CAUSE FOR ALARM
from Maximumrocknroll #10, 1983
INTERVIEW BY TIM Y AND LISA BAT
KEITH-VOCALS
ALEX-GUITAR
ROBBIT-DRUMS
KABULA-BASS
MRR: HERE ARE CAUSE FOR ALARM, WHO WERE, ARE A NEW YORK BAND?
ALL: Still are!!
MRR: AND HAPPEN TO BE IN SAN FRANCISCO AT THE MOMENT. WHAT'S THE STORY?
ROB: We're just wintering out here. We initially came out to find a new singer.
MRR: WHAT HAPPENED?
ALEX: We had a problem with Keith. He had gotten involved with the krishnas. Then he became disillusioned with hardcore, and said he didn't want to sing anymore. He also kept forcing his beliefs on everybody else. It was cool if you had your own belief, but if it was different than his, you were wrong. Then we parted company.
KAB: The breaking point was when he started saying things from the stage. He can't represent himself through the whole band.
ROB: So now he's back. Hopefully, he's toned down his approach, and the problem won't occur again.
ALEX: We want to rehearse real hard and get some shows around the area. Then do some mini-tours up and down the Coast. Then we'll plan a tour back across the country.
MRR: TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE NY SCENE THESE DAYS.
ALEX: It's happening. Pretty good. There are a lot of really good bands. There should be more kids going to shows though. Why there aren't, I don't know. There should be a Manhattan scene, a Bronx scene, a Queens scene, etc, etc. But there isn't, because everything is so close. But for shows at CBGB's there are good turnouts.
ROB: It gets packed.
ALEX: They have Saturday matinees, and they've been supporting bands since their (the club's) beginning.
ROB: I've gotten the idea that people in S.F. think punks in NY are so "hard", that we dance with knives and chains. That's not true. New York people are great. They'll help out just about anybody and everybody that comes through the town. We show them around, give them places to stay. I miss 'em back there. Hello to everybody in NY! AGNOSTIC FRONT, MURPHY'S LAW, ULTRA VIOLENCE, THE MOB.
MRR: IS THE SCENE THERE UNIFIED, OR ARE THERE ALL SORTS OF...
ROB: Cliques? Yeah, there are, but there's a lot of unity too.
MRR: WHAT ARE THE CLIQUES ABOUT?
ALEX: There's a lot of people who won't go out unless their friends are playing. There'll be a Queens band, or a Staten Island band, and you'll see people out only who are their friends.
MRR: WHAT ABOUT NY VS. NJ SCENE?
ROB: It's kinda almost the same scene. Everybody from New Jersey is always at the Saturday matinees. And the people in NY are good friends with the people in Jersey.
ALEX: I'm from New Jersey.
ROB: Everybody in the band is from New Jersey pretty much.
MRR: IS THE SCENE THERE A "FUN" SCENE OR AN "INTELLIGENT" SCENE OR WHAT?
KAB: There are fun bands and intelligent bands.
ALEX: There is a lot of destruction it seems. Drugs and things.
MRR: SOUNDS LIKE OUT HERE. SO DO ALL THOSE TYPES OF BANDS GET ALONG?
ROB: Definitely.
MRR: SO WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR SONGS ABOUT?
ROB: A lot of them are about causes for alarm.
ALEX: The song "True Colors" is about how people will act differently after they've had a few beers. They act like different people. Not that it's a 'straight edge' song, not that we're 'straight edge'.
ROB: No way (laughter).
MRR: TELL US ABOUT "UNITED RACES".
ROB: That's what we're about -- getting people united, in a free land; working together instead of fighting over petty differences like a color or religion or way of life.
UNITED RACES Music: Alex / Words: Keith
Unity and peace is all that we need
For the whole human race to finally succeed
Living together sharing our land
Loving each other... one united free land
United races... struggling to live
United races... we all must give
I don't need to be labeled punk or skin
Just erase all the labels so we all can begin
United races... we won't fall
United races... all standing tall
But don't forget you gotta do what you like
Respecting each other learning not to fight
Cause if I'm gonna live it's gotta be free
Taking orders from no one that's just the way it's gotta be
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