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dzotnicom yo8 empo tapompeia Ad obratniИ noitotypla 59
How long have you guys been together?
Chris: Well, Vin, Dave and I have been together about five
years, but the band started back in '88 under the name of "Lawn
Chair Blister." That's when I was at college at Sarah Lawrence.
We put out a demo, changed the name, and signed up to do an
album with Circuit Records-the first in a series of mistakes
we have made like any other band. The album was supposed
to come out in '89. Instead, the proprietor of Circuit blew the
money on coke. He still owes us two hundred bucks!
How did this line-up come together?
Chris: Well, in '92, after being on the road for awhile, we
returned to Manhattan, where Charles Ondras died of a
heroin overdose. He was our drummer and my dear friend.
It was all overwhelming at the time, but we knew that
Charles would have wanted us to carry on with what we
were doing together, so we called upon our dear friend
Vinnie to help us out. We had played together with
Charles and Vinnie both on drums, me and Pete (the
group's first bass player), and the singer of Foetus. The
show we played together was like fifteen minutes of
noise. We were all good friends. Vinnie accepted our
offer, and we were off to Europe.
Dave, when did you join the band?
Dave: Somewhere around '94. Yeah, that's about
right. But, originally, I hooked up with the guys to
do sound and get the hell out of Canada. Then,
Pete left the band, so they asked me to lend a
hand. And that's that.
Tell us how you guys came up with the idea
for your last video.
Chris: One night Tom Kendail and I were
kicked back drinking a beer at the Alleged
Gallery. We were there watching some skate
video and this guy just went down and
wrapped his legs around this handrail. It had
to be the most painful thing on earth. And
then I thought: What if you made a full
length video of nothing but guys biting it on
handrails?! We have endless respect for
pain! So Tom put it together for us, and did
a great job. It's also pretty funny. We spent
Words and photo
by Shumlic Saenz
New York City has always offered a lot as
far as music and art are concerned-mak-
ing room for something to come along
that crosses the limits of creativity. Unto
themselves, Unsane are true to the game,
containing rhythm, noise, and despera-
tion, taking the groundwork of New York
hardcore and upping the ante in a way
that you must see to believe. Until you
meet them yourself, take my word that
these are three of the coolest guys you
should ever meet. We sat down for drinks
here in SF to get this interview.
just about 200 bucks, and were
in the top ten funniest videos
on MTV.
What's in the works for
the future?
What was it like back in '78, playing
the underground music scene?
Dave: Well, we have been on the
road for ten days through the
Northeast. Now we're on the West
Coast for eight days. Chris and I have
been writing some songs for the new
album, which we will be recording in
October. Then it's back on the road for a
year or so.
What have been some of the influences
for the new album?
Vinnie: It was cool. We just were
making it up as we went along.
Every night there was a great show
at CBGB's. One night, the Dead
Boys. The next night, Gang of Four
The next, the Dickies. Then there
was Max's Kansas City which was
a scene unto itself. You could see
a show, snort coke backstage,
and have sex in the bathroom. It
was more of a party than CB's,
but CB's was always more
about the music than any-
thing else. It still looks the
same as it ever did, and it's
still around for the music.
One of the main things was
that we all knew each other
and respected each other's
creative integrity.
That time and place
seems to have held
meaning in your heart.
How do you feel about
the direction it has
taken today?
Dave: Tequila! And New York City. But
mostly tequila.
What was it like touring with Slayer?
Dave: Well, we only got that tour after Thrasher
sponsored a European tour that we headlined. It
put us in a great place. Next we were opening for
Slayer, which really kicked ass. It was the undisputed
attitude tour, which was all for the fans. There is a cer-
tain amount of intimacy you lose in arenas. Slayer
wanted to get back to their roots, so it was back to the
clubs. The crowds consisted of all kinds of people, from
the most headbanging metal kids to punks of all ages. It
was a lot of work, and a lot of fun. And I have to say, Slayer
are some of the coolest guys I have toured with.
Vinnie, you joined the band in '92. Would you tell
us about it?
Vinnie: After Charley passed away, Chris asked me to tour. It
just felt right. We all respected each other and enjoyed being
together on the road, which really counts when you're writing
music together.
Chris: Also, everyone in the scene around the city knows Vinnie.
He's been around since '78. He played in a band back then called
The Dots. They put out their own albums and they put out the Bad
Brains' first single.
Vinnie: That was a
great time to be young
and playing in a band,
and it does have a
special place in my
heart. It's been a long
time since then, and
today is a new era
that continues to
push it to the edge
of aggression.
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