This is not an exclusive interview or whatever of a special deal we've managed to ensure us since Roger Miret (voice) and Mike (bass) will be available for being interviewed to promote the new album starting next week.
Last 3rd August, 2014 AGNOSTIC FRONT, the forefathers of NYC Hardcore punk movement, played a mini festival in Milan with Nofx and Lars Frederiksen's The Old Firm Casual and after a bit of hassles looking for the AF's tour manager in charge and getting in the backstage area we've finally managed to seat down with guitarist and AF's founder Vinnie Stigma for a short chat about their long and eventful career, recalling the release of their very first album “Victim In Pain” dated 1984, and going on with him talking about being a father and family guy who plays hardcore at age 56, his AF's favourite records and what makes Agnostic Front what they've been, are and will be. “They've been true to their way. The Agnostic Front's way”.
The transcription of the full interview was done and ready some months ago but considering the guys were about to release a new record this year, their 11th, I've kept it in standby to these days when the news about “The American Dream Died” have been revealed and the wait is started. We also have posted an entry where the band offers a track by track commentary of the songs making up the new fatigue, produced by their NYHC buddy Madball's Freddy Cricien, that you should definitely check out.
gan: You guys released your first full-length record "Victim Of Pain" 30 years ago. Did you remember anything about that day?
Yes, yes I did. It was August 16th 1984. I know the exact day...it was the day after the tax day and we were young kids, you know? It was very monumental, you know, a good thing...it was quite, it was very humble for me.
And we recently celebrated the release of “Cause For Alarm” (AF's sophomore full-length)...we landed on the 16th May 2014 in New York city and had to play at the Black N' Blue Bowl where I did a throwback show for that album, that's 28 years and I did two nights with that line up. There was Louie Beatto...the great Louie Beatto...everybody loves him because he's Louie and Alex...big Alex...that was great!
gan: You are the founder and together with Roger Miret longtime member in Agnostic Front, right? And you recently added a new guitar player named Craig...
yeah...just before we came here in Europe we did a warm up show with our new guitar player Craig (from Only Living Witness, Blood For Blood, Ramallah, Slapshot)...we did “This Is Hardcore” on July 24th...
Roger was in the band since he was 17...it's 50 now...I mean...that's a lifetime...he's very stubborn, you know?
gan: And how old were you?
Yes, yes I did. It was August 16th 1984. I know the exact day...it was the day after the tax day and we were young kids, you know? It was very monumental, you know, a good thing...it was quite, it was very humble for me.
And we recently celebrated the release of “Cause For Alarm” (AF's sophomore full-length)...we landed on the 16th May 2014 in New York city and had to play at the Black N' Blue Bowl where I did a throwback show for that album, that's 28 years and I did two nights with that line up. There was Louie Beatto...the great Louie Beatto...everybody loves him because he's Louie and Alex...big Alex...that was great!
gan: You are the founder and together with Roger Miret longtime member in Agnostic Front, right? And you recently added a new guitar player named Craig...
yeah...just before we came here in Europe we did a warm up show with our new guitar player Craig (from Only Living Witness, Blood For Blood, Ramallah, Slapshot)...we did “This Is Hardcore” on July 24th...
Roger was in the band since he was 17...it's 50 now...I mean...that's a lifetime...he's very stubborn, you know?
gan: And how old were you?
I was 26...
gan: Would you ever believe to be still doing AF after 30 years?
For me it was always a commitment at larger. We always believed in this movement...we believed in everything so we just do know where we wanna go...I know who I am, I'm still Vinnie...I love everybody and I don't care...I'm Italian...that's all I am...I've always been that way...
gan: Where abouts in Italy?
Napoli!
gan: You look like an Italian...
Yeah, I've got the Roman nose...see? Like on the old Roman coins...hehe...
gan: Sometimes you see Hardcore bands come and go in 3 or 4 years...that seems to be the average life for lot of bands...
You gotta be true...you got to believe. Like I said, me, Roger...this is what we believe. You have to believe in it or if you don't have fun doing it, don't do it...go away there will be somebody else that wants to do it and wanna have fun. You know, and a lot of times there are bands from long ago and they stopped playing and 20 years later they wanna come back... I've got two ways to look at it...one, welcome back we love you we miss you and two, where the fuck were you, go fuck yourself...capisce??? That's all I am...comme ci, comme ça...You wanna come back, now that the scene changed so much, there are so many other new bands...now that the scene draws you wanna come back? Where were you for that? I gotta be in for that...you gotta be for real. There's no rush...
gan: In 1994 bands like Green Day, The Offspring and even Nofx helped bringing punk in the limelight. Did that affect you as a longtime hardcore band? And how did you live that time?
It's always been a big thing to me. The highs are highs and the lows are lows...you've just to stick with it, it's like a marriage...we're doing it for the kids but I have a life, I have a child, he goes to college now, I have New York Hardcore Tattoo. I was always influenced with music. I started my own band, you know, Stigma. I'm always involved in hardcore , in the hardcore radio. I'm helping bands, no matter if it is getting them shows, give them equipments...I don't care what I gotta do...I love going out of my way because that's what I'm here to do, you know, if needed help someone would help me so I must payback and it comes back so it's good.
They're women now but there were girls...when they were young and now years later they say “you know, Vinnie always respected us, Vinnie always protected us, he was always a good guy to us”...I've never take advantages of no one...it's better in the end, I got more reward in being good and helping out...anyone does I think...
gan: When you started out would think of the day when you gotta become a father and play hardcore punk music and shows?
You know, I was always a family oriented and so it's Roger...I always had that vision. I'm stable, I'm still living in the same place, my all big family lives close to me.
gan: Which are some of your favourite AF's records?
Of course, “Victim In Pain”, which is monumental and “Cause For Alarm”, you know, it's a crossover...it brought a all new generation, they were crossing over and then “One Voice” is another great performance it was new school and it was like we were going through the generation changes and still remaining the same...true to your friends, to you family and people but you gotta move on otherwise you got stuck it a time. A lot of bands play the stuff they played in 1986 and they're still playing it fine as long as it is the same band playing that music.
But I am musician, I love playing music and I'm always moving on.
We gotta hurry up the show starts...
gan: Okay, any closing words? You were mentioning about New York Hardcore tattoo...
Yeah, come to New York Hardcore tattoos, I love you, I'm Vinnie Stigma, I'm Italian, you can't beat the best. I love you! Thanks brother.
gan: Thank you very much Vinnie.
For me it was always a commitment at larger. We always believed in this movement...we believed in everything so we just do know where we wanna go...I know who I am, I'm still Vinnie...I love everybody and I don't care...I'm Italian...that's all I am...I've always been that way...
gan: Where abouts in Italy?
Napoli!
gan: You look like an Italian...
Yeah, I've got the Roman nose...see? Like on the old Roman coins...hehe...
gan: Sometimes you see Hardcore bands come and go in 3 or 4 years...that seems to be the average life for lot of bands...
You gotta be true...you got to believe. Like I said, me, Roger...this is what we believe. You have to believe in it or if you don't have fun doing it, don't do it...go away there will be somebody else that wants to do it and wanna have fun. You know, and a lot of times there are bands from long ago and they stopped playing and 20 years later they wanna come back... I've got two ways to look at it...one, welcome back we love you we miss you and two, where the fuck were you, go fuck yourself...capisce??? That's all I am...comme ci, comme ça...You wanna come back, now that the scene changed so much, there are so many other new bands...now that the scene draws you wanna come back? Where were you for that? I gotta be in for that...you gotta be for real. There's no rush...
gan: In 1994 bands like Green Day, The Offspring and even Nofx helped bringing punk in the limelight. Did that affect you as a longtime hardcore band? And how did you live that time?
It's always been a big thing to me. The highs are highs and the lows are lows...you've just to stick with it, it's like a marriage...we're doing it for the kids but I have a life, I have a child, he goes to college now, I have New York Hardcore Tattoo. I was always influenced with music. I started my own band, you know, Stigma. I'm always involved in hardcore , in the hardcore radio. I'm helping bands, no matter if it is getting them shows, give them equipments...I don't care what I gotta do...I love going out of my way because that's what I'm here to do, you know, if needed help someone would help me so I must payback and it comes back so it's good.
They're women now but there were girls...when they were young and now years later they say “you know, Vinnie always respected us, Vinnie always protected us, he was always a good guy to us”...I've never take advantages of no one...it's better in the end, I got more reward in being good and helping out...anyone does I think...
gan: When you started out would think of the day when you gotta become a father and play hardcore punk music and shows?
You know, I was always a family oriented and so it's Roger...I always had that vision. I'm stable, I'm still living in the same place, my all big family lives close to me.
gan: Which are some of your favourite AF's records?
Of course, “Victim In Pain”, which is monumental and “Cause For Alarm”, you know, it's a crossover...it brought a all new generation, they were crossing over and then “One Voice” is another great performance it was new school and it was like we were going through the generation changes and still remaining the same...true to your friends, to you family and people but you gotta move on otherwise you got stuck it a time. A lot of bands play the stuff they played in 1986 and they're still playing it fine as long as it is the same band playing that music.
But I am musician, I love playing music and I'm always moving on.
We gotta hurry up the show starts...
gan: Okay, any closing words? You were mentioning about New York Hardcore tattoo...
Yeah, come to New York Hardcore tattoos, I love you, I'm Vinnie Stigma, I'm Italian, you can't beat the best. I love you! Thanks brother.
gan: Thank you very much Vinnie.
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