Publication:
MaximumRockNRoll

Author:
Felix Von Havoc

MRR #235
This is the WAR issue. I’ve written about Iraq and War and the fucked up Middle East here recently. I doubt I have much to say that won’t be said elsewhere. I guess I’m in support of a regime change in Bagdad, as well as Washington DC. Will a war prompt Crucifix to reunite? Will it lead to a rise of crust? Will Reagan come out of retirement to kick some commie ass? The one thing I do know for sure is that it’s a lot easier for politicians to send other people to their deaths for their geopolitical games of power than it is for them to put their own lives on the line. To satisfy their mania for conquest, lives are squandered…

Mike from Kill the Man wrote in these pages a few months ago about problems with samples of copywritten material on a 7” he was putting out. I’m going to enter this debate both barrels blazing. For many years bands have been using samples from movies and television on their records between songs. Bands have used “found” artwork out of context and subverted it’s meaning. However, in today’s overly litigious society record and CD manufacturing plants and printers are clamping down on the unauthorized duplication of copywritten material. I’m sure some will cry “censorship” at this but consider that the manufacturer is only trying to protect themselves against a potential lawsuit. But this brings me to what is really my point here. What do samples really add to a record anyway? Not much, in fact after a few dozen listens they cease to be clever and are just annoying. I know I’m not the only one who taped the Civil Disobedience 7” without the long samples. I would personally recommend against submitting a record or CD to be manufactured with any unauthorized samples or “found” artwork. This could result in potentially expensive and time consuming delays, and for what? A clever use of five seconds of Clint Eastwood’s witty dialogue from Dirty Harry? OK, here’s the crux of the issue to me. Punk should be an expression of original creative impulse. I don’t think there is a need to plunder Hollywood because we can do better on our own. Original artwork and music always looks and sounds better than something you scanned, taped, burned or downloaded that someone else thought up first. DIY should mean doing it better than the industry, not a half assed parody. I’m sure some people will bring up the U2/Negativeland scandal and what a fight for free speech that was or whatever. But I don’t see the point of going to bat for a few seconds of someone else’s material on a thrash 7”. It’s just not that important to the music, which should be the main focus from the git go.

OK, Madeline wrote about this in Razorcake and also in Tight Pants zine, but I have to weigh in on the pressing issue of the day. Vikings Vs. Pirates. I am firmly in the Viking camp on this issue. I think puffy shirts, pantaloons, hoop ear rings and gold doubloons are goofy and chainmail, helms, axes and slain beasts are fucking boss. Vikings would devastate pirates in a fair fight, slay all poseurs then sail their longboats to a Slayer or Bathory show and go berzerker style in the pit. Pirates are from where? The Carribbean? Yeah, I love that punk rock from Haiti and the Netherlands Antilles, right? Vikings are from Scandinavia, where much great punk and hardcore dwells. Vikings pretty much took over Northern Europe and had bad ass broaches and swords and stuff with dragons on them. Pirates had like those double breasted coats and mostly got caught and sunk or hung. The Skull and Crossbones is about the only really cool thing Pirates had going for them. Fukk it up Viking Style in 2002!

Finally, my favorite current band DS 13 is breaking up. But before they do I’m flying them over to play Thrash Fest 4 in Minneapolis Dec 29th. This will be their only US show and last show ever. Also appearing will be Limp Wrist, Tear It Up, Nine Shocks Terror, Holding On, Caustic Christ, Damage Deposit, Path of Destruction and perhaps a few more. For more info check out my website at www.havocrex.com Bands, stop asking to get on the bill. I mean it, just stop.

Publication Date:
January 1, 1984

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