Whether you know him from his photography or from the inside of the Xessive ForceX 7", Greg Straight Edge is a pretty prolific guy. He was nice enough to do a little interview with us, so without further ado, here is the Greg Straight Edge interview.
Where are you from?
I was born in a crappy town called Lumberton, NC. My parents divorced and I moved to a less crappy town called Wilson, NC. My mom and I moved from Wilson to Tampa, FL then to Wilmington, NC during my junior high and high school days.
How did you get into hardcore music?
I was always around older kids when I was growing up and they would talk about shows. When I was nine an older friend showed me a flier for the Bad Brains at a club in Raleigh, NC. That was my initial introduction.
When My mom and I moved to Tampa I was exposed to a broader music scene and would see signs in front of a VFW hall announcing shows. I saw Gwar and The Butthole Surfers around the age of 10. These shows also got me into photography. I would often think to myself that no one would ever believe what goes on at some of these shows and someone should take photos of it.
A friend in junior high school that I rode BMX with gave me a Suicidal and a Minor Threat Cassette around the same time.
How did you find straight edge?
The Minor Threat tape given to me was my first intro to it. I have never done drugs, smoked, or drank. I went to a junior high school in Tampa that had a wide range of students from ever economic background. The wealthy kids would come to school on Mondays and brag about keg parties at age 10. This for some reason pissed me off. I guess growing up with an alcoholic father gave me reason to hate these kids. Hearing their stories just enforced my convictions. It was great to hear Minor Threat lyrics that proved to me someone out there agreed. Of course Minor Threat was dated when I first heard them so I sought out music that had the same feeling. Most of my searching came in the form of hours and hours at the record stores and later finding Maximum Rock and Roll which was our version of the internet in those days.
What came first, the tattoo or the song?
I’m guessing the tattoo did. Dan Gump and I have only met once, which is very strange since we now live in the same state and only a couple of hours from each other. Dan and I were one of those Maximum Rock and Roll meetings where we wrote to each other from zines and ads in other zines. I sent him a zine with some photos and he flipped out because of the straight edge and distress tattoo. So that’s how it came about being used in the 7”
(The cover and inside of the Xessive ForceX 7" from 1994)
Where was the Tattoo done?
The tattoo was done by JR Maloney who was apprenticing at the time in a shop called “Hole in The Wall” in Jacksonville, NC. In those days we had to go to towns with military bases to find tattoo shops. I went to 3 different shops and found JR who is straight edge. As soon as I unrolled the drawing he flipped out and said he would do it if his mentor would give him approval to start tattooing.
What is the meaning behind “Straight Edge Distress”?
Straight Edge is who I am, what I am about. I’m not a tough guy trying to shut down bars or slapping cigarettes out of people’s mouths, but I just want to live my life without addictions and the abuses that the manmade world have imposed on us. I want to experience life in it’s truest most natural state.
Distress was just how I felt. My life was in chaos as most teenagers lives are.
(First test print of the Xessive ForceX 7", vengeance is spelled wrong!)
Did you get called out as being the guy from the Xessive ForceX 7”
Only once that I can remember. I was in the van with 7 Generations and Gather while they were in Brooklyn and Adrian Castillo started talking about Xessive Force being his favorite band. I made a smart ass remark asking if anyone thought the dude inside the 7” was still sxe. I don’t remember the reaction, but Adrian flipped out when he found out it was me. We later took a photo of Adrian standing next to me with my shirt up.
How did you get into photography?
The crazy bands I went to see at an early age got me into it first. I began to really get into it through BMX as well. If I were ever to have an ideal job it would probably be photographing BMX and bands.
(One of greg's most famous photos^)
What was your first camera setup? First band you shot?
My first camera ever was an old Kodak 126 camera. The first camera I started photographing bands and BMX with was a Canon Rebel. It was the first Rebel model made with the stock lens and a cheap flash.
The first band I photographed is a tough question to answer. Maybe Gwar or some realy bad metal band from the Tampa Death Metal scene.
Whats your favorite photo that you ever shot?
Some of my favorite photos aren’t of bands. That said some of the greatest feelings I get from seeing old band photos I have taken come from the emotion I remember feeling during those shows. The power we had then was so great. I truly felt we could change the world. We did change the world, but I feel that change could have grown.
Whats your opinion on the large amount of straight edge kids breaking edge and eating meat after the 90s?
It’s a huge disappointment. I still love a lot of the people who have changed for whatever reason. I’m not going to turn my back on anyone for what they have chosen. When we were going to shows in the 90’s I felt like we were going to grow up to become doctors, lawyers, artist, musicians, whatever we chose, but that within those professions our efforts were going to be to change the world for the better. Positive Force was a huge influence in my life. I would see them put on shows and use what little money they made to feed people. Thats real grass roots efforts that is changing peoples lives, and at the same time changing peoples perspective on what kids going to some punk or hardcore show is about.
Most of my efforts go towards animal rescues and feeding other people. I feel like all those words we once said have fallen short if they aren’t being put into action.
Did you ever call yourself Hardline back in the day? Whats your opinion on Hardline?
I never called myself hardline. My opinion on abortion is pretty simple; people want abortion like they want rape.
I feel the Hardline movement was a knee jerk reaction to the Drug Free movement. People called themselves drug free rather than SxE because they didn’t like the stereotypes going along with SxE. So I think people created Hardline to strengthen some of the stereotypes.
I do know of some good things that came out of Hardline and that is the animal liberation efforts became stronger in the scene and create a strong tie with the ALF.
Are you still straight edge and vegan today?
Still SxE and still vegan. I’m very strict on both. I try to stay mostly raw vegan, but always vegan.
What are you up to these days? family, career etc.
I have been working in the art services business for over 10 years. Thanks to a great boss I was able to work with some amazing artists and create a lot of really cool work.
Now I have moved back to NC, bought some land, and attempting to start an animal sanctuary.
Any last comments?
Where to start? We all take different paths and our psyche develops differently from each experience. Somehow, someway we have to see past all our differences and realize we are all here together. The drug dealer and the sxe kid. Hell, sometimes we are in the same room with people whose ideals we despise. But if we are going to live peacefully we have to find our commonalities. I know I have influence more people by finding a common interest and relating to that rather than turning against a person for doing something I disagree with. Most of the animals I have rescued have come from terrible people who don't know any better than to breed and sell helpless animals. I have to shut that out of my mind and explain to them I am going to help them and the animals. It is a difficult line to walk, but for all of us we must walk with others in mind rather than our own interests.
Most people who are sxe and especially those who are vegan are privileged in some way. Whether they are born in American, born white, born to a higher economic status, they are privileged. This privilege must be used to better the lives of others.
This world reacts to stereotypes and connotations. We must break everyone of those prejudices and show the world outside of our hardcore/vegan/straight edge families that we are different and we are making a difference in our own lives and others.
Many people do not understand why Straight Edge people are so proud of this choice to not partake in what so many consider common. It is just that, these things considered common are destroying lives, families, and communities. These addictive behaviors along with the advertising and glorifying that promotes these addictive substances must be stopped. Straight Edge is the path that says fuck you to all the bullshit society throws at us.
(Greg getting arrested during a May day strike in NYC)
