Interview excerpt with Ian Mackaye - October 1991 from Resistant Harmony Fanzine #6
q: How do you find it now, like being approached by bigger magazines and stuff for interviews ? Have you balanced the two out, as in doing fanzine interviews then talking to a major magazine who most likely doesn't have any true interest in the band anyway ..
ian: Well it depends where we are, like in America we turn down a lot of big magazines, like we know when we talked to Steve about coming down here, he worked hard on this tour and he's doing the All-Age thing which is kinda risky y'know, and he says look you'll need to do some press and generally most of that stuff was like 'Whatever' y'know, like guys who don't really know anything about the band, but we're willing to help Steve and let people know we're coming. Like I'd much rather do fanzine interviews personally, cause if I said 'Yeh that band is more poppier than the band 3' and usually the fanzine people will go 'yeh' -they understand, it's like a family thing -you're part of a certain community or family and you can talk and you don't have to explain everything and make references or whatever. Anyway, again it depends, like some fanzine interviews are too much y'know -like I get tired of answering the same questions over and over again y'know.
Sometimes you get burnt on answering a lot of the same questions, but on the other hand, think of it this way, it's sort of like when you're growing -you know how your parents make a little line on your door jamb, like when you're five and seven, it's kind of similar, cause you're asking the same questions as you're growing so you get to see how you answer it and how you reply and what you're thinking is over and over again, so it's kinda interesting on that level.
q: The whole 'Independent' thing...are you still a firm believer in it ?, Like a lot of people drift out and become disillusioned with it or whatever
ian: I guess I'm still an optimist, I still see a lot of great things come out of it. To me what was happening in 1981 was swell, there was a lot of great things, lots of great moments, and it's like not the same anymore, but there's still a lot of great things that are going on, like in the Alternative community.. I think at one point I felt there was like a legion of people who were like an incredible class of youth that were totally the same or whatever, I don't feel that so much, I don't feel the Punk Rockers have the answers that's for sure, cause y'know -a lot of them are just as dumb as everybody else, but I think that Punk Rockers are at least a little more open to ideas in a weird way. And I use Punk Rock as a weird definition, like today I was thinking I've heard a lot of punk shows play Reggae, but I've never heard a Reggae show play a punk song y'know what I mean ? , and I get the impression that the alternative community listen to all kinds of music, all different kinds of styles, the way they look, their behaviour, and some of that, this Punk Rock thing is a huge umbrella and it covers all kinds of people who are involved with it. It's pretty diverse, and I certainly don't like everybody in it, y'know, there's been moments where I think -my god ! Is this what I want from life ?..fuck no -I should be living out in the woods or whatever with a bunch of totally sane minded people, but then again-when I meet people who live out in the woods in their own context like that, I think -god this is not for me, these people are totally fooling themselves, cause there's too many fucked up people in the world, and they're so happy out there in the woods, so I go back and forth on it y'know. Yeh, the alternative scene.there's still some good stuff, a lot of good politics, a lot of bad politics, a lot of healthy people, a lot of really unhealthy people, but I think you've just got to pluck them out, like I think it's a pretty accurate representation of the world, but on a smaller scope probably.
q: It's good that you get to first hand accounts from traveling all over the world and talking to the kids involved..
ian: And the way people talk to me is not always natural, in fact it's very UN natural! Very staid and uncomfortable, defensive Or worshipping and shy. I have a hard time talking to people a lot of the times, like I'm always happy to speak to them, but a lot of the time they're so like..Ahhhh so.. How's MIKE NESS ???? like reaching for anything to talk about. Y'know the question I get asked more than anything ?... 'So. when are you guys coming on ?' No-one gives a fuck !!, they don't care what time we're coming on, they're just looking for something to ask. Last night for instance I saw one guy ask me. 'So what time are you guys coming on ?' and I told him, and then he went to Guy and said 'So what time are you guys coming on ?' and that's the question you get asked more than anything else. 'So when are you guys gonna go on stage?' 'When are you guys going on ?' and you say.. 'Well I guess we're on after the next band y'know' , particularly unpleasant when you're in the bathroom, you're just trying to take a shit before you play and someone goes 'So when are you guys going on ??'. I dunno -I'm just taking a shit apparently!!!
q: A head appears over the wall..
ian: You'd be surprised man..once I was taking a shit in this Chinese restaurant, we were playing in Tampa Florida, and I'm in a stall, and there's this guy washing his hands, and he keeps washing his hands, and he's washing his hands, and I'm sitting there going 'Why is this guy in here for so long?' and finally the guy says. suddenly I hear this deep slow voice.. 'Ahh -great show last night' and I go.. 'Thanks man'.'Yeh I thought you guys were really cool'.. 'Yeh thanks'.. 'Hey if I pass this CD book under the stall will you sign it for me?' and I go. 'C'mon man -Lemme take a shit !!!' Goddamn give me a break.. 'Oh sorry dude -sorry sorry'