CRASS: INTERVIEW, NY VAG, SWEDISH NATIONAL RADIO, 1980. FM BROADCAST.

Hailing from Epping, Essex, England, Crass were the leaders of UK punk’s radical left. Although they would never categorize themselves as a leftist group, many of their ideals fell distinctively into this paradigm. As were well-known first-wave UK punk groups sang about the incentives of anarchy, Crass were surely the first band to do something about it. They defined themselves as a more virtuous option to the bands that used the spectacle of anarchism to move product. Crass refused all of the obligatory causes that most other groups rejected before them: organized religion, warfare, sexism, and ignorance. The differentiation was that Crass raised their position to that of sublimated fine art. In an age that was chiefly defined as apathetic and politically dejected, Crass were the principal builders of a template for many to draw from.

This radio interview is a great insight into the socio-political and economic ideologies that set Crass apart from the remainder of pedestrian sloganeering anarcho-punk groups of their era. Various members of Crass speak about their approach pertaining to releasing records independently, activism, gig violence, and political values.

This recording came to me updated but it seems extremely likely that it’s from 1980, considering the song selection features some tracks from “Penis Envy” and they make reference to new 45’s being released by Captain Sensible, Dirt, etc. If anyone has the exact date this was broadcasted, I’d love to know it so I can have the most complete information regarding this recording possible. It also seems likely that an English speaker initially asked the questions and Swedish translations of the questions were edited in afterward. The quality is great.

This recording is the first of many Ny Vag radio broadcasts that I will be making available on this archive. Ny Vag was a radio show that was broadcasted on Swedish National Radio, appearing on channel P3. Ny Vag was hosted by Jonas Almqvist who also performed in Ladernunnan and the Leather Nun. This radio show was incredibly important to the Swedish punk subculture because it gave listeners a opportunity to hear local acts as well as US and UK hardcore punk bands.

I have approximately 20 different Ny Vag shows and would love to acquire more. If you have any and would like to trade, please drop me a line through the email posted on this site.

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http://www.mediafire.com/?0mzynzuyuei

BAD BRAINS: MAXIMUM ROCK AND ROLL RADIO INTERVIEW, 5.15.82. FM BROADCAST.

After a lapse in posting here on the archive, here is a classic Bad Brains interview from Maximum Rock & Roll Radio conducted by the magazine’s founder, Tim Yohannon.

This interview was captured soon after the Bad Brains migrated to Manhattan from their home base of Washington DC. 1982 also saw the first Bad Brains nationwide tour. The infamous encounter with Randy “Biscuit” Turner of the Big Boys occurred briefly before this interview took place. This incident has been written about extensively in a variety of publications such as American Hardcore. The synopsis of the story is that the Bad Brains stopped in Austin, Texas to play with the Big Boys and the Dicks. Immersed in Rastafarian ideology, the Brains took strong offense to the homosexual lifestyle of the Big Boys vocalist and they sure let him know it by defacing his property and leaving him a note that denounced homosexuality. They continued on their tour with a bag of stolen weed and with a new wing of detractors in Texas. This incident began to follow them as they hit subsequent cities on their ’82 tour.

Considering the then recent Austin skirmish, it’s quite ironic that interviewer Tim Yohannon opens up with a query regarding breaking down boundaries only to be followed up with a response that touches upon diversity by way of Jah. A sense of tension seems to develop between Yohannon and the Bad Brains regarding their ethnic status and where it fits within the burgeoning hardcore scene. Yohannon is somewhat relentless in his questioning regarding this topic. I don’t know what’s more bizarre; MRR presenting a program that’s incessant in pushing the envelop toward uneasiness or giving the platform to a band that are firm believers in religious doctrine. Oh, how the times have changed.

The quality of this short interview is great. The recording comes from a first generation master cassette that was recorded off the radio as the interview happened.

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THE DICKIES: KROQ-FM, LOS ANGELES, CA 11.27.80 RADIO INTERVIEW

The Dickies hailed from the San Fernando Valley and served as the most superior example of hyperactive 1970s Southern Californian punk rock. Raised on Mad Magazine, they never took themselves serious enough to avoid a sense of self-parody. They were often referred to as the “West Coast Ramones” for obvious reasons. These loveable punks were enjoyably unserious and were quite self-aware of their own idiocy, unlike their New York counterparts who always seemed to be playing that same role much straighter. The first three years of the Dickies meant manically catchy pop-punks gems, one after another.

This cassette features a Thanksgiving Day interview with vocalist Leonard Graves and guitarist Stan Lee conducted by KROQ disc jockey Darrell Wayne. Wayne comes off as a bit square but Graves and Lee oblige his questions with humor and wit. Songs from the first two classic Dickies are showcased too. This cassette includes the entire broadcast (including all the original commercials featuring a cool Blondie "Autoamerican" ad) in superb quality. Overall, an interesting and enjoyable document.

This recording was obtained from the excellent "From the Garage" blog. This blog has numerous KROQ-FM radio shows from the mid to late 1970s. This blog can be visited at:http://fromthegarage.blogspot.com/

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?5zlnnzzyjym