Interviews

Interview with Pat Thetic of Anti-Flag

Published

7 years ago

July 26, 2017

Ron

During the 2017 Warped Tour stop in Baltimore Maryland, Empire Extreme got to sit down and talk to drummer Pat Thetic of Anti-Flag after they played a kick ass set on the HardRock stage.

Before we started the interview Pat and I were talking about the recorder I have on my phone which looks like the old school recorders from back in the day. My recorder was a common theme with many people that day.

Empire: You guys are from Pittsburgh and just played that area during the warped tour how was that?
Pat: It was a good show, it’s always fun to play your hometown and all your friends and family come out to say hello.

Empire: Did you guys ever play Club Laga when that was still a club in Pittsburgh?
Pat: Actually I will tell you we were the first band to ever play club laga. Laga hadn’t really opened yet and I heard about it, and Ron who was the owner I asked if we can rent out the space and we played before it was even a club. At that time we were playing mostly halls and bars at that time.

Empire: How do you feel about the state of the world right now?
Pat: The fact that Donald Trump is president is horribly embarrassing to me. The fact that a con man and carnival barker has been given the keys to one the most powerful countries in the world. Donald Trump has done is legitimized bigotry and racist and sexism, and that’s a problem. You’re uncle who was a closet bigot feels now he can express those views out loud and that’s pretty fucked up.

Empire: You guys always have a lot to say about the cops too.
Pat: Yeah, in 2015-2017 cops are shooting young black men all over the place. It’s just a reality there are too many guns in the world. I come from western PA and it’s a gun culture. But someone who has a gun and has a mental Health issues and it’s to easy to shoot a bunch of people. And with the police they are afraid because everybody has guns because most of them do, and they shoot overwhelming young black men.

Empire: What do you guys think about the Dickies incident at Warped Tour earlier?
Pat: I’m a firm believer that everybody should be able to say whatever they want, but if you’re an asshole and say shitty things people are going to call you out on it. Unfortunately the guy from the Dickies said some horrible shit and he got called out on it. There’s been a debate on if punk rock is being to P.C. and I don’t think it’s a question about being to PC I think that punk rock has always been fighting against the status quo and the elite, and young women are not the powerful and the elite. They don’t have the power that white men have, so when a white man on stage belittles a woman.

Empire: Which is crazy because this year, there are soo many powerful and strong women bands on the tour.
Pat: which is awesome, they are out there and they ain’t taking any shit.

Empire: Any plans on a new album?
Pat: Right before this tour we been working on a new record and we’ve been doing mastering and mixing while on this tour. We don’t have a title or a date yet, hopefully sometime in the fall.

Empire: If you can bring back any musician from the dead, who would you?
Pat: I would bring back Keith Moon, because we was more off time than me, and I need some more off time drummers out there in the world. In 2017 everything is on a click or a timer.
Empire: Anything you like to say to the fans?
Pat: Just an inspiring note, the women’s March had an impact on politics. We need another one of those marches, doesn’t need to be a woman’s one but has to be a March for people who thing trump needs to go. I think right now the American population is like let’s just let the system work it’s way out and see what happens, but if that takes too long we need to take to the streets. If you put 200,000 people out on the streets saying trump has to go things will change very quickly.

Empire: I always have said I’m for people who want to protest or march, but that women’s one was inspirational because it was done so peacefully not like most that we see.
Pat: Women are much better than us (laugh). The reality of it for social movements to work you need women and grandmothers. If you put a firehose on them the people realize the powerful are out of touch compared to men with mask they think they deserved it.

About Author

Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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Related Topics:ANTI-FLAG Baltimore MD Empire Extreme Pat Thetic Warped tour

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Interviews

INTERVIEW WITH OF VIRTUE

Published

2 months ago

March 4, 2024

Ron

Where does the band name come from? Wanting to be the best version of yourself at all times. The name is a reminder to hold ourselves accountable.

How is the music scene in Michigan? The Michigan music scene has always been vibrant and in my opinion, important. Do we get the credit we deserve? Absolutely not. But for the state that brought you Motown, Eminem, Lizzo, The White Stripes, I Prevail and so many other incredible artists – it’s kind of hard to believe that Michigan remains a hidden gem.

How’s the reception from the fans of the latest album “Omen”? It’s been incredible. From seeing people singing along at shows to us seeing new supporters of all different ages, colors, and creeds joining the journey. Omen has been a pivotal album in our career and we’re proud of it!

If you could tour with 2 bands, which bands would you want to tour with? Spiritbox and Bad Omens. They’re both making waves, changing who the metal audience is, and surely they’d be fun to hang around with.

Where do you draw inspiration for the lyrics? Honestly, the lyrics are our stories. The stories of our struggles, our trials and our tribulations.

What’s been your favorite tour or show? We just got off of a tour with our labelmates, Any Given Day. They treated us to a handful of sold out shows over in Europe, which at this point we call our second home. Those were great shows, but any show we’ve done in Europe is typically one for the books!

If you could bring back a dead musician, who would it be? Prince for sure. An incredible musician I would love an opportunity to chat or make music with!

About Author

Ron

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Interviews

INTERVIEW WITH TWIN TEMPLE

Published

2 months ago

February 16, 2024

Ron

Being Married and being in a band together. Do you feel that makes it easier or harder?

We love to do the Devil’s work together so for us its a match made in hell.

What’s your favorite horror movie?

That’s hard to narrow down but the first few that come to mind are Rosemary’s Baby, The Devil Rides Out, Wickerman, The Devils Reign featuring Anton Lavey, Mario Bava’s Black Sunday, anything starring Vincent Price. We also got to see an advance screen of “Late Night with the Devil” featuring a very evil performance from our friend Dave Dastmalchian. We’re also looking forward to Bryan Fuller’s “Dust Bunny” and are positive it will be a new favorite. The list goes on…..we are huge horror fans.

Favorite Non Horror Movie?

Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (which is horror/noir adjacent) and The Burbs (also horror adjacent…haha.)

All of Quentin Tarantino’s films- our latest favorite is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, because 1960’s LA…

What misconception of Satanists would you like to educate people on?

We’re not here to proselytize, force our beliefs on people, or educate people on them Selves, Satanism or anything else. If people are interested in exploring Satanism, we encourage them to do their research and question everything.

If you could bring back any dead musician, who would you pick and why?

We would have loved to do a song with Ronnie Spector who recently passed. Also would have been amazing to collaborate with Jack Nitzsche who arranged so many amazing songs.

If you could tour with any 2 bands, who would you want to tour with?

The Ronnettes & The Shangri-Las.

What has been your Favorite Tour so far?

The God is Dead Tour that we’re currently on is definitely the most evil and blasphemous tour yet. We find it very pleasurable to be able to continue expanding the rituals and seeing our nightmares come true on stage.

You were on “Dragula” with the Boulet Brothers, how was that experience?

It was a fiendish delight to collaborate with some of our fav monsters.

What was it like Touring with Danzig?

Another nightmare come true! We’ve both been fans for a long time and we’re obviously inspired by the wicked world Glenn has conjured. So to get to spend time with him and watch him live every night and to now call him a friend is completely surreal. He’s a legend— but was also one of the coolest, kindest, most unholy people we’ve had the carnal pleasure of touring with.

How’s the reception of the last album “God is Dead”?

Personally, we love the record and are very proud of what we’ve accomplished. As far as other peoples’ reactions…. we don’t know and don’t care! We pleasured ourselves and that’s what matters most.

What got you interested in the style of music you play? And how would describe your music?

We’ve always loved classic American music from jazz to blues to country to rock and roll and so on. We also love the pageantry of heavy metal and theatre. So for us it was a very organic culmination of our obsessions. Rock and roll has always been the devils music.

Have you visited the Satanic Temple in Massachusetts?

No we have not but Lucien did attend one of our rituals so we had a chance to share where we get our babies blood and all things Satan.

Have you had any bad encounters at shows because of the misconception of satanism?

No! We purposefully foster a live show environment where all are welcome, all should come being the most important person in the world which is themselves, whatever that may be. Even Christians! We believe music is meant to bring joy, transcendence… We just want to share the things we love; pink, rhinestones, big hair, great rock ’n’ roll, Satanic ritual, you know… but we have had churches assemble outside our shows, screaming through distorted PA speakers that God is not dead & wishing us all a “terrible time”. Why would their God not want us to have fun? This kind of behavior is only makes us more proud to be who we are and do what we love.