Planes mistaken for stars - Brief Article

Thrasher Magazine, Sept, 2002

THESE GUYS AVE GOT HAS ONE OF THE COOLEST BAND NAMES GOING, as well as a distinctive approach to playing heavy, aggressive, metal-influenced hardcore. The group consists of Gared O'Donnell on vocals and guitar, Matt bellinger on guitar and vocals, Jamie Drier on bass, and Mike Ricketts on drums. Please join us as Gared patiently endures this batch of stupid questions.

Patrick Hughes

Do you snowboard?

I don't like snow.

You live in Denver! Do you just hide in your house?

It doesn't really snow here much; it's a big misconception.

I thought it was like the North Pole. How's Denver treating you?

Good. We just finished three new songs for a seven inch called Spearheading the Sin Movement that's coming out on No Idea.

What's the title about?

It's about...spearheading the sin movement. It's time kids loosened up. Really, it's about how none of us love each other enough, and how we should all be fucking and rocking out more. If it were up to me people would be fucking in the streets.

I hear y'all loosen up on stage.

We go for it when we play live. If you're not going for it, what's the point?

Any injuries?

Halfway through a set I broke my guitar over my face. I thought, "I'm gonna have a black eye,", because I hit myself so hard. When I went to play, there were no strings because the guitar was in pieces.

Where do y'all play?

We'll play wherever. We try to play shows that are all ages. I love to drink and I love a lot of people that drink, but I don't want to be a jukebox. In a bar of 100 people. 98 have their backs to you. A show should involve everybody: That's what makes it fun, people going bananas.

You seem to play songs that are harsh, but hopeful.

That's what I'm going for. I listen to a lot of Motown, which is the exact opposite. Some of that stuff sounds happy but the lyrics or underlying themes are dark. It's like ghosts in the recording--something else going on. It's that way for us.' Our music might seem bleak, but we try to inject as much blue-eyed soul into it as possible. I want to paint a picture of the traps we fall in to, but also give the notion that you can get out. And I want people to know that even the nastier parts of our personalities are beautiful. I've learned a lot from the seedier aspects of life.

Like what?

All those things that make me the fantastic person I am today A lot of my favorite music is nihilistic, but I've always had a problem with bitching and moaning and not backing it up or having a reason for it.

It's a cliche, like teenage romance or something.

Every 14-year-old kid in the world is full of angst. That's why Korn is so big. They play on the more volatile emotions. I could just write angry, depressing shit, but it'd just be an endless circle.

What got you into punk?

Skateboarding. Before I had a record player I had a VCR, and I'd put on the Streets On Fire video really loud on my grandma's TV and skate up and down the sidewalk. I'm giddy this is for Thrasher. I work for Conspiracy Skateboards. They make big boards for burly, old, fat, drunk guys. I skate, but I don't go for it anymore. I'm afraid of hurting my hand. The other guys in the band count on me being there.

Describe the other guys.

Mikey is a cuddly Viking. He's the best-natured person I've met, even if he looks the spookiest. His nickname's Mongo. We used to call him Fast Wreckless Mikey, which is a cool nickname. But he was like, "Why can't you call me something cool, like Mongo?" If you look up his name in the phone book you won't find it. You have to look under Mongo.

Jamie smells. With most people that smell, it's kind of a secret, but he revels in it. When we get off tour, sketched Out about places to live, he s like, "Fuck it. Let's rent a practice space and live there." He'll sleep on top of the van in bad neighborhoods to watch our stuff.

Matt is not quite a hypochondriac, but he's a squirrely guy. You'd think he was on speed if you didn't know him.' If you see pictures, he's the one that looks cut. He's an amazing guy. They're all amazing guys. We're all best friends, first and foremost. That's why we play music together.

What would those guys say about you?

That I'm a drunk jackass. And a prick, because I got to do the interview for Thrasher.