Maximum Rock N Roll Interview
Interview/all photos by Kai Nishiki
Where did you get the name, “(Order of the) White Rose”?
?Steve-I learned about the White Rose in a literature? class I was taking at Maui Community College, my? professor wanted us to understand the power that students can, and should wield. She had us read a children’s book entitled, “Rose Blanche,” which was about a little girl who found out about the concentration camps at the edge of her town and at the risk of her own life, Rose would go and feed the prisoners her own lunch. I was really moved by this and? researched the history of ? the White Rose students. It was amazing to see that there were students who stood up to the Nazi regime.
What are you doing to live up to that name? To name a punk rock band after the students who were killed for? distributing leaflets ?is a pretty bold move, don’t you think? ?
Steve- I agree completely. I think that by naming? ourselves after the students, we took on a big? responsibility and it is one that I don’t take lightly. And that what I feel my professor was challenging me to do; I think she wanted her students to use critical thinking and ask themselves what they would do in Rose Blanche’s position. I feel very strongly that? we need to be more than a band. I am working on ways? to address many of the issues that we face in Hawaii today, whether? it is corporate tourism and the prostitution of Hawaiian culture, or homelessness and hunger in Hawaii, as well as? reforestation projects here on Maui.
?Nate- I think the awareness we raise by choosing this? name is reason enough, especially in this society where? you can protest wherever and whenever you want without? fear of reprisal, ? I think it's time we realize if we actually want ?change, it is going to cost a little more than rubber ?bullets and tear gas.
Steve- The Islands of Oceania, which are usually seen as vacation spots or playgrounds for the rich are angry. Samoa was taken over and parceled up by the Europeans and the US in the similar to the way Africa was. The atolls of Tokelau are in danger of being lost to the ocean, due to the sea-level rising. Many people believe that in order for the islands of Oceania to throw off the chains of globalization that they want to return to primitivism. However, I disagree. Many of the people of Oceania, the thinkers and the intellectuals, want the island be self-sustaining and exist without having their natural resources stripped and sold. This isn’t a rejection of modernism. This is for our own survival. We cannot afford to pay high fuel costs to have food shipped here when we can grow our own food.
You are not from Hawaii, why would you take on? Hawaiian issues? ?
Steve- You are right, I’m not Hawaiian, I’m from Michigan. ? However, I feel that it is my responsibility, as an outsider, to? understand the illegal ? takeover of the Hawaiian nation if I am to live? here. I owe it to myself to see what happened here, and what is happening here. They didn’t teach me the ‘real’ history of Hawaii? when I grew up in Michigan. We were told that Hawaii? voted to be the ?“50th” state. What they didn’t tell us is that? Hawaii was offered two choices: A. become a state or? B. remain a territory. ?The option to regain their sovereignty wasn’t? offered. After reading about George Helm and what? happened in ? Kahoolawe when they tried to stop the Navy from? bombing the island, I felt that I had to do a lot? more than go surfing and revel in the beauty of Hawaii. Just the other day I was visiting my sister-in-law on Oahu and during the entire day, we could hear munitions being exploded and the Navy practicing bombing missions nearby. What needs to be understood is that the fresh water table sits on top of the salt-water table, within a sort of cup. If that is cracked, like they believe happened to Kahoolawe, the island of Oahu will not be able to sustain itself.
Nate- One thing I have been particularly interested in ?has been U.S. foreign policy throughout its history and ?this is just another example of us spreading our ?empire at the expense of indigenous people and their ?culture. ?
What are some of your goals musically? ?
Steve-Like I said, I hope to be more than a band. I? hope to connect on a personal as well as a musical level. That’s really important to me. ?
Nate- One of the main things that attracted me to punk? rock was the awareness it raises about various social? causes whether it is homelessness, racism, Women’s rights, or the anti-war movements. I am not African American but I agree and support the civil rights movement; if I lived back in the sixties, I would have marched and protested for their rights. I am? not from the mountains of Chiapas but I believe as ?human beings they are entitled to the same quality of ?life as myself, I am not a woman but I believe that no? human being should have to be abused because of? gender.
Steve- I hope to raise more awareness. I know a couple of women who have gone through the “Women Helping Women” program on Maui, in order to get out of violent relationships. Women Helping Women provides lawyers, and advice to abused women. If anything, I want to be a vehicle of information as a band, and look for hope when there doesn’t seem to be any.
What makes you think your band is special? Don’t you? think there are enough punk rock bands out there? ?
Steve-I has loved punk rock for a long time. I’m 38? years old and have participated in it since I was 13? years old. I do ?think there are a lot of crappy bands out there, but? I don’t think we are one of them. I think that? sonically, we are a really ? powerful band. We don’t play really fast blast beats? or growl like the cookie monster, but we do play? aggressive music ? with a lot of melody. Back in the eighties, I saw? bands like D.O.A. and Ruin and those bands blew me? away. When Nate, ? and I talked about putting a band? together, those were two of the bands that came to? mind. I wanted to rock as hard as they did and I don’t see bands doing that? anymore. I don’t know if that makes us special or? not, but I don’t hear ? too many bands that sound like us. ?
Nate-I started listening to punk when I was 14,and it? has shaped who I am as a person more almost anything ?in my life so this is something I cannot help but do. ? As far as other bands are concerned, I think our? sound is more of a resurrection of the old stuff rather? than another dressed-to-kill bands that sound like ?everyone else. ?
Steve- I have been asked if we play ‘old-school’ hardcore and my reply is always “No.” I’m not interested in being a revival band, but we play this way because this is how I write songs. This is the way I play guitar. In 1981 we didn’t call it ‘old-school.’ To quote David Hayes, “It was pre-school.” We play the music that we want to hear.
What is the scene like in Hawaii?
Steve- ? On Maui where we play the most, the scene is pretty? small. When we play all-ages shows, they are pretty? well attended, ? but for the most part, there isn’t that big of a? rock music scene. The funny thing is that there are? some really great bands ? here. Khrinj, who are our local metal band are? absolutely amazing. Every time I see them play, I’m blown away? by their sheer ? ferocity. Gomega is another great band from Maui. On? Oahu, there are a ton of kids and adults in the? scene and lots of ? bands. The Hell Caminos are our local psychobilly? band, Black Square is reggae-influenced punk and 86?-List is a great ? punk rock band. We have also made friends with The? Insurgents from Oahu and they put on a great live? show. Unity ? Crayons is a local collective on Oahu and they put? together a lot of great all-ages shows. To be honest? with you, I ? haven’t ever seen such hard working people in the? punk scene before. And they do it on a volunteer? basis! I’m really proud to work with people like that.
Nate-On Maui where we live, the scene is small but? growing. The lack of venues is one of the main reasons it is so small. ?On Oahu the scene is pretty cool with Unity Crayons ?putting on a lot of all-ages shows. ?
Steve-And even on Oahu, keeping all-ages venues open is really hard. It is a testimony to their hard work that they have shows as often as they do.
What are your feelings about Myspace? How do you? justify using a website owned by Rupert Murdoch and? the Fox news ? corporation? ?
Steve-I don’t like the fact that Rupert Murdoch owns? Myspace. I know that eventually they will find a way? to ruin it. ? According to Wired magazine though, they really? don’t know what to do with it yet. Recently though, ? the military is ? using Myspace to recruit kids. I’m not cool with? that at all. I have to say though; I have met a lot? of really cool people on ? Myspace. It has been really good to White Rose. ? Instead of us using it to beg people to “check out? our band,” we just ? promote ideas and try to be nice to people. That’s? not a marketing strategy though, I see it as an? extension of what zines ? do and did in the past. I loved reading MRR and? sending letters to SNFU or Final Conflict, asking? them for an interview when I wrote my fanzine. ? On Myspace, I can talk to them directly. Where else? would I get to talk to Mike Watt or Bruce Loose? I? never got to see ? the Minutemen or Flipper, but I do get to message? them and they answer back. I think that is really? cool. We have met so many cool people on Myspace that it outweighs many of the? negatives in my opinion. I don’t think that Murdoch? would agree ? with any of our positions on an
Blog Category: Music
Playing (Music): Jesu Conqueror
Added on: 25/11/2007 14:19:18
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