“There are many things that people do happily that I can’t imagine why they would do it… But I have to say that even though I am critical or judgmental of society at large, I’m not critical of people individually. We are who we are.” ~ Ian MacKaye
Alana got some footage of our set in Drouthy’s at Bonehouse’s final Dundee show. One of the more fun shows we’ve played …which is probably why I’m grinning whilst the others are bellowing into the mics.
I recently (last week of January, 2022) spoke with Ian MacKaye about Steady Diet of Nothing, the dark horse FUGAZI LP that turned 30 (!) a few months back. (Thirty!) The 1991 LP’s concerns about abortion rights, SCOTUS, &c are unfortunately relevant as ever.
“I managed to trace one design back to a fairly well-known T-shirt company in the Boston area, and I called to tell them to cut it out. I spoke to the main guy there, and, of course, he wanted to do a deal. And, of course, the answer was still no. Still, we had a nice chat. He was curious why we didn’t want to sell shirts, and after I explained our position, he seemed to respect it. About one month later, a friend at a record store alerted me to the ‘This is not a Fugazi T-shirt’ shirt. I traced it back to the same Boston dude. What a smart motherfucker he was! I called him up and said, ‘Okay, you’re funny and you’re creative, so let’s see how creative you are with accounting.’ I asked him to choose an organization doing good work in his community and give them what would amount to the band’s royalty for the shirts. I think he chose a women’s shelter up there, and as far as I know he sent them money right up until he quit the business.” – Ian MacKaye
“7 hours in the steel coursing over hot asphalt - the desert existing unflinched and unpainted - dry and bleached each day relentlessly by our sun. the expanse fills us. We reach Tucson Arizona - south of Phoenix - in a small joint where Fugazi was going to play live. their intensity emanated from the instruments - such a beautiful way to express your feelings through song! such power and sincerity! the years of being together betray a tight & telepathic oneness as the band parts become this merging whole for all to see and hear - raw power thrusting a wall of sound at the swaying audience creating an atmosphere of community and connection“
