Arms Reach

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I did this one with Luke through the mail sometime in early 1999. Arms Reach were one of the best bands of the 90’s, I wish there was a proper discography so more people could be turned on to these guys.

  1. Who is in the band?

The Arms Reach unit consists of Christy (22)-guitar, Amy (21)-guitar, Squelchy (22)-drums, Ben “bass of death” (22)-bass, and me, Luke Crew (23) on vocals.

  1. I think it’s really cool that you guys did a split demo, how did that come about?

Well both us and Found My Direction started around the same time (March 97) and were both from the same area/scene here in Australia (Newcastle). We’d been pretty good friends with those guys for awhile so it just seemed like a really cool idea to do a split demo together. It was a great way to help each other out and get both bands off the ground; it worked really well.

  1. I heard you guys cover Floorpunch, that is awesome!

Yeah we played Keep It Clear when we first started but it’s been awhile since we’ve played that. Floorpunch are rad, come to Australia please! Since then we’ve played covers by Infest, Agnostic Front, Ringworm, Youth of Today, Siege, Gorilla Biscuits, Citizens Arrest, Final Exit, and Price of Silence. We go through covers like Sabu goes through tables!

  1. What is going with Talk is Cheap Fanzine?

Talk is Cheap is dead! We were planning on doing a last ever issue but that idea kind of just died in the arse. As you probably know, Craig Edge is the biggest shit talker in the known universe and if I did another zine with him, it would have just gotten me in trouble! I get myself into enough shit doing my own zine called XSpiritX and Craig does his own thing in Edge of Quarrel Fanzine.

  1. I think the lyrics to Right To Breathe are totally right on. Is cigarette smoking as huge down by you as it is here? Personally, I think cigarette’s are for scumbags.

A lot of my friends go out to nightclubs, pubs, and shitty places like that which are filled with fucking cigarette smoke, but I don’t go out at all unless I’m going to a hardcore show because I can’t stand surrounding myself with the shit. Usually the bigger, over eighteen, shows attract a room full of fucking posers who just stand there holding lit cigarettes whilst a handful of poor fuckers try and dance without choking to death!

  1. Top five records you listen to?

  • InfestSlave 12”

  • Minor ThreatFiller 7”

  • Youth of TodayCan’t Close My Eyes 12”

  • Negative Approach-7”

  • Agnostic FrontVictim in Pain LP

  • Turning Point-7”

  • Negative FX-LP

  • Black FlagDamaged LP

  • DYSBrotherhood LP

  • Project X-7”

  • Born Against-7”

  • Chain of StrengthTrue Till Death 7”

  • Crossed Out-7”

Fuck, is that five yet?!

  1. What is Rest In Pieces about?

Christy wrote that song about her fifteen-year-old cousin who killed himself with his father’s gun. It’s basically about how easy it is to obtain firearms and do yourself or other people damage. Like how over there in America some kid just grabs a gun, walks into a school and blows away fifteen people. Fuck guns! People who think guns are tough or cool can suck my dick. It’s totally unrealistic but I’d love to see every gun in the world destroyed.

  1. Craig wanted me to ask you about wrestling so do you get ECW in Australia?

No, we don’t get it on the regular stations, only on pay TV which I can’t afford. A friend of mine tapes it for me though so it’s cool. My favorites are Sabu, Rey Mysterio JR., and “The Franchise” Shane Douglas; he’s a champ and so is his manageress Francine. We still get the WWF over here but that is so fucking lame and tame these days not like the glory days of The Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage, Junkyard Dog, and Leaping Lanny Poffo!

  1. What bands/zines are really cool down in Australia?

Heaps of em! If you like the brutal and unpolished style of hardcore punk there’s Fallout, A.V.O., No Grace, Bleeding Face, T.B.K., Conation, Heads Kicked Off, Nihilist, Mugshot, etc. For old style bands there’s Found My Direction, Toe To Toe, XClaim!, Frontside, Next Step, etc and for newer style/NY style bands there’s Grim Reality, Straight To A Tomb, Mindsnare, Ultimatum, etc. We have a fairly diversified scene down here where all these bands play together regardless of music/political differences. Most shows attract a pretty mixed crowd too, hardcore kids/punks/straight edge etc, which is awesome! There’s heaps of cool zines around too numerous to mention, but the best Aussie zines would be First Failure, Sniff N Patrol, Edge of Quarrel, Refuse To Accept, and Satan Sauce. Aussie hardcore fucking rules!

  1. Ok, closing comments?

Thanks heaps for the interview and interest in Arms Reach and Australian hardcore Bill. G’Day to all you radical NJ/PA kids and bands… 97a, Floorpunch, Rain On The Parade, Hands Tied, oh and long live the mighty Turning Point and Release (show me what you fucking got!!!)


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