|
 BEN COYTE, vocalist from DAY OF CONTEMPT, tells TOM HERSEY how the now-defunct hardcore outfit was re-animated to play one last set of shows and why supporting Earth Crisis was the perfect opportunity to say goodbye.
Before hardcore meant totally unrelenting chugga-chugga, bands like Day Of Contempt had a unique take on the genre that saw them craft punishing tunes, bolstered by texture and driven by good songwriting. A dying breed in a scene increasingly unwilling to compromise, Day Of Contempt died. And the ninja-kicking, pin-wheeling juggernaut that is modern hardcore continued without paying heed.
Since their demise in 2005, members of Day Of Contempt have gone on to be involved in different projects, but as the cliché goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Making joking reference to both Earth Crisis and Day Of Contempt as “old dogs”, Ben explains the purpose behind the band’s hyped reunion. “This is a quick string of shows to relive the glory days, catch up with some friends and cram some dudes in a room and thrash out for a bit.”
For fans of Day Of Contempt it’s a sobering thought to consider that these shows almost didn’t take place. The run of shows came about following the band practising with no real goal or idea for a reunion, until they were offered the Earth Crisis support. “It had ended up that the original line-up ended up living in Adelaide again and so the guys were practising for a few months last year, getting ready to do some reunion stuff. But then we were all pretty busy and it might not have happened because we needed something to push it over, and then people started talking about playing with Earth Crisis and that was it. That made it happen.”
A gauge of the excitement within the Australian hardcore community about seeing Earth Crisis, Ben’s sentiments resonate with Earth Crisis’s rabid fan base. The vocalist goes on to explain how Day Of Contempt were essentially brought together by a shared love of the American straight-edge crossover act. “They’re pretty much one of the main reasons why Day Of Contempt came to be a band in the early days. Tommy the guitarist and I had played in bands before that covered Earth Crisis songs. One day I wore an Earth Crisis shirt to uni and that’s how we met our drummer Vince because he was the only person in the whole place who’d heard of them.”
Their excitement about getting back in the van as Day Of Contempt is obvious, yet Ben doesn’t feel that they’re playing these shows for the crowd. When asked if the reunion was spurred on by giving kids who never saw Day Of Contempt in their existence, or got into the band since their split, Ben answers with a hearty laugh,
“Not really … If they’re up for it and they’re psyched that’s great. For me at least, I’ve got a lot of good memories of that period. We had something kind of good going back then. So really we’re playing these shows to pay homage to that in a way, and just thrash it out.”
DAY OF CONTEMPT and Antagonist A.D. support Earth Crisis at the Princess Theatre Wednesday Jun 17 (AA) and The Hi-Fi Thursday Jun 18 (18+). www.myspace.com/dayofcontempt
|
| Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged. |
|
Be first to comment on this article
