This Is Hardcore Podcast

Episode 16 Rob Sullivan of Ruiner... Getting Wrecked http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode16 Rob Sullivan is an amazing character from the Baltimore hardcore scene. Whether he was booking Bad Luck 13, or helping out CCAS, he has made an impact locally and was insanely dedicated to preserving the DIY venue and supporting the area's hardcore scene. His story and direction he took his life is not one of your typical hardcore band guy format. From his early days as a wrestler to finding HC music and touring, later he turned his focus into MMA. As Wreck It Rob Sullivan, he smashed his way into the local MMA circuits until he decided to call it quits and return to hardcore and also training in BJJ at Baltimore BJJ. He would later go to school, get certified in personal fitness and begin his journey managing Baltimore BJJ & starting his own company Get Wrecked Fitness. There is an amazing drive spurned from his hands on, working class background that allows Rob to push himself to his goals. Whether its learning a new skill, training Kickboxing in Holland or just working on a DIY venue, He puts 100% into his efforts. It is easily seen in just the amount of shows that Ruiner played in their first few years, they were literally a band who travelled far and wide and its intense touring garnished the attention for Chris Wrenn of Bridge 9 (episode 1) to sign them. There is so much more in the conversation that you will need to listen to, just for the experience and inspiration. Rob has an incredible story and we laughed and had a blast recording this. Sorry for a bit of feedback in the transmission, this is what happens when we have to rely on zoom calls.. Check Rob out at... http://www.baltimorebjj.com/ https://getwreckedfitness.us/

Episode 15 Tim Borror.. His Rise to Success & How He Booked All Your Favorite Bands http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode15 Tim Borror is a Philadelphia Hardcore Legend, who has had his hands in booking shows as early as 1987, and later would become one of the most successful booking agents in Hardcore Punk and in Metal. He began booking Killing Time and Vision a US tour, and the rest they say is history. He worked out of a North Philly apartment booking both shows and running his own booking agency, handling bands like Sheer Terror, Life of Agony and Type O Negative. I don't want to transcribe the entire contents of the conversation in this bio, but needless to say, by the time he was 20, he was responsible for booking so many of our favorite bands from both hardcore and metal. His impact in american heavy metal, the rise of swedish death metal and also in metalcore today is absolutely astounding. There are so many good stories and lessons on how he graduated to the big leagues while still keeping his core beliefs intact. Throughout all of this, he still regards himself as a punk rocker/hardcore kid at heart. Which considering the magnitude of the work he puts in with some serious bands, its a testament to the same tenets we've spoke about with other guests, DIY spirt, the inspiration and never give up attitude which drives him as an entrepreneur from a very early age, to a very powerful and successful booking agent with almost 30 years in the business. His story speaks for itself and there is much to learn from our conversation. Whether you're in a band, or just want to know how or why people get involved in the music industry beyond being in a band, this is an absolute master class on all of the things that aren't written in text books. Sound Talent Group (Agency info): www.soundtalentgroup.com Instagram: @soundtalentgroup Sound Talent Media (podcasts): www.soundtalentmedia.com Instagram: @stmpodcasts LiveFrom.Events (live streaming): https://livefrom.events

Episode 14 James Vitalo.. Dealing With The Devil http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode14 James Vitalo is best known as the frontman of Backtrack, a Long Island Hardcore band that inspired a resurgence of bands, shows and activity in the area. We go through some of the early days of the band and touch on the breakup. I spent a good amount of time discussing James's work first as a booking agent under State of Mind Booking and later as manager of Terror, Turnstile, Knocked Loose etc while working with Good Fight Entertainment. Having watched him rise from the beginning to working with him on plenty of shows and with his bands being a part of This Is Hardcore every year, I watched his progression and I knew he'd be a great guest to speak on different aspects of Hardcore, from being in the band, to booking the bands and then to managing the bands. He has a great connection to hardcore and his grounding in it has lead to him being able to work between the world of hardcore and to get the bands the support they need as they rise to the occasion of their growing popularity. His early roots are completely DIY and he is very hands on still to this day in how he operates. There is alot to glean from here on the who/what/where but more importantly some of the subtle How's and Why's to do things.

Episode 13 Ernie Talbert.. Dancefloor to Boardroom http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode13 Ernie Talbert has been a friend of mine for a long time. From the early crazy days of Philly shows, Bad Luck 13 Riots, scraps with nazis and alot of great times had with friends. Over 20 years ago, Ernie was a constant face in the area Hardcore and HipHop scene, between moshpits, EL routes, road trips to rock out with our friends. He briefly had a hip hop group and played the First Unitarian Church with HorrorShow, along with featuring Mike Brown /Moneygrip (from Punishment) on a track and in a video. But somewhere along the lines, he began to made inroads to a corporate life. He would end up being a huge factor in Hainesbrands, and would help bring Champion back to life. I saw a video with him coaching a young entrepreneur and was floored, Not by his presence, because I always knew he had it in him, but just to see a friend from back in the day, now able to mentor a new generation was just so inspiring. This episode is shorter because of the window of time that was available on his schedule and because I had some major technical difficulties and was only able to get about 1.5 hrs in. This conversation is not like other ones we've done and it was interesting and fun to have our guest ask me some questions in the mix. I look forward to having him back on the show and check in on all the good work that he is putting into the world. His story is inspiring and should give quite a few notes and pointers to get you motivated to make the upward progression from the dancefloors, to the boardrooms if that is where your heart is set on heading towards. @ErnieTalbert on Twitter.

Episode 12 Anthony Moreschi... Don't Stand In Line *photo by Anne Spina http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode12 Anthony Moreschi's road to hardcore punk and this podcast episode started in riding BMX bikes in New England. Through BMX he'd find hardcore shows in the suburbs of Boston. He would eventually go on to front one of the most notable bands of the 90's, Ten Yard Fight. Their impact in the second wave of youth crew was felt across the country. Their last show was deemed Edge Day, which began a 21 year tradition of Celebrating Straight Edge on October 17th. When Ten Yard Fight ended, Anthony wouldn't stop there. He would go on to become a director/editor and even get nominated for an Emmy. I'll let our conversation on this episode fill in all of these details. I was happy to have Anthony "Wrench" on the podcast, not only to talk about Ten Yard Fight and his path from beginning to the present, but also because he is releasing a Docuseries entitled "Don't Stand In Line". Don't Stand In Line is a Docuseries, set up like a netflix series, with specific Episodes on members of the hardcore scene, who through their creativity and DIY spirit have pushed their passion into legitimate businesses. Chris Wrenn of Bridge 9 (episode 1 of our podcast) and Sunny Singh (Episode 2) of our podcast are featured in this first season. This is a true DIY project, funded in full by Anthony, who is also the director and primary videographer. This is an amazing deep look into hardcore punk, its DIY foundation and how these entrepreneurs have learned from the scene and put their blood, sweat and tears into their work. This is true of the people featured in Don't Stand In Line and of our guest this week. Hardcore and the community have always given so many the opportunity to not only learn new skills, network and infuse a DIY approach to solutions within the framework of our world, but also raised a few generations of DOers who would go beyond the basics and take a chance striking out on their own, being their own bosses and making shit happen. Thats what This Is Hardcore Podcast is about, and that is what Anthony's project Don't Stand In Line is about. https://www.codecprojects.com/ https://www.facebook.com/codecprojects https://www.instagram.com/codecprojects Also give him some support, he has decided to take his endeavor into podcast form. His first guest is our beloved Sunny Singh https://www.codecprojects.com/podcast

Episode 11 Salem Vex of Bloodbather.. Putting the Work In http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode11 Salem Vex is a self taught musician whose background and story is worth detailing. From how he found hardcore, to the struggle of being raised in a single parent home. The resilience in the face of the adversities before him, he managed to teach himself guitar, start a band so he could travel and eventually found himself and the strength to break the mold of stereotypical subculture costumes and began his adrogynous style of dress. Bloodbather played This Is Hardcore in 2019. I hadn't spoke much to him aside from interactions on twitter and I was constantly impressed by his talents beyond Bloodbather. Despite the more metallic sounds of Bloodbather and being signed to Rise Records, they are 100% DIY, from how they booked their tours, to the recordings early on. Salem would continue his self taught DIY, creative energy into producing beats and working on Synths, while also hosting a Local goth night. As hardcore grows, there is more influences that come from outside the sphere of the originators of the hardcore punk sound, but as in the case with Salem and people like him, they draw their influences and invest them into their projects which pushes the modern hardcore sound. After having the conversation on this episode, I have found that not only do I have a deeper friendship with him, but that we grew up and hold many similar ideas. There is alot to learn and take to heart, in the way that he didn't let his background hold him back from trying new things, pushing forward and finding a way to learn how to play, buy instruments, book tours and get the world to pay attention to Bloodbather. His work touches back on many previous guests and their ability to network and use youtube and other internet sources to push forward his drive towards success. This is a great story of innovation, never giving up and always looking to find a way to make things happen. twitter.com/salemvex instagram.com/salemvex twitter.com/bloodbather instagram.com/bloodbather

Episode 10 Phil Vibez of Irate & Judas Syndrome,.. A Bronx Hardcore Tale http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode10 For those who listened to Episode 6 with Kevin Castle, you will undoubtedly remember Kevin talking about Irate, a band whose legacy remains strong to this day. After the excitement from the release of that episode, we had to bring Phil Vasquez, better known as Phil Vibez on the show... Phil Vibez started out a metalhead from the Bronx and would be introduced to NYHC at an early age. The coming of age in NYC would be a good story already, but adding the element of travelling across boroughs to be a part of an underground punk scene and this story really takes off. In this conversation, Phil's calm demeanor allows for a retelling and recollecting that makes the long format episode breeze by. There is no ego and lack of praise coming from him, he is very apt in showing gratitude and love to not only hardcore and metal, but to his bandmates and those folks he held close to him. The Irate story from beginning to end doesn't stop Phil and he discusses his next musical endeavor Judas Syndrome. There is so much to this episode, that I don't want to detail it too much here, but needless to say, there is more to the story of Phil then going from one band to the next.

Episode 9 Jaye Brooks, A Knight In Shining Armor http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode9 Jaye Brooks is the owner of The Knights Hall in Nashua, NH. He is also founded Armored Combat Sports, a National League of Armored Fighting with chapters/teams across the country. But his story starts in the 80s, playing Dungeons and Dragons. From his first interaction with SCA (Society For Creative Anachronism) Fighters, he knew he wanted to be in armor. This would begin his lifelong journey studying sword fighting. He would over time become a renowned figure within the SCA throughout the World and after many years needed a new challenge. He gathered some other Knights and fighters of renown and began training as Team USA for the Battle of the Nations, a European Festival which is like the Olympic games of Medieval Fighting. This isn't just a story about a Sword fighter, or modern American medievalism, this is about a creative, determined individual who through the same DIY spirit as most of our podcast's previous guests, learned to find a way to make something happen where there hasn't been something like it before. From renting space in an old mill in New England, to training himself to be ready to take on Melee fights (Group Fighting) in a 5 v 15 and 16 v 16 setting against opponents from Eastern Europe who were half his age, Jaye Brooks pushed himself and learned to push others through the first real US exposure to this steel fighting at an International Level. With determination and unwavering confidence, Team USA would go from 5th place to taking several Gold Medals in a few short years. This episode shows so many similarities between the burgeoning American Steel Fighting culture and our own hardcore punk world. From networking to the instant relation and lifelong long friendships built, their community is just like our own. The Knights Hall and its teams have been present at previous This Is Hardcore Fests, fighting in demonstration fashion in 5 v 5 and in 1 v 1. Everyone who saw the fighting loved it. As you hear Jaye talk and explain his methodology, thought process and the innovations he's made in training and organization, you can find so many co-relating principles that are acted upon in Hardcore businesses, show booking etc. Sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zone and we find a new hobby or at least a different perspective on our own lifestyle and pursuits. In talking to Jaye, I found many ways the two cultures are entwined and similar and thought that this is a great way to step back from talking about hardcore bands or people in the scene and still find so many topics that have been touched upon on this podcast s' previous episodes coming back up in this one. Jaye Brooks is a fascinating, inspiring person who loves what he does, and found a way to make it his living. If there is a way to win at the game of life, its living from what you love to do and his story on how he left the corporate world to be a professional swordfighter and trainer of US Athletes who represent on a International level is just that. http://www.theknightshall.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Knightshall https://www.instagram.com/the_knights_hall/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxh2DrCQ02a3rDRbAK63UQw

Episode 8 On A WarPath with Jami Morgan of Code Orange http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode8 Early in the evolution of the band, back when they were still the Code Orange Kids, I had the opportunity to meet with them to give out some flyers for a show I booked for them here. Our episode starts there. Much of what we talk about, isn't new records and new technology, but on the early days, when the road was less forgiving and the crowds were quite sparse. This is a story of a band who was molded into a machine. Out of the drive and focus as a team on setting and achieving goals, Jami walks us through the foundation of what would become Code Orange today. Much of our conversation is on the ideas and the structure within the band itself, as each member plays multiple key roles that plays into the vision that they've built for the band. Jami Morgan himself, is a self described maniac. I find him to be much like other podcast guests, creative, obsessive, driven and someone who is constantly raising the bar for himself and pushing beyond the limits of what the last achievement was. Its a great story, and in his perspective, there is so much to be thankful for from the early days, and so much yet to be achieved in the present day. Many may find the confidence intimidating, but when you hear where they have come from and what they put into this band, which is their every day, full time job, it does waver between obsession, dedication and a healthy dose of insanity. But the results are undeniable, To rise with 5 years to be a Grammy nominated band, whose name is ubiquitous in both Metal and Hardcore, there needed to be blood, sweat and tears to rise the way they did. With years of friendship between the two of us, and a great relationship between the band and the fest, I was lucky to know a good bit of this already, but it was a fun ride to push Jami beyond his comfort zone and dig deeper. There is a sincere passion that is sometimes unseen because of the intensity in which he speaks of the direction and creativity of the band. While peers may sometimes play coy or humble brag, there is a cut and dry dissemination from Jami and it is raw and powerful. https://www.codeorangetoth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/codeorangetoth https://twitter.com/codeorangetoth

Episode 7 RICHIE KRUTCH, THE GODFATHER OF PAHC http://www.thisishardcorefest.com/podcast/episode7 Richie Mancuso of Wisdom in Chains, better known as Richie Krutch takes us down memory lane in the early 90's NEPA hardcore scene. From house party shows while in high school, to the infamous Airport Music Hall in Allentown,PA and 100s of nazis at shows, Richie walks us through the beginning of Krutch, one of the most important Pennsylvania Hardcore bands, that would lay the foundation in the Keystone State for so many other bands, including Rich's current band Wisdom In Chains. Echoing previous guests' thoughts on that era of hardcore, we hear more on how bands networked to play out of their own scenes. Krutch would be a standard bearer for PAHC traveling out of state every weekend, and would eventually even garnish attention abroad. It is a great conversation with plenty of detail into the early days of Krutch and many of the great shows and venues of the era like Sea Sea's in Moosic, PA. This episode lays the foundation for much of the friendships that still exist over 25 years later, that explains how alot of the first connections amongst PAHC began. Richie is a Union Concrete Laborer and travels every day via bus from the Poconos to NYC, he has been doing this for over 25 years now. He still manages to write/record/ play shows and tour with Wisdom In Chains. He also runs the Post America Podcast with fellow bandmates Chris Mav and Jotham Oliver. He is also a part of Fastbreak Records and Crucified Straight Edge Clothing. He is a paragon in the PAHC community and is beloved across the world. His wit and calm demeanor and sense of humor has brought alot of attention to recent editions of the Post America Podcast under the subtitle "Voices From Quarantine" . He recently had rapper/actor Slaine, Lillo Brancato ("C" in Bronx Tale) Freddy Madball, Scott Vogel, Jami Morgan and many more. WWW.WISDOMINCHAINS.BANDCAMP.COM https://soundcloud.com/the-post-america-podcast WWW.XCRUCIFIEDX.COM WWW.FASTBREAKRECORDS.COM