This Is Hardcore Podcast

Episode 26 Luis Aponte.. Growing, Learning and Understanding. https://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode26 Luis Aponte, a son of PAHC grew up in Allentown, learning from his father about hardcore and straight edge at a very young age. Between skateboarding, finding DIY shows to attend at the Secret Art Space in Bethlehem, PA, he would be fully indoctrinated into the world of hardcore punk. Through traveling with friends, he would eventually go beyond the Lehigh Valley to Wilkes Barre and eventually Philly for shows in West Philly basement shows. Over time, he'd link up with various members of Jesus Piece and they would form one of Philly and PA's finest hardcore groups to date. Much of the Jesus Piece story is already known, but there is a great insight into the band's beginnings from Luis's perspective. When thinking about having him on the podcast, I was much more interested in hearing about how he developed into such a well rounded and diverse musician, as he was posting some incredible hardcore/gabba techno that reminded me of my first encounter with electric music from overseas. This is also during the pandemic, where he would eventually move to NYC to begin work as a model and in a fashion store. There is so much more to Luis then just talking about Jesus Piece tours etc, that we went deep on what his inspirations and aspirations are and how he has grown comfortable with himself and continues to expand not only his creative work in music and art, but how it ties into skateboarding and some fun stories about hanging with Dennis Rodman in a recent photoshoot. Luis is an inspirational young person who has the world in his hand and someone who is okay standing out in a crowd. I have always loved his individuality juxtaposed against the background of this hardcore atmosphere and I wanted to get into how he feels and thinks about many of things around him. This was a fun conversation to have and he is a great person to learn from and listen to his evolution as a someone who isn't limited by culture stereotypes or social expectations. https://www.instagram.com/lu2000k https://www.instagram.com/jesuspiecehc https://twitter.com/jesuspiecehc https://jesuspiecehc.bandcamp.com

Episode 25 The Return of Richie Mancuso... Hardcore's Cultural Value and It's Successes. https://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode25 There is no better person to be This Is Hardcore Podcast's first return guest : Richie Mancuso. For those who haven't checked out his first appearance, http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode7 is an awesome story of Richie's beginnings and the story of PAHC King's Krutch. In his second time on the show, We discuss a few things relative to our experiences in hardcore. Alot of great topics are touched on, but the overall most poignant and interesting stuff worth nothing would be the lack of giant commercial success for the greatest in hardcore's history, yet while being so impactful culturally to so many bands that would eventually find larger audiences and vast commercial successes in the mainstream rock world. This was a fun conversation and a great time for us to speak again. I look forward to more episodes like this in the future. Sponsor : https://www.xcrucifiedx.com https://www.instagram.com/wisdominchains https://www.fastbreakrecords.com https://www.instagram.com/z9band/ Opening Musical Track Courtesy of MH Chaos https://www.instagram.com/multiplehomefrontchaos https://multiplehomefrontchaos.bandcamp.com

Episode 24 - Damien Rodriguez. Smashing Through Everything and Never Giving Up. http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode24 Damien Rodriguez is a talented tattooer who is best known for his japanese art. But before he became known on multiple continents for his beautiful work, he was a stalwart of the Philadelphia Hardcore scene. Damien is also one of my closest friends and guitar player of our band Punishment. This episode is a long listen, but details not only Damien's origins, how he found hardcore through, 90's philadelphia and suburbs' scenes and the chaos of the shows back then, but a good bit of stories from the days of us on the road with Punishment. Damien's story is one of passion turned into pursuit, where he finds struggles in the beginning of the pursuit of his passion, but through his tireless efforts and never give up attack and attitude, he managed to not only achieve his goals, but crush them. From barely having any gear and teaching himself to play enough, to being on tour relentlessly with Punishment. Later he would begin as an apprentice screen printer and then as an apprentice tattooer, it was his ability to push himself past his limits and always get back up mentality that brought him from a small shop in South Jersey, to Long Island, NY, where he would travel to Japan and his life was changed forever. Once he returned to Japan, he knew his path and worked relentlessly at his craft, eventually working in the LES and honing his craft in Japan. He would eventually not only learn to speak fluent Japanese, but have an intimate understanding of the culture, which only aided his style and techniques further. He now resides in London, where he and his wife own Nine Tails Tattoo in Shoreditch, London, UK. This is another amazing story of someone who came from nothing pushed himself through all the hurdles, obstacles and setbacks and became a well established and accomplished tattoo artist. With his birthday coming up, I wanted to have him on the podcast and tell his story as a gift to him and all the listeners who always ask for Philly and Punishment stories. I'm biased as this is someone who is near and dear to me, but I loved having this conversation and really believe there is alot of information and inspiration to glean from his story. https://www.instagram.com/damienrodriguez https://www.instagram.com/ninetailstattoo https://www.facebook.com/ninetailstattoo.london https://ninetailstattoo.com/ 25 Pitfield St, Old Street, London N1 6HB, United Kingdom +44 20 7490 8614

Episode 23 Greg Falchetto... From The Mongoloids to Digital Managment https://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode23 Greg Falchetto grew up in New Jersey Hardcore. He was going to shows all through north and central NJ before he was even able to drive. He would learn the ropes of selling merch with bands like Senses Fail before he would even graduate High School. Hardcore punk takes ahold of him and its becomes an obsession, whether its going to shows, later playing in a joke band and doing weekend runs as roadie for bands like Shattered Realm, Senses Fail and others, it's his life. This would go even further as he starts The Mongoloids, what seemed as an oddball band, became a fixation in the US Hardcore scene through endless tours. Their constant activity on the road would cement their legacy, which would even take them overseas a few times. Greg would later meet his wife Natalie over the pond in London towards the end of the Mongoloids career. A chance would come his way working with Gamechanger World, a venue in Howell, NJ, to take all the experience garnished in the road crew and support roles of production into the management and day to day operations of a young talented youtube sensation. This would open doors towards him learning the ins and outs of talent management and eventually work his way into the field of digital management. This is great listen, both entertaining and informative. Greg is another great example of what happens when you find something you love, obsession takes hold and eventually finding a path towards a living and profession built up over several years of experience in vans all over the world.

Episode 22 Alex March.. Energy, Healing and the Power to Overcome. www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode22 Alex has lead an incredible life, and has battled and won against demons, spoke to angels and has managed to heal so many with her many talents and innate spirituality which has been with her since a very early age. Today she manages her time between training in multiple martial arts, teaching a women's kickboxing class and running her healing business. She has a very active social media presence, which she focuses alot of her time in speaking on the dangers of dealing with abuse in relationships, her experience with her own ex who was an abusive narcissist, and how you can overcome all of this. I met Alex when she was a teenager in the early 00's at a show in New Jersey. She found hardcore punk and underground shows at a very young age and it became a huge part of her life. She would eventually go from attending shows to working with bands and would even tour with the Warped Tour. She talks about her experiences within the hardcore punk scene, her time spent on the warped tour and some of the ups and downs that come within the two communities. Alex is a survivor, someone who drug herself out of a dangerous relationship and rebuilt her life from the ground up. She has learned so much about herself and also how to deal with predators, abusive partners and the red flags of narcissists. She is a healer, compassionate and thoughtful but beyond the new age beliefs, is a true blue hardcore punk, who not only serves her community, but gives back and seeks to heal those who have suffered what she suffered with. This conversation includes some uncomfortable, potentially triggering moments for those who've suffered similar abuse but I wanted to give her a platform so people who are in these situations, be it dangerous relationships or overcoming the trauma from abuse could hear her voice and story and have some hope and inspiration. Alex March is a powerful healer with a vibrant energy that is evident in her every word. This is a sidestep from our typical guest but as someone who I respect and have come to learn alot from, I value her experience and hope that she can help others get through the hard times. https://www.alexmarchenergy.com/ https://www.instagram.com/alxmrchenergy https://twitter.com/alxmrchenergy https://www.tiktok.com/@alxmrch

Episode 21 Jamie Bissonnette.. Under the Knife http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode21 Jamie Biss is the embodiment of hard work and the success that comes from it. So much of his story starts like all of ours, as a disenfranchised kid, who happens to find a place in the world. `Where punk and hardcore would supplant any need to focus energy towards school or career, it would be his own interests in the flavors that were in the vegetarian and vegan foods that he would come to love, that would be his calling and career path. Vegetarianism and veganism were huge impactful forces within the 90's hardcore scene, and being exposed to exotic flavors in the food, Jamie began not only being curious, but excited about learning to cook. He would move from New England to Florida, enrolled in Culinary school. He would be the roommate of Damien Moyal of Culture and managed to stay close to the scene, despite pouring his heart and soul into school, learning his trade. He would later move back to New England and truly begin to grind his way through kitchens in various restaurants. Even Staging, which is working for free in various restaurants to be exposed to new chefs and techniques. It would be a grinding process that would see him put countless unpaid hours in one spot, only to have to work elsewhere to pay the bills. This work ethich within him, really put him over the top and gave him the edge to one day start feeling like he had what it takes to be a great chef. Its this same process of finding a path of interest and grinding through it, that Jamie share with us, which has been told many times in other episodes of TIHC podcast. There are great lessons in Jamie's rise in the kitchens of New England, to even being the executive chef at a restaurant which opened in the former home of Boston Hardcore, the Rathskellar, or more commonly known as the Rat. He would rise to the occasion and do well, but later leave to begin a journey of becoming a restauranteur, opening restaurants with the very person, he'd hoped to one day just work in his kitchen. Jamie's story is filled with great recollections of 90s hardcore, the drive and commitment that is needed to succeed. He remained close to the people who he'd met decades ago in the beginning of his story, and has kept a love of hardcore and punk with him through all the successes. This is not just a story of a hardcore punk who made his way through the kitchens to be a leader in the Boston/NYC restaurant world, but of what anyone can achieve if they follow through and not stray from the path while putting everything they have and then some into achieving their goals. http://www.jamiebiss.com/

Episode 20: Zack Thorne - Respect Through Riffs. http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode20 Few hardcore guitarists have left such an indelible mark on hardcore as our Guest Zack Thorne, yet many may not even know his story. Zack in his teenage years played in Bulldoze, and alongside Mike the Bull, are responsible for what is commonly and simply referred to as "Beatdown". This conversation starts as much of our podcasts usually do, at the beginning in North Jersey. There is alot I'll leave out so you'll have to check it out, but we walk through Zack's metal years in high school and to his initial encounter with hardcore, how he and Puda, Mike etc started Retribution.. Later his first meeting with Kevone, who would later come to sing in their band, which they renamed Bulldoze. Having been a friend of Zack's for well over 20 years, the breadth and diversity of his time in hardcore bands, in my opinion has been overlooked. We spoke alot on the NJHC and NYHC scene of the mid to late 90s and brought up many old bands that have gotten in the sands of time. Something that stuck with me throughout the conversation, was his undying interest not only in the writing and developing his own sound, but his love and respect for hardcore in all forms. There is alot in this that weaves around previous guests we've had on the show and echoes alot of the same ideas and themes that come up about the networking of the bands before management and booking agents came over. From start to finish, this conversation was a joy for me. As a fan, friend and supporter of Zack through all his bands, projects etc, I've always found him to be in the highest spirit, always positive and supportive of the scene and everyone involved. Never a derogatory tone or focus, he sees the good in things and throughout the conversation shouts out old friends and people who looked out for him. This is a great listen, its part just 2 old friends talking about the good ol days, alot of zack's history and perspective on it, what went down and his methodology towards his playing, be it the influences of metal and the many people he's shared the stage and practice studio with. If you're a fan of hardcore, be it beatdown like Bulldoze, the great late 90s mixup of heavy riffs and different rhythms with a different touch of vocals like Train of Thought or the 2000s era mix of metal, hardcore and hip hop rhythms backed by clean singing Ala Agents of Man , or just a fan or interested party who enjoys hearing history by one of its makers, this is a must listen. http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/episode20 https://www.instagram.com/zackthorne11

Episode 19 Aram Arslanian .. Voice of Change http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode19 In 2021, we shed the worries of 2020. I couldn't think of someone whose story was more inspiring than Aram's. From growing up in punk in Alberta, Canada to coming to the Pacific Northwest and starting Champion, balancing his love of hardcore punk and his career in psychology and therapy. When Champion ended, he was quickly back to work and would eventually began coaching leadership. He is now the CEO of Cadence Leadership and even has a podcast. I couldn't think of anyone better to bring us in to the new year with inspiration and words of wisdom. https://www.instagram.com/aramxarslanian https://www.cadenceleadership.ca/ https://www.cadenceleadership.ca/podcast/ https://www.instagram.com/cadencelc https://changehardcore.bandcamp.com/

Episode 18 Scott Vogel.. Keeping The Faith photo by anne spina http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode18 Scott Vogel’s name in hardcore is so well known, that its hard to even consider where to start. Just like our guest on episode 1, I wrote a letter to Scott Vogel in 97 about booking his band Despair, and later would book Buried Alive’s first Philadelphia show in November of 98. We stayed in contact and when Terror’s seminal demo came out in 2002, I was selling them outside of our weekly soccer games down at Drexel Campus. Terror would go on to become world recognized as one of the most important hardcore bands of the last 20 years and known through their relentless touring of the globe from the smallest DIY spaces to the largest festival crowds in europe. What takes place in this episode is a conversation amongst friends that covers plenty of topics that come from a relaxed stream of conscience format that touches on Scott’s thoughts and feelings regarding hardcore and different era’s of his own career from the earliest days of Slugest to Terror and even World Be Free. It would be hard for me to summarize this , but I can say that there is alot more to the guy who is internationally known for amazing stage presence and his demand for more stagedives and this conversation illuminates that and many more lesser known things about the man who fronts one of the most beloved hardcore punk bands of all time. https://www.instagram.com/iamfinally https://www.instagram.com/terrorhardcore https://twitter.com/terrorhardcore

Episode 17 Juice E Joel Murphy... Welcome To Memphis http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode17 This Is Hardcore Fest would look much different if not for Juice/Joel Murphy and his creative talents. From the first day I met him almost 20 years ago, we became instant best friends and the rest was history. Juicy Joel was the singer of Clenched Fist, Memphis's finest and one of the only Memphis bands at the time. In fact, they were probably one of the only bands in that part of the South at the time that took its inspiration from the grittier east coast influences of Agnostic Front, Biohazard and Madball. After a few tours, a Full Length on Thorpe records, Juice and the gang put it to rest for awhile. But that is just where he turned his free time into the self taught web designer/creative artist that he is today. From the very beginning, he worked ingeniously to figure out how to code, build sites and through connections landed his first gig. So much of his story that we talk about is just how if you push forward, stay disciplined, you can learn just about anything, including a profitable career without the ghastly weight of a college education to pay off. There is so much in this episode from the Clenched Fist days, to Joel's work regimen and he gives plenty of pointers, tips and history on just how he went about learning and continues to grow his skills without college. This is a must for so many who are beginning or have began their freelancing gig or full on career. Juice is the man behind This Is Hardcore Fest.com, Phillyhcshows.com, TIHCPODCAST.com and also my right hand man from the days leading up to the fest, to the very last table that gets put away each year at the fest. There are some hilarious behind the scenes stories from TIHC that had me laughing for minutes. From back in the day stories, to much needed advice and inspiration from a self taught successful freelancer, to amazing drunken stories of backstage chaos, Juice commands throughout the episode and makes for an exciting, entertaining and insightful listen. clenchedfist.bandcamp.com/ twinturbodesign.com twitter.com/juicyjoel