| Vic Bondi is one of the scenes most vocal
and outspoken of progressive views in the hardcore scene. Originally
from the Chicago area and founder of the influential hardcore band
Articles of Faith. AoF lasted from 1981 until its
released its final full length album in 1985, produced non other than
by Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü fame.. Since then Vic has been
busy being a professional businessman and father, releasing a few
independent released projects over the last twenty years. Vic teamed
up with J. Robbins to release the powerful and relevant Report
Suspicious Activity on Alternative Tentacles.
Vic took some time to conduct this interview via email with MSIG
right before they embark on their mini east coast/midwest tour to
support the new CD. RSA played in Chicago on Feb. 18th, at Subterranean.
You may check out the shots here. MS 02/09/06 MSIG: It has been almost 13 years since your last tour with AoF in Europe. What made you decide to get involved with another band and tour, release a cd and start touring again? Vic: Bush definitely pushed my buttons. I read a review that criticized me for being 4 years late—but during those years I did a lot of positive political activity: organizing, marching and contributing. And still the bastard rolled on. So I turned in frustration to what I know how to do: scream my ass off. It’s funny, but people seem to be listening now more than they did when I was in AoF. MSIG: Well things were bad when we were young with Reaganonmics, the cold war, etc, but then the right-conservative-christians, did not have the propaganda machine in place in the main stream media like they do now and the political parties were not so divided by ideology. I would like to add, hardcore punk was not so out there as it is today, in malls on tv, etc. What is the biggest difference that you see from being in a band then and now? Vic: I think many bands today are more interested in being famous and rich than being part of a movement that changes things. They are mere entertainers, no matter how aggressive the music. We were entertainers, too. But we tried for bigger things. MSIG: How did you put together the lineup of Report Suspicious Activity (RSA)? Vic: I’d wanted to play with J since Alloy and Jawbox used to play together. I saw him in ’99 in Seattle; after I started writing these songs, I sent him a demo—I thought he might be able to find me a drummer and produce a record (I had done the demos on drum machines in my basement). He asked me to play on it and I was thrilled. MSIG: How long did the new CD take to write, record, etc? Vic: Some of the songs are older—“Amnesiacs,” “In on the Killing.” They date back to Seattle in 2002. The rest I wrote in Pittsburgh in 2003-2004. “Subtle” was written the day after Kerry conceded Ohio. We did the record quite fast. It was recorded in two sessions: one in August 2004; the other in January 2005. In both cases, we worked out the songs almost live. At Inner Ear Studio, when we did the second recording, we set the instruments up and basically tracked each song live after about 30 mins rehearsal. J and Darren were total pros. Amazing to play with. It took maybe 5 days to track the record; J mixed it in about two weeks. MSIG: How much touring do you plan for RSA? Vic: Not much. Our schedules really prohibit it. I doubt we will play more than once a month, if that. We’ve rehearsed quite a bit for this trip, every day over the last five weekends. But it involves Erik and I driving to Baltimore, and that is a pain. We all work too much to do a lot of touring with RSA. But I think we’d like to do the West Coast, as well as Europe and Japan. We’ll have to see how much our families let us spend their vacation time playing music. 
MSIG: Where are you playing, how many shows are planned? Vic: The tour schedule is on our myspace site. MSIG: Well your doing 7 shows, thank you very much for coming home on your first tour. Vic: We're all looking forward to it. J literally is putting his life on hold for that show. MSIG: Why the decision to re-record "False Security" and re title it "Patriot Act"? Vic: It seemed appropriate, given current situations. As timely now as then. MSIG: Do you play any AOF tunes live? Vic: Maybe. MSIG: I think some are especially relevant today as they were back then. Songs like I Got Mine, Every Man for Himself, American Dreams and Give Thanks. I think those would be great crowd pleasers, for those that followed you over from AOF? Vic: Maybe. We really haven't had time to rehearse them, and they are hard to play. MSIG: Can we expect another release from RSA? Vic: Definitely. We’ll be playing new stuff on tour. MSIG: Really, great! How many new songs that did not appear on the cd? Vic: Looks like just one, for now. But I have three new one cooking. MSIG: How did RSA land a release on Alternative Tentacles? Vic: I asked Jello. MSIG: So are you guys tight? Vic: We've been friends for over 20 years. I don't know that "tight" quite describes being friends with Biafra. MSIG: AT released the AOF vol. 1 & 2, how are those releases doing? Vic: Very well. They've brought AoF a new audience of people discovering us for the first time. MSIG: How is the new release doing? Vic: Very well—better than any first release I’ve done. MSIG: What was the first way you heard about the 9/11 Twin Towers attack? Vic: My bother-in-law woke me up. I lived in Seattle then and it went down before 7 am our time. We watched it on TV, and then I went to work. About a month later I visited the site, when it was still burning. I lived downtown when I first moved to New York, and went by the site almost everyday. “Things We Lost in The Fire” is about it. MSIG: What do you think of our current government and our two party system in general? Vic: It reminds me of the old Soviet Union. MSIG: Yes, a one party system set up with the facade of a two party system. Do you think there is any chance of a third party coming in and stirring the pot a bit? Vic: I don't know. Before a 3rd party had a chance, I'm afraid that the situation in the country would have to disintegrate so much that I wouldn't want to live here. And you can't be sure that the 3rd party wouldn't be some star-spangled fascist group. MSIG: Do you see any solutions in the quagmire that is Iraq and the war on terror? Vic: Withdrawal. From both wars. MSIG: Right ON! But if you were President in 2008, what would you do to try and fix what is plaguing america? Vic: I’m not sure a president can do that much. There is a lot of corruption in the hearts and minds of our fellow citizens. The change has to start there. If every son, daughter and mother in America stood against what is going on, a lot of fathers would follow. MSIG: Well Bush is an example of how much damage one person could do. Vic: Not him alone. All the people who support him. And all the people who make excuses for him. MSIG: What do you see as the biggest threat to America? Vic: A. Complacency. B. Theocracy C. PRI-style Corporatism. MSIG: Is there any chance of an AOF reunion, tour, new releases? Vic: No. MSIG: How come, do you think it ran its course or are you not on speaking terms? I think AOF was ahead of its time. The new releases on AT could attest to that, holding up over 20+ years. No chance at all? Not even a little? Vic: We're on good terms. Dave is coming to the show; I saw Dorian in New York last year; Joe in San Francisco and Bill in Seattle. I thought about doing these songs with AoF. But we are all over the map now, and pulling the band together would be too much work. We all have families and careers. And I'm not sure they are all as enthusiastic about playing music as am I. MSIG: How did the european tour come about back in 1992? (Which had I known about it, I would have flown to EU to see you guys play...) Vic: We were all unemployed or underemployed. We had never been to Europe. It was a easy decision. But a rugged tour (Northern Europe in winter!) I was sick for a month afterwards. MSIG: Do you still keep in touch with the AOF members, if so what are they up to? . Vic: Yes. Bill, Dorian and Dave live in Chicago. I don’t know what Bill and Dorian do (Dorian is still playing music, I think). Dave runs the U of C bookstore. Joe Scuderi lives in San Francisco and is an electrician MSIG: Do you still have family in Chicago? Vic: Yes—my father’s brother and all his family live in the western suburbs. We see them about twice a year.  MSIG: If you could resurrect any band for a benefit concert, who would they be? Vic: Resurrect? Probably the Beatles. But they would make for ugly Zombies. MSIG: If you could open for any performer, who would they be? Vic: Toby Keith. MSIG: Now for the silly MSIG questions.. What do you think of the Exploited? Vic: I don’t. MSIG: What about the Misfits? then? Vic: Don't go that bad way. MSIG: What is your favorite band of all time? Vic: End Result. MSIG: What is your favorite snack? Vic: Chicken Fingers. MSIG: Any last comments? Vic: Because they need to last? Back to TOP. |
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