thanx goes to Iny for answering this my questions in very short period.. enjoy!..
c.f.: Hi!..for the beginning please introduce yourself to the readers..
Iny: Hello, nice to meet you :) My name is Iny and I'm vocalist in Gride. I'm 37 years old, 2m tall, grey-haired man.
c.f.: tell us what were the main reasons for forming a band at the beginnings, what was your expectations and intentions with the band, and did you accomplish any of them?
Iny: Gride has played since 1996. In the beginning we wanted only play music, which we liked... extreme hardcore and grindcore. We were a bunch of people who wanted play this music, but who hadn't any experience with it. So we started practicing and after some time the line-up settled on 4 people: Cert – drums, David – guit, Zdenda – bass and me as the vocalist. We practiced hard and in August 1996 we played first gig. We were pretty nervous, but gig fell out very well, so it was motivating impulse to our activity. But we didn't imagine what we will reach with band in the future. We were satisfied we could play gigs here in Czech Republic and record some stuff. We haven't any goals, schedules or expectations. I think it changed when we went to first „tour“. There were a few gigs in Austria, Slovenia and Italy with our friends of Mrtva Budoucnost (extreme fast core from Brno). I think it was in 1998, maybe in 1997. We appreciate the potential, which Gride could have and we started doing things more deeply and knowingly. But I still have to say that I have imagined never, where we have come now...many records, tours and on other side even band members... I and Cert are only original members of Gride. There were about 6 another persons, who played in Gride and left band or were kicked off. It has been simply always, but I'm satisfied with position, where Gride is now. So I think I can tell that we fulfilled our expectations and I don't lie when I say that we overcome them :)
c.f.: Gride exists since 1998 (if I'm not wrong?!) and that's pretty long time.. from where you gets inspiration for making this kind of music for all that years and such a great performances at your gigs?..I was watching you guys in Zagreb last year, and you were awesome, great energy..and that isn't only my opinion, many people i've talked told me the same..Iny: Oooh, thanks for your commendatory words :) In Zagreb we were a bit tired after long trip from Skopje, we were some problems on the way... So I'm glad you didn't find anything of it during our gig :) So we are professionals probably :) The show in Zagreb was great, we needed such good gig, to shake our depression off. :) Zagreb is nice city and I would like to come back some time in future.
We have existed since 1996, but as I said, first two years we were active mainly in Czech Republic. The long existence of band brings many problems in years. As I said in previous question, we have had many line-ups changing. It was still the same...after years of playing, people lost their energy, invention and became unreliable etc. So we have been forced to find new people to replace them. I think it's paradoxical thing, which keeps Gride alive. We have changed line-up again recently. Maxeek, our bass player, decided to leave band after US tour. He played a few gigs else until we found new guy instead him and in October he left the band. The main reason were, that he was busy with his family and his another band Dezinfekce. He has little daughter and wants to care for her. Our new bass player is Michal, our friend from thrash death band Pressboil. He is the youngest guy of us, so he has a lot of energy and I hope he will move us somewhere.
Iny: I like most of our records. Of course they have many mistakes and I would do some things differently, but I take them like a testimony of era, where we recorded them. In my opinion, split LP with Mrtva Budoucnost and Horizont udalosti LP are the best. I think, the latest stuff – Horizont udalosti and split EP with Thema 11 – is the most complex and solid. The best label for cooperation for us is Insane Society Records. Barvak – the boss of this label – is our very good friend and the cooperation with him has been always without problems.
c.f.: recently you was on USA tour? How it was in the States, are there any differences in gigs, people, etc. there and here in Europe?
Iny: It was really great… the best tour ever and one of the best gigs in Gride’s history. We toured USA with Pretty Little Flower two weeks and although it was pretty physically intensive, I take these days like one of the best in my life. We started tour in Houston and we were surprised with nice and friendly people. One guy brought original Czech beer for us, so we felt like at home. The people were fucking crazy and mosh pit was pretty hot. People in USA are wilder than in Western Europe and most of shows were awesome. In some venues we were almost scared, that people damage our gear, because they were very violent and wild. But everywhere people were really friendly, they thanked us for coming, asked us about tour and opinions about USA, drank beer with us etc. We read some tour reports of European bands before coming to USA and we were afraid, that anybody won’t be interested in some fucking group from Middle Europe, but contrary was the case. We were exoticism for them and they supported us very well. The last gig on Maryland Death Fest was simply awesome. Imagine venue for 4000-5000 people, half of crowd moshing and big applause after each song. We were satisfied and very very happy. D.R.I, who played 1 hour after us dedicated us a song, it’s honour, which means for me a lot.
c.f.: your view on diy underground scene in Czech Republic?
c.f.: where bands in Czech usually have their concerts, and how's situation with squatting scene there nowadays?
Iny: The gigs are usually organized in pubs and clubs in Czech Republic. There are also some cultural collectives, who manage independent venues, for example Vrah in Roznov pod Radhostem and Discentrum in Prague. Squatting scene have dissolved in recent years. The last squat Milada in Prague was evicted in 1999. There were many squats in 90-ies. The most famous was Ladronka, where many great foreign bands played. It was regular stand point most of European tours. Ladronka as the squat existed between years 1993-2000. Nowadays there aren’t any squats in Czech Republic. There have been some attempts to occupy some old houses in recent years but they were quickly suppressed by police, security agencies and owners of the houses. The most famous squatting action in recent years was an attempt to occupy the building of former bath on Apolinarska Street in Prague in September 2009. There were some struggles with police and many people were detained and were incriminated. The squatters defended themselves, saying they did not plan to stay in the occupied building for long. Their act was only to attract public attention to the problem of abandoned and dilapidated houses, they pointed out. Most of people stay on the side of state and police and squatting has minimal support of them. So I think the squatting situation in Czech republic won’t be changed in the future.c.f.: Internet – good thing or pure evil? Do you miss good old times of hand written letters, tapes, paper zines? Can you compare today global diy scene and the scene before some 10 years ago?
Iny: Like most of things in our life, internet isn’t neither pure bad nor pure good. You have to take it only like tool, which can help you. Then internet can do your work easier and simpler. When I remember how it was hard to organize tour before internet era, I cannot believe, that we could go somewhere. Or try imagine how long would be done this interview in pre internet era. You had to write me normal letter first to ask if I’m interested in doing interview. Then you had to wait for my answer, then you sent me questions and I replied it hand written on paper… It would take minimal 2 months. Now we can do whole interview in two weeks. Organizing gigs, releasing records, information etc are the same. Internet provides you to touch many people with making minimum effort. On the other side, internet brings many negative things like fucking bullshits in internet discussions, which makes so called dauntless internet hardcore warriors, who know everything in the best, but who hasn’t done anything ever. They can only criticize, but you hadn’t seen them to organize gig, release record, play in band, do zine etc. These internet clever fellows are toll, which we have to pay for its benefits.
Iny: All members of Gride are active in other bands. It’s a problem sometimes, because we have to schedule our activities agreeable with other bands and families. It’s almost unsolvable situation, but we have to face up to it and to do compromises.
Cert (drums) plays in thrash metal band Radiolokator and old Czech death/black metal band Avenger (they have played since 1991). Pufffy (guitar) plays in Dezinfekce (hardcore, long time existing band too) and P.B.J.P. (band playing cover songs of old punk and hardcore bands, for example Dead Kennedy’s, Exploited, Dyaglo Abortions, Discharge, M.D.C. etc). Paaya (guitar) plays in Uchazim (experimental punk/hardcore) and Retroprotest (similar band to P.B.J.P., but they play only cover songs of Czech punk and hardcore bands). Michal (bass) is into Pressboil – young thrash/death metal band. I (Iny) sing also in Radiolokator and do a zine called Trhavina.
c.f.: Gride is one of those bands singing mostly on their native language, and one more proof that bands on diy scene don't need sing on English to be well accepted by people around the world.. tell us why you decided to sing on Czech?
Iny: It wasn’t primarily “political” decision, but we were pushed to it by circumstances. I take lyrics as important part of our production and my knowledge of English isn’t so good to write good lyrics in this language. So we decided write lyrics and sing them in our native language. It’s natural for us and I thing that it’s better. Secondly it’s also attitude against dominion of English in hardcore. I don’t expect that Spanish, Russian or Japan band will sing in English. I think it’s more interesting when the band gives to music something especial, original and it could be minimal his native language. When Oi Polloi played in Czech Republic, they saw some graffiti on a wall: Fuck the system and they were surprised, why it isn’t written in Czech language. They are right, why we could use foreign language for expressing our thoughts? Only because our favorite band uses it? And are they really our own ideas or only second-hand pose?
c.f.: something about your lyrics, about what they are and what is more important to you as a band lyrics or music?
Iny: It must be in the same level. You listened to music because of music, when you would know something new you could be read papers or book. But many people cannot listen to music with stupid und uninteresting lyrics. I know many bands, which play excellent music, but they haven’t good lyrics in my opinion and they lost my sympathy with it – for example Rupture I love their music, but their lyrics ridiculing holocaust etc are too much for me. Or all that porno gore stuff, it’s fucking silly and it repels me in first sight, even if that bands could play good music, this imbecile attitude don’t allow me to discover it.
c.f.: your sound is pretty original, but you, for sure have some bands that influenced on your music. which bands are those, and do you play any covers at your live shows?
Iny: There were different bands in our different periods, who influenced us. In early days we were influenced by classical gridcore and hardcore bands like Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, E.N.T, Doom, Agathocles, Rot, Unholy Grave, Heresy… Then we discovered charm of power violence and were influenced by Spazz, Capitalist Casualties, Lack of interest, Crossed Out, Infest etc. Then it has started being a bit complicated. How the line-up changed, we have started to take more different influences from favorite bands of new members. Nowadays I cannot say, who influence us and in my opinion isn’t easy, to compare new stuff of Gride to any other band. We are trying to create something original and new with many influences and each member of band brings his own part. I’m still mainly in power violence and experimental hardcore, but I’m listen to many music genres, so I’m open to everything.
c.f.: when we can except some new Gride release, tour maybe?any future plans?
Iny: We should release split LP with Voetsek from California, but we have canceled this project recently. So we are going to record stuff for B side and to release it as full length LP. We would like to release LP in summer next year, but we will see. We schedule also tour in September. We would like to tour Austria, Italy, France, maybe Spain and Germany. We are going to start scheduling tour in February, so detailed information will come then.
c.f.: thank you for answering this..if I didn't ask something and you would like to add, feel free to do it!..
Iny: Thank you for your interest in our band and interesting questions. Good luck with your zine, it’s hard work and only a few people can appreciate it. I think doing zine is most underrated activity in underground scene :)
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