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 Trying to conduct a proper interview with Vinnie Stigma is like trying to get the Pope to freestyle rap. You're better off letting him do his own thing. Stigma is the guitarist of Agnostic Front (vocalist Roger Miret, drummer Jimmy Colletti, and bassist Mike Gallo), the seminal NYC band largely responsible for bringing hardcore music to the streets. Together since 1981, they've managed to outlive their legendary contemporaries like Minor Threat, Black Flag, and the Dead Kennedys. One of the reasons people still schlep their asses down to CBGB's is to get a piece of the history that Agnostic Front helped create. During the band's recent tour in support of the album, Dead Yuppies, NY Rock met up with Vinnie before the band went onstage. As we crashed in the back of CBGB's, Vinnie's toddler-aged son played at his feet, and Polly, Vinnie's friend from the old-school days, decided to join us and tell some stories. Vinnie was a bit pissed because someone was "talking shit" about him. Read on for the details, along with hardcore ethics, the glory days of Avenue A, and tidbits about Joey Ramone's robot. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
So what's the secret to keeping a band together for so long? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Yeah, well, you got people like the guy that's got a flyer thing next door at CBGB's settin' rumors off about me sayin' I don't play guitar and this and that. Hey! I'm here tonight! I'm the only guitar player in the band! He's sayin' I don't plug in or somethin' to that effect – I don't know what. You know what? I don't care. I got my son. I did more for hardcore than this guy could ever do anyway. So as long as they're spellin' my name right, I don't care. I don't get mad anymore because I know I already won in life, ya know, and I've risen above a lot of things. In light of the World Trade Center, that was on the 11th, and on the 15th, my mom died and on the 18th, my friend Frankie the Skin died. I mean, really. I don't got time for that no more. Listen to my record, listen to my lyrics. I never sold out, ask any band I've ever been on tour with. Ninety-nine percent of people only have somethin' good to say about me. I've only done positive things. So you get one or two that say somethin'. Eh! Good! (laughing) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What was the musical drive behind Dead Yuppies? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Jimmy [Colletti] did a lot of the writing, ya know, and we did a lot of rehearsin', you know. He'd write a song and I'd make it more, let's say, musically correct, let's say, whatever. It was a good joint effort. It's four guys and a case of beer. And it works out. It's always been that way. We all have kids. We're all friends for years. We're playing the same club for 21 years with Agnostic Front. And we're still doin' the same songs. I don't know what the hell this guy's got to say. Try to find out who this guy is, next door. He's got a flyer thing up there, next door. I could put flyers on a wall, too. Whatever. Talkin' shit about me. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
We'll try to find out who he is for you, Vinnie. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Yeah. Vinnie's little son is playing with a toy robot. He looks up at Vinnie and says, "Daddy?" Vinnie smiles down at him. It's a Hallmark moment. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | (to his son) Aw, yeah look. (to NYROCK) That's Joey Ramone's robot. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Hell, you got Joey Ramone's robot. Does that guy know that? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Right! I got Joey Ramone's robot! Not him! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Yeah, let him put up flyers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Puttin' up flyers of me, my band! The nerve of him! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
So since the 11th, do you think people are going to have something to say about a song like "Police State" on Dead Yuppies, people like the guy next door? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: |
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NYROCK: |
What are the kids like these days? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Some of them change, ya know. They're influenced by metal, emo, religions... drugs, posses, and gangs, and letters and crews. The clubs close; the venues change, and you gotta role with the change. But as long as you got the bands that stay true, ya know, my band, still the same people come to see us. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
That's good, like a family. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Yeah! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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POLLY: | We used to all be family. AF, Murphy's Law, Bad Brains, just one big, happy family. Nowadays, you got these Ecstasy-heads. I mean, I'm no virgin, but it was a different time then. Everybody was there to help each other out. Vinnie's mother used to make dinner for me because I looked emaciated, you know what I'm sayin'? Now, it's not as tight as it used to be. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Why do you think that is? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Venues and clubs. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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POLLY: | I think that the venues and clubs, and also, quite frankly, for what's going on in the world right now, this computer generation. And also because of this new Ecstacy-techno shit, too, that has a lot to do with it. All the kids want to do that. And then you see a couple of people on Avenue A... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Yeah, there hardly is any people down there. It's overrun by yuppies! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You mean gentrification? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Avenue A – we used to play football in the streets! There wasn't even a car! You could actually see the paper flow, because it was so desolate! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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POLLY: | The only people that were down here were Spanish people, and junkies, and punks. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Yeah. We were the only white people. She (motioning to Polly) got stabbed at a show one time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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POLLY: | Yeah, I was with Johnny Ramone's wife, and somebody said something to her and before I knew it – I didn't even know I got stabbed. And what's-her-name took me to the hospital. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Whoa. Uh, so Vinnie, you excited to play tonight? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Yeah. I'm on low-mode right now. I'm always on low-mode before I play. Savin' my energy. I got him (pointing to his son playing on the floor), he'll drain me. It's his first hardcore show. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Really!? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VINNIE: | Yeah. He don't even care. He's got Joey Ramone's robot! Update: We did, incidentally, find out something about the guy and the flyers that pissed off Vinnie so much. Next door at CB's Gallery, there was an exhibition called "American Hardcore." Steven Blush and publisher Feral House organized this exhibition of art, photos, flyers, and assorted junk in support of the Feral House release of Blush's new book, American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Unfortunately, we don't know exactly what was said about Vinnie, and we're not sure if Blush was the guy who Vinnie was talking about. But at least we know what he was talking about. January 2002
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