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Aaron from Bane is back for another TIH
To have Bane play This Is Hardcore was a goal of mine a few years back. They were the first band I saw play after Blacklisted at TIH to not feel like an afterthought.
In fact each one of their set blows the previous away.
Last year I got to sing my favorite part of my favorite Bane song on stage at TIH. It will remain one of my happiest moments in hardcore.
Aaron is one of the most well spoken men in hardcore and he took sometime explain his thoughts on TIH and hardcore today
this is Bane’s 3rd time at TIH in 3 years, does it stay exciting to be on the fest ?
yes. it absolutely stays exciting to be a part of TiHC. For so many reasons. the fest runs so nice and smooth every year and even though it continues to grow bigger, the line-ups more and more stacked, it never looses track of itself, it does remain completely about hardcore, with the things that keep Bane excited about still doing shows firmly mind. we’re not gonna show up at TiHC this year and have a barrier and 40 dudes in STAFF t-shirts standing in front of the crowd. I’m not gonna have to argue with some douchebag, who could give a fuck about anything but $$ if I wanna get a friend up on stage to take some photos during our set. The vibe there is always right and line-up is just incredible. Every year it blows my mind how you do it. I seriously feel there isnt a kid who loves or has loved HC 20 years ago, 10 years ago, or only 6 months ago.. who would look at this this years line-up and not go, “what the fuck? wow!”
Who are you looking forward to seeing at TIH 2011?well like I was just saying its the most impressive list of bands I’ve seen yet and I seriously could list of about 20 names of bands I am hyped to see on that stage in front of that crowd. but I’m gonna make myself only pick 3 who I will actually see.
Cold World
Stick Together
Down to Nothing
and that leaves out some bands I really love who are made up of some of my best friends.
Where do you draw your motivation to keep doing Bane after all these years?
honestly for me it’s never strayed too far from what originally drew me to it. Now I’m not sure if it’s a good thing at this point or if it really comments on something that is stunted and broken and unable to really move forward, deep inside me.. but its still just about that moment where I grab the mic and everything is about to happen. everything just feels ready to explode all around.. and i just have never found anything comparable to that in any other corner of my life. All of this emotion and energy and passion packed into these little songs. Other than that there’s just not much to talk about. I dont give a single fuck about the business end of things, popularity, or this whole culture of “cool” that I see a lot of people get caught up in. For me it’s really as simple as, I still love HC and would hate it if I didn’t get to do a band.
Name 3 dream bands you’d like to see at TIH
Burn, man. Burn, Burn, Burn. It felt so fucking close this year. Breaks my heart..I dont even wanna talk about it
What is the state of hardcore in the US in your opinion?
Lately, the last year or two, more than some of the previous years it just feels to me that the good guys are winning.
More and more great young bands,with good heads on their shoulders, Exciting labels run by kids who are doing it for the right reasons. Having their friends come over to help stuff 7″ inserts all through the night. I still see so much that type stuff, kids just anxious to contribute, to do what they can to give something to this music that touches them. And those things for me act as a really good counter-point to all of the petty, surface, judgmental bullshit that is going to exist any time you have a bunch of awkward-ass, insecure, geeks thrown together. The internet came along gave them ALL a voice, so yeah theres gonna be more stupid shit said and believed and held onto, but way deep down in the trenches there is still so much good going on.. still so much worth fighting for.
On our way out to Krazy Fest this spring we stopped and played a show in a VFW with no stage and a rickety PA in W. Virginia just us and one other band because Strike Anywhere had broken down. 100 kids packed all around us, sang along, danced, smiled. No drama. Just kids hyped to be at a show. We left got back in the van to drive another 6 hours and I felt energized, filled with optimism that what had originally brought me into this scene was still thriving in the most unexpected places
