CRO-MAGS at the Kathedral (651 Queen West), Friday (October 30), 7 pm. $22.50. rotate.com. Part of FUCKED UP WEEKEND (till Saturday, October 31, various venues and prices, lookingforgold.blogspot.com).
Toronto’s favourite underdog hardcore group, Fucked Up, is all set to soak the city in loud music, whiskey and onstage costumed perversion at the fourth annual Fucked Up Fest.
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A respite from all things electronic or soothing, FU Fest, which the band throws in conjunction with Mark Pesci and Greg Benedetto, has become one of our most anticipated music events.
“We pretty much take over the city,” says FU guitarist Ben Cook. “It’s at the point where promoters are afraid to book anything during this week.”
Fresh off their Polaris Prize win and a surprise gig at Lee’s Palace as the Polaris Pricks earlier this month, the group returns from New York to perform a slew of tracks they rarely play live, some of which the audience got to sample at Lee’s.
“It was our first time playing some of them,” says Cook with a chuckle, “but we don’t really practise anyway.”
Along with fresh material, the band brings some like-minded friends to play along, including Boston’s Waste Management, Japan’s DSB, UK’s Lovvers and most notably, NYC hardcore legends the Cro-Mags.
Cro-Mags frontman John Joseph, who met Cook when the Cro-Mags toured with Cook’s old band, No Warning, is taking time off from writing the script for an adaptation of his novel, Evolution Of A Cro-Magnon, to appear at this year’s Fucked Up Fest.
“I’m not in it for the money,” says Joseph from his New York home. “I got offered a shitload of money to play a few festivals in Europe this summer – more money than I’d ever made in my entire life – and I turned it down. If I don’t feel it in my heart, I’m not doing it.”
Influencing an entire generation of punk musicians, the Cro-Mags’ sound still resounds with determination and street-justice ideology two decades after they debuted. Their 1986 The Age Of Quarrel and 89’s Best Wishes are still revered listening.
“I grew up on the streets,” says Joseph, “and when you sing about something that’s real, the conviction’s there.”
And he would know about conviction – Joseph’s lyrics are informed by his strong Hare Krishna beliefs.
“After the Daves [Hahn and Stein] left the band in 81, [ex-bassist and Cro-Mags founder] Harley [Flanagan] tried to keep the Cro-Mags going on some goofball stuff, whereas I was really searching spiritually,” he says.
“I lived as monk for a year, and when I came back, I applied those principles to the music in songs like We Gotta Know, Malfunction and It’s The Limit.”
Though the Cro-Mags have been known to play under different name variations (with varied lineups) over the years – Cro-Mag Jam, Cro-Mags-NYC and Age of Quarrel, to name a few – Toronto gets a seasoned roster: Joseph on vocals, Mackie Jayson on drums, A.J. Novello on guitar and bassist Mike Couls (Terror, Cold as Life) filling in for Craig Scully, who’s currently recording with Sick of It All.
Interview Clips
John Joseph of Cro-Mags
Ben Cook talks about how Fucked Up Weekend came to be:
Ben Cook of Fucked Up
music@nowtoronto.com
