Feature / Music
Fest 10th anniversary: Fests 7-9 remembered

The Fest in Gainesville has become an institution, and Scene Point Blank has hit numbers 6-9 and lived to tell the tale. As the event is celebrating their tenth anniversary with an alumni theme, SPB decided to catch up with some of the old timers to see what they remember about their experiences.

Recalling Fests 7-9, we talked with Grame Philliskirk of Leatherface, Jason Lubrano of Iron Chic, and Mikey Ergs of, um, about 1/3 of the bands playing.

Stay tuned for coverage of this weekend's #10, and don't forget to check out our earlier pieces on Fests 1-3 and 4-6.

Sunderland, England’s Leatherface released their first record in 1988. In 2010, they release The Stormy Petrel and 2011 saw the release of a live record, Viva La Arthouse on their own imprint, Big Ugly Fish.

Scene Point Blank caught up with bassist Graeme Philliskirk to talk about playing Fest 7, as well as what it’s like to be play in such a legendary band.

Scene Point Blank: This was your first Fest, right? Did it meet your expectations?

Graeme: Yep, it was our first time and we hope not the last. It blew us away! It’s an amazing Fest and you have to thank Tony and the crew for the hard work they do, year after year, to keep live music and bands going like this where so many people can have such a great time.

Scene Point Blank: Who was your favorite band to watch?

Graeme: I probably missed more bands that I wanted to see, but we watched so many bands and I really would not like to single any band out as there were so many good shows. The thing is: you would walk by some place and you just walked in if there was something you liked. And you would be there ‘til the end of the show and you would be like, “Who the hell is this playing?” It was so good to come across stuff you just did not know.

Scene Point Blank: What’s your dominant memory from playing Fest 7?

Graeme: I have so many memories, most of which, I suppose, are not really interesting to most people. It was more the sense of being there. The first day we got there I remember I slept in the van, waking up and looking outside the motel and thinking, “Fuck, I’m in Gainesville!” Florida has a different feel and look compared to other States.

As for playing the Fest, where do you start? Frankie had made his way to The Venue and we said we would all meet up there. We had been watching some really good bands and realized we had to get to The Venue as we were due to play within 30 minutes. I came backstage with the rest of the guys and Security asked who we were and said that Frankie was getting worried. We walked in and Frankie said, “I thought I was going to have to play by myself!”

Within minutes we walked on and the crowd was fucking awesome. They were with us all the way and it was just carnage. We were shouted back on and I changed my top and I put our home football team’s shirt on (Sunderland). It’s red and white and is the same colours as our Leatherface logo. Frankie ran over and kissed the badge and we charged into “Dead Industrial.” When we left the stage, I threw the shirt into the crowd, so someone has my football shirt. After the show I jumped off the stage and the floor area looked like a battlefield with glass, cans, and all sorts of debris. It was pretty cool.

Scene Point Blank: You had the final Fest set that year. Were you pretty much drained at that point?

Graeme: Leading up to it, yeah, it can feel that way. You have to dig deep to do the show, but once you walk on and the crowd are so good, as they were that night, you’re ready to explode. After I walked back onto the stage when everyone had left, I stood with Tony, had a beer with him and, to be honest, we were fine compared to Tony. He was fucked.

Scene Point Blank: You had a weeklong tour afterwards. Were you able to recover your energy? Is playing Fest different than regular touring?

Graeme: Yeah, we had a great tour. When you do this you have this built-in mechanism that conditions you. It’s kind of weird, actually, and I think even stranger for Frankie being the singer. Sometimes he amazes me how he pulls so deep to do this, night after night.

People are different and we all have our own little ways of dealing with touring. We all have our moments and we all help each other at times. That’s what being in a band is about. Sometimes it can be hard, other times so easy. When you finish the tour, you look back and think, “Wow, that was great. How lucky we are and it was worth all the hard work!”

Scene Point Blank: Viva La Arthouse, was made by your arrangement, without telling the rest of the band about the recording. How did you decide to do that? How did it go over with the rest of the band?

Graeme: We had talked about recording the gig previously, but Matt [Bodiam of Poison City Records] was pretty tired and really busy with the Poison City Weekender, etc. So he spoke to Andrew and they thought that they would just leave it. When I get pretty focused on something I tend to want to see it through, so I spoke with them and said, “Look, let’s do this. If it doesn’t sound good then we won’t use it, but let’s keep it quiet so the lads just enjoy the last gig of the tour.” So it was recorded.

I listened to the playback at the end of the tour in Melbourne. Let’s just say I was convinced enough to suggest we release it. We got back to the UK and I said to Frankie, “We recorded the gig. I think you should listen to the recording…what about putting it out?” The rest is history.

Scene Point Blank: Did you listen to the tribute record? Is it awkward to hear others’ interpretations?

Graeme: Yeah, we all listened to it, and it wasn’t awkward at all. I think it is really good and some great versions of the songs—we’re very honored.

Great work by Rubber Factory, John Di Marco, and the gang. They just got on with it.

Scene Point Blank: Leatherface has had quite a run of bassists. How did you join the band?

Graeme: I got drunk and said I would do it, haha! Actually, Davey [Lee Burdon] had told me he was going on to work on Former Cell Mates and as I knew the band so well—I’ve been friends with them all for so many years—he couldn’t think of anyone better, which was very flattering. I knew the band and the history, but being a guitarist it did worry me playing the bass and filling the shoes of so many talented bassists.

After Davey’s last tour Dickie also called me up and asked if I would consider doing it. At that point I had already spoken to Frankie. We met up and, after many beers, I woke in the morning and realized I said I would do it.

Scene Point Blank: How many bass players has Leatherface had now? Is it daunting to join such a rotating spot? Do you feel hexed?

Graeme: Haha. Yeah, that’s one way of looking at it I suppose. How many bass players, well…

[To confirm his list, he calls Dickie, who is at the bar drinking, to confirm. Dickie also forgets one or two.]

Stu Schooler (who I was in Ran with and a friend)
Dickie Cam
Rob Bewick
Eagle
Andy Creighton (we all miss him and a good friend)
Leighton Evans
Davey Lee Burdon (a good friend who is now living in the US)

It’s very daunting when I look at this list, especially when I know how talented some of these dudes are and what they have achieved—pretty scary, really. Not just the fact that there have been so many different faces playing the bass, but also the work that has been crafted out by some of them. To be associated with Leatherface and some of these names still gets me at times if I stop and think about it. You never know what’s around the corner in anything you do, but I would like to think Leatherface and I have so much still to offer and my aim is to carry that on.

Scene Point Blank: How is Big Ugly Fish working out? Is it one guy or a collective effort?

Graeme: We are happy with Big Ugly Fish. I would maybe like to do more, but it’s down to time. You can only do so much. I’m looking at various Leatherface stuff, obviously. Frankie and I have talked about doing some Stubbs releases, and we put out The Sainte Catherines’ last release so, yeah, it’s going well.

I tend to do most of the work. Frankie comes in and out when required. A big shout has to go to Paul le Hat, who does a lot for the label behind the scenes, especially when we are on tour etc. Hopefully we will have some news for a new release next year.

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Photography: Stefan

Recalling specific memories proved difficult with many of the older Fest recollections. However, as we get closer to recent events, the details have been flowing. Talking with Jason Lubrano, singer, for Iron Chic, we asked about venues, personal highlights, and being pitted again other timeslots. In short, we just talked about what it’s like to play the Fest, using #8 (2009) as a reference point.

Iron Chic released Not Like This in 2010.

Scene Point Blank: Fest 8 was your second Fest, right? As a band, did you prepare differently than for Fest 7?

Jason Lubrano: Yeah, that was our second time down to Fest. Our fist time down for Fest 7 we did a short tour which was also our first time touring as a band—so that was a unique experience in and of itself. We decided to fly straight to Florida for Fest 8 so it was a lot less hectic in general. That year was Dump's first show with us and Rob's first time as an official member of the band. We also booked a hotel that year because we didn’t want to end up sleeping on the floor in someone's garage like we did the year before. In the end they were pretty different experiences altogether.

Scene Point Blank: What were some of your personal highlights from Fest 8, either on stage or as a spectator?

Jason: For me the show itself was the biggest highlight. I think that was the first time a crowd that big really went nuts for us and it was really an awesome thing to be a part of.

Scene Point Blank: Do you have a favorite venue? Again, either for playing or for watching shows?

Jason: I really liked the Kickstand, both for playing and watching bands. It had a nice, big fenced-in yard and, even though the show was inside, you could still see and hear the bands from out there. And there were dollar hotdogs.

The port-a-potties could get pretty gnarly though. I was sad to see it go.

Scene Point Blank: It looks like you’re up against Smoke or Fire this year. Have you developed any rivalries with bands that play at the same time as you?

Jason: Nah, rivalries are for sports teams and I fucking hate sports.

Scene Point Blank: On the day of your show, do you try to stick to the venue where you’ll be playing, or do you hit up other stages the same as you would if you weren’t playing?

Jason: The first two years we played at The Kickstand, which was a little further away from most of the other venues so we were pretty lazy about it mostly hung out there.

Last year we were at Common Grounds and we played really early, so we pretty much had the whole day to do whatever. I remember spending a good part of that day wandering around in a haze but I'm sure I managed to find my way into another venue or two at some point.

Scene Point Blank: Are there any bands you’re especially stoked to be sharing a stage with this year?

Jason: I missed Armalite the last time they played Fest so I'm pretty stoked to get a chance to watch them, and it's always an honor to play with any of Todd C's bands. It's also awesome to be able to play with a bunch of our good friends on the same show.

Scene Point Blank: To switch gears a bit, will the '08 Demo ever be re-released on vinyl?

Jason: I don't think we have any plans to re-release it at the moment, but we'll probably consider it at some point.

Scene Point Blank: How did the split with Pacer come about?

Jason: All In Vinyl asked us to be a part of their split series and they actually paired the bands up. We were supposed to be on the first series and I think we would have been paired with Calvinball, but we have a hard time getting our shit together sometimes so we ended up getting paired with Pacer on the second series—which was cool because we had actually gotten to play with them before.

Scene Point Blank: Your lyrics are heavy on the movie references. Will we see more on the next album?

Jason: I love movies and love to repeat things that I hear on TV and movies, like an idiot, constantly. Phil and I have a bond in our mutual love for Ghostbusters. I'm still an idiot so you will probably see more of them.

Scene Point Blank: Do you have a favorite song to cover?

Jason: ”Hunger Strike” by Temple of the Dog was probably the most fun cover we ever did. But we need extra guitar players and singers to pull it off, so we never did it again.

Scene Point Blank: Why don’t you tour on the West Coast very often?

Jason: It's hard for us to tour in general. Everyone besides Dumps and I have full time jobs with limited vacation time; Rob has a daughter; and we don't have a van. So far we've made it to California for Awesome Fest but are trying to make a point to tour the west coast as soon as possible.

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Words: Loren and Aaron
Photography: Gaelen Harlacher

Mikey Erg, also known as Mike Yannich,  got the easiest interview by giving him coverage of Fest 9. After asking others about their drunken exploits from 6+ years ago, he only had to dip back ten months or so. Yannich has played in countless Fest bands, continuing the tradition of keeping busy both on stage as well as in the audience.

Scene Point Blank: What were some of your highlights from Fest 9?

Mikey Erg: There were a lot—too many! Notable ones were:

- Getting to sing with Bomb The Music Industry!, Paint It Black, and Paul Baribeau
- Not expecting many people to come see me play solo and looking up from tuning the guitar to see a packed room
- Dear Landlord as Juggalos
- Grabass Charlestons as a 4 piece
- Probably the best moment of all was The Arrivals doing “Simple Pleasures in America” and the crowd doing the “whoa-oh” part for the entire rest of the show.

Scene Point Blank: Was it strange to come back to Fest but not to play with the Ergs! (since their “last” show was at Fest 8)?

Mikey Erg: The Fest was always a huge thing for the Ergs!, but it wasn’t too weird ‘cause I’d always played in 1000 different bands every year.

Scene Point Blank: What have you seen change over your annual trips to the Fest?

Mikey Erg: It’s always the biggest, friendliest, most fun party of the year. The only thing that’s really changed is it’s gotten bigger and bigger. Each year I have a harder time seeing everything I want to see. Fest 10 is definitely shaping up to be the craziest of all! I’m almost scared to look at the schedule!

Scene Point Blank: Who are some bands you’ve discovered at Fest?

Mikey Erg: I’m usually too busy running around trying to see all my favorite bands and friends, so I never really get to check out new ones. Fest is so overwhelming. So much to see and do.

Scene Point Blank: What are some of your favorite things to do while in Gainesville, beyond the official Fest places? Any restaurants you always hit up?

Mikey Erg: I usually try to hit up Gator Dawgs. I mostly just eat at whatever places take the free meal passes. Oh, and Checkers!

Scene Point Blank: I’m going to switch off track a bit from Fest to more on your current projects. I can’t keep track: What are your current “full-time” bands?

Mikey Erg: Well, let’s see…I’ve got House Boat, Star Fucking Hipsters, The Slow Death. I’ve been playing solo a lot, as well.

I fill in for the Soviettes whenever they need me and I play with the Dopamines when I can… I think that’s everyone that’s actually active. I’m and idiot and am probably forgetting something obvious.

Scene Point Blank: Is Psyched to Die still active?

Mikey Erg: Unfortunately, no. The last show we played was Fest 8.

Scene Point Blank: Do you have an instrument preference?

Mikey Erg: Well, I’m a better drummer than I am anything else, but I really love being up front making noise on a guitar and jumping around like a crazy person.

Scene Point Blank: After singing and writing in so many of your bands, is it strange to tour with a band like The Dopamines, where your role is less prominent?

Mikey Erg: I think for a while I kind of needed to get away from the creative side of things after the Ergs! broke up. It was nice to still be able to play, but not have to deal with being the creative force behind something and all the stuff that goes along with that. Unfortunately, I got so busy that now it’s hard to find the time to sit down and write my own stuff again. It’s happening but it’s been pretty slow going. Soon though!

Scene Point Blank: A lot of the bands you play in are based in different cities (Dopamines and Houseboat for example). How do you organize and practice?

Mikey Erg: House Boat has had, I think, two practices in the couple of years we’ve been a band. We’re all pretty competent musicians so we’re able to pull it off. With the Dopamines and most of the other stuff, I just jump into it. I just make sure I have everything down before we play. I’ll just listen to the songs a million times and make sure I know them.

Scene Point Blank: You continue to use the name “Mikey Erg” in your solo performances. Is this a deliberate continuation, or is it just because that’s how you’re best known?

Mikey Erg: It’s basically how I’m best known. I consider it my “punk” name or whatever. Like Sid Vicious or something. It also kind of works ‘cause most anything I do under that name will basically sound like an extension of The Ergs! music.

Scene Point Blank: How have you been enjoying your solo performances? Do you see it as the natural progression?

Mikey Erg: I love playing solo. It’s nice to play some of the songs that never really got played during Ergs! shows. I like the idea of playing the songs without a whole bunch of crashing drums and noise. It’s also fun to play covers and stuff on a whim, like playing “Fuck You” by Cee-Lo at the Fest on the fly and it getting a fun, huge reaction. That kind of stuff doesn’t happen all that easily with a full band.

That said, at some point soon I’ll be putting together a full band to play my stuff once I make a full length.

Scene Point Blank: The heart-shaped Paper & Plastick record sold out quickly. Was the shape your idea or the label’s? How much work goes into a specialized vinyl release like that?

Mikey Erg: It was the label. Vinnie wrote me and asked if I wanted to record a heart-shaped record for Valentine’s Day. Now, mind you, this was New Years Eve. I thought it would be impossible but I just happened to start working on a couple of songs around that time. I booked studio time with a friend a couple days later and sent the songs off to him.

I have no idea how much work goes into pressing something like that, but I know the plant we went through has done heart-shaped things before so Vinnie knew it was possible.

Scene Point Blank: Thanks for your time.

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Words: Loren

Photography: Loren (top), Kristen Swanson (bottom)

We could find alumni to talk up Fest all they want, but that point of view relies on a sense of familiarity with the city of Gainesville, the layout of the venues, and the local restaurants and hotels.

Consider it a bonus feature, but we've also gotten our hands on the DVD documentary Fested 7.  Here, we offer the perspective of a fan who has yet to make the Gainesville pilgrimmage.

Fested: A Journey to Fest 7 – Directed by Reese Lester
Blue Elephant Media, 2011

I've been wanting to attend The Fest for years now, but I haven't managed to make it out there. Just about any band I can think of that I'd want to see perform plays The Fest nearly every year, with Fest 10 having shaped up to be the best line-up yet. Lets step back to Fest 7 though. Director Reese Lester set out for The Fest's seventh annual blowout with Spanish Gamble (known then as “Dirty Money”) back in 2008 and documented it, with some live footage contributed by National Underground. Fested is less of a “journey to Fest 7,” and more of a stumble through it.

Ultimately there are two different elements to this documentary. There's the the interviews with random people or bands and candid moments. Then there are live performances. We'll talk about the live footage later. First lets touch on the documentation. Going in, I didn't exactly get what I was expecting and that's my fault. I guess I expected there to be more narrative, but most of the off moments are people getting drunk or already drunk. At times it comes off more as a compilation of YouTube videos than a documentary. Fested gains more focus when the bands are interviewed. You get their perception of The Fest, what they love about it, and hearing their stories about past Fests. From the fans' perspective, it gets more of The Fest experience across with things like “Tent City,” where a group of attendants set up tents and camp out rather than pay the price for hotel rooms. It's the kind of thing I was hoping to hear more about and what makes the weekend festival more appealing and fun to me.

The other main focus of the documentary are the bands and their performances. We're not talking about just the primary shows in established venues, but the warehouse and parking lot shows. Most of the recordings look great and feature live footage from Paint It Black, The Lawrence Arms, Dirty Money, The Flatliners, and many more. The sound isn't always great though. Sometimes it sounds too muffled, but it's watching the crowd of sweaty people singing and dancing their hearts out that makes all the footage worth watching. Like Paint it Black's show in a parking lot playing out of their U-Haul. All you can hear are the crowd and the drums until the cops come in and break up the show. That doesn't stop the crowd as they all begin to chant the closing lyrics to the band's track, “Memorial Day” though. Then there's the packed warehouse with OK Pilot, New Mexican Disaster Squad, None More Black, and The Flatliners. They give you this yearning to be apart of it. Like you belong there and nowhere else.

Fested: A Journey to Fest 7, is far from a perfect documentary, but it's at the very least entertaining. It's definitely worth watching for the shows alone. If you feel like watching people get drunk or act foolish, then this is right up your alley. If you get the DVD, you get some extras like a drinking game to play as you watch, a “Stagedives of Fest 7” little featurette, and subtitles so you can sing-along if you don't know the songs already. I'm sure for people who went to Fest 7, this would be perfect to jog their memory and talk about the great time they had. For others who have never been to the festival, it's probably a decent representation of what they'd expect it to be like.

7 out of 10

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Words: Aaron