Hello. I'm byte. The original bass player featured on this record. Stark Raving Mad began in NYC. The core group: sponge (vox); Sam (git) and Steve (drums) were in Pissed Youth! from Houston. I met them at the Hardcore Matinee at CBGB's. I hit it off with Sponge. I was living on the street. He told me about a skinhead flophouse on Norfolk of Houston. It was. I went to see Pissed Youth play at the S.I.N Club only to find out that another member of the band, Charles disappeared...no show. I wasn't much longer after that Pissed Youth! Invited me to join their lineup. But the band grew up. We were no longer just pissed youth! We were STARK RAVING MAD!!!!
@@Iliekchoocolatye Thinking about it a little. Musically Bad Brains (Pay to Cum); Husker Du (First Record), Dead Kennedys, The Ramones. I haven't talked to the other members. I was the odd man out. Hazing was a thing. It was in Houston where the band started, and Houston had a great scene with great bands. In a parallel universe: I kept my job at the Whole Food Market and lived in Houston for the remainder. Instead, we had a crazy west coast tour that was cut short because the other guy's wanted revenge on Barry their old bass player, who they caught up with and pummeled so much that Steve sprained his right hand and foot and couldn't play. Plus, we were chased out of San Fran by Flipper and friends of Barry. 🤣 Look up "Doomsday Massacre" Sam the guitar was the drummer in that band.
My brother had this on a tape from a friend in tucson, az that bought it around 1988. Down in Hermosillo, Mexico, the tape was copied at least 5 times by his friends (they where 13/14 yrs old). I used to be there with them and listened to it a lot. I was 8, Lucky kid hehe it was very Hard to get records down here.
Cool story. I can't imagine what it was like to hear that as an 8 year old. I was raised in Peru. Learning that it made its way down that way warms my heart. Thanks for sharing.
It is a very strange listen. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I shake my head in utter disbelief. I'm not sure if I've seen my approach to bass used by others (not that it is all that, I'm a fucking caveman). But it is different. It's a challenging listen because there is "actually coordinated shit in that wall of mayhem"!!! Thanks, again.
@@bYtealiEnSzen Hi Bob, this is Chuy (I lost my password to that account). Your bass playing is legendary and highly influential my friend. I was the vocalist/songwriter in a band called Fed Up (Los Angeles) in the early 2000's and you influenced me a lot. Thank you for the great music my friend, cheers and blessings!
@@antihypebeast3311 Wow, Chuy. Namaste, my friend. I'm truly honored and would never expect that sentiment. I'm looking forward to checking out your band.
@@antihypebeast3311 oh, okay Chuy! Did you get the record in Pomona? We played a show with/for Toxic Shock. A lot of tour details are lost on me. Colleen managed all that. I was just some fucked up weirdo making noise (lol). I think it was a bill with DRI and knives were flashed!
@@bYtealiEnSzen I actually have never seen you guys live, I was too young, I was born in 1983. I would totally love too though, and I'm sure so many other people would too, do you guys still tour? I learned about Stark Raving Mad from a zine called Short, Fast And Loud back in 1999. It was an article on fast hardcore from the 80's. I then purchased the record that had MX and Amerika on it from eBay. Wow! Haha, I always love hearing cool stories about hardcore.
Thanks, man. Can you believe I went through some major depression shit and disowned it for a while but I'm all fixed up now. Kicking ass and actually looking to start a project.
Thanks, man. You don't know the impact those words can have. I spent a good portion of my life in denial of this effort. I own it like a fucking badge of honor now. The saga continues #byteberlin2021
Thanks, David. Appreciated. Truth be told the psychology of the band was as intense as the music. I recently returned to Houston for 2 nights of a 30 year anniversary for Emo's. I saw Chuck Roast (owner of Vinal Edge) and he shared a story about the members after I left and a road rage incident in the process of helping him move the store. Steve was intense. You could see it in his face while he drummed.
Grindcore was born from hardcore .i dont think it was thought of as a metal thing till later .it was known as hardcore punk in the same context of this groups. Blast beats and all which mostly hardcore bands did before they .were canonized by Mick harris .when I first heard of napalm it was in that context . Mick Harris just coined that term because of a reoccuraing emphasis and consistancy. He would even tell you that his drumming was just British hc punk like chaos UK meets American hc punk bands like SIEGE and Japanese hardcore bands like S.O.B
@@rooseveltmanor777 thnx man .one thing I forgot to mention was repulsion but may didnt know how to categorized repulsion to some degree either. Too metal for punks , too punk for metal. I remember when kats called stuff like that thrash punk or just thrash. Then again hardcore has always had the thrash title since bad brains and the second dead Kennedys album. It was a skate term and a music term
Are we talking bout jax Florida? That’s my home town and had no idea there was anything going on there back in the day thought I was all Gainesville and what not
@@fugitivefamily4592 We are. It was an interesting evening. If memory serves me correctly we were supposed to play a club but they couldn't do it all ages. We ended up playing at a house. The party was nuts!!! Lol
Ahead of the curve! That's when it came out and there were only 1500 copies or something like that. Here's something "funny": a friend from Missouri was in NYC and I gave him some to take back to Missouri to give to a few friends. He left them on the subway! Lol
I must go back and revisit problems. That might have been sponge's and he might have let me tweak it or it was the other way around? We worked well together on words
That was a cool visit. A really fun show. We met Ned and we stayed at his house. He's in NYC ( he met up with us later) He has had a couple of bands. He's playing Wed in Brooklyn. "Dieing Breed" I liked the name of his other band too: "Those Damned Kids"
Machine Gun Youth was the signature Pissed Youth! tune. I think Mr. Hardcore was our best band effort. Everybody contributed. It was one of those magical moments. And when it comes to fascism, you can't have too many of these.
El Jefe. I have a "friend" that owns a music store in the Atlanta metro area that calls himself El Jefe, as well. He started out playing in Athens GA playing for a band called "Big Wall of Shit" Thanks, appreciate your comment. Rock on, my friend.
Chris is correct. I left the band after MX. Th rest carried on and quite impressively managed to "go 'one' better". A fan in Germany contacted Sam (g) who is/was the crypt keeper with the master. That's what you have. MX was something north of one thousand pressings. I'm not sure on the follow up but knowing the gang I know it was progress, regardless of how you diced it.
I was married to SRM's drummer, and I think I was there. Was it outside in a park on a river or something? Afterward, we went to a radio station on some kind of ship. Then we stayed at a friend's house on Edisto Island.
Hello. I'm byte. The original bass player featured on this record. Stark Raving Mad began in NYC. The core group: sponge (vox); Sam (git) and Steve (drums) were in Pissed Youth! from Houston. I met them at the Hardcore Matinee at CBGB's. I hit it off with Sponge. I was living on the street. He told me about a skinhead flophouse on Norfolk of Houston. It was. I went to see Pissed Youth play at the S.I.N Club only to find out that another member of the band, Charles disappeared...no show. I wasn't much longer after that Pissed Youth! Invited me to join their lineup. But the band grew up. We were no longer just pissed youth! We were STARK RAVING MAD!!!!
What inspired you to play this insanely fucking fast in 84?
@@Iliekchoocolatye the influences were abundant and at the end of the day, simply don't know. Insanity.
80's High School Fave! Hope all of the madness landed you in a place of social activism -- your music inspired me in that direction!
@@Iliekchoocolatye Thinking about it a little. Musically Bad Brains (Pay to Cum); Husker Du (First Record), Dead Kennedys, The Ramones. I haven't talked to the other members. I was the odd man out. Hazing was a thing. It was in Houston where the band started, and Houston had a great scene with great bands. In a parallel universe: I kept my job at the Whole Food Market and lived in Houston for the remainder. Instead, we had a crazy west coast tour that was cut short because the other guy's wanted revenge on Barry their old bass player, who they caught up with and pummeled so much that Steve sprained his right hand and foot and couldn't play. Plus, we were chased out of San Fran by Flipper and friends of Barry. 🤣 Look up "Doomsday Massacre" Sam the guitar was the drummer in that band.
@@Iliekchoocolatyespeedballs
My brother had this on a tape from a friend in tucson, az that bought it around 1988. Down in Hermosillo, Mexico, the tape was copied at least 5 times by his friends (they where 13/14 yrs old). I used to be there with them and listened to it a lot. I was 8, Lucky kid hehe it was very Hard to get records down here.
Cool story. I can't imagine what it was like to hear that as an 8 year old. I was raised in Peru. Learning that it made its way down that way warms my heart. Thanks for sharing.
Yo también soy de Hermosillo, saludos.
A bass playing friend of mine gave me a cassette with a couple songs off this album on it in 1984.
It is in my DNA now.
Wow. That is so cool. It really is humbling to hear.
A classic and very underrated.
It is a very strange listen. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I shake my head in utter disbelief. I'm not sure if I've seen my approach to bass used by others (not that it is all that, I'm a fucking caveman). But it is different. It's a challenging listen because there is "actually coordinated shit in that wall of mayhem"!!! Thanks, again.
@@bYtealiEnSzen Hi Bob, this is Chuy (I lost my password to that account). Your bass playing is legendary and highly influential my friend. I was the vocalist/songwriter in a band called Fed Up (Los Angeles) in the early 2000's and you influenced me a lot. Thank you for the great music my friend, cheers and blessings!
@@antihypebeast3311 Wow, Chuy. Namaste, my friend. I'm truly honored and would never expect that sentiment. I'm looking forward to checking out your band.
@@antihypebeast3311 oh, okay Chuy! Did you get the record in Pomona? We played a show with/for Toxic Shock. A lot of tour details are lost on me. Colleen managed all that. I was just some fucked up weirdo making noise (lol). I think it was a bill with DRI and knives were flashed!
@@bYtealiEnSzen I actually have never seen you guys live, I was too young, I was born in 1983. I would totally love too though, and I'm sure so many other people would too, do you guys still tour? I learned about Stark Raving Mad from a zine called Short, Fast And Loud back in 1999. It was an article on fast hardcore from the 80's. I then purchased the record that had MX and Amerika on it from eBay. Wow! Haha, I always love hearing cool stories about hardcore.
This EP is perfect!
Thanks, man. Can you believe I went through some major depression shit and disowned it for a while but I'm all fixed up now. Kicking ass and actually looking to start a project.
One of my fave hardcore bands . I didnt find out about them till much later
Thanks, man. You don't know the impact those words can have. I spent a good portion of my life in denial of this effort. I own it like a fucking badge of honor now. The saga continues #byteberlin2021
Berlin got cancelled due to Covid-19 but I did just complete my first half marathon. I'm looking forward getting back into performing.
Wtf? I came across SRM in junior high school, during the tape trading days..Around mid 80's..Underrated band that deserves much respect! Hell yeah! 👊
Thanks, David. Appreciated. Truth be told the psychology of the band was as intense as the music. I recently returned to Houston for 2 nights of a 30 year anniversary for Emo's. I saw Chuck Roast (owner of Vinal Edge) and he shared a story about the members after I left and a road rage incident in the process of helping him move the store. Steve was intense. You could see it in his face while he drummed.
This is Hardcore Punk. Why are people trying to say it is Grindcore or Metal stuff?
Here Hear
That's where Grindcore came from, Hardcore Punk.
Grindcore was born from hardcore .i dont think it was thought of as a metal thing till later .it was known as hardcore punk in the same context of this groups. Blast beats and all which mostly hardcore bands did before they .were canonized by Mick harris .when I first heard of napalm it was in that context . Mick Harris just coined that term because of a reoccuraing emphasis and consistancy. He would even tell you that his drumming was just British hc punk like chaos UK meets American hc punk bands like SIEGE and Japanese hardcore bands like S.O.B
@@oddioventurediscourse DID I STUTTER?!😂😂😂 Your history is 100% correct, good sir. Well said!😉👍🤘
@@rooseveltmanor777 thnx man .one thing I forgot to mention was repulsion but may didnt know how to categorized repulsion to some degree either. Too metal for punks , too punk for metal. I remember when kats called stuff like that thrash punk or just thrash. Then again hardcore has always had the thrash title since bad brains and the second dead Kennedys album. It was a skate term and a music term
I still got this on vinyl! Saw them when it came out, Hofstra University maybe?
When was that?
We did an interview with Steve Kaye in Stoneybrook. Is that when we played this show?
I think so.
I saw them back in 1985 at the 7:30 club back in j-ville an it was a bad fucking ass show, guys yall were bad fucking ass
That's funny, man. I remember that. That was one fucking crazy night!!!
Thanks, and nice portrait by the way!!! Jax was a hoot!!!
You didn't pee on one of the guys that passed out and had his face marked up, we're you? Lol
Are we talking bout jax Florida? That’s my home town and had no idea there was anything going on there back in the day thought I was all Gainesville and what not
@@fugitivefamily4592 We are. It was an interesting evening. If memory serves me correctly we were supposed to play a club but they couldn't do it all ages. We ended up playing at a house. The party was nuts!!! Lol
I bought this in 1985...
Thank you, sir.
Ahead of the curve! That's when it came out and there were only 1500 copies or something like that. Here's something "funny": a friend from Missouri was in NYC and I gave him some to take back to Missouri to give to a few friends. He left them on the subway! Lol
@@bYtealiEnSzen oh noooo!!!!
I should have asked given there weren't many copies... where did you get yours?
@@bYtealiEnSzen I got my copy on 6666 Hollywood Blvd... at the old Rock Shop next to the Military Surplus Store...
0:39 problems
I must go back and revisit problems. That might have been sponge's and he might have let me tweak it or it was the other way around? We worked well together on words
I bought this at bleecker bobs January 1985….
Charleston SC I heard em on Punkorama. A gem.
Thanks, dude.
That was a cool visit. A really fun show. We met Ned and we stayed at his house. He's in NYC ( he met up with us later) He has had a couple of bands. He's playing Wed in Brooklyn. "Dieing Breed" I liked the name of his other band too: "Those Damned Kids"
Everyone loved Problem, Rapist, Mr. Hardcore, Machine Gun Youth
They did. Didn't they?
Machine Gun Youth was the signature Pissed Youth! tune. I think Mr. Hardcore was our best band effort. Everybody contributed. It was one of those magical moments. And when it comes to fascism, you can't have too many of these.
Fuckin classic 🤣🤘
El Jefe. I have a "friend" that owns a music store in the Atlanta metro area that calls himself El Jefe, as well. He started out playing in Athens GA playing for a band called "Big Wall of Shit" Thanks, appreciate your comment. Rock on, my friend.
Great stuff. For some reason, for all these years i thought they were from West Germany!
NY and Texas
They had their stuff issued in Germany, on Nuclear Blast I think.
Chris is correct. I left the band after MX. Th rest carried on and quite impressively managed to "go 'one' better". A fan in Germany contacted Sam (g) who is/was the crypt keeper with the master. That's what you have. MX was something north of one thousand pressings. I'm not sure on the follow up but knowing the gang I know it was progress, regardless of how you diced it.
Can't believe they played the Spoleto Festival in Charleston in the 80s. Would never jive these days.
I was married to SRM's drummer, and I think I was there. Was it outside in a park on a river or something? Afterward, we went to a radio station on some kind of ship. Then we stayed at a friend's house on Edisto Island.
Is that what that was? LOL
I do understand your amazement. The way things change over time, I have little doubt organizers would be: "pass..." lol
SICK AS FUCK!!!
Went to high school with Sponge.
Do you know what has happened to him? I've been trying to get in touch.
@@bYtealiEnSzen last I knew he was in Austin but haven’t talked to him in over 25 years
I saw him in 2003. Miami. It was cool. I have the proof. Photoshooting my mom's grandkids. We had some other exchanges and then POOF!