CHEAP DRUGS are pretty cool. Wanna know why? Read this.
Each year, January seems to be that period as exciting as (I have to say) depressing for a single reason: I always blame myself for not having listened to a shitload of great releases... And, of course, CHEAP DRUGS's latest LP on Hardware Records, simply titled "Angst", is one of them. So, first things first, I'd like to know what your favorite 2015 (hardcore & non hardcore) releases are, to let the readers know what kind of hardcore punk advocates are you?
Sam: My favorite release was the G.L.O.S.S. demotape just because it was boiling with anger, great riffs and strong lyrics. It had been a while since a demo kicked me in the teeth like that. My friend Joris just turned me unto this CHAIN RANK lp from last year, pure Boston 80s hardcore vibe like NEGATIVE APPROACH and BOSTON STRANGLER. I really enjoy the INSTITUE LP which I guess is more postpunk than their 7"s, but still totally awesome. Jens and me are also into a local hiphop talent called Woodie Smalls who released a sick debut album last year.
Jens: The best release of 2015 is definitely "Soft Parade" by Woodie Smalls. It´s all about passing the dutch these days. Other bands that really got my attention in 2015 were JUNGBLUTH and G.L.O.S.S..
Pie: Talking about my favorite hardcore records of 2015, "Preservation Measures" by GAY KISS is on top of my list. Next comes "Self Portrait" by LOMA PRIETA. I also like SHEER MAG’s second 7” and the G.L.O.S.S. demo. Other great records that came out last year are "Deeper" by THE SOFT MOON, "Beach Music" by Alex G and "Before The World Was Big" by GIRLPOOL..
What are your audience reactions about this new LP? And what about your personal thoughts about this release?
Sam: The reactions couldn´t have been better. The release show is probably the craziest show we´ve ever played and it´s been a great year. We did a lot of great shows with bands we love and played some nice festivals for the first time. Personally I am very proud of the record. It sounds like we wanted it to sound, looks like we wanted it to look like…
Jens: I still get goosebumps when I watch video's from our release show. It must be one of the sickest shows I've ever played! Although I didn't record the drums on the record because I had some trouble with my ears, I'm very proud of how it sounds and how it looks like. Big shout-out to Martijn for recording the drums. His band ANGSTGEGNER also recorded some new songs which are gonna be released this year.
Pie: As said before, the releaseshow of the record is something I’ll never forget. People got rowdy from the very first note we hit. Same thing happened on Crossbonefest. I believe ‘Angst’ got us to support NEGATIVE APPROACH and to play Ieperfest too. I’m really happy with how the record turned out, knowing that we all put everything we had into it.
That's your third release on Hardware Records, how did you get in touch with this record company? Why do you still work with them? They worked with a lot of great bands in the past years like ANTIMOB, VAASKA, NUKKEHAMMER, SLANG, OMEGAS, SICKOIDS, KREMLIN, CRIATURAS, THE SENTENCED, RASH TONGUE, RED DEATH, CONCEALED BLADE, GAS RAG... The fact they worked with tons of great current bands was a pretty good reason I guess?
Sam: After my previous band VOGUE split up I stayed in touch with Chris Hardware. I sent him every rehearsal recording, he got stoked and it was a pretty obvious choice to work with him for our first 7". He runs a great label from his flat with the best hardcore punk bands from around the globe. Basically we stuck with him ever since because he is down for everything we want to do and he gets our vinyl in all diy distros around the world. Check out IMAGINERY DICTIONARY and JACKALS their releases on Hardware too!
I guess that coming from Belgium, you guys are/were listening to a lot of great early 2000s hardcore bands coming from Belgium and Netherlands? These two countries were kind like a Mecca for hardcore punk 10 years ago and more; chilling on CHEAP DRUGS Instagram, I saw you posted something about DEAD STOP, telling it was Belgium's best band. Do you still think the same thing?
Sam: For me it was a very influential band while growing up. My bandmates at the time were already into their 7" and got me a copy on cd. After seeing them live in my hometown a new world opened up for me. I had to see dead stop as much as possible, I even skipped school to roadtrip to the Netherlands or Germany to see them play. Every show they played the crowd went berserk. I don't think any other Belgian band had such a following as them. They were just fast, aggressive, energetic and better than all the touring bands they played with. They were hyped, but they did never dissapoint. RESTLESS YOUTH was the best Dutch band from that era. Great guys, still run into them now and then, they now have a band called RICHIE DAGGER.
Pie: Since I’m a few years younger than Sam. I only saw DEAD STOP and RESTLESS YOUTH once. Unfortunately, it seems that I missed what had to be the glory days of Belgian hardcore. I started going to shows around the time that RISE AND FALL was releasing their "Into Oblivion Record".
Tom: I still remember the first DEAD STOP show, because it opened a new world for me and one I was looking for. It was in Kortrijk in a fancy bar and there where 2 kinds of people. Hardcore kids and crusts punks and they truly hated each others guts. The crusts sat on the floor in the corner while the hardcore kids where chilling at the bar with some soda's (back then a lot of people were sxe). Everybody united when DEAD STOP started playing, but there was still a lot tension in the air. Hardcore kids moving from side to side and it annoyed the crusts. Suddenly everybody in the pit ran to the side and there was 1 crust punk in the middle with some fireworks. I think he was to drunk because it blew up where he was standing and it made him lost his shoelace and he had no idea what was happening which was really funny. DEAD STOP was still playing but the microphone was dead, maybe because of the fireworks. I don't know. So al the HC kids ran back to Lino to sing as loud as possible and it didn't sound like there was no microphone. It was just a regular dead stop show. Not only DEAD STOP but also REPROACH, SUNPOWER, ABUSIVE ACTION, RESTLESS YOUTH, TURN THE SCREW etc got me into old school HC. It was a great time, not only there where tons a great bands going around but almost everybody was involved. Either you were in a band, making zines or doing shows. Good times!
What about late 90s H8000 and metalcore bands? I must admit I'm fond of bands like ARKANGEL, CONGRESS or KINDRED just to name a few. Have you even been into these bands?
Tom: I've gotten into hardcore around 2000 and there where still a lot of great H8000 shows but you could tell it was running towards the end and I knew I missed out on a lot. I was really into LIAR and ARKANGEL and somewhere deep inside I still am. ARKANGEL was brutal and I mean Brutal! I don't think I have ever seen more brutal shows than ARKANGEL, maybe the first NEGATIVE APPROACH reunion which for me, ended in the hospital haha. But I didn't like the fights and the violent dancing and when ARKANGEL dropped there edge I was out too. I never stopped listening to ARKANGEL but I didn't want to see them wasted on stage again. It just didn't make any sense with their lyrics. I know they're playing shows again, but I don't know if I should go.
I believe Belgium has been pretty concerned by INTEGRITY and Holy Terror (Dwid lived or currently lives here, no?) with bands like RISE AND FALL, AMEN RA... What's your opinion about this trend? I believe AMEN RA became something pretty big isn't it?
Sam: The singer of RISE AND FALL was very supportive when we started playing our first shows in 2004 with TURN THE SCREW. In fact my very first hc show I've played was with them and JUSTICE in our hometown. Yea, AMEN RA/CHURCH OF RA… not my cup of tea.
Pie: I really like the "Into Oblivion" record of RISE AND FALL. I also enjoyed going to their shows because of the band’s energy on stage. I don’t have any AMEN RA records at home but when seeing them live, the head banging clears my mind.
What about Ieper Fest? I've never been there but it has the reputation to be a legendary festival. You played last summer edition, how was it?
Sam : Ieperfest was a great experience. We're not a festival band since we don't like high stages and security. We agreed to play the Trench stage which is basically a tent with a knee-high stage, no security and lots of people up close to the bands. When we played the tent was fully packed and the crowd was wild. Our friends up front, great vibes, good times.
Jens: Playing Ieperfest on the same day as DISCHARGE, DOOM & TOUCHE AMORE was a dream to come true. This definitely was one of the best hang-outs of the year!
Pie, Ieperfest sure was great. Though my gear usually gets broken when playing for a lot of people, like an amp that suddenly shuts down or a string that breaks, this time everything kept working.
pics by Anne Carolien Köhler
In your opinion what are the best current bands hailing from Belgium?
Sam: ADMIRAL FREEBEE! COCAINE PISS is without a doubt the most exciting punk band at the moment. My wife and me released their tape last year and now they are gonna record an LP with Steve Albini. They are blowing up really fast. LOTUS is my favorite band to watch live as they get better every show and people seem to finally notice this band. Besides those three I would recommend REPROACH, SUNPOWER, LIFESPITE and VVOUNDS.
Jens: I really like listening to LOTUS. Their shows are so tight and energetic that you can't stand still while they are playing! Other bands you should check out are LIFESPITE and REPROACH!
Pie: LOTUS, DAGGERS, COCAINE PISS, VVOUNDS, TOXIC SHOCK, …
Tom: COCAINE PISS, VVOUNDS, LIFESPITE, REPROACH, SUNPOWER, PRICEDUIFKES, ...
I come back to this DEAD STOP post on Instagram; who has posted it clamed that DEAD STOP "brought 80's hardcore back and taught us a bunch of good hc history lessons [...]" What lessons are you dealing with? Do you think these lessons are still valid nowadays? If so, for what reasons?
Sam: I think DS was a great influence on me while growing up. Every time I went to see them they would play another cover and I would discover another 80s band. They were a total DIY band, having their own label, booking their own shows… and they never changed their sound or style. It might sound obvious, but some great bands of that era suddenly thought they should write longer songs or start singing differently… DS never did that, the last record was as good as the first 7”. “Fuck that progress, we regress…we are, we are dead stop!”
It's funny because, in a manner of fact, there is something really "80's" in "Angst" LP and CHEAP DRUGS too, for several reasons: CHEAP DRUGS's logo - really simplistic and effective (like the 80s USHC bands logos featuring in Steven Blush's first pages of American Hardcore anthology) - the black and white imagery and aesthetic, these bored and depressed sensations we feel while staring at "Angst" cover art, the detail of the skateboard... What can you tell me about that? Where do your inspiration and influences come from?
Sam: I've painted the logo based on the VIOLENT MINDS logo, one of my favorite hardcore bands -ever. They were also a band from that 2004-… period. I think every hardcore punk band needs a logo. All the rest of our artwork is done by the wonderful Bart Bling. We wanted to have one person for all the artwork so it would be recognizable just like the black flag stuff. The Lp cover is the result of all the bandmembers' ideas and grew as we wrote and recorded the music. The music, the art, the message...it's all connected and pretty clear. Someone told us they didn´t like the cover cause it gives you and exact idea of what to expect… to us that was exactly what we were going for with that cover art haha.
By the way how and when did you start the band?
Sam: The band was formed after VOGUE quit, but it took Pie and me a while to find a drummer and a singer. After jamming with a bunch of people we finally started CHEAP DRUGS around the summer of 2012 with Tom on vocals and Jojo Vogue on drums. After a few shows it became clear that Jojo didn´t have a lot of time, so we had Jens to jump in on drums.
Do you play in other bands?
Sam: At the moment none of us does any other bands. We always had several bands going on, but since the "Angst" LP we decided to totally focus on this band and quit all our other bands. Jens just did some shows with TOXIC SHOCK since their drummer had some little accident and Tom did some guestvocals for ANGSTGEGNER in the studio.
What are your projects for 2016?
Sam: We decided to play less shows this year because we have been playing shows almost every weekend since October 2012. Right now we are taking a break to write some new songs & rehearse a new cover until Crossbonefest in March. In April we do a small tour through Germany and Sweden with DAMAGED HEAD. We are opening a show for NIGHT BIRDS in Gothenborg which we are really stoked about. After that we are gonna work on a new record. This summer we are playing Fluff Fest in Czech Republic, probably the best DIY hardcore fest in Europe. It hasn´t been announced yet, so you´ve got the scoop haha.
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