Interview with M-13 at Gemstones
By Jimmy Thrash
M-13, a Connecticut band that has a lot of experience behind them, is probably one of the best bands we have on our site. Mr. Bang and I recently saw them and we were blown away by their performance. I had seen them once before and knew how good they were but they still far exceeded my expectations. They are an intense hardcore band with a Slayer like precision, highlighted with a great, unique singer and an amazing drummer, though all the band excels at what they do. Unfortunately, our reviewer, Jimmy Thrash, was overcome by the 24 ounce PBR’s and Jagermeisters before the interview. The club the interview takes place at is Gemstones in Lowell Ma , a strip club that may be becoming a music club. I guess the promise of strippers to arrive and dance in the cages was too much for him. Still, the boys of M-13 arose to the occasion and we salute them well.
Jimmy- So how did you guys get sharted?
Mike (Guitar)- Back in ’92 I was in a band called TSS, Rich (Screamer) was in a band called Basement, Al (Bass) was in a band called Darkest Exit. We all played a show together in upstate New York. As it turned out everybody broke up a week later and all of the bands were interconnected. Like, I’d been in Darkest Exit; Al actually replaced me. Al and Rich had been in a band together. So we started a band together, practiced about five times, played a show, put out a demo, went for about two years and then decided we hated each other. (Laughter) It just kind of fell apart. Then in 2009 I got the itch to play hardcore again, and I hadn’t played hardcore in years. So I decided to be lazy and put my old band together. So I e-mail Rich, I e-mail Gerry (Guitar), “Yeah, let’s get the band back together.” And they said the same thing, as long as we change the name, stay together and write new songs. So we recruited Al on bass, Ken on drums and here we are almost two years later.
Jimmy- Am I right that shou’re a Connecticut band?
Mike- We’re all originally from Connecticut but three of the guys live in New York City now. We actually rehearse in Midtown Manhattan. So Al and I, every other week, drive down from Connecticut.
Jimmy- The next question was going to be compare the Boston and Connecticut scenes but I guess you have to add New York into that question?
Mike- Back in the day in the nineties, when we doing this originally, Boston and New York scenes didn’t get along and Connecticut was like the neutral ground. So we were kind of influenced by both. Boston bands played Connecticut, New York bands played Connecticut and we got to play both places. So definitely a mix of influences in Connecticut.
Rich- We were the skinheads stomping ground for Boston and New York, that’s why I always hated Slapshot.(Laughter)
Jimmy- Slapshot is a wunnerful band (he says in a drunken slur)
Rich- They are, but my God, I hated them! My memory is of them getting out of their van, arm and arm, doing this wall of death in the parking lot going, “Connecticut skinheads- suck my dick,” and just mowing people over.
Jimmy- I think Connecticut has a wunnerful scene.
Rich- Especially now, the one difference between now and when we did stuff in the nineties- it used to be New Haven was the big area and now it’s New London.
Mike- I used to dread playing the El N’ Gee because no one would comes to see a local band play and now it’s my favorite place to play. The scene out there is awesome, it’s like New Haven in ’93.
Al- There’s like 25, 30, punk and hardcore bands that play regularly that put on shows together and travel out of state.
Mike- Cry Havoc play here a lot, Damn Broads play up here.
Jimmy- Do youse guys have planes, I mean, any recording plans?
Al- We just recorded a 7 inch that Rich is putting out, end of January and we have another 7 inch coming out probably end of March.
Jimmy- Who writes in the band?
Mike- Everybody writes, even Ken the drummer, eating his cold pizza. Someone comes in with a riff, we start playing it, everybody puts in ideas, everybody puts in parts.
Jimmy- How about lyrics?
Mike- That’s Rich, like 99 percent Rich, I wrote two lines on one of the new songs.
Jimmy- Howsa about the drummer? I don’t care if he’s eating cold plizza. Any comments about your friggin’ phenomenal drummer?
Mike- He’s my favorite drummer I’ve been in a band with. And I’m only saying that ’cause he’s sitting in front of me.
Jimmy- The next question has been supplied by Stiven Mesa, he’s sort of a philosophical guy I work with. How many beers is too much?
Mike- Ken, this one’s got you written all over it!
Ken- As many as Al will drink.
Jimmy- And Al is the bass player.
Mike- He’s also the straight edge bass player. (Laughter)
Al- I haven’t had a beer since 1987.
Mike- I haven’t had a beer since four hours ago.
Ken- And that’s one beer too many.
Jimmy- So whose drinks the most?
Mike- You know what? I think it might be Gerry, now. No, no, we’ll give it to Ken, never mind.
Jimmy- In that vein how about sah favorite dive bar?
Rich- I tell ya, I love the Safari Lounge, that’s my number one.
Ken- I hated that place, I like the holiday Cocktail Lounge. You can get a Bud, a Miller and a Rum and Coke and that’s all they have, for three bucks. No matter what the drink is- if it’s those three, those three drinks. If you want something else- walk down the street.
Mike- There used to be this bar in Danbury called Crazy Vince, it was a strip joint and all they had was Bud on tap, that was it, that’s all the bar had .And they didn’t have a DJ, they had a jukebox. And if you wanted the strippers to dance you had to put money in the jukebox or they wouldn’t dance. It was the shittiest bar ever.
Rich- As far as Boston goes I remember Father’s Too in the eighties.
Jimmy- I remember that place, outshide of Kenmore. Youse ta go there Sunday afternoons. We wondered why boys and girls would go into the ladies room- at first we thought it was for sex but then we knew-
(Lots of sniffing noises go on)
Jimmy- My goodness, who knows if that will go into the interview? My last question for you gentlemen is- who’s most likely to become a serial killer?
Mike- I’d say Gerry, absolutely.
Ken- It’s the quiet ones you gotta watch.
Mike- He’s got that weird like, :He was always a quiet, nice guy and then he killed like, fifty people.”
Jimmy- I unnerstand.
Al- And he’s not even hear to defend himself.
Mike- And he’s got a high metabolism so he could be a cannibal and nobody would now.
Well, at this point all the talk of killing and cannibalism would normally send the meek Jimmy Thrash the cowering under tables but in his inebriated state he is led, peacefully away, to ride in the Bang-mobile, always manned by the capable, and coherent, Andy Bang. I mush add, these guys were aaawsome, and are one of the mostest wunnerful bands we have. Check their profile here.
