CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELVES
TO BREAKING THE SILENCE RADIO SHOW`S WEB SITE VISITORS?
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Hey, this is Chris, guitar-player in Munich's based HC outfit PAINT THE TOWN RED.
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PAINT THE TOWN RED IS KINDA INTERESTING NAME FOR A BAND. WHY RED? IS THERE ANY HIDDEN MESSAGE BEHIND THIS NAME OR WAS IT MORE LIKE TO ATTRACT AUDIENCE WITH SOMETHING NEW?
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Nope, no hidden message. The
name PAINT THE TOWN RED comes from the wild west times,
when the cowboys boasted about “painting the town red”
(randomly shooting people) and means to go out and have
a good time. Actually everytime we pack our gear to
play a show somewhere we paint that town red. We drive
really long distances for only 30 minutes on stage but
during these 30 minutes we are 100% and try to kick
some asses, try to paint the town red. To be a lil`
more serious, it’s basically a phrase that has 3 meanings
and all of them apply to the band:• Going out on a party
– pure enjoyment, energy and fun, living your life with
no rules. • To start a fight – when you are pushed around
– don’t let anyone fuck with you. • A political message
to the kids. Don’t be apathetic, do something, get organized,
join a strike, join a protest – fucking stand up for
you and your people.
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YOU FORMED BAND NOT SO LONG AGO
BUT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF INTERESTS IN YOUR BAND RECENTLY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS?
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I know that a lot of kids like what we do, they like our music, they like our live shows and our lyrics / what we stand for. But to get in touch with all these kids there is only one way: playing as many shows as possible. We are definitely one of the most active European hardcore bands when it comes down to playing live. We have toured Europe 4 times and played an endless number of single shows / festivals. A lot of kids came to our shows who have never heard of us before and saw us for the first time. I really think this is the coolest way to get in touch with a band.
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YOU SEEMED TO HAVE HAD VERY STRONG MEDIA PROMOTION THROUGH JOIN THE TEAM PLAYER/AVOCADO BOOKING AGENCY? IS THIS RECORD LABEL SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN CALL YOUR “HOME”?
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| JTTP and Avocado is run by 2 very dedicated individuals and both are great companies to work with. Ivonne and Marco work their asses off for their bands and try to push them whereever they can. There’s a lot of marketing and business involved but they always stick to their ideals and ethics. A great label and a great booking agency. |
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU HAVE AN UNCOMPROMISING AND PASSIONATE ATTITUDE TOWARDS HAPPENINGS ON HARD CORE SCENE? WHERE DOES COME ALL THIS FRUSTRATION FROM?
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| Well, I’ve been part of the hardcore scene for over 10 years now, some other band members even longer. We have seen a lot of changes within that time, a lot of trends, a lot of fights and a lot of fragmentation. The hardcore scene, just like any other thing in the world, isn’t perfect. It has its shady sides, contradictions and mistakes. Since we spend so much time in and with the hardcore scene, we see it as our duty to point out these grievances and try to make it a better place. |
YOUR LYRICS REFER TO SO MANY SOCIAL THEMES AND ONE OF THEM IS YOUR HOME TOWN MUNICH, GERMANY? CAN YOU TELL US MORE OF LYRICAL SIDE OF YOUR BAND?
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| Munich is a very conservative place. Although it is still governed by the left-wing party, there’s a lot of right wing and ignorant attitudes and politics. Most forms of criticism are nipped in the bud which makes it really hard to live an alternative lifestyle. That’s what the song “Streets of Munich” deals with.
Generally speaking our lyrics are really important to us. There are way too many hardcore bands out there these days who don’t have anything to say and that sickens us. |
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT GERMAN HARD CORE SCENE IN GENERAL. WHAT BANDS AND RECORD LABELS DO YOU SEE AS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND INFLUENTIAL?
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| Apart from JTTP rec you should definitely watch out for LET IT BURN RECORDS and BENIIHANA RECORDS. As far as bands are concerned make sure you check out A TRAITOR LIKE JUDAS, THE CRIMSON DIVINE, A THIN RED LINE, RISE AND FALL, NOVEMBER COMING FIRE, DARK DAY DUNGEON, COMMANDO, UNDER SIEGE, BRIDGE TO SOLACE, EVERY MAN THE ENEMY etc. Of course there are a lot of other bands that kick ass. Just recognize that the European Hardcore scene has at least as much to offer as the USA. |
EVEN THOUGH I DON`T WANT TO SOUND NOSTALGIC AND PATHETIC BUT SOMEHOW I FEEL LIKE THERE IS A PRETTY BIG MESS ON THE HARD CORE SCENE TODAY. DO YOU THINK THAT SCENE CAN IMPROVE AND IF SO IN WHICH WAY? WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE GENERATOR OF SOMETHING NEW, ORIGINAL AND FRESH ON THIS SCENE IN NEAR FUTURE?
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I hope that the kids will reclaim one of the most important things of hardcore: meaning. As I already said, a lot of bands don’t have anything to say, they might have a lot of listeners but do they really touch their minds and hearts? I doubt it. I want to read more lyrics that move me, more lyrics that make me think and maybe change something in my life. If “hardcore with relevance” was the next trend, then I would be the happiest person!
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| LET`S GET BACK TO YOUR BAND. YOU JUST RELEASED SPLIT MCD WITH RISE AND FALL FROM BELGIUM? YOUR OPINION ABOUT IT? HOW DID IT COME TO WORK WITH THESE GUYS? |
| The Split CD was originally planned to be released with another band, which had to cancel the cooperation. So we decided to do it with RISE AND FALL instead. Their singer Björn has been a friend for a long time and out of all new European hardcore acts, R&F is definitely one of the most brutal and promising ones. |
| NEW ALBUM NAMED “HOME IS WHERE THE HATE IS” IS ON THE WAY TO BE RELEASED IN AUGUST THIS YEAR. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM IT? |
| We recorded 13 new tracks in April 2004. Kids who liked our former stuff will love this CD but I am sure we can also attrack a lot of people who might not have been the biggest fans of PTTR so far. The rock parts got more rock, and the mosh parts more mosh and there’s a whole bunch of awesome melodies. The CD has a very powerfull and brutal prodcution. Lyrics and artwork are also well-considered. We are 100% satisfied with the release. |
JUST RECENTLY, LAST WINTER WE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE SOME BANDS FROM GERMANY? WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT THESE PARTS OF EUROPE AND SHOW US HOW YOU DO IT LIVE?
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Of course we'd love to visit these parts of Europe, we heard lots of good things about shows in Eastern Europe in general. But at the moment we don't have any touring plans, as soon as we are working on them we'll try to touch these territories as well.
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| ANY CLOSING WORDS? |
| Thanks for the interview and your
support. Make sure you check out our website: www.lastgangintown.com |
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Posted on July 2004
Questions: Miroslav Mike Lazic
Answers: Chris
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