Q. Why did Wasted Time start? Just how awesome is the LAST RIGHTS EP you took your name from?
Mark: No real agenda, just wanted to play some hardcore in a town where there wasn't much in this particular vein. LAST RIGHTS rips. I own a Hitler sleeve, thats how awesome I think they are.
Q. You own a Hitler sleeve...(!). What other gems do you own? What's your biggest want?
Mark: I have some other goodies here and there. I can't say I'm too avid of a record collector, but I will say if anyone has a Cause For Alarm ep they're looking to part with they should hit me up. YES!
Q. A friend once described you to me as "like a D-Beat version of Fucked Up". Just how far off the mark do you think this statement is?
Mark: Ugh. I was thinking more along the lines of ALPHA OMEGA era CRO MAGS meets later CHRISTIAN DEATH. I've definitely heard the FUCKED UP comparison and the "D-Beat" thing too, but never together. I'm impressed!
Q. How important do you think it is to be 'original' playing hardcore? Do you think there's no room left for creativity within the scene? Out of many of the current retro-style hardcore bands, Wasted Time is one of the freshest in sound, and not at all stagnant, like some other current bands... Is your song RITUAL a stab at how something that's supposed to be so exciting can be so dull?
Mark: I'm not sure as to how important originality is now. I wouldn't say its a carbon copy of what happened years ago at all, but rather people who have an admiration for that particular sound having their own go with it. As a result, you have some bland shit and a few mind blowing bands. RITUAL has more to do with people trying to tell me our bands and our goals are the same, we're all "punks," yadda yadda yadda. We're not the same and we're not alligned in any way. Basically just people who pose hard and, as a result, have boring music and views. Not for the weak.
Q. What is one of your favourite underrated bands (from the past) you want to spread the love for?
Mark: Brandon, Eric, Lauren, and I were jamming the REBEL TRUTH ep last night. That shit is choice. And of course, all the old Virginia greats like WHITE CROSS, GOD'S WILL, FRONT LINE, HONOR ROLE, GRAVEN IMAGE, etc.
Q. Do you think having a well rounded knowledge of classic hardcore is important in being in a hardcore band? Obviously some of the greatest abd original bands didn't have nearly 30 years of history to catch up on or be influenced by...
Mark: Very true, they had their own thing going. It is and it isn't inportant. Some motherfucker can have all the sweet records but still produce a snoozer of a hardcore band. On the other hand, I've seen and played with bands of little kids who have little historical knowledge of all that shit yet still rip. It's a double edged sword.
Q. Favourite Midwest hardcore band? Negative Approach vs Necros? Die Kreuzen vs The Fix? Explain why...
Mark: NA, more brutal and Brannon has a funnier life and bands afterwards. DIE KREUZEN wins the second round. I loved the LP and "Cows and Beer" beforehand, but after touring the midwest and driving through Wisconsin thats when I realized how much more I like them. That place is so fucking boring, which I feel might have very well had an effect on how much they ruled.
Taken by Jason from Under Pressure.
Q. What's Virginia like nowadays? Did you grow up on a healthy diet of Avail and Gwar?
Mark: Virginia is great. I've lived in Virginia for 23 years, don't know how much longer I'll be here so we will see how that goes. But yeah, I can't complain, I'd go as far as to say Richmond is my favorite place in the country. I've been listening to AVAIL for over ten years now. I don't know if it's a Virginia thing or what but I definitely have a soft spot for them.
Q. What's next for you guys, new record anytime soon? It's been awhile, what have you been doing!? Did you listen to the reformed 108 record and decide you couldn't hope to compete?
Mark: Oh man, we're writing for a "full length" or something like it that will be out on GRAVE MISTAKE RECORDS whenever it happens. We just lost our practice space but its not like we used the other one too much before anyways. A snail's pace. Krshna wills it, though.
Q. Since you're writing an LP, what are your five favourite hardcore LPs ever? Do you think it can be hard to transfer a formula that works so well on a 7" to a full length?
Mark: I'm sure it could change weekly depending on what I'm feeling, but this seems pretty consistant:
1. Poison Idea - Kings of Punk2. SSD - Get It Away3. Die Kreuzen - S/T 4. White Cross - What's Going On?5. Poison Idea - War All The Time.
I'm not sure as to how hard it may or may not be to try it LP style, but we're just gonna see what happens. We're not gonna force anything.
Q. Favourite current bands people should hear?
Mark: BRAIN HANDLE is the best band in the country right now, hands down. WASTE MANAGEMENT has my heart as well.
Q. Obama, Hilary or McBANE?
Mark: OSAMA BIN HIDIN'!
Q. Is the song LEECH directed at the types of people who subscribe to Profane Existence? Explain yourself...
Mark: They probably read that! In a nutshell, overnight college hipster activist kids who bought their ideas along with their track bikes and short shorts. Annoying, know-it-all 18 year old kids with little to no conviction in whatever they believe in (depending on what week it is) going out of their way to "educate" me since we're "all punks" or whatever. It's just boring, hopefully they graduate soon and make 6 figures and I can sell them health food.
Taken by Daniel from Sorry State Records.
Q. Does it ever surprise you just how much Agnostic Front have spoiled their legacy?
Mark: Whatever man! That new album art is stellar! A fucking viking coming out of some thug dude's back!
Q. What's the worst show you've ever played, and why? The best?
Mark: Shit, many a shitty show has occured over the past 3 years of our being. But, I will say that Raleigh, Richmond, NYC, Philly, St. Louis, L.A., Portland, and the Bay Area are my favorite places in the country to play off the top of my head. I would think a bit harder and rack my brain but I'm still kind of drunk from last night.
Q. Rollins or pre-Rollins? There is a RIGHT answer...
Mark: Fuckin' a, neither, turn on "LIFETIME" by ROLLINS BAND. Or even "WEIGHT" man!
Q. What current hardcore bands can't you stand? Not just bad metalcore or pop-punk that calls itself hardcore
Mark: I'm kind of oblivious to a lot of things in that realm, I don't see too many shitty shows, thankfully. Whenever I do it's rarely hardcore, just the shit around here when I go to a bar or something. However, in the realm of "punk," the whole clean cut hardcore kids turning into junkies thing is boring. They start doing designer drugs and listening to "weird/crazy punk bands" and they wear the girl's pants and all that cute stuff. Oh, and the sketchy sense of humor thing is cute too. Saying "FAGGOT" a bunch really pushes the envelope, how punk! Worst trend, all of those kids should revert back to BANE or whatever they listened to before and go hang out with their Mothers or something.
Q. Thoughts on the SSD "reunion"?
Mark: I'd sneak into it and stagedive feet first.
Q. Dream 5 band line up for a show, any bands past and present, go for it. Also, what venue...
Mark: BIG BOYS-LEATHERFACE-POISON IDEA-REBEL TRUTH-WHITE CROSS. Venue: In my pants.
Q. What covers have Wasted Time ever played live?
Mark: Poison Idea's "Pure Hate" and "Cult Band," DYS's "Insurance Risk" and some others I can't recall at the moment. We do "Glue" for our friend Dane from VB because it's super dumb and easy and he will beat us all to bloody pulps if don't. FREE DANE TEBO!
http://www.myspace.com/wastedtimesucks
2 comments:
wasted time rules. even an old jaded fuck like me can cop to that.
and anybody who has a blog named after a No Trend lyric is right by me
Greg Chest Pain
www.myspace.com/thechestpains
fucking boss band. saw them twice when we were in the states, super intense live. mark is boss as well coz he helped us find the guys we were staying with haha
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