First of all, how, when and why did the band start?We started our band in mid 2007 and played our first show in December the same year. We all were members of other bands and we knew each other a long time before we decided to start Bravestar as a band only to have fun with our mates. We don´t want to make money with our music, we just want a big party on every single show. We are only a bunch of hardcore-loving idiots who don´t take themselves so seriously.
What are the band's main influences?
The whole old stuff like Madball, Rykers, Slapshot, Warzone, AF, etc… but also a lot of bands like Shattered Realm, Reign Supreme, Weight of the Crown, Folsom and Death Before Dishonor.
Your debut album has just hit the streets. What should kids expect from the A Warriors Heart release?
You can hear that we had a lot of fun in the studio, while recording the new CD. There are guest appearances by Samis (Reduction), Tommy (Havok) and Chris ( Force of my Brothers). The 12 songs are quite diversified and very detail-loving. Someone who likes all the different kinds of Hardcore will enjoy this CD.
How did you come up with the BBQ theme? What is your formula for a great BBQ?
Look at us! We all love to eat a good steak…or two;) If you just take a look at our pics, you will recognize that the name “Full Blown Chaos” would go better with us;) Hardcore is all about having a good time with good friends and we think BBQs are exactly that. We enjoy our time together and have a big party.
If you could invite anybody to a bbq, living or dead, who would it be?
Maybe Raybeez! Eva Longoria would also be nice as a guest….just to look at her, of course;)
One of your songs deals with the subject of racism. How do you feel about racists coming to a hardcore shows and do you think it’s a problem nowadays in Germany?
We are absolutely against racism and Hardcore has to be a racist-free scene! We don´t tolerate these assholes neither on our own shows, nor on any other hardcore show. Here in Germany, many people work against racism and fascism and we go along with them, with our songs and our attitude. Although many bands sang many songs about this problem, we think, that this topic mustn´t be forgotten. We want to make our position clear.
What are some other themes in your lyrics? Where do you get your inspiration to write?
We deal with what we see in the world out there, on TV, what we read in newspapers and also with what everyone of us has to cope with. We talk about friendship, about people who talk shit about us, about the scene, about BBQs etc…
What’s playing on the stereo when Bravestar is having a BBQ?
Oh, there’s a lot of stuff playing on the stereo during a BBQ……we’re really into many kinds of hard music. We don’t listen to hardcore only…..we also listen to many metal-stuff. At the moment we listen to the new releases of Suffer The Living, Boxcutter, Dead End Tragedy and Bun Dem Out.
What does hardcore mean to you?
What does Hardcore mean to us? It means exactly the same to us, what it should mean to every “Hardcore kid”. It´s all about having a good time with good friends at good shows, like I´ve already said. It embodies everything that we stand for, as it is against racism and fascism. You can be straight edge, a vegetarian or a vegan, but you can also be beer-drinking, meat-loving guys, like we are. You will not be more “hardcore”, if you are straight edge or something, because there aren´t any criteria you have to fulfill.
You guys seem to be playing a lot of gigs lately. How important is for you to get on the stage and perform and what people should expect when going to one of your shows?
It´s very important for us to get on stage, as we can keep contact to our fans, to the people who like our music and to the other bands. As I said, we always try to have a big party on our shows. You will have a lot of fun, if you don´t take yourself too seriously. I think you can see how much fun we have, while we´re on stage. We love meeting new people and convincing them of our music.
What’s the scene like out there in Germany at the moment?
It´s still a really fast growing scene. There are many new kids, many new, cool bands coming up at the moment and so there are a lot of shows you can go to.
For somebody just getting into the German hardcore scene, what are 5 albums would you tell them to go get?
I think the must-have releases from Germany are the following:
Black Friday 29 – The Pursuit Of Happiness
Fallbrawl – Cold World
Dead End Tragedy – Unpreventable
Rykers – Brother Against Brother
Still Screaming – Continue The Fight
But nowadays there a lot of great bands here in Germany…..Force Of My Brothers, One On One, Reduction, Created Hate, Cunthunt 777, The Platoon, Circle Of Death, Butcher, With Open Arms, Today We Rise, Make It Count, SuckaPunch, Screamin Silence……just to name a few….
Thanx for the interview. Anything else you would like to add?
Check out our new songs @ www.myspace.com/bravestarbdhc2007!! Order our new CD “A Warrior’s Heart”!! Visit us at one of our shows!! Keep the scene alive!! Thanks!!
All the best
Marshall Bravestar
Bravestar at myspace.
