MORNING AFTER: BRAD HANCOCK MEMORIAL SHOW

This isn't going to be a typical play-by-play of the show the other night, because we're still trying to process everything.

In short, it was amazing. It was one of the most fun shows I've ever been a part of and I wanted to thank Blake and Jessica for everything they did to get it together. Thanks, also, to all the bands that played, everyone that donated raffle prizes, and everyone that showed up early and/or stayed late.

Seven Daggers, Close Grip, Despite Despair, Skeiff D'Bargg, City to City, Cherem, Aftermath of a Trainwreck, Tamerlane, Pushing Up Daisies and Clear were all fantastic and heartfelt appreciation goes out to each and every person in those bands for dedicating your time, energy, and heart to getting your sets ready over the past few months.

I, like most of you I'm sure, spent a long time yesterday searching Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube for pictures and videos from the show. You guys did a great job of being in the moment during the show, but also documenting it, so good job on that front. It's a hard thing to pull off these days.

If you have footage (of any kind) from the show, feel free to send me a link at trevorhale@gmail.com. I'd be happy to post videos and photos from the show up here over the next few days/weeks.

There won't be a lot of new content on GCA going forward, but there may be some. Dan and I didn't quite finish all the 101's we had planned, but we'd like to. Our goal is to finish the rest and roll them out over the course of a few weeks and maybe get them all collected into a zine at some point this year. Fingers crossed on that.

Thanks again to everyone that reads this site, commented and shared Facebook posts, came to the show, threw punches and kicks, and had a good fucking time.

Thanks to Byron (of Skeiff D'Bargg) for the City to City set below. Hopefully there's more to come.

VANILLA GORILLA: INTO THE LIGHT

Rob Everett aka Rob Mini-Marts aka Robbie aka The Drummer of Skeiff D' Bargg aka Vanilla Gorilla just dropped his first solo recording since 2005's One Man Crew. It's titled Into the Light and it merges the youth crew sound of his earlier releases with some really interesting metallic elements.

And don't fret, a tasteful assortment of high-quality samples and a killer bonus track keep that trademark xVxGx vibe alive.

Listen to the entire EP on Bandcamp.

POLL RESULTS: ALBEE SQUARE IS YOUR FAVORITE VENUE OF THE 2000s

You can't mention hardcore from the beginning of the 2000s without bringing up Albee Square. Just yesterday, a close friend of mine took a Facebook poll that asked him how he and I met and his answer was, "Probably at a show at Albee."  Blake and Scott brought in so many great bands (Integrity, Ringworm, Amendment 18... the list could go on for days) and there was always a sense that the venue was alive for all the right reasons. Salt Lake bands like Aftermath of a Trainwreck, Cherem, and Skeiff d' Bargg played some of their most historic shows in that big, lofty space.

The Vortex came in second. This makes a lot of sense since The Vortex was very much the Albee Square of the second half of the 2000s. Blake and Sias brought dozens and dozens of great bands and made just as many memories for locals. Salt Lake acts like Tamerlane, Up River, Cool Your Jets, Shutout, XReflectX, and City to City really got their start in that, once again, big, lofty space. And  the new generation of Ogden Hardcore bands journeyed south for the first times to play shows there. 

Thankfully, everyone remembers the Junction(s) in the correct light and chose not to vote for them. (Though there were some amazing shows at those places... Bad Luck 13?)

Here's the Top 3:

Albee Square - 31 (29%)

Vortex - 21 (20%)

DV8 - 18 (17%)

What are your thoughts?

SKEIFF.....D'.....BARGG!

R.I.P.

2003-2005

Get the full story of SDB with Salt Lake Hardcore 101.

SALT LAKE HARDCORE 101: SKEIFF D' BARGG

• Skeiff d'Bargg on MySpace

SDB's longest running line-up. Circa 2004.
Jake, Blake, Dan, Robbie, Little E

On a cold Fall evening in 2003, Blake Foard, Dan Fletcher and Eddie Golub sat around a table at the infamous Salt Lake Coffee Break. The subject of discussion? A new Salt Lake Hardcore band. Coming from Aftermath of a Trainwreck, Cherem and Tamerlane respectively, the trio sought to break from the more metallic sound of their other outfits and create something more aligned with the late 80s sounds of Slapshot and Judge. One or two practices later, the project dissolved.

Some months after that, Dan got a call from Blake. "Hey Dan," Blake said, "I'm doing a show for Integrity... you want to get that band back together and open?" Integrity being one of Dan's favorite bands he agreed, then proceeded to slamdance around his apartment air guitaring the opening riff to "Micha."

The two enlisted Jake of Aftermath of a Trainwreck and Trevor of Cherem on guitar and bass and dragged Skerv down from Ogden to play drums. The plan: to play fast, traditional, old school hardcore in Salt Lake City. This was a crazy idea to say the least considering it had been years since a Salt Lake band had attempted to write a song without a breakdown.

Another chance meeting at the Coffee Break would provide the band with its ridiculous name. Various members of the Salt Lake hardcore scene sat around a ring of couches. One of those in attendance, a guy named Andrew, struck up a conversation with a neighboring group of girls.

"Have you ladies seen the movie, Skeiff d'Bargg," asked Andrew.

"No, what's that?"

"You haven't seen Skeiff d'Bargg? Starring Terrance Jeffreyson and Honyierpo Fishpound?"

"Umm, no, what's it about?"

"Well, it's about a gang of Japanese bikers that go back in time..."

A few days before the Integrity show, the band was without a name. "Let's call it Skeiff d'Bargg," Blake said to Dan. "Okay." And the dumbest name in the history of Salt Lake hardcore was set in stone.

The show went off without a hitch.

Well, except that the band didn't know any of their songs except covers of Sick of it All's "Clobberin' Time" and Judge's "New York Crew" and kids mainly stood around confused over the lack of breakdowns. Oh, and when the band distributed the iron-on merchandise they made in the minutes before the show, Tyler of Aftermath got a purple, XXL turtleneck with kick me screened on the back. The set went better for Skeiff than it did for Tyler.

But Skeiff was born!

Rob Mini-Marts was brought in on drums shortly after and became an integral part of the band--by this I mean, the only part with the motivation to book recording time, make merch, write song and lyrics, etc. etc. Bassists included at one time or another "Kick Me" Tyler, Byron of Creation and Little E.

The band unofficially released a number of demos, most notably 2005's Jean Claude Van Demo, and recorded nearly 30 songs that would become This Is All We Know: The Skeiff d' Bargg Discography--limited to something like 60 or 70. (There would have been more copies but Blake, Jake and Dan decided to spend more time laminating garbage than making sleeves at Kinkos before the show.)

Anthems like "Drug Free for Christ's Sakes" and "Fuck the Cops" won the hearts of many, but continued to leave them motionless and confused by the lack of breakdowns.

Skeiff provided a soundtrack for many infamous Salt Lake Hardcore shows including the DRI riot in the DV8 Basement, the one at Albee Square where the homeless guy died in the street and the New Year's Eve show where the kid went into a seizure.

Perhaps the highlight of the band's career came when they convinced studio genius and hardcore veteran Andy Patterson to record vocals on a cover of the Cro-Mags' "Hard Times." The track was hidden at the end of one of the band's many demos.

Constant line-up changes brought Skeiff to a halt in 2005. Blake continued to play with Aftermath of a Trainwreck and went on to form Cool Your Jets, Gloves Off and Dismantled. Dan continued on with Cherem before doing time with First Blood, Gloves Off and City to City. Jake vanished. Robbie played with Shutout, Asthma Attack and worked on his solo project, the Vanilla Gorilla, before moving to Seattle where he plays in the band Media Mind.

Skeiff's music can be found at their MySpace page.

GAVIN'S UNDERGROUND INTERVIEWS ANDY PATTERSON

Andy Patterson has become the premiere producer to work with in Utah. Helping record, track and mix a good portion of the work currently out there today, giving local artists a chance to have a fine sounding and well produced album. The catalog of artists he's helped is too long for me to even being listing, not to mention the number of bands he himself has been a part of as a drummer during his 20+ year stint here. I got a chance to chat with Andy about his career and works, along with thoughts on the scene and a few other topics. Along with a tour for pictures of his South Salt Lake recording studio.

Read more...

Andy has recorded classic albums for bands from Iceburn to Tamerlane. He's played in dozens of great bands including a stint with hardcore legends Inside Out. He once laid down vocals for a hard-to-find cover of the Cro-Mags' "Hard Times" with Skeiff d'Bargg. And he's an all around nice dude to boot.

MORNING AFTER: ONE CLEAN LIFE E.P. RELEASE

Friday's show opened with the first live appearance of new band Dismantled. Featuring ex-members of Idaho's Silas and Salt Lake's Aftermath of a Trainwreck, heavy riffage was expected but the band surprised many with its doomy melodies and dark vocals sung by Blake of Skeiff d'Bargg/Cool Your Jets fame. The band just finished recording its demo. You can check it out here.

Idaho's Outlet made its first Salt Lake appearance next, impressing many with a crushing mix of Disembodied dissonance and Sleeping Giant optimism. This band needs to take more road trips.

Next up was Rhode Island hardcore rock'n'roll band, She Rides. Yep.

The evening was rounded out by two of Ogden's finest: Reach and One Clean Life.

Reach's light-speed guitar harmonies and epic song structures get tighter with each set. If you're a fan of mid-2000s melodic hardcore in the vein of Love is Red or With Honor, don't sleep on this band.

Rounding out the evening, One Clean Life celebrated the release of their Something New E.P. Living up to their hardcore party vibe, the band put on an energetic performance which included an especially energetic cover of the Beastie Boy's "Fight for Your Right to Party." If you didn't get your hands on a copy of the E.P., Skinned Elbow Records is the place to find it.

Dismantled from Grudge City Activities on Vimeo.


One Clean Life - 3 from Grudge City Activities on Vimeo.


Reach from Grudge City Activities on Vimeo.

LIFELESS TAKES POLL #04

With 14 votes, the Lifeless 7", released in '96 on Life Sentence Records, is officially the "Salt Lake Hardcore E.P. That Got People Most Stoked For A Full-Length That Never Followed." Look out for Grudge City 101: Lifeless coming soon. For now you can wise up on the band here.

The City to City demo nabbed a close 2nd with 12 votes and Skeiff's infamous Jean Claude Van Demo took 3rd with 9 votes.

Lifeless - 7" - 14 (22%)

City to City - Demo - 12 (19%)

Skeiff d'Bargg - "Jean Claude Van Demo" - 9 (14%)

Opened Up - "All Dressed Up And Nowhere to Die" - 7 (11%)

Cool Your Jets - "Saving Grace" - 5 (8%)

78 Days After Death - E.P. - 4 (6%)

Shutout - Demo - 4 (6%)

Dogwelder - Demo - 3 (4%)

Deadfall/Emerge from Darkness - Split - 2 (3%)

Triphammer - Demo - 1 (1%)

Gutshot - Demo - 1 (1%)

Votes so far: 62

ZACH DE LA ROCHA DEBUTS NEW PROJECT

De la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine, Inside Out) and Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta) have posted the song "Wild International" from their new project One Day As A Lion on MySpace.

“One Day As A Lion is both a warning delivered and a promise kept. A defiant affirmation of the possibilities that exist in the space between kick and snare. It’s a sonic reflection of the visceral tension between a picturesque fabricated cultural landscape, and the brutal socioeconomic realities it attempts to mask," states their biography.

GRUDGE CITY AFFILIATION: Local recording guru Andy Patterson (Tamerlane, Cherem, Aftermath, Skeiff, etc. etc.) did time as the drummer of De la Rocha's early hardcore band, Inside Out (Revelation Records), which also featured Chris Bratton & Alex Baretto of Chain of Strength and Vic Dicara of Shelter, 108 & Beyond.

Proof of AP's hardcore credibility can also be found on Skeiff d' Bargg's hidden cover of the Cro-Mags' "Hard Times," to which Patterson lent vocals.

OLD NEWS RECORDS POSTS RARE, UNRELEASED GRUDGE CITY HARDCORE

Head over to Old News Records to hear a cover of Breakdown's "Sick People" by, drum roll............TAMERLANE.

The song was recorded for a never-released compilation that also included Skeiff d' Bargg covering Gorilla Biscuits & Aftermath covering Youth Defense League. Tamerlane's addition is the most epic interpretation of a hardcore classic you'll ever hear, done only as a Salt Lake band could.

Old News is a label with a mission to release Salt Lake's giant catalog of ancient or unreleased classics. The label's been lying lower than shows over the past year but expect big things in the coming months. Upcoming projects include releases from Opened Up, Tamerlane, Deadfall, Up River and more!

Here's Breakdown playing "Don't Give Up," "March of the White Trash" & "Sick People" at the Wetlands back in '96.