Brian Peterson Interview

Brian Peterson is the author of 'Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution in Ethics, Politics, Spirit, and Sound', a great read about a decade in the hardcore punk scene.

Harry Guerin: Was there an exact moment where you decided, 'I'm going to write a book about hardcore music in the 1990s' or did the idea come together over a period of time?
Brian Peterson: It came together over a period of time. I remember when [Steven Blush's book] 'American Hardcore' came out and diving into it, and really enjoying it. There were so many interesting and crazy stories about all those amazing pioneering bands! But I bristled when I came across the author's assertion that hardcore died in 1985 or '86. Sure, that first era may have ended, but there were some pretty amazing eras that came after, including the early to mid-Nineties era, which I was fortunate to be a part of.

I remember thinking, 'Someone should write a book about the Nineties scene', but I had no clue it would be me! [laughs] I remember kicking around the idea with some friends and they encouraged me to pursue it. If nothing else maybe it would make for an interesting magazine article or something. But I started tracking people down and the interviews were really interesting. These people would then encourage me to talk to others. Six years or so later and here we are.

HG: Were there dark times when you thought, 'How am I ever going to get this finished?'?
BP: The first couple of years I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. The interviewing at first was really a hobby and quite fun, actually. It was really great to reminisce with people about this era, these ideas, and these memories. A couple years interviewing people, however, and I realised, 'Wow, how am I going to weave all this together?' Everything worked itself out over time, but, yes, there were moments when I wasn't sure exactly how to piece it all together.

HG: How did you decide on which bands to devote more space to?
BP: I started with bands that most people I talked to felt made the biggest impact on many of the debates I was focusing on. It's a pretty natural thing to want to write about 108 and Shelter if you're addressing spirituality, or a band like Earth Crisis if you're talking about animal rights, or bands like Los Crudos, Spitboy, Racetraitor, Trial or Downcast when talking politics, DIY, gender, etc. Although the ideas/debates were really important, I also felt it was worth documenting some bands that created some really unique sounds during this time. Bands like Coalesce, Endpoint, Burn, Deadguy, Swing Kids, and Unbroken, for instance, really did some unique things musically by combining hardcore with metal, noise, melody, or a host of other things. To top it off most of these bands had some kind of a message, too.

I suppose it would be fair to say I started with the bands I knew more about and followed more closely and then tried to work in as many perspectives and stories as possible. I should also state that I wrote up about 12 other band articles on groups like Outspoken, Lifetime, Quicksand, Charles Bronson, Policy of Three, Chokehold, and several others, too. But the book ended up being 500 pages as is with only 31 of the band articles, so having too many more band articles would have made the book way too cumbersome to read.

A few of the bands like Lifetime, Outspoken, and Snapcase I ended up cutting because there have already been some really in-depth interviews or oral history pieces the past couple of years on them, so I mentioned those articles in the book, too. Other bands I felt had similar stories to ones already featured and/or I was only able to track down one member and the interview just didn't turn out as in-depth as some of the others. I did my best to cover a wide spectrum of bands, styles, and messages.

HG: What records and bands had the biggest influences on you growing up?
BP: Wow, probably too many to name! As a young kid I was really into hip-hop so artists and groups like KRS-One, Public Enemy, Eric B and Rakim, Pete Rock and CL Smooth and tonnes of others opened my eyes politically and artistically. Nirvana was also a band that changed the way I looked at music. I had heard hardcore in the late-Eighties through a friend, but if it wasn't for Nirvana it might not have all 'clicked' for me. Around 1992 or so I became obsessed with hardcore and so many bands/records changed my outlook not only on music but on life: Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Youth of Today, Black Flag, Endpoint, Unbroken, 108, Groundwork, Los Crudos, Inside Out, Coalesce, Racetraitor, Swing Kids, Ressurection, Guilt, Shelter, Deadguy, I could go on forever!

HG: One thing you don't shy away from in the book is that the hardcore scene was not some utopia of unity. In many ways it was very elitist and the parameters many bands could operate in were very narrow. A lot of bands sounded the exact same as each other - and that's still the problem today.
BP: I think this happens in any subculture or scene. There are always innovators and charismatic folks who pretty much define an era or a style. In turn, their innovations and charisma influences others. Over time, though, these imitators often develop their own style, message, and manner. Keep in mind, most hardcore kids are in their teens or early twenties during their prime years in the scene. People coming up in a scene are bound to be influenced by everything they witness. As they mature, though, most of them develop their own voice. It just takes time.

That said, sure, there was definitely a sense of elitism or antagonism in the scene at times. Anytime there are ideas exchanged there are bound to be egos involved and perhaps some exaggerated senses of self-importance. On the other hand, I always felt that even if people were perhaps saying a little too much, at least they were saying something. It's true that some of these debates led more to arguments and fractured friendships, but isn't that the way it always is with life?

No matter where you're from, a person, at least one who is trying to progress in life, will search for truth. That search for truth often brings its share of bumps and bruises, as well as lessons learned from mistakes you made. People learn from these mistakes and mature in their viewpoints. It seems most people I interviewed are glad they experienced the scene at this time. Regardless of any ups and downs, these times forever changed them.

HG: There's a great quote from Cave In singer Stephen Brodsky in the book where he says, "I knew of many people who kept hardcore so precious to them that when it failed to meet their expectations on a musical or ethical level they were crushed by it."
BP: That's true. If you put something or someone on a pedestal it is bound to get shattered at some point. I know that happened to me several times over the years. It just takes time to realise that we're all human, none of us are perfect, we all are going to make mistakes and sometimes let our problems and emotions get the better of us.

That said, just because you get let down doesn't mean you should give up. I thought hardcore was about fighting for what we believed in, or fighting for moving forward in our lives? Yes, you may realise at some point that one specific battle you may have been raging about may or may not have been all that relevant, but the important thing is to maintain that passion and focus it in the areas that make sense for you.

HG: But the great thing is that even if some people sold their records and never listened to the music again, the scene still inspired them in some way.
BP: I agree. You may move on with your life as other responsibilities and situations hit you, but you can't erase the memories. A lot of people have a lot of mixed feelings about hardcore, but the majority seem to feel that they got something positive out of it. I know many who were inspired to pursue a career due to finding out about it from the hardcore scene. So many people from hardcore are now activists, artists, independent business owners, teachers, psychologists, counsellors. They found out they could make an impact on the world around them from hardcore so they went ahead and did it. That's a pretty amazing thing considering the rampant materialism and cynicism we're bombarded with from the mainstream media on a daily basis!

HG: Had some of the bands from the early 1990s stayed together for a few more years they could've reached a lot more people. Did you encounter much bitterness/wistfulness about this?
BP: Perhaps some felt that they could have done more. I think most realised that these experiences were what they were. It's a hard thing to create something with a group of people and keep it interesting and fresh, while also involving all the members so they all have a voice. Most bands, regardless of scene, only last a year or two due to differences in vision or personal problems. Those bumps and bruises from these younger times can also have an impact.

HG: Are you planning another book?
BP: I'd love to write more in the future. I've got a couple of fiction ideas kicking around that need a bit of editing, but will hopefully see the light of day sometime in the future. I've also got a couple more hardcore related ideas, too. There are so many things to document. Hopefully at least a couple of these things will come together. I'm also a high school teacher, so it's sometimes difficult to balance my schedule while also writing, but I also love writing so it's something I plan to keep on doing.

HG: What are your feelings when you attend shows these days and see another generation making their mark?
BP: In some ways it's weird as I'm now 33 and most of the kids are much younger. That said, it's really inspiring to see kids venting their feelings in a positive ways. They are creating something, sharing in a dialogue, searching for truth in their lives. So many people in modern times are glued to their TVs or get stuck in ruts. Most never get to experience something like hardcore. So, when I go to shows I'm reminded that there are still people with passion who have found a place to unleash it.

'Burning Fight' is published by Revelation Publishing.