Hardcore and the Music Industry

So why is it, compared to much of the rest of the music of the past 30 or so years, that hardcore has had so little involvement with major record labels? And the few that actually do, for example Bad Religion or more recently Nails, are slated among the community for ‘selling out?’

Partly, I believe it’s because of the incredible do-it-yourself work ethic of hardcore kids around the world. The two somewhat prolific hardcore labels, SST and Dischord, were both started up from the basement of a few people in their late teens who needed a medium to be able to distribute their music and have their message spread and do the same for their peers- at the time, bands like Minor Threat and Black Flag were at the cutting edge of fast, angry, aggressive music- derided by the general public who did not understand it- they were operating outside of social norms and they liked it.

This, I believe, is why the aforementioned bands, or any other band emerging from hardcore culture into a major record deal are seen as ‘selling out’ and eschewing the culture that got them to that point- joining a major label is their way of assimilating into the same mainstream culture which had previously derided and ignored the music that they make. Labels like Sony and EMI have a tendency to sanitise band’s sounds, making them suitable for the masses- again, going against one of the central philosophies of hardcore- doing what one wants, when one wants to.

Summed up neatly, corporate record labels could arguably be considered the antithesis of hardcore, do-it-yourself ethics. But are those who sign to these labels so wrong to choose financial security and the ability to make music for a stable living, over some loosely defined moral code? I personally believe it’s for the individual to decide.

Vinyl Collecting

As I’ve started to dip my toes into the freezing and deep waters of record collecting, I decided it’d be a good idea to go over and give a little review of my latest couple of pick-ups. But I’d also like to cover a little bit about why I started collecting in the first place and why these plastic discs are making a comeback.

So through the magic of the internet, I’ve managed to pick up two of my favourite hardcore records from this little genre/era- Turning Point’s massively influential It’s Always Darkest… Before the Dawn and Flagman’s Restraint EP. Both come from the early ‘90s and were very influential in the emotive hardcore (or ‘emo’) movement which was beginning to take shape. Both were records that went against the grain and chose to move in a more melodic, emotional direction at a time where hardcore in general was moving towards heavy metal influences, with chugging riffs and cookie-monster vocals starting to become the norm. I’m incredibly happy with the Turning Point record’s presentation, including a nicely printer lyric sheet with a poster on the back. The Flagman EP is nice too although didn’t come with much, although you can’t blame them for being on a record label with a much smaller budget.
            So why exactly is it that collecting records is making such a comeback, given that it’s so much less convenient than practically every other medium of delivering music, save perhaps cassette tapes? From my experience, many can become disillusioned with the digital world, and retreat to the safety of actually being to hold something, to gently place it down on the turntable and put the needle on top- there is something comfortable about being actually able to hold the thing you’re listening to. For many of the older guys; those who may have been around to pick up these records when they released, they seem to hold memories of their halcyon days, waiting weeks and weeks for their mail-order slip to be processed for a record they hadn’t even heard yet. In all honesty, this time I think it’s here to stay.

Outbreak Day 2 and the UKHC scene

After the utter euphoria of the first day of Outbreak, I suspected that day 2 might be a little bit bleak; half of my friend group had gone home, and my favourite band of all-time, Turning Point (who were the main reason I'd bought a ticket to Outbreak in the first place) had pulled out at the last minute, leaving only a few bands on the line-up I was interested in. However, things quickly began to brighten up. Leeds-based metalcore band Stranded were tuning up as we arrived, and although their style is not my thing, I was very pleasantly surprised by the progressive aspect of their songwriting, dealing with more than just straight-edge and veganism, as well as their vocalist's excellent, foreboding stage presence. After that, I discovered one of the best advantages of the Sunday- less people in attendance means actually having a chance to eat! After tucking into a few slices of excellent vegan pizza I marched on through the day. After an excellent, grinding set from Mizery, the final act of the weekend, the legendary Cro-Mags were on. Frontman John Joseph gave a performance with more energy than many teenagers despite being in his early fifties- although by this time even I was too tired to get up front and chilled at the back for most of the set. Overall? An incredible weekend with great people which really summed up what hardcore is about.

Something I really loved around the weekend was the sense of community and unity between everyone in attendance- there was no clique-yness or different groups making fun of eachother for not liking what they think is 'cool' which seems to happen a lot in the US scene. There are some advantages to being a part of a smaller hardcore scene- there is no room for fragmentation or being cliquey; there are so few people making true, angry hardcore music that everyone who wants to be apart of it has to stick together, which I personally think is an incredible attribute to have in a music scene- a true spirit of friendship. So thanks, Outbreak, for not only letting me see some of my favourite bands ripping, but also for making me think profoundly about how amazing the UK hardcore scene is as a whole.