Roger Miret Interview

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Tom: AGNOSTIC FRONT long outlived their now-legendary contemporaries like Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag and others, did you ever think it would last this long?
Roger: No. There was never any thought as to how long anything would be. We were just living our live on a day-to-day basis, which we still are doing today. It's just amazing how things change and people still love what we do and what we've created. And, we continue to play it because WE love it. We Love it. We just never gave up on it.
Tom: Where did the name AGNOSTIC FRONT come from?
Roger: Well, Vinny came up with that name…He wanted something more than a band name… He wanted something more like a movement, so he came up with "front" like a movement and "agnostic" like people in doubt of the absolute truth. We wanted a strong movement more than a band name and we got them both.
Tom: You guys helped create the term "hardcore," and placed all of New York hardcore on the map. How do you feel about the direction in which the genre has gone?
Roger: Well, That's life. It's what it is. The world has changed, the music has changed and evolved and that's great that the spirit is being kept alive. Musically it's very different from what it was in the mid-80's and in the 80's we had some metal influences…it's what it is. It takes different turns and it keeps it alive. We do the more old-school, traditional style stuff, then there is the new-school bands. As long as the people are true to the scene and to what they believe in, it's all good.

Tom: You have been through a number of personnel changes over the years. How do you feel the newest line-up compares to past incarnation of AGNOSTIC FRONT?
Roger: I'm happy with the new line-up. You know, It's always been me and Vinny for sure and Jimmy's our original drummer too, so the only newer member is Mike and he's been a member for at least three years now. He fit the band well. He wasn't there to replace Rob Kabula. Rob Kabula left and he was around. He was a friend and it was no replacement. We don't do replacements. We find a friend that wants to, you know, play with us.
Tom: I understand that your other project: Roger Miret and the Disasters just played with the Dropkick Murphys at their St. Patrick's Weekend blowout. How did that go?
Roger: That was amazing! It was a great show and we got a great response. I think the kids…everybody liked us. It's a different band from Agnostic Front and it's being well received and I am pretty happy with it.
Tom: Has the crowd been mostly older or are you getting a lot of the younger generation of new punks out to the shows?
Roger: A combination of both, but it always seems to be more of the younger crowd. It changes so fast. Rarely do we see familiar faces. There are always a lot of new faces.
Tom: Why the switch from Epitaph to I Scream records?
Roger: We are currently not on any label. I Scream just released that split record. We are currently on NO label so we're free.
Tom: AGNOSTIC FRONT's most recent release is entitled Working Class Heroes, a split record you guys did with Discipline. What lead to the decision to release a split record instead of a full-length album? And has it been well received by the fans?
Roger: It's been very well received. It's a new record here in America, but in Europe we've done a couple of tours with Discipline and a bunch of different club dates with Discipline. So, our fan base is pretty much their fan base and vice versa. We're both well accepted in both ways. So, I think it has been really good.
Tom: You guys are opening up a six-show tour tonight here in Syracuse, any plans for a longer tour this summer or the fall?
Roger: Yes. On July 24th through August 24th we're on a really cool bill, which is gonna be The Misfits, The Damned, The Dickies, Agnostic Front, Seven Seconds, and D.I. It's gonna be a major city…major market tour and I am excited about that.
Tom: Speaking of The Misfits, did you hear the rumor that Danzig is supposed to get back with them?
Roger: Yeah, I've obviously heard that rumor and it's supposed to be on this tour.
Tom: Kick Ass! I understand that you will be releasing a new full-length album in the fall of 2003. There was a rumor going around that you guys were going to sign with Stillborn Records. Is there any truth to that?
Roger: Jamie's a friend of mine you know, and like I said we're not doing anything, and we don't have any thing to negotiate about. We don't have any new songs so, everything is just rumors.
Tom: As New Yorkers, how did you relate to the incidents of September 11th?
Roger: I thought it was awful. I thought it was a cowardly attack on the civilians of New York City. I can understand the attack on the Pentagon, that's a military building and it should be ready for something like that. I don't understand why innocent people had to die, like those people on the planes. It was just very cowardly and I feel for those that lost their loved ones in the attacks. That's how I feel. I was there when it all happened. It was very surreal and very disturbing.
Tom: You have always been a political band and very outspoken in your beliefs. What is your take on Bush's plan to attack Iraq (which is supposed to happen after eight o'clock tonight)?
Roger: Well, I'm not into world politics. I am more social politically aware and this is a definite social issue we're talking about here. I think war is evil. All war is evil. And whether he started it or he started it, or whoever started it… I think a lot of it is religious wars which is even more evil. A lot of churches and regimes have been built on blood, and innocent blood too, people have died for all this stuff…I don't see it as a… If it's going to happen like it IS going to happen, it's going to be a quick, fast thing. I think they are in worse shape than they were back in 1991. But a lot of innocent people are going to die. But, everything has got its limit. I think that Saddam Hussein should have picked up and moved to a different place where he was welcome in different Arab nations and putting in another Arab regime or an Arab board there was fine as long as the people were happy. But, a dictator is a dictator and they don't seem to want to go. They are very selfish people. This guy has got eighteen palaces and his people are poor. But who am I to talk? Here we are in the United States and there are homeless people all over the streets and Bush is living in the beautiful White House and we are taking care of the whole world except the United States. I'm Cuban and I know what it's like to come from a Communist regime to this country. I would rather…I wouldn't want to live in any other country but the United States. It's a cool place to live. Its politics are all messed up, its policies are all messed up, but that is why I'm in a punk band and I speak about it.
Tom: I know you have a lot to do here before the show, so, any final comments?
Roger: Thanks for supporting us for so many years. Check out the website: www.agnostic-front.com and my new band The Disasters. It's really cool. We've got a bunch of tours coming up. That site is www.thedisasters.com. Just check it out!

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