Weapon X

Weapon X was a band who only played one show at the Manville Elks Lodge on August 9th 1997. Members of Weapon X have also been in Ensign, Vision, The Purpose, Black Turns Green, Kurbjaw, A Death In The Family, and some others. I remember the week before Floorpunch, Vision, and 25 Ta Life played the same venue. In fact, Manville would be a consistent venue for a few years after this. Sometimes I really miss the place. It was easy to get to (go around the circle, go up six lights, make a left!), the people who ran it seemed to be really cool, and I always knew no matter what show I went to that some of my friends would be around. Anyhow, here are some things I remember from this show-

• Weapon X opened and sounded good. Of course, at the time anything that was not “metal” sounded good to us. Something about body bags and all that stuff you know? They busted out two covers at the end of their set, Insecurity by Turning Point and In My Way by Judge. They sold shirts (with the Calvin edge logo that I think is on the ep too if I remember correctly) and had 200 clear vinyl eps. I got a shirt and an ep. About a year later, in one of my first eBay sales, I sold both for a lot of money.

• In My Eyes and Fastbreak got crazy reactions if I remember correctly. Those early In My Eyes shows were pretty amazing. Fastbreak were still good at this point.

• I remember Justin buying, for both of us, the Time Flies and Count Me Out demos. At the time they were just two more youth crew bands to us, I never would have thought both would get as big as they did.

• This was also the first show with the new lineup (I think?) for Hands Tied. I remember being really excited but not many other people watched them! Despite all the cool shows in the summer of 1997, two big things were missing for most of the summer: Hands Tied and Floorpunch. We went outside to go to the car (for some reason we packed our lunches for this show!?!) and Justin and I overheard a couple “scenesters” openly talking shit about Hands Tied. This bummed me out hard. I wish 26-year-old Bill could go back and let 17-year-old Bill know that he had better be prepared for many bum outs in the next few years.

• Despite the lure of singing along to the words hope is good, don’t do drugs, we skipped Shutdown to go get something to drink down the street at Quick Check. On the way down the street, we saw some workers cleaning up a nasty car accident. This older woman was standing on the curb, so we asked her what happened. We started talking and she, surprisingly, started asking us about “the concert at the lodge.” We made small talk for a few minutes and she seemed to really get where we were coming from. I remember feeling really good about that.

• I do not remember anything special about Ensign’s set. I probably saw them about twenty times that year, so most of it is a bit blurry.

• We did not bother watching Good Riddance. Well, Courtney may have; I know I stayed outside and tracked down Nate for Weapon X interview below.

For a long time this was the only Weapon X interview ever done, but apparently someone in Europe did one a few years later too. Present for this was Nate, myself, Justin, Pete Smith, and Justin’s sister Courtney.

Bill-Who is in Weapon X?

Weapon X is Nate Edge on vocals, Chris Youth on bass, Positive Paulie on drums, and Shaun Edge on guitar

Bill-Are you gonna play more shows?

I want to

Bill-I haven’t gone off like that since Redemption 87, and that was the first band of the day!

Awesome

Pete-In My Way did it for me

Bill-Turning Point and Judge covers

It was good people were singing along because I couldn’t remember part of it…

Pete-My day isn’t complete without listening to the Judge 7”

I always mix up verses

Bill-Who from Strength 691 is in Weapon X?

Just me

We bullshit for a couple minutes…eventually the conversation gets into this dick measuring crap about hockey. I was not too into this back then and I really cannot stand it now.

Justin-Ronny Little was saying how the Flyers were going to win it all but they went down.

Pete-The Flyers and Rangers can both go down. Now the Devils on the other hand…

Justin-Yeah

Bill-Here we go again…

I’m all about New Jersey but I’m just not a Devils fan…not really a big sports fan

Bill-With the Turning Point cover a lot of people seemed to not know it or even the Judge cover. What do you think of that?

Doesn’t really bother me… I did Judge because, well…Judge is Judge! The thing with Turning Point is I love Turning Point ever since I first heard them. They’re so awesome; I always wanted to cover them. The closest I came was Strength 691 was going to cover Guidance but we never got around to it.

Bill-Has Ensign been supportive?

Tim pretends to hate it

Justin-That’s so you stay in Ensign!

Bill-You’re like Porcell…in so many bands

I told Tim some of the stuff is four to five years old. I had stuff written for a long time. I really wanted to do vocals for old school straight edge hardcore. I had people but I would get a guitarist and by the time I got bass the guitarist would’ve sold out.

Justin-You have a striking resemblance to Jimmy Gestapo…just a little

It’s the glasses; I have pictures of us hanging out

Justin-Awesome guy

Bill-Jimmy rules

Take them off and you get Civ

Bill-Yeah, wow

Justin-RJ…(Laughs)

Bill-Our friend RJ looks so much like Porcell

Awesome

The conversation turns towards band reunions. Judge and Wide Awake come up.

Justin-What do you think about old bands getting back together?

Let’s put it this way…one minute you’re in your face straight edge, supporting the scene, and when the scene went bad they broke up and now their back for the money. I don’t want to name names…

Bill-That’s our job!

That’s what Ressurection on the demo is about

Justin-Never seen the demo

Real small press

Bill-Are all two hundred seven inches clear?

Yeah

Bill-Are you going to do a 2nd press?

I want it to be like a Schism release…like New York Crew…if someone else wanted to repress it I’d be into it but I’m not going to

Bill-Is Weapon X going to be playing any of the Ensign/Good Riddance tour dates?

No because they’ll all be here and I’ll be on tour

Bill-Be funny if you played to the pop-punk kids…

That’d be awesome; the guys in Redemption 87, when they were out here for that weekend, said Weapon X should fly out, the kids would love it.

Bill-They’re playing their last show tonight

Justin-That’s funny because when Redemption 87 came out here Eric said New Jersey was the best place he’d ever played

Pete-Zoli said the same thing when Ignite came here, he said in California the kids have no energy

Well New Jersey is the best

Pete-When my brother came home from California with Hogan’s Heroes two years ago he said they loved them, especially at Gilman St.

Bill-Did you see Justin’s construction gloves?

Yes they’re awesome. I was going to get a pair but didn’t have time

Bill-You need chains and construction gloves for the whole Judge thing

I think I’m going to go for the whole Underdog thing and get football jerseys

Justin (suddenly peaking up)-Play Frontside Grind!!!

I wanted to do Back To Back

Bill-Play Say It!

Can’t…

Bill-During Ensign’s set Tim was like “you want to hear Say It?” and everyone was like YEAH and then he’d say “nope”

Bill-What happened during Shutdown’s set? We weren’t here…

Stupid shit

Justin-There was some kid raving tonight

Bill-Our whole high school is ravers

Courtney-I’m in the middle school, I’m not a raver

Pete-You could exchange their skate shirts for an Earth Crisis shirt because they already have the pants and shoes, you wouldn’t know the difference

Bill-I can’t tell sometimes

I remember when I started skating everyone was into hardcore

Justin-Token Entry

Bill-Ok, let’s finish up

Thanks for the interview; we had a great time tonight, awesome show

Justin-What do you think is the worst hardcore record ever?

Hmm…gotta think on this one

Bill-New Strife?

Pete-I’d have to go with Billingsgate

Bill-Ray and Porcell…that record just sucks

Yeah that would get my vote definitely. Ok I have to go help load