MARCH 14, 2007

FUCK

Matt Dixon Contributor Ottawa grind/metal powerhouse Fuck

the Facts will be rolling through Char- lottetown for a couple of shows in late March. The group, who have been together since the late 90’s and have re- cently signed to Relapse Records, will be touring throughout Canada in support of their debut full length release entitled » “Stigmata High-Five”.

I recently conducted an interview with FTF

guitarist, Topon:

Q. Please introduce Fuck the Facts and

give a brief history of the band:

A. FTF is Mel, Val, Steve and me. I started it as a recording project back around 1999 when I got fed up with all the bands I was in that did nothing but jam in a basement. 2001 is when the band actually started. Since then we've gone through a bunch of line-up changes, leaving me as the only original member. We’ve done a bunch of tour- ing, put out some records and CDs, and

that’s about it I guess.

Q. What were the original goals of

Fuck the Facts?

A, Well like I said, originally I just wanted to do something. I’ve been pretty passionate about music since I was 16, and when I got to my early 20’s it was like I was still doing the same shit. Play- ing a small handful of local shows and maybe going to Montreal once a year.

I wanted to tour, record and release albums. I did it all from scratch basically, with really crappy gear. It was very much learn from your mistakes and it still is

in many ways. I’m not the most talented guy, so everything that I’ve done that I’m actually proud of has definitely been hard fuckin’ work. So the main goal was to be productive musically and really push myself and constantly improve on my previous work. A secondary goal was to have a very open-minded project where anything and everything was at least gonna be tried. I didn’t want to

ARTS & ENT!

have FTF as my grind band and then start a noise project or a death metal or hardcore band. FTF is for everything that I create musically regardless of style. That’s still true today, we never con- sciously write a certain way, we come up with stuff we like and that’s what we use. That’s the main goals of the band, basi- cally just to create good music that we enjoy and have fun playing and listening to. We definitely love to tour and hope to keep doing it more and more. It’s slow lying been building up and now we’re at a point when we really want to be on the

road as much as possible.

Q. What do you think sets Fuck the

Facts apart from other bands?

A. I find our approach to music pretty unconventional compared to many bands I see. We don’t have any style that we’re trying to fit in and I think it leaves people scratching their heads sometimes wondering what we're up to. If you listen to our new album and then listen to say “Mullet Fever”, you prob- ably wouldn’t guess it’s the same band. I’m the only one left from that album, and back then musicianship wasn’t one of our top resources. But it’s awesome to see the evolution of this project I started and see how drastic it can get. I love it. I don’t feel like ’'m pushing a product like many bands do, I’m basically putting my life on record. It’s hard to explain, but I know FTF is a project that I can con- tinue for years and years, even after I’m sick of blast beats and screaming vocals. Most bands when they get tired of “their sound” start a new band. FTF has no

conscious “sound” or “style”.

Q. What is the nature of your song-

writing?

A. We have no set way of writing songs. Sometime we just jam and come up with ideas or whole songs, other times someone will come up with a bunch of ideas or a song at home and bring it to practice. We’re really open and

never want to limit ourselves to one way

ERTAINMENT THE FACTS @ The Bandit Lounge

of writing. If we did we never would have written some of the songs we have. I find it way easier to lay back and repeat parts or build on them when I write at home. At practice I feel more the need to keep moving and changing so ’'m always busy. I try and catch myself from repeating ideas or being lazy but some- times those things still sneak through. We just do our best to write good songs that we enjoy playing and listening to. I don’t think it’s something that can ever be (or should be) perfected. Music is very subjective and what turns some- one’s crank might make someone else wanna puke. I just try and work on being able to get what’s in my head out there. People forget that music is an art of self expression. There are bands that I might not dig, but you can tell that they’re pas- sionate about what they do. Those are the bands I respect and wanna see play. I’ve seen my fair share of bands play- ing music like it’s a sport or whose sole purpose is to sign that big record deal and shit like that. I can’t get into or enjoy

THE CADRE = 14

bands like that.

Q. What are the last five records you bought?

A. I hardly ever buy records, so I can’t even remember buying 5. But Pll recom- mend these current listens of mine:

1. Vancouver — The Moment

2. Piledriver — Heavy Electricity

3. Deadfood — Anger Meats

4. The Mars Volta — De-Loused In The Comatorium

5. The Threat — Red Dawn

Fuck the Facts will be playing at the Bandit Lounge (Back Alley Music. 69 University Ave Charlottetown) on March 25th with locals Enraged Entity, Aww Yeahhhh, and The Barnkats. The may- hem starts at 4:30PM sharp and the cost © is a suggested $5 donation. For more information go to wwwpeilocals.com. The show will be the first FTF all ages show on Prince Edward Island in over five years. They will also be playing a

19+ show at Baba’s later in the evening.

EXPAND

Diverse courses.

range of subjects.

International

Development Studies

(902) 494-3814

Undergraduate inquiries: ids@dal.ca _ Graduate inquiries: idsgrad@dal.ca

eas oe ? :

YOUR w

International Development Studies

deste

ORLD

Summer Institute 2007

Study tours in Cuba and Africa. Intensive classroom learning. Fast-track your degree. Earn academic credits. Explore a diverse

Undergraduate and graduate levels. Expert professors. Flexible schedules that suit your needs.

DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY

Inspiring Minds www.dal.ca/ids