It’s a great pleasure to present my quick chat with Mike Neider of the legendary skate hardcore punk rockers from BL’AST! Along with the original vocalist Clifford Dinsmore, Mike will be touring Europe this Summer with a new incarnation of the band. Joining them on stage will be Nick Oliveri of KYUSS /QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE / MONDO GENERATOR and Joey Castillo, also best known from QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and DANZIG, but also involved in a bunch of other bands! The tour kicks off on June 21st in France, but for now please check out this cool update from Mike, teasing new BL’AST records, remembering the past and giving you a general idea about the atmosphere accompanying their comeback! Scroll down to read the whole thing.
Hi guys! Thanks so much for taking some time with us. It’s a grea pleasure to have this chance to reveal a bit more about BL’AST A.D. 2014! How does it feel to be back? :)
Ya know, its great! Crazy opportunity. Feeling like we have the baddest ride in
the world and friends and peers threw us the keys.
After such a long gap, how did your new recordings come into being? Was it a struggle?
You mean BLOOD and EOP? We have not recorded new material yet, but the other releases went great.
I meant both, haha! The second half of 2013 brought us an amazing remastered version of “It’s In My Blood”, originally released by Gregg Ginn’s SST Records. What was Dave Grohl like to work with?
Nothing short of amazing. Dave rules! I think that was an amazing experience and rare to pull off something like that and Dave killed it. It was the best we have ever been treated. Ever.
Can you tell us more about materializing the new line-up including Nick and Joey about that time?
Cliff meet up w/ Nick at a Santa Cruz club called The Catalyst and asked him if would be into it and he was stoked and the timing was right then Nick bumped into Joey at a DANZIG gig and ran it by him and Joey was down as well as we played together in the past when he was in WASTED YOUTH. It just worked out and these guys are rippers and push us even more in a great way. Its an amazing band right now. Roots! You should check it out.
Was the whole new lineup involved in writing and recording your highly anticipated new record?
Yes this is a unit for sure and everyone is on the same wave about what we want to do with the band. Its buzzerko or nothing at all, standards are high.
What do the new players bring to the party?
A couple of fist and high kicks to the face then a relentless punishing beat down. They fit right in.
Not to many folks no about what it was like throwing down this kind of vibe back then but these dudes do. Roots! w/ no rules! and hard work!
Can you reveal how this new effort will fit in with your classic releases? Considering the controversial case of BLACK FLAG, some might say you’re playin’ with fire here ;)
Not sure about that and I could answer this a million different ways but…. The band has never been better and we are not gonna try to recreate our band we are continuing what we do.
We are going to write BL’AST! not change it. No one has more respect for this band then the four of us playing it. It will be great for us as sounds have become more accessible when recording so we will take our elements into today w/ high expectations. So Expect a ass kicking BL’AST! record nothing else.
Its what we know.
What’s the timeline? When can we expect a new single?
Some pretty cool things are being spoke of right now and some singles that will be amazing. Split single with…….. just wait for this one. Gonna be a whopper.
Southern Lord Records has released an interesting rarity record called “The Expression Of Power” earlier this year. Containing the track sessions of your 1986 classic album and plus unreleased demo, this joint is a tasty sampling of the atmosphere of the 80s. How do you remember that time?
We were literal as all hell with a ton of purpose almost to the point of never enjoying it. haha….. There was way more uncertainty back then. This round is the same but we will enjoy it more!
How do you feel about the 80s American punk nostalgia that’s currently around?
Some great times and tunes that we had. Let the truth be known.
Back in the 80s BL’AST were one of the heaviest sounding hardcore bands out there. Times have changed and there are so many different subgenres that followed and re-made the original punk rock sound of that time. What’s your view on that evolution? How do you find yourselves in the world where more and more often the audience is too demanding or simply spoiled?
Thats where we come in and not give a fuck. haha…. We have our own trip and not many take the time to get it. Its some work listening to BL’AST! but once you get it, you get it!
There is some great music out there!
Where do you see the current music industry going? Any thoughts on the new digital era?
You know who knows but the heavy will always be there even if ya have to go looking for it. Still trying to get used to the Digital era…….. damn but there is more options now as well.
Alright Mike, fast forward to 2014 and the fact is that you’re still here, ripping and having a bl’ast ;) You’ve just played a couple of shows, with plans to hit Europe in June and play This Is Hardcore Fest in Philly. Are you excited to play the festival? Are there any plans to expand this trek?
Most definitely, looking forward to as much as we can get. Ya never know with this band. In the moment type band. We have peers and bands and places we want to play with and in that we never had the opportunity to do so its on till its off!
BL’AST has always been associated with skating. Is skating still fun for you? Which of the current band members still express themselves this way?
Skating rules it is a way of life! Its like BL’AST! roll as hard as you can till you cant! Everyone rolls one way or another! Music and Skateboarding right now… WTF…. Insane! We are all lucky as all hell right now.
You’re all grown men now. Has that mellowed the group out at all?
In a more appreciative way.
Well, thanks so much for the interview! Feel free to add anything you like and have a great time on your upcoming tour guys! Greetings from Poland! :)
Thank you man!
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