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Kickback: ‘Want some violence? Go see a Kickback show!’

posted by: David on 18 June 2009

Kickback from Paris are the most infamous hardcore band around. You all know the stories about violence that surround this band. And you’ve all heard the music, because Kickback are a league of their own when it comes to combining hardcore and metal with a sick attitude. Their new album 'No Surrender' is a killer once again. Here’s what singer Stephen had to say when AsIce.net interviewed him at Innocent, Hengelo.

You have an image of violence that totally suits your aggressive and brutal music and lyrics. Is that part of the total package for you?

I don’t know, the image is an external thing. We are who we are. I can imagine that we don’t reflect happiness, because that’s not what we’re about. If you look at hardcore and metal right now it’s weak. So when people look at us, they create a certain image. We take all our aggression and use it in the music. Some people will say it’s weak and for some it will be too much to handle. Of course it’s violent music, so the image fits. We never label ourselves as a sick band that plays sick music, but that’s how people react. The music we play speaks for itself. We’re in touch with our personal obsessions and this is the only way we can do it. Some people will find it violent and some people will say we don’t go far enough. Sometimes we play a show and I do one little thing and people will be crying about it for months. Other times I see the hatred in the kids’ eyes at shows and they want us to act crazy. Yesterday we played in Germany and people were punching the walls and hurting themselves. It depends. But it’s true that when you want some violence you have to go and see a Kickback show. At least we do our best to please the crowd. These people want it and we give it to them. We push ourselves on stage and give ourselves for the full 100%. Anything goes, we have no limits.

What are your favourite stories that people tell about Kickback?

There are so many! I think we got everything from rapists to fascists and Nazi’s. I hear so many stories. What’s funny is that I can’t really imagine people hating Kickback. Of course you can hate my attitude and the way I confront people and the way I talk, but most of the time people hate us for the wrong reasons. They just don’t get it. Just try to understand what we’re about and form your opinion. Even if we play hardcore or metal we have most of our roots in punk rock and even rock ‘n’ roll. I hate to say that, but if you look at the violent history of those genres, it’s nothing new nowadays. The hardcore scene is just uptight. Most bands under the banner of violence and evilness are just weak. That’s why we have that extra attitude. But if you really look into it, we haven’t done much. We’re not stabbing people or something!

When you talk about stabbing people it reminds me of the black metal murders in the early nineties, which is a nice bridge towards your new songs. They sound very dark and sinister. Did you listen to black metal a lot for inspiration?

We’ve always been fan of black metal. I’ve been listening to that music for years. Our new guitar player Damian comes from that background, so it was a great opportunity to mix what we like with his style. We’re not copying anyone, but hearing him play this new style was great. And it still sounds like Kickback. We try to keep the Kickback sound but incorporate new influences. The fact that he comes from a black metal background was just perfect. It was a good chemistry.

Your last mini cd was way ahead of other bands in the genre. So is your new album. What is your drive to constantly renew yourself in terms of hardness and sickness?

The thing with Kickback is that we always have a lot of frustration. When most people were discovering Sick Of It All and bands like that, we were already listening to Bloodlet and Integrity. We were always ahead of the crowd. In fact, the musicians in Kickback were usually limiting us because they were really into a specific kind of music. We always wanted to evolve. Also with our lyrics and attitude. That’s why I totally can imagine we shock people. We are really open-minded about some really touchy subjects that people hate. The stage attitude is nothing. What really happens? Some stuff gets broken or some people fight. But the stuff we write about is pretty heavy for some people.

That’s why it’s easy for people to be shocked when they look into the booklet of your new album ‘No Surrender’ and see the pictures and read the lyrics.

Yes, but like I said: people don’t hate us for that. For example, in ‘Les 150 Passions Meurtières’ I quoted some writers, but nobody asked me in an interview why I liked those writers. They only want to talk about the violence.

Maybe you’re too intellectual for a lot of people who look at Kickback in a superficial way.

Yes, definitely. That’s why we never liked the hardcore scene. We don’t share the same interests. I like the aggression and the music, but we’re different.

You’re on GSR now. How is that working out for you?

We never really knew what was happening with the labels we worked with, with record sales and all that. Now finally we work with Theo. The album has been finished since last summer and we didn’t really look for a label. We don’t like to shop around, so we sent some new music to labels that we liked. Not hardcore labels, but just labels that had some cool bands. Nothing really came out of it. But in the end I’d rather work with someone like Theo, although most of the bands on GSR are typical hardcore bands. Every time we worked with Theo it was 100% perfect, with shows or whatever. Now that we’re on GSR he does exactly what we expected him to do. Even more! He’s really taking care and so for he’s really doing good.

You collaborated with Backfire on their new record. Could that collaboration turn into some sort of new Angel Crew-like project with Backfire and Kickback guys?

Please no, haha! I never do guest vocals, only once with Arkangel and now with Backfire. I don’t like to do it, except when it’s for a band that’s totally different musically and challenging. But Wyb is really a good friend of mine, so when he asked me to do it I did. I’ve been thinking of doing side projects for so long, but I see how hard it is to have just one band. It’s true that Wyb and me fucked around on some stuff, I know where you’re hinting at, but we don’t know yet. I don’t like to talk about it and before you know it the thing doesn’t happen. We’ll see.

Did you know that Dave from Backfire was featured on a talent show on Dutch tv? Could you see yourself do something like that in France?

With Kickback we play anywhere. I don’t care, even the shittiest or popular show. Because we’ll be ourselves and we’ll fuck shit up. But I don’t see myself doing a tv show. I don’t like to be in front of the camera. When people say the world is a stage, I prefer the backstage. Send in the groupie and the lubricant, haha!

In your cd booklet you say ‘let it all end’. Is the end in sight for Kickback?

It’s a little tongue in cheek thing. It’s the end of the last song ‘Warpath’. Your kind of right, but I’m fucking with it. It could be taken to a different level, but you’ll hear about that later.

There are a lot of hardcore/metalcore bands in France, but they never really break through in the rest of Europe. Why do you think that is?

I don’t know man, I don’t go to shows in Paris. I don’t follow any band. If there’s something good, I really thing I would hear about it, because my friends who do follow the music scene have good taste and would tell me about it. But whenever I like a band, it’s never a hardcore band. Maybe they are good, but I’m just jaded. I see many bands that play well, but it doesn’t affect me.

Are you a typical example of a band that loves the music but hates the scene?

Not even that. Hate the music, hate the scene! It’s always the outcasts of a scene that bring the new stuff and that’s what Kickback does.

Interview by David.
Pictures provided by GSR.