After 38 years of wielding a microphone for one of hardcore's most legendary bands, and thanks to a new memoir, Civ is sharing his voice in a new way—as a witness and a storyteller.
To be fair, Pig Champion needed a chair sometimes so I don't think that is a disqualifier from continuing to play in a hardcore band. Then again, we all can't be in Poison Idea...
Another really interesting interview! I actually gave both my kids the opposite advice...do what you love. Don't settle until you have at least tried to make a living at what you love. Too many if us took that "easy" way and I constantly regret it.
"You were talking about West Coast guys, and you said, 'They really turn to liquid and flow with the times. Whereas New York guys are just like stones chained to another stone chained to a building where we don’t change and we don’t flow well.'”
Sooo true. I left my D.C./Philly days for a mellower west coast life and finally felt comfortable.
Great piece, through and through, Norm and Civ. Thank you. Long live Keith Morris.
"[Ray] was gonna change an entire scene, an entire subculture, and bend it to his will."
I think that's what rubbed me really wrong about youth crew and Krishna in the hardcore scene back then - from the outside looking in, and not knowing any of these people personally, all I saw were a bunch of dudes telling me how to live, dudes who looked just like the ones starting shit with me and my friends any time we were out in public. Of course it's more than that and that's not how I see it now, but back then, nah. Don't tell me what punk should be.
And it's funny, what I think CIV did really well was bring an entirely different aesthetic into hardcore, which worked against youth crew's more uniform tendencies (Uniform Tendency could BE the name of a youth crew band) and that's part of how you get the really interesting, fertile scene it is now. Sucks to be ahead of your time sometimes.
To be fair, Pig Champion needed a chair sometimes so I don't think that is a disqualifier from continuing to play in a hardcore band. Then again, we all can't be in Poison Idea...
All rules need exceptions and PI are Kings of [Exceptions].
Another really interesting interview! I actually gave both my kids the opposite advice...do what you love. Don't settle until you have at least tried to make a living at what you love. Too many if us took that "easy" way and I constantly regret it.
I think the pattern here seems to be telling your kids "Don't do what I did" regardless of what you did! Haha.
You know, I think that appears to be the case 🤣
Civ seems like a dope dude. Would love to make him a meal sometime, chat about life.
“I just learned the power of saying yes to things. Just being grateful to have an opportunity and say yes to things.”
I loved this quote, especially the rejoinder.
"You were talking about West Coast guys, and you said, 'They really turn to liquid and flow with the times. Whereas New York guys are just like stones chained to another stone chained to a building where we don’t change and we don’t flow well.'”
Sooo true. I left my D.C./Philly days for a mellower west coast life and finally felt comfortable.
Great piece, through and through, Norm and Civ. Thank you. Long live Keith Morris.
"[Ray] was gonna change an entire scene, an entire subculture, and bend it to his will."
I think that's what rubbed me really wrong about youth crew and Krishna in the hardcore scene back then - from the outside looking in, and not knowing any of these people personally, all I saw were a bunch of dudes telling me how to live, dudes who looked just like the ones starting shit with me and my friends any time we were out in public. Of course it's more than that and that's not how I see it now, but back then, nah. Don't tell me what punk should be.
And it's funny, what I think CIV did really well was bring an entirely different aesthetic into hardcore, which worked against youth crew's more uniform tendencies (Uniform Tendency could BE the name of a youth crew band) and that's part of how you get the really interesting, fertile scene it is now. Sucks to be ahead of your time sometimes.
So, when's the first Uniform Tendency show? Asking for a friend.
Great article 🙌