Gig Reviews
The Smile
K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, DEN - 13/3
Album Reviews
Agnostic Front
Previous Nextauthor PP date 23/07/11
As I step down to the murky realm of The Rock a few hours before doors opening, I find the iconic Agnostic Front leader and vocalist Roger Miret sitting casually by the bar with a laptop, interacting with fans on their official Facebook page, posting an update of what's happening on tour. He is joined by an equally legendary New York Hardcore figure, Vinnie Stigma, who is sipping his drink slowly while taking the lead in the interview while Roger finishes up. So we spend the next 20 minutes or so talking about Agnostic Front, interrupted occasionally by an all-too-loud sound check, and by the time we finish I have a much better idea of why these guys are considered to be living legends. Straight after the interview, the guys start convincing me to take a look at their merch and maybe pick up a shirt, a hoodie or something later on when the show begins, underlining the sort of trouble even medium-sized bands like AF are in financially these days. Keep that in mind next time you download a record and won't buy merch or attend a show.
Stigma: It takes you through a whole journey of our career.
Roger: Yeah, it really does. Of course I love "Victim In Pain", our first album, I just about love them all. But the new one is very special for me because it is a journey of our career.
RF.net: Right. So would you say then that's the album that some random guy who wanted to check out Agnostic Front records, would you say that's he should check out that one first?
Roger: I would say so, because it has a little bit of everything. It is a true representation of Agnostic Front current today, and what we really do. It has a little bit of variety for everyone. Then I would also suggest to visit our website, our main page, our Facebook page, and look at all our videos and get an idea, and come out and sing, you know?
Roger: Just technology in the last 30 years, wow. It has shot out. Thirty years ago we had no cellphones. I mean, twenty years ago we had no cellphones. Do I need to go any further? Once the digital wave and all that came in, it just brought it to a whole different level. I remember us signing our contract and it was set for the universe, and I was like "what the fuck, this is ridiculous, the universe?" and I was laughing about it. What, are Martians gonna hear our shit? But the record industry was ahead of the game. They knew there was eventually gonna be something going on with satellites, so you sign off all your rights to the universe and the world. Anything over any satellite level belongs to them. The industry itself has taken a hit, we all know this. It's great to have labels stand behind bands. Nuclear Blast have been a wonderful label, they stand behind us, they do their job in helping promotion and getting the record out. We do our job as a band to come out and represent ourselves. It's a clear understanding, we don't expect too much from them. We know what to expect from each other. We have a good working relationship, we're not asking for miracles, and that's why it works. When you're in a band and you think everything's gonna get thrown at you right off the bat, then it's not gonna work.
RF.net: Do you think that the internet has helped Agnostic Front?
Roger: I'm sure it has. Come on, it has helped just about every band. Look, I'm on Agnostic Front Facebook right now [points at his laptop], we have 168,000 friends. So yeah it helps. It really does help spreading the word. It has its pros and it has its cons. I like to look at the pros more than the cons. The cons, everybody's just downloading the music and they don't realize how much damage they are doing on the backend of ours. We know this, so we're very mature about it overall. We know that the only way we're gonna get from this city to the next city and the next city after that is gonna be with our t-shirt sales and our performance. We put our heart into it, and we try to perform our best, and we try to bring out really great merch to the kids who love it, and to help us get from A to B. Other than that, we know what's going on. I've always said that our music is a music that everyone should have by all means necessary. If you're gonna buy it, we'd prefer it of course, it's cool you get the package and everything. If you're gonna steal it, that's cool too. As long as you get it. It's a message.
Stigma: As long as they come to the show and be involved, and give back. You gotta give back.
Roger: It's not all just take take take, it's about giving back. That relationship is very important.
RF.net: What's the difference between the kids today compared to the ones in the 80s or even early 90s?
Roger: There's a huge difference. FIrst of all, today's awesome, today is great. We don't live on our past. Our past is our past. A great show in 1981-82 was 20 people, 30 people, our friends, you know? So we're very appreciative that people do come out and we're very appreciative that our music has become a world-wide thing. And we can come here. If you would've told me 25-30 years ago that I was gonna be here in Copenhagen, I probably would've laughed in your face. "Our music is horrible, who the hell is going to listen to this shit", you know, but here I am. So we're very honored...you see, this is the type of people we are. We're very genuine people, we understand...like I said, give and take. We're very generous and very respectful of people who have given for our dreams to come true, to come alive, this is awesome. As for that, today's crowd is awesome. They're just as eager as when we were kids. There's one big element that's very different, and it's kind of missed, it's the element of danger. It's that element of danger that gave that mystique to our music and a lot of music, even the punk movement in the beginning. That is now a little bit safer. But in a way, I'm kind of excited, I've seen a lot of people get hurt, a lot of people die, a lot of people pass. There are some people I look at sometimes and I'm like "these people would have never survived in the 80s", but I'm glad. I'm also a father, I don't like to see people get hurt. So I'm glad that people come out and have a good time, honestly, that's what it comes down to.
RF.net: So you guys haven't even thought about maybe stopping, given that you have families now and you tour so much?
Roger: Of course that's always a thought, and we tour kind of with that thought. This is the first time in five years that I'm doing five weeks. I have two little kids at home, but I stuck it out this time. I have my wife and two kids at home, it's kind of hard. But the internet has helped so much. I see them every day, so I feel like I could do this a little bit more. We tour differently, we don't tour like we used to, nine months in a row. We tour a little bit scattered, because we need to go back to our families. But going back to your question, I'm a little off track, the truth that matters is that as long as there's a demand for Agnostic Front, Agnostic Front will be there in your city, in your state, in your town, in your country. Even when we're gone, our legacy, our music will live for many many years. Somebody, in a hundred years from now, in a bottle will find the lyrics to "Victim In Pain" or the record itself plays, and feel the same way as I felt a hundred years ago, you know? We speak about true stuff, oppression, overcoming oppression. We speak about things that matter in this world and mean something. And as long as people have feelings and have a heart, and have some kind of a struggle or a pain to overcome, Agnostic Front will be there forever and ever. Now and forever.
[to Stigma] You like my interview? See I'm showing him how to do really good interviews. Vinnie Stigma will be here trying to tell you about his tattoo shop, New York Hardcore tattoos, 127 Stanton Street, then he'll wanna tell you about his band, Stigma, and then because he did that, and he'll feel bad he did that, he'll throw my band, Roger Miret & The Disasters. What am I missing? Oh, his movie, Stigma movie. I got them all for you Stigma, you happy? Okay, now go ahead! [laughs]
RF.net: Thank you very much, I was gonna ask if you have anything more to add but I suppose...
Roger: I did it all! That's what you're missing, that's gonna be in every interview he does.