MISGUIDED
Interview by Peter Montgomery
from Maximum Rock'n'roll
Alex - Guitar
Lyle - Drums
John - Bass
Rizzo - Vocals
David - Guitar
MRR: Would you consider your personal viewpoints to be left wing or right wing?
A: I'd say we border, but a little more to the left.
MRR: What wide-spread right or left ideals seem harmful to you?
D: Right wing? Military buildup.
A: As far as left wing, swinging towards the communist state, because that obviously doesn't work either. There's got to be a compromise.
MRR: How many of you are of voting age?
A: We all are.
MRR: Do you vote?
A: Naw, none of us exercise that right.
D: I voted for the Sanitation Worker of Great Neck or something like that.
A: I can't vote here cause I'm a Brazilian citizen.
MRR: Is the United States' so-called system of self-government, where an individual can make a difference, a reality or a myth?
A: It's a myth. It's a big illusion; it's gone totally different than the country's forefathers wanted it to be.
MRR: What can the MISGUIDED do to help make things better?
J: I don't think any of our songs are really that political. We're not trying to make political change; social change, yes. Any band that thinks they can make a real political change is...
A: In a dream world. They're oversetimating their power. Some bands do it with real sincerity and it's OK. But some are like "oh bandwagon."
J: Yeah, like CRASS is good--they don't only deal with music; they put vocal sheets out. They seem pretty sincere to me.
MRR: Is there any positive change foreseeable in society that will happen in the 1980's?
D: I don't think so.
A: If anything things are going to get worse.
D: We're going to get another Republican president and a Republican government.
R: I don't think that's right. I think we might have a chance to change things like nuclear power. I think if opeople work together more on nuclear power and weapons, we could do something. I mean, we've got another six years.
MRR: Do you still like, and enjoy hearing "hardcore" bands and music?
L: Some of them.
MRR: Is it something you've been alienated from?
R: Yeah, a lot of the new bands that have come out just follow the same mold.
A: I don't like that generic band stuff.
MRR: What makes you guys not generic?
A: We've got hair on our heads and brains inside our heads.
MRR: Is there such a thing as lyrics that are distinctly "hardcore punk?"
D: Unfortunately, there's a big cliché:: World War III, Reagan, Kill your parents, I hate cops.
L: There's this hardcore flag you can run down and say "oh, sexism, racism, blah, blah, blah." But most of these people really don't know what they're saying.
MRR: Are politically aware lyrics something you deem necessary in songwriting?
J: Some bands, yeah, they work it out fine. It's not necessary though.
A: For us, most of our songs are more or less on a personal level. We don't try too hard to delve into politics.
MRR: With your lyrics, do you try to point out and present specific ideas?
A: Yes. Our basic idea is to substitute common sense for conformity. Shove conformity aside, and use your common sense, and maybe become a better human being.
MRR: Do fun "party" lyrics have an acceptable place to you?
A: Oh sure. I guess they have their own place. But we don't do that stuff because none of us drink or do drugs. Once in a while stuff like that's fun if you're at a party or something. I personally couldn't write something like that.
MRR: Is it more important to have music that captivates the audience, or lyrics that stick in their minds?
L: The music is more important, because a lot of people aren't listening to what the fuck you're saying.
J: I think the lyrics are more important. Live I guess it's the music... but on a record, it's the lyrics.
MRR: Do you regret that audiences are seldom able to understand your true point of view?
A: Yeah, people totaly misunderstand us. It's a shame.
MRR: Where are you all from?
D: Alex, John, and Rizzo are from Queens.
A: Lyle and David are from the Island.
MRR: But you practice and primarily perform in Manhattan. Does this affect your following?
A: No, not really. We have a couple dozen true blue friends that always come and see us anyhow.
MRR: Is there discrimination towards bands from the suburbs?
L: Yeah, everybody thinks we're from the suburbs.
J: People are like that towards a lot of bands from the outskirts of NY.
MRR: Most people think of the Straight Edge movement as originating from the East Coast; D.C. in particular. Is it a strong force among the punks here?
A: Everybody in New York has got a thing against Straight Edge. They have this Bent Edge and No Edge. I think that's totally idiotic because Straight Edge is basically anti-ignorance and anti-obsession. That's what we've always been and totally agree with. But these jerks, all these "cement heads," "punk rockers," "inner city punks," they hate Straight Edge, and are like, "oh, let's get fucked up". They've got no brains to back it up so it's totally ridiculous.
D: Then again, you've got these Straight Edge people that are just as bad, up and down the coast, they're like "don't drink that beer!"
A: So we're not militantly Straight Edge.
MRR: Do Straight Edge bands have a particular sound?
A: No, they just all eat candy bars and orange juice.
MRR: Tell me about the term "cement heads."
R: Well, a cement head is a guy, you know, "duhhh!!" They've got these big blocks of cement over their faces and are really stupid. There's a lot of people in the scene that are cement heads, but then again it applies to all kinds of people.
MRR: The name MISGUIDED, does this reflect the feeling that you've been misguided, or the opinion that others in our culture have been misguided?
A: The name is a paradox. Poeple think we're "misguided," but deep down we know the direction we want to take with our music and our ideals.
MRR: Why do you think punk bands so often choose names that could be interpreted as self-degrading?
J: Because, to a degree, it's expected.
D: Yeah, you don't go calling yourselves the "HAPPY FLOWERS" because nobody would come see you... "Bunch of queers!"
MRR: Are there certain things expected of you when you play?
A: Yeah, yeah, they expect us to stand on our heads and look funny. I don't know what these people expect from us. They want us to go up there and cover "Stepping Stone." Well, they've got another thing coming because we don't do that crap. We're in a totally different state of mind than the rest of these jackass bands.
MRR: The MISGUIDED released two records on a label of their own. Why this decision to do it yourselves?
A: Nobody would touch us with a 10 foot pole.
J: There's no Dischord Records in NY.
A: Yeah, but then all these young punk rock fascists will be of voting age, and we'll really be in a heap of trouble. They'll beat you up if you've got a hair on your ehad, for Christ's sake. Shit, what a bunch of pricks.
MRR: Is the music that the MISGUIDED plays "hardcore punk?"
ALL: No!!!
A: It's just a rollicking blend of mirth, merryment, and old-style rock'n'roll.
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