Off the Record with Ache Frontman Ryan Bland (Part I)

Whenever choosing an interview subject for this blog or any other outlet.
My approach has nothing to do with the agenda of a band, release date or approaching event. Honestly, it's never had anything to do with any deadline or time frame.
In doing United By Rocket Science, I've been given the chance to reach out and connect with people on a level that my own shyness or insecurities might not allow otherwise. Approaching Ryan was easy though. Having fronted bands such as The Bushmon, Home 33, Dead Serious and most recently Ache. Ryans aggressive stage presence and vocal approach are intimidating and downright animalistic. In person, it would be hard to find a more approachable, personable and real person. I originally approached Ryan about an interview shortly after I caught his band Dead Serious back in July 2013. For reasons unknown, I just never got around to it. In retrospect, I'm glad I waited. It's given me time to get to know him a bit. Time to step back, observe and learn. In Part 1 of what hopes to be a three part interview. I reached out to learn a bit about the music he's created both past and present. Here's what he had to offer. Thanks Ryan, James Damion

James: My first memories of you was your hanging from the ceiling pipes at The Pyramid Club with Home 33.

Can you tell me about how you became involved with New York City's underground music scene?

Ryan: I became involved with NYC Punk underground around 1988. My first real band was called Bushmon. We were basically a hardcore & Ska band. We were CBGB regulars from late 1991 until we played our last ever show at CB's in 1993 to a sold out crowd.
One band that always played with Bushmon was a Brilliant hardcore band called Opposition. When Opposition & Bushmon broke up some members from each band formed Home 33. Home 33 was where I really cut my teeth in NYHC. Sharing stages at early shows for bands like H2O, Earth Crisis, Candiria, V.O.D., 108, Downset, Madball, napalm death, NRSV, Fahrenheit 451 & many other greats! It was the 90's and the NYC underground was killing it!!!

James: There's been talk of a reissue of Jody's Coterie. How did the opportunity come about? Will there be bonus material or fun surprises?

Ryan: Yes!! Roger Lian
(who was the original guy who mastered the Home 33
"Jody's Coterie" album in 1995) & Me got into a conversation on Facebook. He told me my old band Home 33 was his first job. He got a lot of work after working on that record. He went on to mastering albums for Slayer, Candiria, Joan Jett, Pantera & countless crazy dope albums. I told him I wanted to make Jody's available as a free download to any one who would want it or remember it. So Roger offered to remaster The album. It's done & it sounds better than ever.
I'm super busy with my current band ACHE so the Jody's Coterie project is slowly but surely going to bleed some ears in the future. I also plan on a few other Home 33 recorded surprises when I get the time.

James: I remember how floored I was the few times I saw Dead Serious live.
The band seemed to have a lot of potential. What led to the demise of the band?

Ryan: Thank you very Much!! I was floored by Dead Serious too! I mean bloody on the floor in the pit!! Lol That was a blast! Raw & Punx as fuck. After the Guitar player Mark had to leave the band & eventually he moved from NYC. It wasn't really the same after that in my opinion. Mark took some of the fun with him. I also think after he left the remaining members started moving in different directions Musically. So we decided to do other bands.

James: While the demise of Dead Serious seemed a bit premature. It was the quick rise of Ache that seemed to take a lot of people by surprise. Can you tell me how the bands personnel came together and how quickly you were able to build the chemistry you seem to share?

Ryan: The Dead Serious drummer Ryan Seit & I wanted to stick together. Mattakins, my Ache guitar player was playing in NYHC band Abject! Matt & I were friends from hanging at his shows. He offered to help out Ryan & I until we found members for a new band. It just so happens Abject! breaks up soon after and Matt decided to stay with us & we all started ACHE. Rey Brutal our bass player has another band. He is the lead singer & guitarist for NYC Thrash band Bomb Scare. Rey & I became friends at Bomb Scare shows. I'm a huge fan of those dudes. So I feel super lucky to be playing with all these dudes in Ache.
All of us are real friends & it's nothing like making music with your real friends.

James: The demo received it's fair share of praise from numerous outlets. How do you feel about the bands official entry into the fray?

Ryan:  I think it's solid.
Stoked some people liked it! Hands down any credit for the demo goes to our Drummer Ryan Seit. He recorded & Mixed the demo. Not only is he a bad ass drummer but he's the man in the studio too.
He's currently preparing to record other bands so tell your friends and all that stuff. Word.

James: Is there a chance we'll see an Ache EP or album in early to mid 2015?

Ryan: Yes! We are writing an album & as of right now plan on tracking in January & February of 2015.

James: Unlike a lot of younger bands on the scene. Ache got out of their area code early on and played out of state with some pretty impressive bands. How did those opportunities come about?

Ryan: Mattakins, our guitar player booked us out of state. hands down my Favorite thing out of town so far was Boston for two shows. We played Boston Wreck center with
Opposition Rising & Foulmouth. They were all super nice dudes & everybody danced hard there. I appreciate the energy of the pit. It was a crazy bloody pit at one point. Females too, fucking shit up in the pit. I'm positive this one girl broke her nose. There was a lot of blood on the dance floor. Sick show.

James: Whenever the term Hardcore gets put into use.  The talk of family soon comes into play. Can you better explain that dynamic and how it's formed?

Ryan: Hardcore is absolutely my family. They excepted me as family. I was able to grab a Mic say anything on my mind. I had The chance to see other people express themselves in the same way. All the people I met in NYHC early on most of us didn't have a real home or a place that felt like home. We were truly angry outsiders making a home together.
These people became my sisters, Brothers so It's a feeling that you get in the community in the hardcore scene. It feels like family or blood relatives. I think if you haven't had that feeling at least once. I question you being a punk!!! Lol

ACHE NYHC

Ache - 2014 Demo

They say that people often mellow with age. After listening to these five songs,
I'm guessing Ache never got the memo. The band, just over six months old features some veterans of the Hardcore/Punk scene including Ryan Bland (SInger) and Matty Gelsomino (Guitarist) of the short lived yet stellar defunct NYHC acts Dead Serious and Abject. Though it's always sad when good bands decide to call it quits. It often opens the doors for X members to form new creative and exciting acts. Ache's five song demo not only proves this theory, it cements it with this, their first demo.

Fast paced, guitar driven Hardcore Punk with a screamo vocal approach that is harsh, yet soulful. Five songs that sound more like a debut 7' EP than a demo. Fierce vocals and lyrics driven by three key motivators (emotion, pain and alienation). From as far back as his days with the Bushmen and most notably Home 33. Ryan Bland has established himself as one of the fiercest frontmen to ever hit the stage or the mic. While the forceful riffs and pitt bull vocals on "Snakebite" are undeniable. A perfect demonstration of the bands ferocity. It's the Leeway inspired "Dirty Roads" with it's Leeway inspired chorus that got more than a dozen go rounds on my headphones. Ache leave a a large footprint with their debut. One that will lead most to look forward to more. You can pick up the demo at one of the shows or contact the band through their Bandcamp, Regardless, keep your eyes out for Ache.
They are definitely a band on the rise. James Damion

Ache NYHC  Facebook

A Night of Vodka and Pure Hell on the Lower East Side

I'm really lucky to have a wife who not only supports and even encourages me to indulge in my passion for going out to see and enjoy live music. On this occasion we shortened up our trip to Long Island City in order for me to make it to the lower east side's Fat Baby to catch 70's Afro Punk icons Pure Hell. As I arrived at 112 Rivington I was greeted by my buddy and fellow photographer Jason House.

Dead Serious opened and played with just as much, if not more intensity and energy as they displayed at the Meatlocker the week before. Playing closer to their Brooklyn home base and to a crowd that might have been more familiar with the band gave the band an invisible home town advantage and overall shine. The band packs a lot of intense and unbridled energy into their set. The bands reach extended much further from the small stage with singer Ryan Bland and guitarist Rikk Koncicki taking their act to the dance floor with purpose, making sure everyone knew that this was a punk show and that no matter what the local real estate investment group was calling it this week, it is still the lower east side to many of us.

Dead Serious NYC

Brooklyn's World War IX followed with their fun core style of high energy punk. As the bands set progressed from song to song I found myself becoming more and more gravitated to their infectious sound. While the early moments had me thinking of them as somewhat as gimmicky mid level fun punks, I became more and more drawn to their style as they reminded me of some of the early punk bands like The Vandals and The Adolescents that initially helped launch my addiction to punk rock. Before I left the show I was given the bands CD 'Off the Wagon' along with a thirty six page illustrated comic book 'World War IX Presents; Earaches and Eyesores.' Not a bad haul if you ask me.

World War IX

Cranking up both the skill and energy level while keeping the Brooklyn vibe alive and loud were the Dead Tricks. Now I won't say for sure if the name alludes to played out magic tricks or dead hookers...I expect the latter, I'll leave the final conclusion up to the reader. The bands set which often took the band from the stage to the dance floor was a pure adrenaline rush that had me on my toes for the entire length of there performance. The Dead Tricks display a dirty form of roll on the floor New York Dolls meets The Dead Boys at a hammer fight with Jersey City's Wyldlife style of punk rock that every punk rock fan needs to witness. Featuring all the balls out swagger and debauchery or Punk Rock N' Roll these guys (and one stunningly beautiful female on bass) really hit me in all the right places. This is the band you always wanted to party with.

The Dead Tricks

 Having missed Death's (another recently unearthed Afro Punk band from the 70's) I was dead set on catching Pure Hell's set. Though I had Death's 'For The Whole World to See..." to pour salt in the wounds caused by missing their much talked about set. All I knew of Pure Hell came from my friend Jason. Perhaps due to that and the hype and the legendary status a lot of reformed bands get, my expectations were pretty high, but as the band played through their stop and start set with a singer who at times brought to mind a current version of the Bad Brains H. R. I found myself feeling a bit underwhelmed. And though there were some serious moments where I felt the power of this deservingly praised act, it resembled more of a flicker than a flame.

Pure Hell

A stellar night of music and new friends. Fat Baby is by far one of the best places to catch music in NYC. I look forward to any and all opportunities to catch more shows there in the future. 

Thanks to Jason for alerting me to the show. See you in the pit. James Damion

The Meatlocker hosts Ides, Collapse, Dead Serious and Pour the Pirate Sherry

It was one of those last minute decisions to jump in the car and head up to Montclair to fill my ears with some good tunes. The shows Facebook page listed "Doors at 8:00 show at 9:00" but as I arrived at around 9:40 there was no sign of life in the cavernous lair known as the Meatlocker. Frustrated and nearly knocked unconscious by a toxic smell that I can't begin to describe, I headed out for some air. A trip to the liquor store and Dunkin' Donuts killed some time and by 10:30 the smell of death had dissipated and the possibility of some live music began to take form.

Pour the Pirate Sherry opened up and played a stellar set of high energy Rock and Roll. Though I give them a lot of shit for their namesake, I have to admit they are pretty damn good. The Palisades Park trio don't seem to have any official releases but you can check them out here Pour the Pirate Sherry on Sound Cloud. Pour the Pirate Sherry  Facebook

Brooklyn's Dead Serious followed and really brought a Hardcore vibe to the room. Though I am completely new to the band, I hold many fond memories of catching singer Ryan Blands old band Home 33 in the 90's at venues such as the Pyramid and Coney Island high during the mid to late 90's. Watching him perform with Dead Serious really brought me back to those times and reminded me of a particular set where Ryan was hanging from the ceiling pipes of the Pyramid while belting out tracks that would become staples on the album 'Jody's Courtier'. All comparisons aside, Dead Serious are an entirely different band with a lot to offer with their straight forward style and the energy in which it's delivered. The band has opened for Converge and will soon be performing with Citizen's Arrest. Not bad if you ask me. Dead Serious Facebook

Next up were Detroit Rock Cities Collapse. After hearing the bands "Disarm" Ep I was excited to catch  an act that had managed to capture both my interest and curiosity after just a couple of listens. When I first heard the name 'Collapse' I mistakenly thought it was a reunion or reconfiguration of the short lived NYHC band I had seen at CBGB's and the Pyramid club in the  late 80's. With all the reunions of bands, even the more obscure ones, who could blame me.After briefly meeting the band at their merch table prior to the show I was quickly put back on track and placed firmly in the present.  From the very first note I felt perfectly in tune with the bands rhythm section was so powerful. it felt as if a sinister army of tanks were descending with a vengeance on Montclair's suburban streets. Accented with powerful vocals and stinging lead guitar, the Collapse quickly grabbed the attention of the crowd and personally had me wishing they were indigenous to these parts. Despite having downloaded 'Disarm' and speaking to them before the show, I found myself wanting to dig deeper. Just hoping they'll stop by on the way back home from their tour.
Collapse  Bandcamp

By the time Collapse closed their set I was physically exhausted and started to make my way back to my car for the trip home. Thanks to some much needed fresh air and a few words of encouragement by Pour the Pirate Sherry's Paul Beir, I decided to take a deep breath and head back downstairs. By then New Jersey locals Ide's had just launched into a manic set. I inched my way towards the action slowly as if approaching a rabid stray and before I knew it I found a spot where I could be close enough to get bit and gettin' bit is what I got. Ide's, another female fronted Hardcore band combine a ton of energy and emotion with some serious musicianship and a vibe that gives you the feeling off the vibe of "Your either with us or you're against us." Safe to say, I was definitely not the latter. Ide's Facebook

Overall, this was an excellent mix of bands and people. Proving once again that it's not so much about the real estate as it is about the people who occupy it. Until the next time... James Damion