It’s funny how closely drawn I am to the music that inspired me as a teen. How the mere mention of a re-issue or pressing I listened to in my high school or college days can almost immediately bring excitement and anticipation. Not to mention a flood of memories, otherwise hidden deeply in my subconscious.
And while I can’t exactly pinpoint my early obsession with hoarding demos through purchase, trade or any other means necessary. I can still attest to my craving to hear a band’s earliest, perhaps most raw recordings. Press any demo on to a perfectly round slab of vinyl and you’ve got me. Hook, line and sinker.
The lesser known Freewill sounded like and played alongside the likes of Uniform Choice, Insted, No For An Answer and other like-minded, like sounding melodic California Hardcore acts. ‘And while they were signed to Wishingwell Records. The label folded before any of the bands material could be properly released. ‘Nothing Lasts’, my personal favorite brings to mine Justice League‘s ‘One More Time’ and a later, perhaps more cathartic Chain of Strength.
Being that these were the bands first recordings. I really wasn’t expecting anything more than a young band proud to wear their influences on their sleeves.. Yet, like many of these unearthed recordings from acts that followed a certain course, trend or sound. These songs really don’t hold up all that well. A nice time piece that otherwise might have been forgotten. Worth looking in to if your a fan of this era and the bands mentioned. For me personally, a casual listen was more than suffice. This version was released by Mankind Records. Comes on blue vinyl and is limited to 300 copies. JD
By now I should be used to my neighbor and good friend stopping by with a little gift or surprise every now and again. What initially started as an invite to lunch for a few freelancers in the building a little over a year ago, quickly burgeoned into a friendship that has continued to flourish as my first year here has come and gone. So when he knocked on my door moments after we returned from a weekend trip. I can’t say I was a bit surprised. When he brought his hand out of his back pocket to reveal a Crippled Youth sticker. It’s easy to say, I was grasping for the words to express why I was taken back almost thirty years ago when I first purchased my Crippled Youth “Join the Fight” 7′ inch and accompanying sticker at the legendary Some Records. While by no means were Crippled Youth one of my favorite HXC bands. They played one of the first Hardcore matinees I ever attended. Soon after, perhaps due to the urging of friend and Youth of Today frontman Ray Cappo. They would change their name to BOLD and go on to release one full length “Speak Out” and a self titled 7″ on Revelation Records. As I mentioned before Crippled Youth / BOLD were never personal favorites. However, being that “Join the Fight” was one of my earlier Hardcore records and more important, how I lost it when a close friend who had borrowed my copy just weeks before when he unexpectedly went to prison for a vicious murder. It remains ever-present in my mind as part of my history. Seeing that sticker for the first time in more than twenty-five years jogged a lot of memories both good and bad. Being that it came from someone who has become such a good friend brought a sense of closure. Amazing how often people with shared common interests and histories can be found just down the hall . Thanks Kevin. J.D.
As a band, Beyond always stood out for me both musically and lyrically. Their metal tinged guitars and sociological lyrics still give both my ears and conscious a workout whenever I listen. During their short, yet spirited time together. I was able to see them perform at some memorable places with bands such as Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today and Killing Time. A few days prior to Revelation Records vinyl release of Beyond’s 1988 Dew it Demo and Live on WNYU’s Crucial Chaos. I reached out to Beyond frontman Kevin Egan to talk about the band, it’s legacy and Beyond’s upcoming show at Brooklyn’s St. Vitus. The following is what transpired.J.D.
James: I pre-ordered my copy of “Dew it / WNYU” just hours before it became officially released. What are your personal feelings on what is a pretty nice document of your teen years?
Kevin: I’m stoked. It’s rare that someone creates something at the age of 17 like we did with the demo and then 28 years later a label like Revelation wants to release it. That’s just awesome. And I love that demo to this day. I’m still very proud of it. Like you said it’s a good document of my teen years, but it’s also a document of my musical origins. I never stopped playing music, so it blows my mind to see where I come from compared to where I am currently at.
James: Can you tell me what made what led to Revelation Records making this opportunity?
Kevin: They contacted us. We got an email from Jordan saying he would love to release it, along with the WNYU performance and we were totally into it. Again, the demo means a lot to us. We recorded it at the studio in our hometown Holbrook New York and the next weekend brought it to SomeRrecords. We never thought it would’ve blown up the way it did. Having Duane Rosignal (Some Records) and Porcell (Youth of Today) get psyched about that demo was huge. It opened up a lot of doors for us.
James: I remember a post on their website stating they would also be reissuing “No Longer at Ease”. Is that still in the works?
Kevin: Oh yeah, I think they may even be pushing up its release and it might be available early next year.
James: Do these reissues give you any sense of closure? Or perhaps open the doors to future collaborations with Vic, Tom or Alan?
Kevin: Not really. My sense of closure came after the band initially broke up in 1989. Now it’s just something that happens every couple of years. Beyond comes back into my life. I almost expect it and even welcome it, for no other reason then I get to spend more time with longtime friends.
James; Strangely enough, my first recollections of Beyond predated hearing the band. I recall reading a rather glowing review in New Breed Fanzine. The other memory that has always stuck with me was how excited Civ and Walter (Gorilla Biscuits) were about playing with you for the first time. Notable considering they were already well known in NY and Beyond was just starting out.
Kevin: Like I said, we were very lucky to have Porcell discovering our demo. It opened up a lot of doors for us. As a result, our demo was introduced to Walter and other people in the Gorilla Biscuits and we were able to play shows with them. That was amazing for a 17-year-old kid to be opening up for some of his favorite bands.
James: While Beyond often played shows with and were sometimes grouped with bands like Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today. Sound wise and lyrically you were quite different. I always felt you sounded more like Iron Maiden meets Life’s Blood. As apposed to say 7 Seconds meets Youth of Today. What places and experiences were you channeling with songs like Hoax, What Awaits Us and Vampire Empire?
Kevin: We were definitely listening to Iron Maiden. We grew up with them and after we discovered hardcore, we went back to them just because they were so musically interesting, we felt we weren’t done with them yet.
James: Reuniting for something like Revelation’s 25th anniversary, This is Hardcore or in your case Black N’ Blue Ball tends to rekindle old friendships, as well as sparking new energy as well as a sense of unfinished business. Many of the bands we played with or went to see during that long ago time have since reunited to tour the world, record and.. well… tour. Was there ever a moment during or after that performance where someone in the band suggested something along those lines. If not, is it something you think you’d be open to?
Kevin: It’s come up. We talked about it. I don’t think we’re opposed to it. The only thing is we all have jobs and Vic lives in Japan, so it would take a lot to get us to overcome those things, but I think if the right opportunity came up, we would take them.
James: Do you still identify with the songs you created with Beyond?
Kevin: Yes. It’s just a matter of thinking of the songs in a different context. As a 45-year-old man, I relate to a song like What Awaits Us a lot more than I did at 17 because suddenly my mortality is a real thing. I was always impressed how Tom could write a song like that at such a young age. Also, a lot of our songs were about the inability to connect with other people. I still experience that as an adult.
James: As much as the music (Particularly that of “No Longer at Ease”) have always moved me. It’s the amazing talent within the band and what each of you went off to do post Beyond that really blows my mind. At the time, did any of you feel as if you were limited as to what you could do within the limited scope of what was deemed acceptable within Hardcore? Did any of that or the projects that would follow lead to the bands breaking up?
Kevin: I don’t think any of us felt limited by hardcore. We loved hardcore. That’s what we wanted to do. We just saw the possibilities of hardcore being bigger than what was presented at the time. We wanted to introduce other types of music while still remaining within the confines of hardcore. I would say the only other project that contributed to Beyond’s break up was Tom’s involvement in Bold. But even that was minimal. Vic had moved to California and I was going away to college, so there were a lot of factors leading to the break up of the band.
James: I spent a few hours immersed in the book that’s included with the LP. Read it from front to back before I ever took the record out of the sleeve. Strangely enough I really identified with it in a very personal way. That show at the Anthrax that’s pictured as well as the Boiling Point cover and the interview. There was one particular show at The Anthrax when you played with Killing Time and Gorilla Biscuits. The fact that I shared real estate with Alan just out of high school. Excuse all my chatter but, with all these memories being stirred up, I’m wondering how much of an impact that time, the music and being a cog in what was a very unique family on you. We’ve all gone on to do things with our lives Yet many of us find ourselves going back to that time with a sense of romanticism. How do you feel about the band and it’s impact on the people who were there to experience it?
Kevin: That time in my life was definitely the ground on which I was able to build some sort of musical life for myself. Without Beyond, there never would’ve been a 1.6 Band, Last Crime or any of my acoustic projects. The fact that I was able to do Beyond informed me of what I was capable of doing and from there I just kept trying new things. I’m a romantic person by nature so I look back at every time in my life with fondness, except the bad times of course. The only difference with my time in Beyond was, again, that was the ground on which I was able to build other things. I was very lucky to have that.
As far as Beyond’s impact on other people, I don’t know how much we impacted other people as much as we were just part of this thing that happened at this specific time. Within that scene, everyone was having an impact on everyone else. That’s what made it so special.
James: You have a show coming up this month at St. Vitus. How did it all come together? Will Vic be joining you?
Kevin: Noisey and Tony Rettman contacted Tom about the show. He messaged me and I told him I was down. A few different venues were tossed around but ultimately St. Vitus worked out. Vic is definitely playing with us. When the idea for the show came up, I thought it was best to ask Vic. I figured it would feel more authentically like Beyond if he played. He’s also one of my oldest friends, so it will be extra special to be playing with him.
It’s funny how closely drawn I am to the music that inspired me as a teen. How the mere mention of a re-issue or pressing I listened to in my high school or college days can almost immediately bring excitement and anticipation. Not to mention a flood of memories, otherwise hidden deeply in my subconscious.
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