Come Down In This World

Oathbreaker - s/t MCD (2008, Holy Shit Records)

About a year ago, a friend of mine asked me out of the blue if I wanted to go on a roadtrip to Germany with his new band. The plan was to drive for 12 hours, play one 30-minute show in an obscure punk club downtown and return early next morning, another 12 hours back.
I have to admit that I didn’t really care that much about the band, that was then called No Recess, since I wasn’t at all in a hardcore ‘mood’ at the time. Also, these kids seemed to be the very epicentre of the local hardcorescene then, and when confronted with such vast amounts of ‘coolness’ I almost automatically cringe. Throw in the fact that their frontman was in fact a girl – not a dirty and smelly crust-girl, but a ‘real’ girly-girl – and maybe you could understand why my point about this band was already made before I heard a single note. Yes, I can be that narrow minded at times.

But in the end, I did end up in their van, because sometimes I can see past the horizon of my own little world and understand that my prejudgements are not necessarily true ALL the time. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have started this review with this stupid little story if they were, because it just wouldn’t have been worth the effort. Fact is that from the moment our absurd little trip started, I had to adjust my view radically. In short, these kids were living the hardcore dream all other 17 year olds vicariously lived through worshipping bad local metalcore bands. And it wasn’t as if they had to force it or something, it just came naturally. Also, their singer wasn’t at all the arrogant little ‘look-at-me-i-sing-in-a-hardcore-band’-scenegirl I took her for, but really nice, and kind of putting my own inner arrogance to shame. Plus, she baked ridiculously delicious vegan cookies for the trip.



Not too long after that, No Recess ‘disbanded’, throwing a memorable last show in the smallest venue in Flanders, on the beach, in front of a sweaty and crazy crowd, only to rise from its ruins a couple of months later as Oathbreaker, sporting a new drummer and a seemingly more ‘professional’ approach. Another couple of months later, their first self-titled 7” and MCD is a fact.

I’m pretty sure they won’t like to be compared to No Recess, but really, it’s kind of inevitable. Although better on all fronts, there’s little denying that Oathbreaker has No Recess at its very core. I don’t see why that should necessarily be a bad thing. It only means the youthfulness and recklessness hasn’t yet gone to waste while upgrading to ‘smarter’ riffs and overall better songwriting.

The album starts of with long layers of feedback that recall euhm, almost every hardcore record that came out in Belgium for the last two years. Soon though, the guitar starts doing this cool tapping, building up tension towards a nice mid-tempo riff. The lead on top of it is nice and well executed, but I would have loved to see how it could have developed into a full song, instead of a short intro.
Next song is ‘Shelter’, which can also be heard on their myspace. No doubt the best song on the record, musicwise and lyricwise. The intensity and anger is all over the place, finding anything but consolation in the cathartic breakdown at the end.
‘Ashes’ is an interlude that starts of with some clean picking. Something strange happens here though. All of a sudden there are 50 seconds of silence before the next song. I don’t really see the point there.
‘Downfall’ and ‘Mirror’ are two very good and enjoyable tracks, with some standout guitarwork, though they never reach the same level as 'Shelter'.

Overall, Oathbreaker doesn’t seem to hold any pretension of breaking new ground here, just delivering 3 pieces of above par quality hardcore in the vein of Rise And Fall and Disfear, but delivering it with a conviction that makes them stand out of the heaps of similar sounding bands coming out nowadays. I’m really stoked to see what the future will bring for them.

Oathbreaker Myspace
Holy Shit Records

All I Know: living on borrowed time

Hardcorekids seem to end up in the most diverse musical genres. If it's not hiphop (the Beastie Boys), it could be melancholic singer-songwriter-stuff (Elliott Smith), or nerdy electronic music (Moby). But 80's classic rock? That might be stretching it a bit. Not for the guys and girl in All I Know though. Starting out as a regular poppunk band and releasing two more than decent demo's over the course of the last two years, they now show themselves ready for the big world with the release of their debutalbum 'Vanity Kills'.

Released by themselves out of impatience, the album is a treat to anyone with an ear for catchy hooks and poppy melodies, in short, for anyone who likes his music 'big' and instant-stadiumtour-ready. The band at this point consists of Amely Mondy (bass), Michaël Neyt (guitar and vocals), Ward Dufraimont (guitar and vocals) and latest member Dries Van Dyck (drum). Michaël, Ward and Dries are all ex-member of more or less famous Belgian hardcorebands, such as Liar, Firestone, Convict and Bloodshed. 

During the recording of the album, while the band was locked up in a notorious studio in the centre of Brussels for several months, they managed to ensnare the cream of the crop of Belgian popmusicians to play along on some songs, thus showing a band more confident than ever of its own work. The time was right to ask main songwriter and founding member Ward Dufraimont (26) some questions about Bon Jovi, pissing people off and veganism.

First off, what inspired you to start All I Know at the time, when you were still playing with Liar?

Dufraimont: "I had been playing in metalcore bands for yeas. I needed a way to get some other musical influences off my chest. It kinda started as a thing on the side, we probably rehearsed for close to two years without ever thinking about playing shows or whatnot. It was just something I enjoyed doing with friens, it didn't get 'serious' until the Liar thing had run its course."

AIK used to be more of a poppunkband a couple of years ago, but with 'Vanity Kills' you seem to have changed styles pretty drastically. Is this the kind of music you wanted to make with the band all along, or is it something that just came naturally?

"None of us follow the whole poppunk thing anymore. We wanted our first full length album to be something that represented what we ourselves would enjoy listening to. Everyone in AIK is very much into classic melodic rock, with big choruses, big hooks, big everything. The first few songs we wrote for the album were pretty much in the vein of our previous work. Early on though, we noticed we weren't enjoying it as much as we used to. The only solution was to just go with what came naturally, instead of desperately trying to write what people expected from us. It's not like we look down on the poppunk thing now though. It's just that there's so many bands out there doing that, and some of them are doing a way better job than we ever did. AIK as a band decided that we were going to do whatever we wanted, which in itself is a very 'punk' thing to do." (smiles)

You used to play in Liar and Firestone, both bands are rather uncomparable to AIK. Back then, did you enjoy the music you were playing? How was it different from how you're experiencing things now?

"The biggest difference is that Firestone and Liar were two bands that had been going on for years before I joined them. I had the privilige to twice join a band that I had been looking up to and drooling over for years. The other side of the coin was that I was playing someone else's music. At first you're happy playing in an established band. After a while though I started losing interest in that type of music, and I was also craving for more control over music and the decision-making. I wanted my own thing I guess.

Another difference is that with AIK i had to start from scratch, and I had to do everything myself, which meant a rough start and a lot of hard work, but I've learned it's more gratifying in the end."

Tell me about your vegan-straightedge lifestyle.

"First off, I'd like to make it clear that AIK is not a band with a 'message'. It's not an issue for us, we are 4 individuals with different opinions on just about anything. I obviously have a lot of respect for bands that stand for something, and convey that message in their lyrics. In AIK we just focus on the music though, we'd like to think that people can have a good time with our music. An escape from the pressures of everyday-life.

For me personally, it doesn't really matter how you label your, or my, personaly lifestyle. We all have our opinions and ideals, and we try our best to live up to them day in day out. I believe that every living being has a right to live its life without any other stepping on its rights. That's why I choose not to consume any animal products, and I stay away from everything that's even remotely connected to animal testing or suffering. I also stay away from any intoxicants that may cloud my mind or my judgement, be it alcohol, nicotine, drugs,.. Aside from the above, I also try to live as healthy as possible, so in my diet I stay away from sugar, artificial colorings, cafeine, ... I could go on all day. It's about doing what you can, I might not always succeed. I don't claim to be perfect, but at least I try."

Back to the music then. AIK's sound is obviously influenced by artists such as Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Roxette, to name a few. What's up with your passion for them? How did they influence you?

"I grew up on classic late 80's melodic rock bands like GNR, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, ... It's still my favourite kind of music. My record collection is very broad, I can enjoy any good song regardless of the genre. There's rock records, there's also metal, punk, hiphop, pop, ... One thing sticks out though: I'm a sucker for melody and hooks. 'Vanity Kills' is obviously influenced by classic 80's rock. It can go from production ideas, to song-structure, vocal arrangements, anything. Music that sonically sounds great, that you can rock out to, that makes you feel good. Basically, escapism from real life."

Isn't there any danger that people will regard the music as an anachronism, as being outdated?

"I know what you're getting at. We're toying with a style of music that has been largely extinct or out of the public eye for the past 20 years. People make fun of the 'hair-metal' bands I grew up on all the time. The 'poodle' haircuts and the style of clothing don't work in this day and age. You don't hear these bands on the radio anymore, they don't have hitsingles, even though most of them have continued to make albums. Face it though, good music will speak for itself. Bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi still sell out arenas all over the world. If you remain true to what you believe in, and you do it well, you have a shot at getting somewhere. And even if you don't, at least you had the guts to go out there and go against the trend of the day. In my opinion, that alone deserves respect."

How does the band exist as a song-producing entity?

"From the very start I've been writing most of our music and lyrics. At the time the other people in the band had little to no experience being in a band. Over time though, Michaël (Neyt) has been writing more and more. He has 4 out of 12 songs on the new album. It's a challenge to try and top eachother's work. It keeps me on my toes."

What's your main goal with the band at this point?

"AIK basically has a policy of 'the sky is the limit', whatever that means. One thing that always bugged me about the hardcore scene is that you're basically playing for the same people over and over again. With AIK, we can pretty much play to every possible crowd. It's radio-friendly music that even your mother might enjoy, yet it's not contrived like a lot of popbands these days. It still has an edge to it. We have big plans for this new record, we're going to do everything in our power to get it out there to as much people as possible. If we fail, at least we tried!"

Shows have always been some sort of hit or miss, at least back in the days where I would attend a lot of them. I remember people shouting things at the stage and even throwing stuff. Did it ever get really out of hand?

"If you're in a band, there's always gonna be people that don't like what you're doing. My advice is: if you can't take it, don't do it. It'll drive you crazy. I've learned to deal with it. I laugh about it now. The way I look at it now is 'what have YOU done?'.

We've had our share of shit thrown our way, believe me. AIK has done some downright silly things in the past, and we got ridiculed a lot. We've never been comfortable with the stuck-up over-serious atmosphere at a lot of shows, and I guess it was our way of dealing with that. A common thread among the criticism on AIK is the 'you are gay' and 'you sing like a girl' stuff. Then we'd play a Britney song or a Clouseau song to piss people off. We've had stuff thrown our way and people have threatened to kick our skinny asses, but so far we're still alive.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to whether you can deliver the goods musically or not, and I think a lot of the nay-sayers would have to eat their words if they took the time to check out the new album."

Lets end this with a personal question: what kind of person would you consider yourself to be, and how does your music reflect that?

"I don't think my personality shines through much in my music. Maybe if someone would be crazy enough to study my lyrics, you might get a slight idea. I'd like to think that to my friends I'm a fun guy to be around. I can be a pain in the ass though. I'm very opinionated, I don't make friends easily and I treasure my time alone. On the other hand I'm always in for a laugh. Life's too short anyway."

Visit All I Know at their myspace.

Bandpicture by Stijn Willekens. B/w picture Ward by Dieter De Volder @ De Kreun, Kortrijk.

there's always tomorrow...

until you wake up and you don't feel your limbs anymore.

Anyway, i've been slacking on this thing for far too long now and it's somehow sad to see this become another one of my many great plans that never come into being because of me.. euhm.. being me, and pretty much lacking the energy or missing the point to take matters into my own hands and stop thinking about things and just start doing them. But they say it's never too late to turn the tide (do they? say that? meh), so i decided to start updating this blog more frequently, starting ...nnnnow, with some general ideas in the back of my head, ready to work out and plans for some very interesting interviews in the very near future. So stay tuned for that.

Low fires

lovers lost between the sheets. how i long for time to stop and jump against the concrete of my heart. in these rooms the world resounds. i am not there. am i still mine? this longing got the best of me. every move i never made. every door i never closed. taking me further from the man i was once aspiring to be.

We were not the cool kids

it's that thing when something that's supposed to give you wings becomes a drag and you cannot bring up the energy to stand up for it anymore i guess

Back and to the left

As the seasons shift

apparently, it has been over a month since my last post, so i decided to post some sort of random update, just to keep this thing going, and make sure i don't forget my password. i've been kind of busy finishing my paper lately. but not too busy. actually i'm just too lazy for this kind of stuff.

as for the update:
* the second issue of Kino is out, go check at www.myspace.com/kinozine. let us know if you want one, but it has to be said that we're having difficulties distributing them for some kind of reason and we're still figuring out cheap ways to do so. also, ask silas and leave me alone.
* the new amen ra album is out, it's called mass IIII. go google.
* ruins called it quits, which is a damn shame. really.
* the last no recess show was cool. good vibes. i'd write a full review, but no one would read it, so i won't.

this is even more lame than i thought it would be. i'll make it up someday. i guess.
also: jow dries!

that's it for now.

So really.. how far down is down?

This is part two of the interview with Bjorn Rise And Fall. See the previous post for part one. This one is about his band and some more random stuff.

Do you have a job outside of Rise And Fall?

"I’m currently unemployed. I haven’t worked in a year actually. But I’m looking for a job."

Did you stop working because of the band?

"Yes. I stopped working a year ago, because everyone in the band wanted to grab the opportunity to tour as much as possible and do things with the band we all wanted to do for some time. If you get so many opportunities to tour, you know that it will be impossible to be out there for four months without your boss kicking you out. So everyone decided to stop working at a certain stage and tour relentlessly for 6 or 7 months. After summer we weren't very active though. The other members have picked up their jobs again. I haven’t, but now I will."

How was it like to stop working and spend so much time with the band?

"It felt pretty good. The band has been around for 5 years now. After a couple of years, you notice things are becoming better and better. You like what you do and so you put huge amounts of energy and time in it. It’s your big passion in life, you know. And you know you can get more out of it, but you have to put so much of time in your job, instead of doing what you really want to do, which is quite frustrating. If you get the chance to say “fuck it, let’s do this”, then all of a sudden you have all this freedom to do with your time what you want to do."

But sure there’s certain obligations attached to that?

"Yes. We never turn down a show. If the band is your priority, and your not contrived by a job, it’s also easier to accept all the offers you get. If someone wants to tour with you, you don’t have to stress about it. That’s cool. If it was up to me we would have never stopped doing that. After the summer we could have written new material fulltime, but due to circumstances we weren’t able to do so. The fact that we spent six months doing nothing but the band-thing and being on the road constantly for three or four months also took it’s toll. We had to become familiar with being around each other so much and sometimes we got on each others’ nerves. No big deal though. I just think everyone was kind of tired of it after the summer. We also had to look for a new rehearsal room and I spent some time in the hospital. Those things have held us back on writing new material, but now everything is coming back together again. We have a new rehearsalplace, so we can start writing new songs. And after that we can start the usual schedule again: recording and touring."

Is there a certain feeling of responsibility towards the kids that's part of playing in a bigger hardcoreband?

"I try not to be too self-conscious about that. I know how I looked at the people that were on stage when I was younger. It was with a certain respect, and not of adoration. Well, most of the time at least. I never thought I would once be the guy on stage, so I’m having a hard time imagining that I can be for the kids now what those people were to me."

"I wouldn’t do or not do, say or not say certain things because of what people might think of it. Also because I want to be seen as someone that is completely himself, and no-one else. I don’t want to say things that I don’t fully believe myself. I don’t want to say things to appear funnier or tougher. I try not to put on a mask. But eventually, when you’re on stage, there is some sort of responsibility that makes you think twice about what you do."

What kind of message do you try to put in your own lyrics?

"I think other people are more likely to find some sort of message in my lyrics. I write about what occupies my mind every day. It’s some sort of therapy actually. If you don’t feel well, you can write it off. The lyrics also aren’t really about me alone, but about me in the context of this world, society and certain issues. But I don’t think the meaning of my lyrics is very clear most of the time. There are certain things in which I believe, and those are reflected in them, but it’s not too obvious. My own experience and ideals are in it, but mostly under the surface. So anyone can get out of them what they want."

Not so long ago, there was a small argument on a messageboard about Vogue (the band, not the magazine). I wasn't at the show they were talking about, but I heard they were kind of violent and there was some damage, which in turn pissed some people off. What do you think about bands that act extremely wild and violent on stage?

"I think that’s a hard question. The danger and the energy of hardcoreshows are important. They're a part of it’s attraction too. But it has to come spontaneous. I’m not pro the “hardcore should be dangerous, so let’s break some glasses on each other’s heads”-concept. The recklessness, the spontaneous and the unpredictable make hardcore what it is."

"In the case of Vogue, I know the singer quite well, for as far as such thing is possible, and the guy is just crazy. These guys also don’t give a damn about what is expected to happen on stage. If he wants to lay down on the floor, he does. I think it’s a good thing that there’s a band out there that confronts people with the fact that hardcore is also something like that. It’s not always controllable. But of course you have to draw a line somewhere."

Isn’t there some danger involved that the band will make it ‘their thing’, their gimmick?

"I think it’s mostly the audience that makes it ‘their thing’: “Vogue is playing, let’s see if something happens,” something like that. It will probably become a part of what draws people towards the band, but I don’t think they themselves really care about that. But you cannot look into someone’s head and analyse his motivation of course."

"In the case of Bounce (singer of Vogue), I’m pretty convinced that he’s crazy. What happens on stage with him is a chemical reaction you and I cannot understand."

Back to the scene in general, and your thoughts about it. Do you think hardcore some kind of relief for people from their monotonous daily lives?

"I don’t think hardcore is unique in that aspect. Many people do things outside of what’s considered ‘normal’, like listening to unconventional music, cultmovies, theatre, mountainclimbing.. All those things are means to escape daily life and having to get up for work and coming home to tired to do anything in the evening. That’s something that draws people to hardcore, but it could be lot's of things. It’s not exclusive to hardcore."

You've been involved for quite some time now. Did the scene change a lot over the years?

"If I look at which band were active back in the days, I do think there’s more diversity now. Many bands are busy with their own thing and try to be creative in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible or not in the genre. The downside is that the whole concept got somewhat blurry. If you talked about the hardcorescene back in tha days, they knew exactly what you were talking about. Over the years it has grown so exponentially it became very fragmented. You have all these different subscenes and subgenres that have less and less in comon with eachother, I don’t like that."

Don’t you think this diversity could be a plus as well?

"It would be an enrichement.. if it still was part of this greater whole. The problem is that the meaning of hardcore/punk got somewhat lost along the way. Many people involved now have no clue about where it came from, its history, the bands that paved the roads.. The less contact with the source, the more difficult it is to recognize certain things as hardcore. It’s still important to have a direct link between what you’re doing now en what happened early ‘80ies. You have to be aware of that history. Someone who doesn’t have clue, but considers himself involved with hardcore could be compared to a Christian that never read the bible, so to speak."

"If it lacks feeling, it's worthless to me"

Although you’ll rarely find me in the pit, punching random people or crowdsurfing, I too feel like a real hardcorekid. So when asked to pick a topic for my paper, I decided to try and write something about this music-centered community I –despite all cynism – hold close to my heart. Having all these vague ideas in my head, but not really knowing where to start, I decided to interview some people I thought were/are important to the scene and ask them for their personal experiences, hoping to be able to give this undecipherable feeling that accompanies the whole thing a name.

One of those people is Bjorn Dossche (27), whom most of you probably know as the singer for Belgium’s underground pride Rise And Fall. I hadn’t ever talked to him before and thus didn’t quite know what to expect when meeting him at De Vooruit in Ghent, but luckily, he turned out to be this really nice and easy-going guy, making this interview one of the most personal and casual ones in the heap. This is the first part of a rather long interview. Other parts will follow as soon as I find some time to transcribe and translate them.

Bjorn: “Back when I was twelve, I was into this whole metal-thing. With the small amount of money I had, I bought cassettes and CDs. CDs were just coming up back then. I also bought music magazines, and once I read this review for a Sick Of It All album. I completely dug what was written, the album got a good score and I bought it blindly. It had a huge impact. For me, that was the starting point to get to know other bands that were linked to SIOA and other big names from that time, like Biohazard and Life Of Agony."

"After a while, you start discovering all these smaller undergroundbands. When I was 14-15 years old I started going to shows. Once you discover those a new world reveals itself in front of you. Congress was my first show. Listening to an American band on CD is one thing, but discovering that there’s a network of people that share a more or less common view and that are working on the same thing in your own neighborhood is just ‘wow’.”

What impression did that first show leave?

“It was pretty mind-blowing. You read about these things, but you never imagine that they actually happen in small basements, with 150 attendees, of which 50 are going completely crazy. There’s loads of energy, positive vibes.

Also, these people actually had something to say on stage, they were representing something. You got the feeling you found something that was yours. To me, the connection between the audience and the band is important too. It’s a whole.”

What does the scene mean to you?

“I look at the hardcorescene as a forum for creativity. Everyone can pick up an instrument and start making music, and if you can’t play by the rules, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that you can write a song that touches and that you take a stand as a band. In hardcore it has never been necessary to be supertalented or have the finest equipment. You just had to make the best of it. It's an attitude I can relate to very much.”

Is it really still that way nowadays? People seem to expect more and more.

“Time never stops, and so recording technology and such constantly improves, but I think the basic principles have remained intact. Hardcore has been around for 25 years, so I think it’s normal for people to expect something more nowadays. The basic idea should remain untouched, though. I still think it’s cool that everyone can take the stage and just give himself entirely. That’s also the charming thing about it. If I see a band with young kids, and they’re not really good, but they just go for it all the way, that’s so much cooler than a band of professional musicians with towers of equipment, who are much older but still haven’t understood jack shit of it all, and who stand there with an attitude like “hey, you’ve got to respect us because we’re older.”
If it lacks feeling, it’s worthless to me.”

How would you explain to someone that has no clue at all what this whole 'scene' thing is?

“A bunch of lunatics.” (laughs)
No, I don’t know. I just wouldn’t I guess. It’s something you have to experience. To explain the whole concept to someone is impossible I guess. But a quick, ten-minute description will not get you any further either. You’d just have bring that person to a show. Experiencing it is the most important thing. And talking with people involved. That way, I think he’ll get a better image of those people. You can talk about it for hours, but eventually it’s the participation that makes the scene what it is. It’s not science or something.”

Which bands have been of great influence to you?

“In the beginning I would say SOIA, and Life Of Agony. When I got to know the smaller bands, also Strife. It was the first band I knew that was talking so openly about straightedge. I digged it a lot. Also Undertow and Unbroken.”

And nowadays?

“I always keep the bands with which I grew up in high regard. But from the ‘newer’ bands, I would say Blacklisted is one of my favorites. Justice, Rhythm To The Madness, Cold World, World Collapse.. lot’s of different things.”

How did those early bands influence you on a personal level?

"Once I started going more to shows and started to understand how everything worked, I began to realize that hardcore was some kind of free and open forum for certain ideas and ideals. Some people were more direct and confronting about that, like Earth Crisis. But it left an impression. There were lots of bands that al stood for something else and that weren’t afraid to be extreme or militant about that. I liked that. In the end, when you’re 15-16 years old and you’re still searching for yourself, a good idea for someone else is almost automatically a good idea for you. When you get older, you start seeing things in a more subtle way. But take Strife and their straightedge message for example: I could completely relate to what they had to say about it. “This is also my life,” I thought.”

recurring nightmare

i took the train yesterday, for the first time in months. i was going to rehearsal.
trains and stations have this peculiar thing about them. when i looked at my fellow passengers, there was nothing. everyone has the same facial expression, nobody shows anything, nobody talks. as we rode through flanders and the landscape was passing by, i became aware of the fear inside me for which i'm still figuring out a name. i became aware to the point where i almost fellt like i was in control of it, like it became a part of me. and i knew for a moment, among those lost housewives, businessmen and homeless hearts. i knew that i was dying. and the fear fell of me, like the rain that hit the window. i looked god straight in the eye and all i saw was another you.

philosophy of boots

you know the thing when you read all these anarchist books, about protests getting out of hand and people getting beaten up by riot police. in my case, there's always this little voice in my head telling me that it can't be true. police are here to maintain order. sure they have to show their teeth from time to time, but only if it's really necessary, right? my dad used to be an officer once. they just have to prevent things from getting out of hand, sometimes this requires violence to show those punks you're serious about it. and this thought had sunk deeper in my being than all the anarchist lectures ever did i guess. 'they are here to protect us from the bad guys'.

but last thursday was the day i witnessed police-brutality first hand, in my own country, in the city that i love, involving the people i like to call my friends, and i don't think i'll ever be able to look at these things in the way that i did. sure, we all like to say 'fuck the police' from time to time and think we are cool. but it just got a new and more profound meaning that evening.

what happened was that we were participating in this demonstration against fascism in the city of ghent, belgium. some 1000-1200 people gathered to show their discontent of an extreme-right gathering in the same city at the same time. 

at the very start of the demonstration, a group of anarchists (i can't really tell how many, but i guess there were 100-200 of them) dressed in black, many wearing masks decided not to follow the official demonstration and instead went their own way, presumably trying to reach the righties on the other side of town. my friends and i decided to just follow the regular demonstration, as we weren't really in for rioting at the time (any other time, just aks, but thursday night, nah).

after the official demonstration was finished (about which i'm not going to say too much, since it was a boring and uninspiring event, once more illustrating that left-wing politics need to rethink theirselves seriously) we were heading for a drink in a local club. on our way though, we bumped into a group of anarchists that were trying to get through a police barrier. there was some verbal aggression, but all in all, no violence. the police forces were shouting incomprehensible orders through their megaphone, when suddenly they decided that it had been enough and opened fire with their water canon/gun (i don't know what the accurate term is for these things). as we tried to flee the scene, we suddenly found ourselves (along with some 200 other people) trapped by police forces, coming from all sides and not letting anyone through. which was quite ironic, since they ordered us to leave the place.

from then one, everything happened in a whirlwind. people were trying to take cover from the water gun, while officers were pushing them back. Anarchists were throwing things (they weren't throwing or destroying anything at first), giving the police a good excuse to storm the demonstration. people that didn't have anything to do with the whole thing and that just happened to be on the wrong place at the wrong time got beaten and kicked by these robocops. i never saw anything like it.

anyway, they forced everyone to sit down, threatening to use the water gun again if we didn't. one girl was trying to take a picture of the whole thing. some stressed-out police-dude noticed, tried to pull her out of the group and hit her in the face. seriously, this is the sort of thing you only read about. after that we had to sit down for an hour, picking out random people to arrest before letting us go. 

being there and bearing witness to this sort psychological and physical violence, in this country, in that city, at that place and time just changes something inside you. the way in which you perceive society changes. it was completely unnecessary to storm the crowd, to hit people, to use the water gun, and especially to hit that girl. i hope she is ok.

the day after i saw the news on television. how they pictured the whole thing made me even sadder.

(the picture displayed is taken from the indymedia-site ovl.indymedia.org and presumably belongs to one named Vik. Check their site for more info and pictures of the events.)

the future is unwritten

last saturday i went to the alternative bookfair in ghent. last year i spent way too much money there, and i haven't even read all the books i bought back then. mainly because they tend to get boring after a while. or maybe because i need more reading-discipline. nevertheless, here's this years damage:

Rolling Thunder #4 (CrimethInc.)

this was the one i was going for in the first place. i haven't yet finished reading the other three issues though. to be honest, i don't really think i'll ever read them profoundly. i just fell for the lay-out and the poem on the cover.

Society Of The Spectacle (Guy Debord)

vally introduced me to this one. i started reading the printed text he had in his apartment. i'd love to understand the full meaning of this book, but i already know it'll be hard pill to swallow. Debord writes small paragraphs that function almost as puzzles and it's hard to decipher its meaning sometimes. i hope i will manage someday. come 

to think of it, maybe it wasn't meant to be deciphered or have any meaning at all. damn confusing situationists.

Expect Resistance (CrimethInc.)

yet another crimethinc. publication. i just bought this blindly, hoping it will inspire me as much as Days Of War, Nights Of Love did. it has to be said that this collective features some of the best writers in the 'genre'.  Never sounding to academic or elitists, but always thought-provoking and inspiring. come to think of it, maybe i should translate their text's to dutch someday and do my part in spreading these ideas.

Anarchy In The Age Of Dinosaurs

i don't know what this is about. it was cheap. it had a nice title. it consist mainly of stories i think.

The Philosophy Of Punk (Craig O'Hara)

i bought this one to get some inspiration for my paper (which should be almost finished, but is far from..). i'm already halfway, it's a rather easy read. but i don't know if it will be of much assistance. i haven't found too much in-depth philosophy yet in this one. the guy just discusses some currents in punk and distances others from them.

(but i wonder if anything will ever happen if i just keep reading this stuff?)