Selling some records / shirts

I could currently use some extra money rolling in, so I've got some auctions up over at Limited Pressing. Here's a list of what's up for sale:

Aftershock / Statecraft split 7" [Slayer covers]
Culture - Born Of You [blue of 200 - Goodlife press]
Endeavor - Constructive Semantics LP
Indecision - Unorthodox LP
Morning Again / 25 Ta Life split 7" [blue]
Morning Again - The Cleanest War [blue of 300 - first press]
Morning Again - The Cleanest War [smokey clear of 500 - second press]
Morning Again - s/t 7" [clear]
Morning Again - Hand Of Hope [blue of 200]
Morning Again - Hand Of Hope [clear of 300]
Morning Again - Hand Of Hope [white of 50]
Morning Again - Martyr [brown of 200]
Morning Again / Shoulder split 7" [first press]
Morning Again / Shoulder split 7" [red of 200]
Morning Again - As Tradition Dies Slowly [baby blue of 208]
Madball - basketball jersey
Trial - Foundation era t-shirt [These days will turn into years...]
Trial - windbreaker

You can check them all out here: Limited Pressing

Morning Again Interview: John Wylie

If you've been following us here, you've probably learned that my love for Morning Again is unparalleled (with the exception of Earth Crisis maybe). Either way, Morning Again is my favorite band to come out of Florida and in my top 5 hardcore bands ever. I saw them countless times while they were together and saw the reunion with Damien in 2001 or 2002, I can't remember exactly. Their shows had this energy...its just something thats hard to describe without having witnessed it. You could tell they believed in every word they sung. I've been friends with John for a good 12 years and he was always someone I admired musically. I played in a few bands with him after Morning Again broke up and while he did write some great music after, nothing will ever compare to Morning Again for me. When I went down to visit my folks for the holidays, I called him up since I hadnt seen him in a while. We ended up having lunch and I explained that Id like to do a Morning Again interview for the blog and this is what came out of that. I hope you enjoy this...I really don't consider myself the greatest interviewer but I did my best. If you've never heard them, check the Morning Again Myspace Tribute to hear some tracks. Enjoy...
Chip XXX

Stuck In The Past: Okay, let's start at the beginning...you were playing in Culture with Damien, then you left. What happened?

John W: i actually left culture when mark was singing. I left because I wasn't really happy with the actions of certain people in the band. I didn't feel that they reflected the message of the band so I quit.

Stuck In The Past: And you decided to start a band with the messages you felt strongly about?

John W: Well at first Morning Again was really intending to have a direct message. We wanted everyone to be sxe and at least vegetarian but we didn't want to directly sing about it. There aren't really many direct references to either on the cleanest war or hand of hope 7"…maybe a few but not many.

Stuck In The Past: Who was in the original lineup?

John W: Louie, Damien, me, Mike, Eric I believe

Stuck In The Past: Did Mike CTW contact you guys about releasing the EP after you guys started?

John W: I don't remember if we contacted him or he contacted us. It came down to him or Uprising though and uprising wasn't 100% sold on it from what I can remember. There weren't many options back then.

Stuck In The Past: But you had been on good terms since Mike CTW released the Culture full length?

John W: No we weren't really on good terms but there weren't many options and people knew his label at the time

Stuck In The Past: Right, since he had released that Chokehold record.

John W: Yes.

Stuck In The Past: Damien was asked to "leave" the band while one tour from what I remember...how did that happen and why?

John W: Damien was very outspoken on stage. Sometimes we felt like he went overboard and it looked bad on the band as a whole and the other members. This happened often and finally we decided this was the best thing. I don't regret the decision at all. I will say that Damien is an amazing person not just on a talent level but also as a human being. He is a good friend and I'm happy we experienced so much together. I wish we wouldn't have taken ourselves so seriously, honestly.

Stuck In The Past: Yeah I remember him not taking it well.

John W: We might have had more time to experience that lineup musically and on tour. But everything happens for a reason and Damien is the type of person you only meet once in a lifetime.

Stuck In The Past: Very true. My experiences with him have always been good. How did you guys end up releasing records through Goodlife Recordings?

John W: He (Edward) contacted us and said that people were into the band. He wanted to put something out over there so we could go on tour.

Stuck In The Past: And who are you to say no to going on tour in Europe?

John W: At the time it was a dream come true. I was very excited. The whole band was.

Stuck In The Past: Was this around the time the band became vegan?

John W: I actually think everyone in the band was vegan at that time we started to actually call ourselves sxe around this time probably as a band


Stuck In The Past: Was that when the log0 (the 3 X's logo) was used?

John W: Yes. I think the first time was for the Hand of Hope CD.

Stuck In The Past: How did you guys find Kevin to take over on vocals?

John W: We met him when we were on tour in ohio. He was in a band called outcast. He played bass.

Stuck In The Past: The music really shifter at that point. If you listen to Hand of Hope and then listen to the split with Shoulder, it really showed the direction you guys were heading musically.

John W: I agree.

Stuck In The Past: Having Kevin in the band, did that help?

John W: Honestly it was all because of our drummers. It had nothing to do with vocals. Vocals were always added after the music was written. Once we had a more diverse drummer, I was able to write different types of music. Something more towards what I wanted.

Stuck In The Past: I meant his influence, not so much his vocal style.

John W: No. The singer had nothing to do with the music.

Stuck In The Past: So you guys had the record out in Europe. How did you hook up with Sean and Immigrant Sun?

John W: Honestly I don't remember. I think he contacted us to release a record with him.

Stuck In The Past: He always did such a great job on his releases. The layouts were always amazing.

John W: He is a great guy. We became really good friends and he helped me a lot with Eulogy art at the beginning of the label. He was the main person I hired for layouts/etc

Stuck In The Past: I just liked that he really thought outside the box in terms of what the traditional hardcore layout was supposed to look like.

John W: Yeah that was his personality

Stuck In The Past: The band always seemed to have revolving members. Did people just lose interest or were there personal clashes?

John W: A variety of reasons. It was usually us kicking people out. It was hard to get people that could tour and pay their bills while they were out. We weren't making money off the band really until later on so we had to save up money for tour. A lot of times that's a lot for people to deal with but each member change had its own story and there were many different reasons

Stuck In The Past: What about the Culture trade? Steve and Joe.

John W: Honestly we just didn't get along with Steve on tour. Once we asked him to leave, I think Joe was leaving Culture around the same time. It wasn't intentional honestly. This all happened a long time ago as well and I can't really remember every detail

Stuck In The Past: Haha it was like they were free agents.

John W: Ya, plus everyone in Culture and Morning Again were friends so people were always talking to each other. It wasn't necessarily something I orchestrated.

Stuck In The Past: Jumping ahead a little, you guys ended up signing with Revelation Records but you had been courted by other labels as well.

John W: Yes. We talked to different labels but Revelation was Revelation. At the time it was the essence of what hardcore was

Stuck In The Past: Yeah they were on the come up again having put out the Battery, In My Eyes, and Damnation AD records.

John W: Yep.and they were diverse at the time

Stuck In The Past: Do you remember any of the other labels you guys talked to?

John W: I talked to Victory briefly. Of course Goodlife. It all happened really fast. There really wasn't much time to talk to other labels. There wasn't really much thought about if we wanted to be on revelation

Stuck In The Past: I've heard some negativity from bands who had been signed to Rev. Did you guys feel any of that? You don't have to answer if you don't want to.

John W: I definitely did. I wasn't happy with it from the start. But it turned out it wasn't because Revelation was trying to be shady

Stuck In The Past: Oh?

John W: We just had a horrible A & R guy that twisted things around and didn't tell us the whole truth. It was never really Jordan Cooper's fault but it still happened. I'm on good terms with Jordan now. Revelation distributes Eulogy outside of North America.

Stuck In The Past: Do you remember anything specific from the recording of the full length? I remember hearing that Kevin was real sick when he recorded vocals.

John W: I don’t' remember that at all. It's very possible

Stuck In The Past: Ehhh you know the hardcore grapevine haha.

John W: haha it's definitely possible though. You would have to ask him.

Stuck In The Past: Right around this time, you were playing in Wishes For World War III, right?

John W: Right after the first time we came home from Europe with Morning Again

Stuck In The Past: Who was in the band?

John W: I think my friends Rob and Gabe sang. I don't remember. Man this shit was a long time ago haha.

Stuck In The Past: Okay what about Night of Broken Glass?

John W: That's much easier. Bundee, Edwin, Kevin, Peter and me. Actually not Peter and Eric sang.

Stuck In The Past: You guys released a 2 song cassette but I heard more songs were recorded.

John W: I don't remember if there were. I would have to ask Eric or Bundee. I'm not being difficult i really don't remember.

Stuck In The Past: haha I know.

John W: There was so much going on at the time

Stuck In The Past: Okay well let's go to the last European tour...you decided you didn't want to do the band anymore.

John W: Ya. I decided this after about the 3rd show

Stuck In The Past: Any particular reason?

John W:I didn't like touring much anymore. I didn't like touring Europe. I did pretty much everything for the band so it wasn't really fun anymore. I think I just reached my breaking point.

Stuck In The Past: How did the rest of the band react?

John W: We talked about it. Some were bummed some were over it also. We all agreed to finish off the tour for financial reasons and also because we were in Europe and we wanted to enjoy it one more time. Everyone had different reasons for wanting to finish the tour

Stuck In The Past: When you came back (from Europe), half the band kept it going for a little while. How did you feel about that since Morning Again was your band?

John W: I think there was a break for a while? Then they started it again. I didn't really care. Maybe I should have cared more than I did? People didn't really respond very well to them from what i was told.

Stuck In The Past: Yeah I heard the same thing.

John W: Hardcore kids aren't stupid especially the kids that listened to Morning Again and these types of bands. They took this shit pretty serious.

Stuck In The Past: How do you look back on the band now? 10 years later.

John W: It was an amazing time of my life. I don't have any negative feelings towards it at all. I got to experience more than most people do in their whole life. The best part was that I experienced it when hardcore was completely different than it is today. It was entirely different.

Stuck In The Past: I 100% agree...that's why I still look back so fondly on those days.

John W: It changed my life. It wasn't just something I did, it was who I was. Not just on the outside but on the inside. It wasn't for money or to see how big our band could get it was because that's what we did.

Stuck In The Past: Okay just a few more questions...my friend Justin whom I do the blog with wanted me to ask a few.

John W: ok.

Stuck In The Past: He said he heard a rumor that there is a different recording (or possibly a different mix) of As Tradition Dies Slowly that was scrapped. Is there any truth to this and if so does it exist?

John W: I don't remember this for sure but i can say that there most likely isn't. There was no reason for us to record it more than once. Everyone in the band was stable and we had the songs ready to go

Stuck In The Past: Do any studio or live recordings exist that haven't fully seen the light of day?

John W: No. We were never a band to record extra music. We had a lot of releases in a small amount of time overall. We used everything we had

Stuck In The Past: Lastly, he wanted me to tell you that he is still heartbroken that you guys canceled the one and only Oregon show when you guys broke up. He still clutches the flyer when he goes to sleep.

John W: Haha amazing. That sucks because that was our first full US tour and I really wish we would have stayed together long enough to do it

Stuck In The Past: That was after you guys signed to Rev?

John W: Yes. It was scheduled for right after the Euro tour we broke up on, I think? Wait...it might have been before and our van broke down in Georgia and we had no money to fix it. That sounds more like it haha.

Stuck In The Past: Well at least is was close to Florida.

John W: Ya

Stuck In The Past: Anything you'd like to add?

John W: I don't think so. Sorry I don't remember a lot of this stuff but it was a really long time ago and I have had to process so much information since those days

Stuck In The Past: It's cool. I appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions. I know you're busy...it's nice to go and relive those days. The band meant a lot to me.

John W: No problem. Thank you

Night Of Broken Glass - Demo (Members of Morning Again)

From the South Florida Music Scene blog

"So here it is...Night of Broken Glass. This was John Wylie's (of Morning Again) emo-core band. Before you jump up and down and lose your mind about the word "emo", before these bands you see on MTV with their tight pants and eyeliner singing about some girl who "broke their heart", emo meant EMOTIONAL HARDCORE!! The midwest in the 90s was huge on this stuff and of those my favorite was Split Lip who became Chamberlain. NOBG must have sat down and listened to "For the Love Of the Wounded" a few times because these songs would have fit nicely on there. This demo unfortunately only contains 2 songs but 6 were recorded. A friend from Miami says he has them but isnt quite sure where they are so Ill keep you posted on the status of those. The band was a super group of sorts in South Florida feature Eric Laetner (Jordan's brother) on vocals, John and Kevin from Morning Again on guitars, Bundee from Mehkago NT on bass and long time showgoer Edwin on drums. Eventually they would go through lineup changes and I was never able to see them play. I heard the tape for the first time in about 10 years and it still sounds fresh. Again, Ill keep trying to find the other songs but until then, enjoy the demo "Best Friend Material". I was also able to scan the lyric sheet so thats an added bonus. Members went on to and previously played in Culture, Morning Again, Where Fear and Weapons Meet, Until the End, Trust No One, Waking Kills the Dream, Dead Blue Sky, Mehkago NT, A Jealousy Issue and Crestfallen."

Night Of Broken Glass - Demo

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HD3B2KSW

Rich Thurston (Culture, Blood Has Been Shed, Terror, etc) Interview: Part 3

Here's part 3 of my interview with Rich Thurston. In this installment, we discuss the break up of Culture, One Nation Under, Toybox Records and his move to Ohio. We've still got one more session to post so enjoy this third installment of my interview with Rich. Again, I want to preface this by stating that the opinions expressed belong to Rich and do not reflect Stuck In The Past as a whole.

Rich: So I wanted to add something to what we talked about last time.

Stuck In the Past: Okay.

Rich: Just a little statement really. The most important thing to remember about the scene back then was it was so incredibly chaotic. Constant scheming and craziness. You never really knew who was your friend or who was out to get you. No one hardly ever made good decisions. Did I do alot of shady shit? Absolutely. My middle name was bad decision. However...I took alot of blame and heat for shit that everyone else was doing too. Thats all I'm gonna say about that.

Stuck In the Past: Okay I wanted to pick up with you guys signing to Goodlife.

Rich: Alright.

Stuck In the Past: How did you guys end up signing with Goodlife?

Rich: Well the band relocated to Gainesville. Josh and Gordon and some of our friends from the area moved up there. Steve Looker made his Culture debut there as well. He moved down from Ohio. We were just starting to write new music and all that when I got some huge ass package from Goodlife. A bunch of cds and all that. In the letter that came with it, Edward expressed his interest in us.

Stuck In the Past: Was there a specific reason for the move to Gainesville?

Rich: Just a move we wanted to do. South Florida had run its course. I, for obvious reasons, was ready to move. It just sort of happened.

Stuck In the Past: So you guys moved and Edward began to express interest. Who's idea was the re-release of Born of You?

Rich: That happened during a discussion in Edwards kitchen. It was the last day of tour in Europe and we were just discussing the future, That came up

Stuck In the Past: Did you guys have a record out in Europe at that time?

Rich: We had the split with Kindred and the Heteronome ep. It was funny.... I remember sitting there writing those songs like it was yesterday.

Stuck In The Past: For those 2 releases?

Rich: Well the songs on the split were the first new Culture songs in two years at the time. It was a big deal to me coming off the court stuff and the drama. It was an accomplishment.

Stuck In The Past: How was the band received when you guys went to Europe?

Rich: Like Rockstars. Ha. Apparently we were some kind of a big deal. Ha. Morning Again was there at the same time as we were which was funny. No matter how much we tried to play it down, we were in constant competition.

Stuck In The Past: How so?

Rich: We always wanted to do better, be bigger, etc etc. I think if we helped each other instead of trying to beat each other we all would have been better.

Stuck In The Past: Was it just a friendly competition type thing? You guys werent out trying to sabotage each other were you?

Rich: No, nothing malicious. The occasional shit talking and this and that. Overall it was friendly. Speaking of Europe and friendly competition, I have a comment about this upcoming Morning Again European tour.

Stuck In The Past: Alright

Rich: About 5 months ago or so, Damien and I toyed with the idea of maybe writing a couple of new songs for Culture and trying to do a European tour. We asked Mr. John Wylie about it. He said it was a bad idea because the Euorpean kids would be pissed because we used to all be vegan and sxe and arent one or the other now. At the time it made sense. Fast forward to now.... Morning Again is gonna go. Were they not sxe? Were they not Vegan? Just seems funny to me... but whatever.

Stuck In The Past: True but in Morning Again's defense they weren't as vocal about veganism or straight edge as Culture was. The band was vegan straight edge but I dont think they ever dealt with either topic in their lyrics...thats just an outside looking in perspective.

Rich: They had three x's in their logo. They were just as sxe and vegan as us. Vocal or not. They were a bit more artsy about their lyrics but just like us nontheless.

Stuck In The Past: Fair enough. Where does Toybox Records fit into all of this?

Rich: You know whats funny about Toybox? I have no idea how it fits in. I really dont. Ha. I can't remember. I dont think we ever did a thing with them. Ha.

Stuck In The Past: Well you guys did at least 2-3 shirts designs and the "Mike Warden Can Suck It" record which never saw the light of day.

Rich: Yeah... I meant music-wise.

Stuck In The Past: Sean Bonner ran the label right?

Rich: Yes sir. Solid dude.

Stuck In The Past: Whats the story behind the "Mike Warden Can Suck It" session?

Rich: Well we were on a "ripping off Judge phase". We made the Judge rip off shirt. We hated Mike so we figured what a perfect idea. Ha.

Stuck In The Past: You guys even recorded a cover of "Fed Up"

Rich: I wasnt in the band anymore at that point. I don't think they did though. I wish they had.

Stuck In The Past: They did record it. I can send it to you if you want it.

Rich: Please do! I didn't know they did. I just saw them play it live one time in Cincinnati

Stuck In The Past: Tell me about your leaving the band.

Rich: I was kicked out. Ha. Europe, aside from playing the shows and seeing the sites, was a nightmare. Didn't get along with anyone. Classic case of too many chiefs, not enough indians. We were so immature. It really was bad. I came to Ohio right after the tour and while I was gone the band kicked me out. I was the last remaining original member.

Stuck In The Past: Were you real bitter about it? You said you saw them play the Judge cover in Ohio.

Rich: I was pissed only because they did it when I wasn't around. I didnt even get to argue my case or anything. I was bitter at first. I was really pissed actually. I saw all of MY hard work wasted. I busted my ass. I started that band and in my mind it was stolen from me. Later on, I came to not care as much. The band broke up and that was that. Its kind of like when you break up with a girl you love. Hurts like hell until you find a new one.

Stuck In The Past: So the band ended up calling it quits and you were living in Ohio?

Rich: Yeah. I stayed in Gainseville for a bit but I needed to leave Florida. I had enough of that place. The band broke up after a few more lineup changes and I think one more European tour. I think.

Stuck In The Past: Did the band do the member switch with Morning Again (Joe and Steve) while you were still in the band?

Rich: No. I was out.... then Steve went to Morning Again after a bit. Thats really where he always wanted to be I think anyways.

Stuck In The Past: Okay so you moved to Ohio...did you start a band right away or just kinda chilled out for a bit?

Rich: I started a band ASAP. It was called Elijahs Message. Nothing religious or anything. I had some stuff I had starting writing before my stay with Culture ended so I wanted to get it recorded.

Stuck In The Past: And did you?

Rich: Yeah. 3 songs I think. I have the cd downstairs. Ha.

Stuck In The Past: Is that the band that became One Nation Under?

Rich: No. That was a whole different band.

Stuck In The Past: Well I think you need to send me those Elijah's Message tracks for us to post haha.

Rich: That's fine. I can do that.

Stuck In The Past: Did you guys play any shows?

Rich: A couple here and there. The only out of town show we played was in St. Louis. Ha

Stuck In The Past: What did you do after that?

Rich: Well that band just sort of stopped. I didnt do anything for about a month or so then my friend JC called me. He had moved to CT to play guitar for Blood Has Been Shed. They needed a bass player. I was packing my bags.

Stuck In The Past: How long did you do that for?

Rich: I was in BHBS for a little over a year.

Stuck In The Past: Did you record with them?

Rich: Yeah. I recorded the first full length on Ferret. I credit that band for making me a million times better as a musician.

Stuck In The Past: Yeah they were pretty technical.

Rich: Nothing like I had ever done. The bass parts werent that hard. They had some weird timing. When I switched over to guitar easy turned to hard. Ha

Stuck In The Past: hahaha

Stuck In The Past: Why did you leave BHBS?

Rich: Well Corey's (guitar player) dad had cancer. Corey had to basically take over the family landscaping business. We were playing a show here or there but I wanted more. Plus, we were totally different people.

Stuck In The Past: So there was no bad blood?

Rich: Not really. I feel like they wasted my time a little bit but whatever. That was so long again. I do cherish that band though.

Stuck In The Past: Did you move back to Ohio?

Rich: Yep. Thats when One Nation Under started. We started off as a real metal band.

Stuck In The Past: I've had a few people ask me to go in depth about One Nation Under.

Rich: Well lets do it.

Stuck In The Past: How did you guys get started?

Rich: Well when I decided I was moving back, I immediately started finding people to play with when I got back. I knew I wanted to keep playing music. I wanted it to be metal like BHBS but a bit more structured. I found some guys and got started. The first name of the band was BROKEN GLASS EVERYWHERE. Later it was changed to One Nation Under and Broken Glass Everywhere became a song.

Stuck In The Past: Did you record a demo as Broken Glass Everywhere?

Rich: Yeah.... it was real rough and never mixed. It had no vocals either. Ha. Just the basic music.

Stuck In The Past: Where'd the name come from?

Rich: Broken Glass Everywhere was just a rough ass name. Ha. No real meaning behind it. One Nation Under was like a statement. The nation is under attack from drugs and alchohol. Its under attack by the media and big business. We were trying to make a statement. Open some eyes.

Stuck In The Past: Do you feel like you were able to make that statement with the band?

Rich: I do. I wrote the lyrics and music. I was in control. I handled all band business. It was my band. I had a lot of anger and alot of aggression building up in me and I feel like I could voice that in the band.

Stuck In The Past: How did you end up signing with Alveran?

Rich: Well we played the second Hellfest. The one where Earth Crisis "broke up". Ha. To me, that was the best Hellfest. Anyways... John was there and I wanted him to check us out. I remember it like it was yesterday. We played the first day like 5th. The four bands before us were boring annoying crybaby emo nonsense. Right before we played Matt Dunn got on the mic and started with one of his now famous speeches. He introduced the band. From the first note all hell broke loose. It was sick. John was into it. Eulogy and Alveran were working together.

Stuck In The Past: That was a great year.

Rich: I loved it man. Those days are long gone. People dont give a shit like that anymore.

Stuck In The Past: Hellfest was THE fest you looked forward to.

Rich: Yup. Furnace Fest was decent but didnt compare. I went to the first Super Bowl Of Hardcore in NY. That was just scary. Ha

Stuck In The Past: Do you recall anything specific about recording the record?

Rich: We went to Mike Hasty (Walls Of Jericho) to record in Detroit, MI. He knew what we wanted to do. We all were friends with him so it was easy. When we were done, I felt like we had done something great. Maybe not original, but great. Listening to the recording now I would love to go back and do some things different but I think any band can say that i'm sure.

Stuck In The Past: I remember when that record came out. South Florida was way into it

Rich: Wish we would have played down there. I think alot of people were into it. Some people wouldnt support it because I was in it but I guess that is to be expected.

Stuck In The Past: How long was the band together for?

Rich: Ya know i'm not really sure. Probably like 2 years

Stuck In The Past: Was that full length the only thing you guys recorded?

Rich: We recorded three songs for a split with a band from here that never came out.

Stuck In The Past: I think we need those as well.

Rich: I am not even sure if I have them. I think I have like one of the three.

Stuck In The Past: Why did the band break up?

Rich: I was really tired of doing everything. At the same time I didn't want anyone else to do it. I was just getting tired of playing with those guys. This is around the time that we played with Terror at Furnace Fest. I had known Scott Vogel for years and years. Culture played shows with Despair a bunch. He told me that the bass player they had was on his way out. I wanted in so thats how that started and ONU ended really. I told ONU they could keep going but without me doing everything they were lost.

Stuck In The Past: Didn't they change their name to Against and then Still Crossed?

Rich: No I started Against and Still Crossed after I was done in Terror.

Morning Again Interview, S-854 zine, 1996

I posted this on the South Florida Music Scene blog some time ago but I thought you guys might be interested as well. Its no secret, I love Morning Again. My favorite hardcore band to come out of Florida (Shai Hulud runs a very close second) and my t shirt collection reflects that. I played in a few bands with John Wylie (guitar/mastermind) and got to know him well and I think that just makes me love the band even more. Morning Again I believe is actually how Justin and I actually started talking, because of our mutual love for Morning Again. I scanned this from the original zine, one of the few I still have (long story). This was released in 1996 but the interview was conducted in late 95 I believe, right after the Cleanest War was released. The interview is with John and Damien and they do go a bit into why they left Culture which is cool. Check it out.

A Look Back: South Florida Hardcore in the 90s (Part 1)

I started going to shows in 1995. At this time, South Florida was a hotbed for bands, supportive kids, and venues. It seemed like every weekend there was a show and they were always good. I can't count how many weekends I spent at Cheers (THE club in Miami, kinda like our own version of CBGBs) during 95 to 97. Gaye, the woman who owned Cheers, was extremely nice to everyone and very respectful of us and we reciprocated this. Unfortunately, the venue closed during the summer of 1997 and South Florida changed from that point on. It was still good, just not the same. Even before Cheers there were venues such as Washington Square, The Foundation, The Old School House in Vero Beach, Plus 5, The Button South, Churchills (which is still putting on shows) among others. Many of these closed before I started going to shows so I never was able to experience it but Ive heard stories...anyway, I wanted to take a look back at some of the bands that made South Florida what it was during those special years of my life. Some you have probably heard of, some you may not so Im hoping that you will find something new to listen to.

Tension - Pompano Beach

From 1993 - 1997, Tension was South Florida straight edge. To understand the power of their live show around this time was something you just had to see to believe. So much energy and I always felt that Mike a great lyricist who could really work the crowd. They released the "In Our Time" 7 inch which was followed by (in my opinion) a true classic "The Sickness of Our Age". They later released their only full length "Agent of the People". Check out one of the greatest bands to ever come out of South Florida. Members were in and went on to Endure, Shai Hulud, Strongarm, and Further Seems Forever.

Shai Hulud - Pompano Beach

Shai Hulud was a band that when I heard the name I said "Are they Hare Krishnas?". I can remember my friend coming back from seeing them and saying "You got to hear this band Shai Hulud...they have a kid singing for them who's 14 and he's got this voice...". I had to hear it for myself and was blown away by the mighty mite Chad, at the young age of 14. Chad quit to pursue New Found Glory and the unit eventually moved to NY for touring purposes. One of my all time favorite bands and still a great live act. All of their material can still be purchased through Revelation Records and they are now signed to Metal Blade Records. Also, this is another band that Damien Moyal was a part of. Their demo is by far one of my all time favorite recordings of any band ever. If you like his vocals in Morning Again, then you will love this. The 6 song demo appears on the Comprehensive Retrospect record.

Strongarm - Pompano Beach

Alot of people in the hardcore scene frown upon Christian hardcore and I can understand why. Many object to the preaching during the sets and the blatant (obviously) religious message but going to shows in South Florida we always had 2 bands that did neither of these during their sets: Strongarm and Set Apart (which will be up soon). Basically, Strongarm got on stage and said "this is what we believe, if you don't believe it it's cool." In the numerous times I saw them, very little preaching ever went on. Strongarm has a very distinct sound and to this day many have tried to copy it but few have been able to duplicate it (Shai Hulud has a very heavy Strongarm influence). I was happy that I was able to see them one last time at Furnace Fest in 2000...there has also been talk of a reunion of sorts. Ill be crossing my fingers for that one...
Their demo is available for download and both of their full lengths "Atonement" and "The Advent of a Miracle" are still available through Solid State Records. Members were in previously and went on to Endure, Ichtus, Tension, Further Seems Forever and Shai Hulud.

Brethren - Hialeah

Brethren was one of the best and well respected bands from the 90s in South Florida. They had a sludgey sound with breakdowns early on but then changed a bit when they released their full length and went for more of a Madball style with a faster tempo. One of the first shows I went to was a Brethren show in 1995 and Im happy that I became pretty good friends with them.

Morning Again - Ft. Lauderdale

Morning Again is my FAVORITE band to ever come out of South Florida. So much energy and passion that I can't even describe it. There was a period between 1996 and 1997 that you could see them once a month and we made a point to never miss them. Luckily for everyone, all their material is still available.

Culture - Ft. Lauderdale/Gainesville

Culture is where the legend of Damien Moyal began. He would later join other bands and the legend would continue but this is where it began. Culture started in Ft. Lauderdale and to my knowledge were the first Vegan Straight Edge band in South Florida. After 1995 or 96, they very rarely played South Florida so I only saw them a few times but they were awesome. Damien really knew how to work a crowd. While the band was never huge in the US, they were like gods in Europe. If you get a chance, check out the Culture Myspace which is run by an awesome guy named Alex. He has loads of information including band member timelines and pictures of old merch so take the time and check it out. Members were in and went on to As Friends Rust, Shai Hulud, Bird of Ill Omen, Bridgeburne R, Morning Again, Blood Has Been Shed, Terror, One Nation Under, Salem, Where Fear and Weapons Meet, Night of Broken Glass, Until the End and Trust No One.


This concludes part 1 of my look back...as I was workign on this I was realizing how many bands I wasnt going to be able to include for fear of being monotonous. So Ill have a part 2 soon. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I have.

Morning Again - The Cleanest War T-shirt

So here we are, counting down the days to the Morning Again show (5 days). At this point, I've basically bombarded you to no end with details on the show but I'm not quite done yet. If it has gotten to a point where this is starting to bug you, I apologize but Morning Again has been and continues to be my favorite band to come out of Florida and knowing that I've had a hand in this whole process makes me pretty excited so I'm passing on the excitement to the rest of you. Until the day of the show, I plan to post a different shirt with a little history each day.
Anyway, today I was going through my shirts and I came across the bands "Cleanest War" design. This, I believe, is the bands second t-shirt following their "Progress Sets Us Back" design that I posted a few months back (thanks again Ivan) before they signed with Conquer The World Records. This design was printed for the "Cleanest War" record that Conquer The World did release (on a side note, while some people do have their opinions on Conquer The World Records, Mike did release some killer records) though I'm not sure of the quantity in which they were pressed or if the label sold them or just the band. This design features what would become one of the bands 3 logos (the others being the XXX logo from the Goodlife Recordings releases and the later designed Richie Birkenhead logo from the Rev release) and if I'm not mistaken is the first time the tree logo was used. No info on who designed the logo though (John, Damien, Eric...if you have any info, pass it on). The back features a smoke stack with the "Cleanest War" above it. The print is this weird puffy paint...very odd. It's almost as if the print should be glow in the dark. I don't think I've seen this type of paint used on any other shirts I own...definitely a cool design though. Not quite sure if this was printed by the 90s resident South Florida screen printer, Lowell from Bending Tree, but I'll do some snooping and see if I can find out.
The show is this weekend and the band will have merch as well as the silk screened posters so Ill post updates...lots of old friends coming out that I haven't seen in years. The show is supposedly going to be videotaped so you'll be able to see the happenings at a later date.

Morning Again Reunion, Confirmed! A Stuck In The Past Exclusive

I just got off the phone with John Wylie and he confirmed the Morning Again reunion. The show will take place at Churchill's Pub in Miami on Saturday, December 11 2010. More details will be released later this week but the following bands are scheduled to play:

Morning Again
Kids Like Us
All Hell Breaks Loose
Remembering Never
Knock Em Dead
Homestretch
Harbinger

The lineup for the band will be John and Steve on guitar, Jerry on bass, Kevin on vocals and Matt on drums. If you are interested in traveling down for the show, shoot me an email at Dancefloorjustice305@yahoo.com and Ill try and get you some info on hotels that are relatively close. Again, this is 100% confirmed by John. If you have any further questions, leave a comment or shoot me an email and Ill do my best to field them until John releases more info. No word yet on whether or not the band is going to make merch for the show (crossing my fingers that they will) but check out the Eulogy Outlet store. They had a few shirts up but quickly sold out. There are still loads of boxes to go through so it's possible there are more so be patient. This is something I've been bugging John about for years and its finally happening. As soon as we have more info, it will be posted.

"Love Is Never Wrong...."

Classic Layouts: Morning Again "Martyr"

This is where Morning Again really started to shift their sound, sounding less like Culture and more like Morning Again (if that makes sense). These tracks were later collected and included on the release of "Hand of the Martyr" released by Eulogy Recordings. Also, I love that fact that Joe played guitar on this recording but that is definitely not a picture of him.

Morning Again - Hand of Hope

So for anyone who knows me, they know one thing...I love Morning Again. I feel lucky that I grew up in South Florida and was able to see them with their earliest lineup which included Damien Moyal on vocals. John Wylie has been a friend of mine for many years and I played in a few bands with him after Morning Again but this, to me, will always be his crowning achievement in music. This design was later repressed by Goodlife Recordings with their logo printed below the word Hope. This particular shirt was printed after their first 7 inch was released by Intention Records in 1996 (if memory serves). Goodlife later repackaged those 2 songs along with the 5 songs from the Cleanest War and released in Europe. Those songs along with the Martyr ep and their side of the split with Shoulder were later repackaged together and released by Eulogy along with a remastering job. If youve got $5 burning a hole in your pocket, do yourself a favor and order this CD. This is actually on sale so now you have no reason not to order it.

http://www.districtlines.com/Eulogy/MorningAgain

Morning Again - First T-Shirt Design

My friend Ivan, a fine gentleman whom I havent seen in many years, wrote me last week telling me that he was going to send me a package. That package arrived and inside was so much goodness. T-shirts, 7 inches, posters, stickers...I was beyond excited. But the most exciting thing for a collector like me was the inclusion of what John Wylie gave me a 99.9% confirmation on was the very first Morning Again shirt, hand screened by the band. The shirt has a little fading on the print but overall is in good shape. Not sure how many they made or even what year it was screened (my assumption would be 1995 or 1996 obviously). To the best of my knowledge, I now have a complete Morning Again t-shirt collection (unless someone knows something I'm missing). The lyrics on the back are from the song "America Online". I always liked that line...anyway, Ive got loads of stuff to scan and take pictures of but heres a small taste of what is in store.

A Statement from Kevin Byers (Morning Again)

The other day, I was editing the final part of my interview with Rich Thurston (expect that in the next few days) when I received a message from Kevin. He told me that he had just read my interview with John Wylie and he wanted to address two topics. One, the subject of an alternate recording of "As Tradition Dies Slowly" and two, a comment made by one of our followers regarding the second Morning Again lineup and a stolen amp. Here's what he had to say:

"There was a first recording of "As Tradition...", recorded before a Euro trip. John thought the recording was too fast so we re-recorded it after the tour. I was sick on the record, could barely talk and that's why my vocals are really strained, especially on some songs you can tell the difference. Also, there's a comment on the Erie show. Our at the time guitar player did steal a dual rectifier head. I did the next day, unlike the comment said, call Dave Steele and tell him who had it and made Aaron send it back. He said we all played dumb. I realized after we got back to town and tried to resolve the problem asap. I had no part in it. That was why the second Morning Again broke up, because I knew Aaron ruined the name. I would like the air cleared on that. I don't want the Erie kids to think I would support something like that."

If you would to go back and read the interview with John, you can do so by clicking here.

Culture - The Unreleased LP and EP

Growing up in South Florida, hardcore made a big shift in styles in the early 90s (this is before my time) heading in a much more metal direction. In my opinion, Strongarm was one band who helped shaped this new direction and Culture was the other. I really feel like Culture was a very important and influential band on the 90s hardcore band, especially in Europe. Many of the early releases on Goodlife Recordings were heavily influenced by both Culture and Morning Again. Culture in their band lifetime released a decent amount of records but, as most bands do, they recorded songs that never were released. I've been sitting on these recordings for a year and a half before having the go ahead to release them. I got them from John who allowed me to rip them from the tape and have Justin clean them up. He told me later that if Damien and Rich were okay with it, I could post them. So Justin cleaned them up, mastered them and did an overall great job making them sound great. He also made covers for them as there was no cover art originally. I want to specifiy that this is NOT the re-recorded Born Of You record (aka Mike Warden Can Suck It) that we posted some months back. This hasn't been heard by anyone outside the band since 1994. The LP was recorded in late 1994 or early 1995 right after Damien and John joined the band and features the now classic lineup of John and Rich on guitar, Damien on vocals, Gordon in bass and Josh on drums. Some of these songs were dropped and never re-recorded so this is your only chance to hear them. The second recording is an EP featuring alternate versions of Deforestation and Memento Mori as well as 2 songs that neither Rich nor Mark knew the titles to. This lineup featured John and Rich on guitar, Mark on vocals, Gordon on bass and Josh on drums.
Rich was nice enough to give us the Cliff's Notes to "Culture 101" which you can read below. Big thanks to Rich, John, and Damien for allowing this to be released

Ok. I am gonna just try and wing this with no mistakes. Ha. I'll keep it brief but not to short.

It was the middle of the night somewhere on I95 headed back from Richmond, VA when it hit me. I needed to start a band. Something new and uninfluenced by the sounds of the times. I think the year was probably 1994 or so. I'm not exactly sure. I had moved to Richmond, Va with a friend of mine at the time. I was lucky enough to get to play bass for Grip later know as Dayspring. It was my first real taste of band life. Getting in a van and driving from state to state. I was so hooked. I had never felt such freedom. I was headed back to South Florida. I knew I needed to find some serious dudes to get in this band with me. I didnt know what it was gonna sound like or anything. I just knew I needed some down mother fuckers to set it off. Mark Mitchell has been a friend mine before I left for Richmond. Some of you may know him from Red Roses For A Blue Lady and now he plays bass for Throwdown I think. I wanted him to sing. He had a drummer named Josh Williams. We got back and we wasted no time. We set up shop in Mark's garage and just started playing. We wrote a couple of songs. They sucked. Ha. One day we got together for a practice. I started this riff. Not sure where it came from. Everyone sort of looked at each other with this intense excitement. I played it again and again. Then we started to add to it. Before you knew it we had a song. That song later became Born Of You and Culture was born.

We wrote I think maybe four songs and it was our plan to go record with the now famous Jeremy Staska. Side note... I feel like bands such as Culture and Morning Again helped start what was a wave of hardcore bands to record with Jeremy. He was a solid dude no doubt. Anyways... we wrote some songs and I was just gonna play both guitar tracks and play bass. No big deal. Well Mark decided that he didn't want to pay to record. Needless to say he was out and I ended up singing, playing both guitar tracks and playing bass. To this day I still think the demo was the best thing Culture ever did. Not because I did almost everything on it but because it was the purest form of the band. No outside influence. Just two guys in a garage. So now came the task of finding another guitar player and a bass player. Josh knew a kid named Gordon Tarpley, a sweet surfer beach dude with sweet surfer beach dude dreads. He ended up playing bass. Now to this day I'm still not sure how we found John Wylie to play guitar. I'm not sure if he was a friend of a friend or if later on when we got Damien Moyal that he knew him. I just don't remember. Sorry John. Ha. So after a lot of fill ins and flakes the line up was myself, John Wylie, Damien Moyal, Gordon Tarpley and Josh Williams.

Its important to note that I am sure I am leaving out some details and sort of jumping around but we are talking almost 16 years ago so bear with me. I'm not trying to give you a date by date narrative of the band. Just some basic facts those who are interested may not know.

Okay so now we know the basic formation of the original core members of Culture. I'll never forget our first show. We opened for Sick Of It All and Strife somewhere in Coconut Grove (almost positive this show was at the Kitchen Club in the Grove-Chip). I was so F'n nervous but so ready. We had written I think like seven songs. We really had no idea what we were doing but it was the most fun I had ever had playing a show to this date. Yeah I've played tons of other shows since then but damn that shit was tight. After we played some more shows things started to take off for us. We put a full length out on Conquer The World Records, did a lot of weekend touring. I mean we had no idea how to book a tour or any of that so we just did weekend shows. I knew enough people that we got on some good shows. We were huge in Indianapolis and Chicago. Ha Ha Ha. We then recorded the Deforestation 7" for Catalyst. Somehow Mark got back in the band for a while. John left to start Morning Again. Damien started singing for them then wasn't anymore. He started to do As Friends Rust and Bird Of ill Omen. Well one weekend tour with Mark and we all but begged Damien to come back. We got Steve Looker to take Johns place on guitar.

This is getting exhausting.

So now comes the Goodlife Recordings era. Ha. We recorded a split release with a band called Kindred from Europe. Then we put out a mini cd called Heteronome (ask Damien what the hell that means). We ended up touring Europe and to me that really was the downfall of the band. We were fighting all the time. It didn't matter what it was about. It got to the point where it was no longer fun for me. I loved Europe but hated being there with them. We played so many amazing shows and met so many amazing people but I knew I was done. The band wanted me out to I think. I mean we were a pack of Chiefs with no Indians to rule so eventually one person was gonna be the focus. That was me. I also was a dick so I made it easy for them. When we got home I went to Ohio to visit. They kicked me out while I was gone. It hurt. I mean I was the last original member. Culture was my life for so long that I felt like I had nothing. Eventually that feeling went away and I moved on to other bands. Culture, in many forms, continued on for a bit longer. They re-released the original Conquer The World recording on Goodlife which was cool. All and all I have a lot of good memories. I learned a lot of things about music and the business side as well as things about myself personally. Culture was one of the most important Vegan Straight Edge bands ever. Hands down. We, along with a few others, created a sound that was copied all over the globe. People named bands after our songs. Clothing companies from our lyrics. We influenced a scene. That scene gave me life long memories. I am forever grateful. I miss playing with those guys. I miss the shitty smelly practice spaces. I miss the excitement of writing new songs with them. I want to thank John, Damien, Gordon, Josh, Mark, Jason Dooley, Steve Looker and everyone that ever helped or supported the band. It still means a lot.

The lineups for the recordings are as follows:

The demo was myself (Rich) and Josh Williams

Born Of You was myself (Rich), John, Damian, Gordon and Josh

Deforestation #1 was myself (Rich), John, Josh, Gordon and Mark

Deforestation #2 was myself (Rich), Steve, Josh, Gordon and Damien

Split with Kindred was myself (Rich), Steve, Josh, Gordon and Damian

Heteronome ep was myself (Rich), Steve, Jason Dooley, Gordon and Damien

Culture - The Unreleased LP (EDIT: one track was corrupt but has been fixed. Link works fine now)

http://www.mediafire.com/?yiuulmwvmzz

Culture - Deforestation (Alternate Recording)

http://www.mediafire.com/?2jzjfzmbbxu

Rich Thurston (Culture, Blood Has Been Shed, Terror, etc) Interview: Part 1

This is another story that has been a long time coming. Rich Thurston has been a part of some of the most recognizable and important bands of the 90s. He has a great story to tell and told me that he wanted to touch on everything, not holding anything back. This is the first part in what is going to be quite a lengthy interview so get ready because Rich speaks his mind.
I want to preface this by stating that the opinions expressed belong to Rich and do not reflect
Stuck In The Past as a whole. His opinions regarding Conquer The World Records again are his.

Stuck In The Past: Alright well lets start at the beginning. How did you first get into hardcore?

Rich: I was introduced to "heavy music" by my cousin. She was into stuff like Kiss and Van Halen. I was five when I got my first Kiss 45". I went as Paul Stanley for Halloween and shit. It was sweet. Around fourteen, I started listening to Motley Crue, Iron Maiden and other metal bands of that era. I started skating and as such I was hearing more punk. I remember meeting a kid named Chris Goldbauch (Radiobaghdad). He was one of the few punk/skater kids in my high school. He had a Dag Nasty and a Minor Threat sticker on his car. I went into Record Bar in the Coral Square Mall and bought them both. The rest is history.

Stuck In The Past: Matt Fox (Shai Hulud) told me about how he used to go to Coral Square mall with some friends and see you at the arcade. He referred to you as the "Suicidal Tendencies guy".

Rich: hahahahahaha. I had a Suicidal Tendencies "possesed to skate shirt". I wore it all the time. I loved that mall. It was the best place in world when you are 15 or 16.

Stuck In The Past: When did you start your first band?

Rich: I was 18 I believe. I was still in high school. The band was called Ego Trip. It was terrible and amazing all at the same time. That was a really great time for hardcore and punk in South Florida actually.

Stuck In The Past: You guys had tracks on the Notes From The South Comp right?

Rich: That is correct. That comp was so much fun to be a part of. All of our friends had bands and we all recorded at the same studio back to back.

Stuck In The Past: That was a great comp. Some great forgotten South Florida bands like Beyond Reason and the Believers on it.

Rich: The Believers shit still holds up today. I loved that band. If you think back there were alot of really good bands in South Florida. The scene went through a shift in the 90's. Like there were alot of bands and kids then nothing then a huge resurgence again.

Stuck In The Past: It seems to go in cycles worldwide where theres lots going on then nothing.

Rich: Yeah man. I really think its a generational thing. The guys that have been around for years start to back out and the new kids come in. There is always a lull when something like that happens. Every scene has that happen.

Stuck In The Past: Yeah its a bummer...I miss a lot of the kids that used to go to shows.

Rich: Well when I moved from South Florida, it was under less then favorable circumstances. I was on the outs with the "scenesters" of the day. I do know what you mean though. I experienced it a bit there.

Stuck In The Past: We'll get to that in time haha. What year did you start Ego Trip?

Rich: I'm thinking it was like around 91' or so. I was a terrible guitar player. I had terrible equipment. As a matter of fact, we were all terrible in that band with terrible equipment. It was still an amazing time. There were no expectations, no worries, no managers or all that. Just straight up core.

Stuck In The Past: But thats kind of what makes your first band fun: trying to figure out how to play.

Rich: For sure. It was just four guys making it up as they went along. Kickin ass and takin names.

Stuck In The Past: How long did the band last for?

Rich: Two years I think. I also played in Timescape Zero during the tail end of Ego Trip. Just a few practices, nothing major. No shows or recordings. Ego Trip broke up at my house actually. My parents went out of town and I had some people over. I was the only edge kid around so everyone else was drinking. My buddy Bob Goldie and his girlfriend were there. She was passed out drunk in the spare room. The drummer of Ego Trip, Brian, snuck into the room and started messing with her. I caught them. I had to go tell Bob. He went in and it got ugly. The band ended that night.

Stuck In The Past: Yikes. Not a good way to end either.

Rich: Not for Brian. Hahahahahah. I was done with it though. I had out grown the band.

Stuck In The Past: What did you do after the band broke up?

Rich: Hung out for a while. I played with other guys here and there. Nothing major. I didnt do much until 94 or so when I started Culture.

Stuck In The Past: How did Culture start?

Rich: Well I had moved to Richmond, VA. I actually played in Grip which later became Dayspring for a bit. Played a few shows with them. When I came back I wanted to play again right away. I had a taste of playing in a real band at real shows. I wanted more of it.

Stuck In The Past: Did you do any touring with Dayspring?

Rich: No. I just filled in on some shows for them when it was still Grip. Like I think it was two or three different weekend trips on the east coast.

Stuck In The Past: They were great band...I feel like they were really overlooked even though they were on New Age

Rich: More importantly they were solid dudes but you are right. Way overlooked. I remember when Dayspring came to Melbourne, FL and played at that skate park place. So good.

Stuck In The Past: I wish I could have seen them

Rich: I wish alot of the kids that came up after me had got to see alot of the bands of that time. I think it would give a different perspective. I have a great Chokehold story if you want to hear it?

Stuck In The Past: Definitely

Rich: Chokehold in Melbourne at some over the top redneck bar. It was their last tour...one of the their last shows actually. There were about 100 people there which for melbourne was huge. I remember the first note like it was yesterday. All hell broke loose. The bar had no idea what was going on. There was a huge American flag hanging up and someone crowd surfing tore it down. That was enough for the rednecks. They cut the sound. The onyl thing you could hear was the drums and a hundred kids singing. So fucking good man.

Stuck In The Past: I remember my friend Ivan telling me about this. He was a little older than me and real good friend with Jerry (Morning Again). He said it was the best show he ever went to.

Rich: It was a great display of hardcore aggression. No doubt. I miss those days.

Stuck In The Past: So you started Culture when you got back from Virginia. What year was this? 1994?

Rich: Something like that yeah. After playing those shows with Grip I knew it was something I needed to do. I had no real equipment. I found a couple of guys in West Palm Beach that wanted to play. I had no place to live. I was going from house to house. It was a rough time for me. It really was. However... no matter how hard it got I knew I wanted to play hardcore and I was determined to make the band work

Stuck In The Past: Who was in the first lineup?

Rich: The very first practice was myself (guitar), Mark Mitchell (vocals) and Josh Williams (drums). Our first practice was in Marks spare room.

Stuck In The Past: Did you initially want the band to be vegan straight edge?

Rich: We had no agenda. I did want to be in a band with Straight Edge people but it didnt have to be a sxe band or a vegan band. I think thats what made our first demo and eventual 7" so good. I wasn't vegan until later on in the band.

Stuck In The Past: Did you play any shows with the first lineup?

Rich: One or two at a place called The Foundation in West Palm Beach. We only had like 3 songs. We played covers and stuff.

Stuck In The Past: What songs were you covering?

Rich: Lets see. Integrity, Helmet, hell I cant remember now. Ha

Stuck In The Past: Haha alright. Well you guys released the demo and the 7 inch. Were those different recordings or were the 7 inch tracks taken from the demo?

Rich: Yeah. They were the songs from the demo. We sent it out to a few labels but never really expected it to amount to anything. I remember getting a letter in the mail from a label and they wanted to do it.

Stuck In The Past: How pumped were you?

Rich: I was so stoked. I mean, thats what every band wants. Hardcore was different back then. It wasn't as easy to get signed as it is now. There were only a handful of labels even going so to get an invite to one of them was such a wonderful feeling.

Stuck In The Past: That was Shadow Records?

Rich: Yeah. I think we were one of two releases they did. After our 7", I don't think the label did anything else.

Stuck In The Past: Culture was known as the band that launched the (for lack of a better term) legends of Damien Moyal and John Wylie. When did they join the band?

Rich: What about me asshole!?!?!?! Ha.

Stuck In The Past: You dick haha. You know what I mean

Rich: Damien and John were the final touchs that made Culture what it was. John was a great guitar player and up until he joined it was just me. It let us write two guitar parts and do different things. I think thats what gave the atmosphere we got in the release. Damien's voice is legendary. His range and his aggression fit the music so perfectly. Those times when he wasnt in the band the lead singer position lacked big time.

Stuck In The Past: Were you still writing the lyrics or did he take over when he joined?

Rich: I wrote alot of the lyrics on Born Of You. Damien really came into his own and started writing after that. That fucker wrote some serious lyrics man. I remember writing the music for songs and not being able to wait to hear what he was gonna say over it.

Stuck In The Past: He really has a distinct style with the layering of the vocals in the studio.

Rich: Absolutely. He gave the music such an air to it. It was just so angry. We were angry. We wanted to change the world.

Stuck In The Past: Tell me about Natural Order.

Rich: Hahahahaha. To be honest, it was just a bunch of angry kids yelling alot. We never really did anything. We all got Natural Order tattoos and thought we were invincable. We had such a passion about veganism and straught edge that we needed an outlet. We all did zines. Remember zines? Mine was called Nature First. My boy Anthony Conte had one too. We just need to vent our frustrations so thats how it came about. We were real dicks to people to. Ha.

Stuck In The Past: We were all angry at that age...kind of our way of dealing with the pressure around us.

Rich: I blame Earth Crisis.

Stuck In The Past: hahahaha

Rich: Yeah man. I mean it was real to us. It was something we felt strongly about so we went with it.

Stuck In The Past: Alright, so John and Damien joined, when did you find Gordon?

Rich: Josh Williams knew Gordon. They surfed together or something. Ha. We really needed a bass player so we didnt hesitate.

Stuck In The Past: Who was playing before him? Was it Stan?

Rich: Whats funny about the named bass players before is that none of them really played. I just used there names on releases and stuff so it looked like we had one.

Stuck In The Past: So Stan (Obal) never played on the demo?

Rich: Nope. I played all the guitars, bass and sang. Stan and I were good friends at the time so I just used his name. Ha.

Stuck In The Past: hahaha. I do remember Stan being a pretty good musician though.

Rich: That he was. I dont think that it was we didnt want him to do it. We just didnt really think about it. We just needed a name for the bass player. I think he was with me when I made the inserts or something. Ha.

Stuck In The Past: So the band was playing out pretty regularly and then you hooked up with Conquer The World records. How did that happen?

Rich: Ya know I think I sent a demo to Mike Warden because I knew Chokehold was on the label. He was into it and we began the writing process for a full length.

Stuck In The Past: And who are you to argue with being on the same label as Chokehold?

Rich: Exactly. Back then, they were the shit and pretty much the same as us. Angry and trying to change the world. Go ahead.... ask me!

Stuck In The Past: Ive spoke to Damien and John about it...tell me about what happened with Conquer The World Records.

Rich: That a boy. Ha. CTW helped launch some pretty important bands of that time. Chokehold, Culture and Morning Again at the front of the pack. We didn't know anything about Mike. To us he was a guy that ran a label that wanted to work with us. We didn't ask alot of questions nor was there ever a contract. All verbal promises. That was our fault. We never ever knew what he was doing. He was making shirts and never told us. He would say stuff was out of print but he was sending records all over the place. He is by far the worst graphic designer of all time. Did you see the cover of the Born Of You 12"? At what point did he look at that and say "sweet"? He just turned into a big liar. He ripped off a bunch of bands. I believe Morning Again used him so they could get a release out to shop around. He still maintains that he didn't do anything wrong and WE, the bands, lied to him. I have no idea how we could have lied to him about anything but whatever. He's a sad man that still tries to stick his nose in from time to time.

Stuck In The Past: In the insert for the Goodlife release of "Born Of You", the band says that the record was continuously repressed without the bands permission...or something to that extent.

Rich: Yeah. Records would show up in distros not only in the US but in Europe as well. He just lied to try to make a little change off his bands. Its not like he made alot. Seems a small reward for being basically black balled.

Stuck In The Past: As band, did you ever confront him over the issue?

Rich: Never face to face. We were in Florida and he was in Detroit so we never saw him. If we played close to Detroit he wouldn't show up or anything. I'm sure we had some letters back and forth. I really dont remember. I just remember knowing we would never work with him again. Like I said, I think Morning Again did it just for the sake of knowing he would put it out no questions asked.

Stuck In The Past: Anything else you want to cover on the subject?

Rich: I just think that it dissolved itself. We just stopped talking. He went his way and we went ours.