.
(VLEWI) Interesting. I guess Biohazard took the nod instead.
(LOU) Biohazard took it.
(VLEWI) That would not have been a good tour for Rancid.
(LOU) I would like to play with them, but I don't think our fans
would get along with theirs.
(VLEWI) Too many metal head goons that never heard of any other band
than Slayer.
(VLEWI) Lou, I have to agree.
(VLEWI) Slayer fans are not known for their open mindedness.
(VLEWI) They are known for ripping apart the Felt Forum.
(LOU) When we played with metal bands we did all right.
(VLEWI) Lou, do you listen to any Hip-Hop?
(LOU) Some.
(VLEWI) Like what?
(LOU) Not much nowadays.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Sick Of It All did the first Rap and Hardcore
show!!!
(VLEWI) No. Tell me about the BDP show.
(LOU) It was great. No fights.
(VLEWI) Was KRS cool? Where was the show?
(ROREE KREVOLIN) It was at The Marquee. It was fun.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) BDP, Heather B, Sick Of It All, Burn, Rest and
Pieces and Mark Ryans band Engine (not to be confused with Engine or
Loaded).
(LOU) I don't like too much tuff guy shit.
(VLEWI) What kind of stuff are you guys listening to now?
(ROREE KREVOLIN) KRS one was real nice. It was cool to see rap kids
and hardcore kids together at a show. This was way before the Onyx
stuff. Hardcore was new to most the rap kids and rap was new to a lot
of hardcore kids.
(VLEWI) The Onyx from what I understand was very contrived.
(ARMAND SOIA) I listen to everything, or at least try to.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) It was cool, both street music.
(CRAIG SOIA) I listen to a lot of soul music.
(ARMAND SOIA) Craig's soul was stolen a long time ago.
(VLEWI) I've always felt that there are a lot of similarities in
hardcore and hip hop.
(LOU) Onyx used hardcore kids in their videos.
(ARMAND SOIA) The theme of reality is the similarity.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) The hip hop fashions remind me of the UpFront.
(VLEWI) However a lot of the hip-hop has gone away from what it used
to be. Definitely one of Biohazards more questionable marketing
tools, allying themselves with a pretty tired bunch of assholes like
Onyx.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Now now.
(ARMAND SOIA) Biohazard should have stayed with the scene, not the
green.
(LOU) Yeah that kind of turned some kids off.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) I do not know Onyx.
(VLEWI) I do, they're punks.
(LOU) I met them. They were assholes. You know the type, we're rap
stars, we're important, etc.
(ARMAND SOIA) There's nothing wrong with that, they play hard.
(VLEWI) But they have their way of acting like trendy scenesters.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) I am not into their style of music, but Evan from
Biohazard has always been real nice to me.
(VLEWI) I can't lie. I like Biohazard. Especially the first two
albums.
(ROREE KREVOLIN) Hey. I like Duran Duran. I even like Wham. Now that
is sad. I like Sting and Bjork.
(LOU) I like Bjork but hate Sting.
(VLEWI) I like Tom Petty.
(ARMAND SOIA) Limbo has been playing old Police stuff, and the early
shit is hard!
(LOU) Craig would like to sting Bjork.
