Get Lost

When I lived in France I watched Get Lost play quite a few times. They are a good band with an interesting message so I asked Chris a few questions. Check them out if you don't know them yet!

Hi, how are you? Could you present the band, who's doing what and who's answering my questions?

C: Hi, I'm Chris and I scream in a microphone. Otherwise we have Nico on guitar, Julien on drums and Daick on bass and sleeveless t-shirts. We started in 2004 after Last Quiet Time split up with the intention of doing a straight forward, fast, straight edge hardcore band with a strong message. Our influences span pretty much the entire hardcore spectrum, from 1980 till today, even if I guess musically we are strongly influenced by Stop and Think, Floorpunch, Youth of Today, Knife Fight and maybe a little by some more ''tough'' recent bands.

Have you had a lot of line-up changes? Members forced out because they broke their edge?

We had 2 big line-up changes but never because someone broke his edge. As far as I know, our 2 ex members are still straight edge. At the beginning we had Ben on drums, we did the demo and our first shows with him, he left us soon after that for personal reasons... We had a lot of trouble finding a replacement for him, various people flaking out or worse… So we decided to teach Julien how to play drums and we got our good friend RV from First Failure on bass. RV decided to leave us soon after we recorded our first cd as he wanted to travel to Australia so we recruited Daick from MOWOL, which brings us to the line up we have today.

Is it important to define yourselves as a straight edge band?

It's definitely important. It was one of the initial objectives of the band: to have an outspoken straight edge band in France. For me it's an important subject: this choice helps me live my life fully, without any filter to reality, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I hope my stand helps the people near me to maybe question themselves or even actually give them strength depending on their situation. If I can touch a few people with music, it will have been worth all the efforts and disappointments. And yes, being straight edge in France can close a lot of doors or at least provoke a lot of prejudice... I don't know if we succeeded in overcoming this but I hope people have or will at least give us a chance.

What have you released until now? Any plans for the future (near or not so near...)? I know you have recorded a few tracks for a 7'', when will it be released?

We started very fast as we released a demo just a few months after we became a band and after that the line-up changes slowed us down... To cut it short, Get Lost came back really in 2006 and we released our first cd, Unity is fucking dead, which we toured Europe on. We recorded a new album early 2008 but for various reasons, it is not released yet. It will be out on Build me a bomb records and High Hopes records really soon. We are planning on a June 2009 release date and a Euro tour will follow. We also have a few new songs to record but we don't have a plan for these yet. I’d like to resurrect the idea to do a split 7'' with Balance, but we’ll see.

Chris, you sing in English, can you explain why? I know that the French don't speak Shakespeare’s language very well; don't you think your message would be better understood if it was in French?

I sing in English for a simple reason: I don't like how hardcore sung in French sounds like... And actually, I can't write lyrics in French. I've had a very international education and because of it every time I sit down and try to write something the words come out naturally in English, I don’t know why... It's true that the message would be understood better in French but that's also why when we play live I always take my time between songs to explain the songs themselves or to clarify my positions. However, I'm not sure that when a band plays a show the crowd understands what the singer is screaming in his microphone, no matter the language, so I prefer to speak between songs to be sure they can understand me!

Why do you think unity is fucking dead? Is this song about a particular person (I should say it makes me think of Rick ta Life haha)?

This song has a very long history. We already played it at the time of the demo or at least we played a song with this title. The old one was a parody on Rick Ta Life so I suppose that after we changed it there's still some traces haha... I don't believe in unity in the hardcore scene, there are a lot of people that represent some things that I sincerely think are bullshit, and their words and actions make them complete strangers to me, as in we have nothing at all in common. I can't see why, using the pretext that we are playing a kind of music that is maybe slightly similar, I should turn off my brain and accept everything just because of this proclaimed ''unity'' of the scene. I never hesitate to help other people/bands when I can and that's the beauty of the punk/hardcore community, but it's a choice not an obligation. If a band represents things/ideas I do not support, well I won't help them, it seems logical to me... I don't want others to treat us any different... One of the foundations of this scene is to think for yourself, use your brain, flex your head! Why do we try to reduce ourselves to the lowest common denominator with this concept of unity at all costs? It seems pretty absurd to me.

There aren’t too many singers letting people from the audience scream/tell whatever they want in the mic', I know that you like it... Can you explain why?

I always love to participate and singalong when I go to a show, that notion of closeness and symbiosis between the audience and the band is what attracted me to hardcore. When I play/sing I always feel this need to share and I express it by my long speeches between songs and also by sharing the mic' with everyone who wants to scream something in it. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to see someone scream in my face or jump on me or appropriate our music and/or lyrics, making them his own. That's what separates hardcore/punk from the other styles of music: here the audience and the band are merging into one entity, by the kids for the kids is a reality. Sometimes when I forget what I wanted to say between songs I ask the people to come say something if they have something on their mind, but it has never worked well which is a real pity. The fact that I have a mic' does not mean I have more right to speak than someone else... It's just easier for me to be heard!

Do you think that hardcore is politics?

For me, from the moment you say ''I'm playing hardcore'' it means you are doing something related to politics: you have a message, you take a stand against something, or you try to build something new or different. You do that using music and lyrics that can fill up caves with the screams and heat emanating from an undefined number of people that share or not your ideals but that, at least, will think about those topics at the end of the show. If that is not your case, you are playing something that sounds like hardcore, ok, but is nothing more than music. It's the ideals, the ideas and the actions that make hardcore what hardcore is, not the guitar chords. Your emotions are nothing but politics, right?

What do you think of vegetarianism/veganism? Is it just an ethic/moral choice or is it more like a real political choice?

Some of us are vegetarians but it's not something we represent as a band. Personally I support fully the ethical choice of being vegetarian. As soon as there is a choice to be made, I think politics and ethics come together. It is a personal choice for sure but it has an implicit message and strength, by being out of step with the “normal world”, which should bring people to understand or at least question the status quo. I don’t want to say that you should impose your choices on others, but by making this choice of becoming vegetarian, just like straight edge, we can not do it only for ourselves. If you don’t incite dialog on these issues, you are robbing these stands of a lot of their power. We have the responsibility to present them and to explain it to the rest of the world and that makes it some kind of politics.

Do you have a political message as a band? And I have to ask you a question that you won't like, I have noticed that your shirts were in a particular order on your merch table: Blue-White-Red (N.B. the colors of the french flag), any comments...

It depends how you define political message. If you mean that we support a certain political movement or party, no we are not. On the other side, if you mean that we have a very conscious and critical message about our society, life and the human condition in general, yes I think we are definitely a political band... To clarify the situation with the t-shirts, I made the mistake of not really thinking through the colors I chose at each repress of the design and one day on our tour someone who will remain anonymous had the great idea to arrange our shirts in this more than questionable way. They know I hate it and keep on doing it each time I turn my back on the merch. Wankers hahaha...

What do you think of the financial crisis? Is it real or just a conspiracy so the rich can become even richer?

The financial crisis happened because we want to make more money by shuffling money, it lasted for a few years and the numbers and values just didn't mean anything any more... All these economic indicators made no sense; they weren't representing any reality... And now it has an impact on us because our lives have been partially based on this nonsense. I have no idea what we will become, if the system will succeed to redress itself, if at last we will be able to transform it in something more real and more respectful of happiness and not just judging by the numbers... It's not the first time we have had this type of crisis and every time it's the same status quo that comes back in the end so I don't have much hope. The normal way of life will probably start again and those who profited before will continue to profit after...

Have you felt the last gas crisis? It was a big fuss here in Bulgaria for at least two weeks because we didn't have any gas at all... I think the only thing we can do to show them our force is to boycott them (=not use their gas for one or two weeks for example, it would represent a big loss to them because the quantity is quite big...). Do you think it would have any impact?

I don't have anything running on gas so I didn't feel anything... And France, with the Algerian gas sources, is for sure one of the European countries least dependent on Russia. The Russians are just taking advantage of their position of monopoly seeking some of their past glory and no one does anything to stop them so they don't really take any risks. A boycott would be really hard on their economy and I don't think their leaders, even if they are pretentious and have a “tough guys” pose, would let things degenerate so much. I don't know if it's possible for you to boycott the Russian gas... Do you have any other possibilities such as electricity or coal?

I haven’t had the time to follow what's happening in France since I came home... Is Sarkozy going to save the world like Rambo?

Sarkozy is too small to be Rambo, even with his heelpieces, he is not capable of saving his dignity let alone saving the world... This guy is of no use, he's even worse than the bankers who provoked the financial crisis... When something happens, hop we gotta make a law that will be retracted six months later anyway. It's simple, he is useless, he knows it and he's hiding behind a whirlpool of actions to try and make people believe the contrary.

I don't have any stupid questions left... Your last words!

Thank you very much for the interview, it was a pleasure to answer your questions that touched on a lot of interesting subjects. Thank you to all the people who took the time to read this till here... and don't forget to check Money Time, Golden District, Courage, Lost Boys, Strong As Ten, Trashington DC and all the other excellent bands we have in France nowadays. The final word: FLEX YOUR HEAD.

Wisdom In Chains

Last year I bought the Class War LP and it blew my world. It never left my player/turntable and after awhile I decided I wanted to ask the band a few questions... And they sure have a lot to say!

Hello, I’d like to start with the usual question, can you introduce the band members? How long have you been playing with that line-up and have you ever changed it? What do you do for a living besides the band (I imagine WiC doesn’t pay your bills…)?

I'm Richie, I play guitar, also on guitar is Tony, on bass we got Suicide, on drums Shano, and singing is Mad Joe. We have been playing for awhile now, not exactly sure how long, this isn't the original line up, but it's the line up of all of our live shows except for one, and it's the line up from our last two full lengths. WIC does not pay the bills, mad Joe is a local 608 Carpenter in NYC, Shano works at some sort of warehouse, Suicide is a local drunk, Tony is a pro musician, and I am a local 18a Concrete laborer in NYC.

You have already released three full lengths and a DVD, what are your plans for 2009? Any chances to see you in Europe?

Well in 2009 expect another full length, and hopefully we will be back in Europe in the summer.

Can you tell me a bit more about your previous bands, are they still active? Does any band member have any current side projects?

Current side projects, just Boxcutter. Mad Joe and I are in a band called Boxcutter. We really don't play, but we will pop up with new music here and there. Me, Mad Joe, and Shano are also in a band called Out To Win (some know as Mushmouth). OTW really doesn't do much, but we will pop up from time to time and play a show here and there. In the past we where involved with alot of different bands like Krutch, The Ninth Plague, and a few others. None are active anymore.

You sure don’t sound like Mushmouth or Krutch, why this change?

Well Mushmouth and Krutch where different from one another, and why start a new band only to sound like your last band. Wisdom In Chains is the style that we always loved, and we felt like there were not that many bands going that route anymore. Blood For Blood did it, and they where so great, they where a Hardcore band with a nice punk and Oi influence in there, great vocals. We felt like with all the different styles of Hardcore out there, that sort of style wasn't being represented. It really wasn't intentional, but when we started writing, that's how the songs came out.

I think there aren’t too many bands combining oi and hardcore as well as you do… What are some of your favourite oi bands?

My all time favorite is Cock Sparrer. Their songs were great, super catchy, they where a tight band, and the lyrics were so cool.

There’s a long history between you as a band and Europe… Do you think there are any major differences in the hxc scenes in the US and in Europe?

Yes, there are a lot of differences between the two. The biggest difference is possibility. Here in the USA the possibility of touring and actually making money to survive, for a grown man to survive by just playing this kind of music, it is very hard. Not impossible, but not very likely. In Europe it';s definitely an option, this sort of music and this scene is taken more seriously in Europe.

I know it's easier to tour in Europe as the bands are provided a place to sleep and a catering before the show and it seems it's not the case about the USA... But I always thought there are more US bands that can live off their music, maybe it's just an idea, a stereotype we have in Europe about the US bands... Do you think it's because US bands (or their members with other bands) are touring more and actually don't stay at "home" too long to have any real expenses ??? I think you don't earn much just by selling cds and not many euro bands tour more than two or three months per year (expect NTB of course!)...

Well let me say, out of all the American bands i know personally, and that's alot of bands, there are maybe 3 that do well from touring and earn a living, and maybe another 3 that tour alot of are able to live, but not very well. All the others tour, plus have full time jobs back here in the United States. As far as making money on CD's, you don't make shit. You may be able to make decent money on merchandise, and playing live, recording advances and royalties are getting less and less. On top on it, when your a hardcore band, it's just a constant battle to even stay on the road. Bands that aren't "home" top often because they tour, for the most part have the same expenses, just because your not home, that doesn't mean your bills and expenses do not exist, you still have either a rent or mortgage, car payment, and basic bills to pay.

How did your friendship with the LBU bands/crew started?

I think it was 1997 when my old band Krutch was playing in Belgium with Knuckledust, I remember seeing these guys and being like "YO, who the hell are these guys! How do they even know each other" they where such a diverse band, the cool Latino weeded out singer, the mo hawk rocking tattooed up punk lookin bass player, the hip hop brutha bustin leads on guitar, and then the proper Brit on the drums. What a crazy mix of guys, and so sincere. We became true friends then, and always stayed tight throughout the years. From them we met other LBU guys and bands, and everything was very real and natural.

You’ve been in a tough guy type of band so I wanna ask you about the violence at shows? Is it really as big as people try to pretend it or is it more talking than anything else? Violent dancing doesn’t bother me, the only think I hate is when people have enough place to dance as hard as they want but they keep on coming and hitting the audience trying to watch the band… Can you share your thoughts on that too…

See the term "tough guy band" is one I really don't understand, it seems it's a stereo type that certain people who usually don't like using stereo types like to use. Well, in Hardcore and the scene I am involved in, I have seen some violence in my time. The worst violence is the senseless type. I will be honest and say I have witnessed senseless violence, bit not very often at all. On the other hand, I have seen violence that I thought was justified, and I had no problem with. Then there is always the occasional jerk who dances like an asshole, but why not just move, or treat him like someone who is acting like an asshole, maybe by smashing his face. One thing I hate is the bully attitude, me and my friends do not bully people, we don't prey on the weak. We do our thing, and occasionally fights break out, when they do, we do what we have to. I just don't think things are that bad at all to be honest.

You sure love Pennsylvania, can you explain to someone who doesn’t know well the USA, what makes it so special? Is everyone involved in the PA hardcore scene friends or there are some rivalries?

Well all American states have nicknames, for example New Jersey is the Garden State, New York is the Empire State, well Pennsylvania is THE KEYSTONE STATE, very significant State in American history. Always known as a working class, middle class state. When it comes to hardcore, in my honest opinion Pennsylvania is the Mecca worldwide for this kind of music. When you think about the present day bands that exist right now in pa. it's pretty impressive, there is no doubt that NYHC is pure legend, and hardcore accross the globe owes a debt to the OG NYHC bands, but for the last decade, Pa. has had such a strong scene and produced so many great acts like Strength for A Reason, Cold World, Turmoil, Blacklisted, Paint It Black, barricade, Not Without Resistance, also one of the best HC Fest in the us is out of Philadelphia Pa. (Pennsylvania's biggest city) it's put on by Joe HC (singer of Shattered Realm) a great fest. There are always great shows from one side of the state to the next. It's hardcore history is very impressive, and wherever you go on the east coast you will find kids at the shows from Pa. Pa kids are not scared of getting in the car and driving far for shows, greats supporters. Now let em make it clear, I am originally from New Jersey, but I have lived in Pa. the majority of my life and i call it home.

Let’s talk about politics, Obama is taking the presidency for George W. in less than a month… Did you vote? Do you think he’ll change something?

I did not vote for Obama, I really don't think he will make much of a change, but i am glad the American people did vote for him. the fact is, when you know what I know about American politics, it's very hard to imagine any mainstream Republican or Democrat will make any change in this system, but the average American person getting their information from the typical media sources voting for Obama is a good sign. After the horrible job GW Bush did, for someone of his party to get elected after that would be disgusting. He was the most horrible President this country has ever witnessed, he is guilty of so many crimes, but he will never pay.

Here in Bulgaria as far as I can remember we changed a left, a right, a center and now we have a coalition governments and the situation is still the same… Do you think there’s no justice for the working men?

Justice will never be given to the working class, however, the working class united can take what they what. The thing is, and it is intentional. the working class itself is divided on who they follow and what they believe, and as long as that segment of society fights and argues among themselves, and never looks deep enough to see the real truth, then the ruthless elite are safe to go on with their ultimate agenda.

What do you think about the financial crisis everybody’s talking so much? My opinion is that the poor will pay so the rich don’t lose any money…

I think that this whole crisis is totally intentional, and the true purpose and long term goal is a one world government. We are in the situations that the elite want us to be in. They want us to prosper when we do, and they want us to struggle when we struggle. After a time of having us struggle, they can step in with a "solution" by this point we will be begging for what they wanted to do to us this whole time. We get scared into, or worn out into accepting them passing new laws that take away our freedoms, or making huge fundamental changes that should never have been changed. The European union, the Asian Union, The African Union, soon to be North American union. lets be honest, who prospers when we start using all the same currency, the elite bankers of the world. During every so called crisis, they step in, and they buy up "failed banks and businesses" forming monopoly's, ultimate goal, one world currency, meaning a very small small percentage of people actually controlling the world.

Do you believe in God? I know a lot of people in the USA are religious… I can understand people believing in something (give it the name you want…) but I don’t like organized religion, someone telling you what you gotta do to go to heaven and stuff like that… What do you think about it?

Well, to answer the first part of your question, I think so, but I'm not sure. As for organized religion, it seems to be ridiculous. The very fact that you take what should be a spiritual belief, and then you organize it, make rules, and then make it what essentially is a business, this seems to defeat the whole purpose. I would say that the fact is, throughout history religion has done nothing but failed, it failed itself, and it has failed it's followers. By being "religious" a person has to either not want to ask certain questions, not care, or simply just turn a blind eye to other possibilities, all of these traits are bad in my opinion. What alot of people don't realize about America, especially Americans is the fact that it is more religious now then it was in it's beginnings. You should see some of the quotes our American forefathers said about religion. Thomas Jefferson said:

"Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity."

"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

"In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own."

"My opinion is that there would never have been an infidel, if there had never been a priest. The artificial structures they have built on the purest of all moral systems, for the purpose of deriving from it pence and power, revolts those who think for themselves, and who read in that system only what is really there."

Ben Frankilin said some good shit:

"When a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not care to support it, so that its professors are obliged to call for the help of the civil power, 'tis a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one."

"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies."

"The way to see by Faith is to shut the eye of Reason."

George Washington:

"The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion"

I could go on and on, I am just pointing that stuff out, because there has been a huge change in history to try and make America look like this nation formed by Christians, when the fact was these people where fighting against religious persecution.

Is “the game of war” a pro-war song? Do you think the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have started for the right reasons? How come such a powerful country as the USA can’t find Bin Laden for more than 7 years now?

Well, I wont be naive and say that there is never a good reason to go to war, there are times when it's what has to be done. When a nation is attacked, it has to go to war. In the cases of Afghanistan and Iraq though, it's all complete bullshit. We should never have went there, there was alot to gain from the elite, and it's easy to see for anyone who is willing to research. there is nothing to gain for the average American at all though. Now, as for the song "Game of War" it's sort of like a sarcastic responses, shows hypocrisy, take this line from the song:

"Murder is acceptable because God is with us and he always helps us prevail."

It's not pro war at all.

Any last words?

Thank you very much for this interview, and helping us get the word out.