I want to say thanks for all the positive feedback from people about the blog. That been said I have an interview from another Heavy Hitting from the Bay Area..That goes by Temptation 87 fast and Heavy with sick vox I can say I interview Vince the drummer of the band.. Here you go the interview of Tempatation87 enjoy!!
Tone: State your name and the band & label you are in:
Vince: I’m Vince, and I play drums and do vocals in a band called TEMPTATION 87, and also release/distribute tapes and other art under SEED SPILLER SYNDICATE. I also play bass in a hardcore punk band called SPY, which should be releasing a 4 song EP this summer. I’m based in the East Bay but have roots in the Santa Cruz area.
Tone: How long has TEMPTATION 87 been a band?
Vince: Jesus, Danny and I have been playing music for a very long time, but have taken it most seriously since June 2019. We come from the same hometown, and started playing music together via a connect from our mutual friend Taylor, who sang in ARAB SPRING (rip). We both grew up in the same scene and were exposed to the fantastic wave of 2000s PV revival. I don’t think T87 is 100% a powerviolence band, but that was our original intention when starting.
SEED SPILLER SYNDICATE began as kind of a “joke” - T87 was/is a labor of love, and we started with some kind of conviction about doing **everything** ourselves, from recording to relessing to making our own merch. Having a “label” for our first release gave the cassette some kind of “aesthetic cohesion” or whatever, and I’ve been since using it as a platform to release other projects I’ve been working on, and to help promote music from bands I admire.
T87 has self-released 3 tapes through SEED SPILLER and have a self-titled coming out on PRACTICED HATRED this summer. Gus (PH) has done some amazing things for WCPV and I’m completely blown away that he’s remotely interested in releasing our music. It’s being recorded by RAW DOG STUDIOS, based in Sacramento. Matt (RD) is an incredible producer and has recorded SSS releases by DOPE MESS, FUMING, and THROAT RIP.
Tone: How did you get into Punk?
Vince: In short, I found it on the internet. I was a clueless nerd growing up, and didn’t have much exposure to social activities or subcultures, besides playing Magic the Gathering, reading books, and skateboarding. Until Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater came out, I hadn’t heard much Punk (except maybe some Combat Rock era Clash singles via my dad). When I was 12 I discovered the bizarre world of “unrestricted access to the internet.” Luckily, that didn’t go much further than lurking Myspace for music and doing the knowledge on Wikipedia and some ancient forums.
I had been extremely unhappy for a few years and stumbled upon 80s US Hardcore when I was exploring the World Wide Web. I had been into some hard/classic rock for a minute but didn’t really have the cultural context behind it - I was just listening to the bands mentioned in School of Rock.
I had 2 extremely important albums that “showed me the way” with Punk. The first one was (duh) Damaged by Black Flag. That album contains a level of grime and blind discontent that fits perfectly into the mind of any teenager who is generally not very happy, but doesn’t know how to feel beyond that. The second album was Dischord Records “First Four 7.” SOA, Minor Threat, Teen Idles, and Government Issue took that disgusting sneer coming out of Black Flag and made it about DA YOUTH. A bit later, I found the Charles Bronson discography at Streetlight Records in Santa Cruz, and was hit over the head by a lot at once: frantic vocals, blast beats, non metalcore breakdowns, and heavy sampling.
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how cool I thought the “less cool” bands were at this time too. I’ve always loved cute boys and fashion, and bands like Rancid realllllly scratched that itch when I was 13.
Tone: What was your 1st show? Where did you get the name? I’m just curious cuz I know there was a band called REDEMPTION 87 I don’t know if you guys were a fan of them?
Vince: TEMPTATION 87 played their first show at our friend Trevor’s (of ARAB SPRING) house in August of 2017. It was a “homies show” with RILED, DONKEY LIPS, SPIDER AND THE BOYS, MXDXEXTXDXE, and ARAB SPRING The house hadn’t had many shows, but some amazing bands have played there (IE, SETE STAR SET, CONCUSSIVE, SCUM HUMAN, 51-50, GOOLAGOON). Neither of us had played a show since high school and were shitting in our shoes nervous. As it turned out, ARAB SPRING broke up a few days later, and it ended up being their last show. Their breakup was the beginning of a shift from PV towards Capital H - Hardcore in the Santa Cruz DIY scene (no shade, those people work very hard and make very good music).
I’m a sucker for pop culture and references to pop culture in a majorly bad way. TEMPTATION 87 is a 3-pronged reference, which I’ll spend way too much time breaking down. First and foremost, it’s a New Order song (specifically, the 1987 version of their song Temptation). I’m a huge New Order fan - maybe everyone feels this way, but the bridge they gapped between post-punk and new wave is one of the most impressive and (at the time) unique approaches ever taken to rock music. Second, I (like many) was swept up in the wave of 2000s blasty Hardcore/PV, and erly Ceremony is obviously is the most interesting example of that sound. Their name is also a New Order song title. Finally, yes - the allusion to Redemption 87. East Bay Punk is one of the coolest little movements in Hardcore, and while it has been a little dorky at times, I gravitate towards that style (then and now) more than the college/art/coolness influenced scenes in the City. In short, it’s a pretty unoringal band name, but one that was chosen with a lot of love and admiration for people who influenced us. FWIW - it’s kind of a shitty name, but probably better than our other idea (COUCH LOCK).
Tone: What’s some of the influences that the band has?
Vince: Kinda lame, but I’ve always wondered how I was going to answer this question when it came up. I’ll do two sections, one for “life shit” and one for bands. I honestly don’t really know what T87 “sounds like,” but if anyone who’s reading this wants to let me know, I would be happy to find out.
Life shit: 2000s SF & Seattle graffiti, skateboarding, hard working friends, a fear of dying, cyberpunk movies and books, comic books by Ed Brubaker, THC, CBD, nicotine addiction, caffeine, caffeine addiction, gender dysphoria, the state of being extremely discontent and equally unmotivated, contempt for bad fathers, admiration of good public school teachers, and CONSTANT SELF IMPROVEMENT THROUGH A DIY APPROACH TO CREATIVITY.
Musical Inflences: His Hero is Gone, New Order, Pity Sex, Dystopia, Ceremony, Blatz, Filth, Despise You, Mind Eraser, Never Healed, Godstomper, Corbin/Spooky Black, the RZA, Converge, Uzi Suicide, Ramparts, Angel Olsen, Kids Like Us, the Rival Mob, Nirvana, Life Long Tragedy, Man is the Bastard, Crossed Out, Nick Cave, Sabertooth Zombie, Steel Trap, All Bets Off, Cell Rot, Cult Ritual, Darkthrone, Andre Nikatina, Insect Warfare, and Death Grips. I would be the happiest person on Punk Planet if any project I worked on sounded like any of these bands - I don’t think T87 draws heavily from or sounds specifically like any of them, but each of these artists has some influence in either how we write our songs, or the songs themselves.
Tone:Any favorite shows you guys have?
Vince: SAC HOUSE SHOW - HAPPY BDAY MORGAN
PURPLE HOUSE WITH WACKO - ALWAYS A GIGANTIC PLEASURE
ANY CHANCE WE’VE HAD TO SEE THE PEOPLE WE LOVE
ANY CHANCE WE’VE HAD TO SPREAD THE LOVE
Tone: Any releases coming out after this COVID-19 nonsense on your label or for your band?
Vince: I **just** released 2.5 minutes of noisecore I created in my bedroom called ASSMASTER. It’s fucking garbage, but hopefully in a cool way. I recorded it with an unplugged bass and most of a drum kit - the bass drum was a leatherbound copy of the Hobbit.
SSS will be releasing a new album from Salinas’ GARDENS, who is one of California’s best kept secrets. They play noisey hardcore that ranges from Lewd Acts mysterious guy punk to freakout Sabertooth Zombie guitar rock. I’ve been admiring these people’s music for a very long time, and am blessed to put something out that they’ve touched.
SSS is also in the final stages of releasing a debut noisecore tape from NORTH AMERICA II, which is Derek from WORLD PEACE’s side project. Danny (T87) recorded it, and it’s very good.
As I eagerly mentioned earlier, PRACTICED HATRED will be releasing a T87 self-titled in the near future. I’m also graced to participate in a new project titled SPY, with of members of WORLD PEACE, HECKDORLAN, and SCOWL. We have 4 songs that should be out soon.
Tone:Any shout out you want to give?
Vince:I would be remiss if I didn’t start off by mentioning some active bands that we have been blessed to share shows, equipment, and love with. WORLD PEACE, HECKDORLAN, DOPE MESS, and FUMING are composed of kind and hardworking people, and have all “put us on” to some respect. They all make incredible music, each having a very unique spin on this genre that we’ve all spent way too much time dissecting and admiring.
Some other bands that deserve recognition are DURANXDURAN, THROAT RIP, XMALCOMX, ARAB SPRING (rip), SPIDER AND THE BOYS, SKIN AND BONE, FLESH CAGE, WACKO, GARDENS, SCOWL, SICK MESS (rip), ILLICIT TRADE, STREET PERSON, SHITSTORMTROOPER, POOP, XGRIFOX, CULPA, HEAVY STENCH, LIVID, BLAST RADIUS (are they still around?), FAMILY VACATION, BLOOD STAINED CONCRETE, CHAFA, SCRUB MINDSET,
Hardworking people or groups that I admire - LIFEGRIME VINTAGE, RANDPOP VINTAGE, DROZEY VINTAGE, PUNKS WITH LUNCH, 924 GILMAN, FOREVER NEVER ENDS RECORDS, PRACTICED HATRED FANZINE, OBSCURE ORIGIN FANZINE, ZEST BAY, SUBROSA & THE HUB, MULLET DEATH RECORDS, EL CRUSTY CRISTO, FUNGI POWER, NO TIME RECORDS, and my employer for tolerating all this punk shit.
Absolutely most importantly, my mother, stepfather, my significant other, and MOTHER EARTH.
If you would like to talk about anything mentioned in this interview, please shoot me an email at seedspillersyndicate@gmail. com.
RIP GLOOM AND ORFN US.
https://seedspillersyndicate.bandcamp.com
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