Iron Reagan and Despise You are set to hit the road together tomorrow (January 10th) for a Revolver-presented mini-tour with an exceptionally diverse lineup: the black-metal stylings of Cemetery Piss and the crust-death-metal approach of Left Cross will open shows before the classic crossover and powerviolence of the headliners kicks in. Dates for the week-long East Coast trek are listed below; get out to the gigs if you can.
In anticipation of the tour, we got Iron Reagan/ Municipal Waste frontman Tony Foresta together with Despise You/CROM guitarist Phil Vera to speak about the upcoming shared gigs, their history on the East Coast and what's coming up for each of them — including Iron Reagan's new split with Gatecreeper, which is due via Relapse on March 2nd. (Check out two cuts off that below and you can order a copy here).
TONY FORESTA Iron Reagan had a small window of shows, because we have members in City of Caterpillar, Mammoth Grinder, Suppression, Municipal Waste ... So it wasn't last minute but we just thought let's do some shows and we've always talked about doing something with Despise You, and I'm glad this finally worked out. Was the last time you were here with Magrudergrind?
PHIL VERA Yeah, I think that may have been seven years ago? Quite a while ago. We played a few one-offs around MDF and we played Baltimore as part of the A389 Bash.
FORESTA I'm stoked because I feel like both us and Despise You mesh really well together. I'd much rather go out with you guys or Left Cross or something rather than cheesy crossover bands. There is too much division between the too many subgenres, and we wanted our tour to be a separation of that, because we like all of it. That's the fun part of being able to pick the bands. I've been listening to you guys since the Nineties.
It's always funny to me that powerviolence bands will play Baltimore as their only city out here. Not even Maryland Deathfest ... just Baltimore.
VERA It's funny, because even at practice we were discussing how we don't want to play Baltimore. Not bagging on that city or anything, its just nuts how often we play there. We originally were going to do some East Coast gigs with Coke Bust around the release of our split, which fell through. So we're glad to finally play D.C.
FORESTA We're glad to be playing D.C. this time around. It can be tough to find a cool venue to play there, one that you can drink at.
VERA Oh? I figured Iron Reagan's big area in New Jersey was Teaneck. [Laughs] Teabag, New Jersey, fans.
FORESTA Seriously though, I'm stoked that we made this happen and that we got you guys to fly out here for these shows. Organizing it was way easier than I thought ... that's awesome. And thanks for having me on that Trappist record that you're doing! When is that coming out?
VERA Because of the tour, we haven't finished the mixes. Then I have a Trappist show one week and a CROM one the next week. I should be able to knock that out soon and have this ready for summer, I'm guessing.
FORESTA That's because we're in 47 fucking bands, dude. [Laughs]
VERA I remember when I was younger I said, "When I'm 40, I'm done with all of this bullshit," and now I'm in four bands again. Flying out to the East Coast after a blizzard.
FORESTA Have you ever done dates out here when it was insanely cold or anything?
VERA I did when I was in 16, years ago. We did Providence, Boston ...
FORESTA I booked the first 16 show in Richmond by the way.
VERA Whoa ... Was that with Grief?
FORESTA Yep, it was at Twister's. That's Strange Matter now.
VERA No shit? I was on that tour. How cold is it up there now?
FORESTA It's cold as shit. Two feet of snow. I heard it may go up to the 50s in New York and if so, I'm wearing shorts. [Laughs]
VERA What are you working on band-wise?
FORESTA Iron Reagan has a split with Gatecreeper that we're stoked on. Relapse is releasing it. You guys put out that Coke Bust split last year — what else is going on with you?
VERA I have that podcast "Hour of the Barbarian," which is basically a Trappist podcast where we just get drunk and bullshit about whatever ... Tour stories, beer ...
FORESTA Does Ryan Harkins just talk about [Japanese "beatdowncore" band] SAND the whole time?
VERA [Laughs] When we went to Japan he was like, "Find out about SAND," and I said, "What do you want me to find out?" He said, "I think one of them is Yakuza or some shit."
FORESTA I'm going to Japan in a couple weeks and I'm getting as much SAND stuff as I can. It's hard as fuck.
VERA [Laughs] Those videos are amazing, man. Those guys aren't fucking around.
PHIL, ONE QUESTION REGARDING TRAPPIST: NOTHING AGAINST RYAN HARKINS AT ALL, BUT I KNOW THAT DAVE WITTE IS A HUGE BEER NERD, AND HE AND CHRIS DODGE GO ON BEER OUTINGS FROM TIME TO TIME — WAS THERE EVER ANY THOUGHTS OF HIM BEING IN THE BAND?
VERA Oh yeah ... he's a huge beer nerd. Him and Dodge went to that Great American Beer Fest and just jerked each other off and drank beers. [Laughs] But ...
FORESTA Actually, Witte would make a perfect second vocalist. Most people don't know this but when he sings, he sounds like Andy from No Comment. It sounds awesome. It's crazy.
VERA Andy was so unique, so that sounds awesome. Gonna have to hit him up for the next record. [Laughs] I'll tell Dodge we have to start another band with Witte on vocals.
FORESTA 72 bands.
IRON REAGAN, DESPISE YOU, CEMETERY PISS, LEFT CROSS TOUR DATES
1/10/2018 - Washington, D.C. - Atlas Brew Works
1/11/2018 - Providence, RI - Alchemy
1/12/2018 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bazaar
1/13/2018 - Reading, PA - Reverb
1/14/2018 - Richmond, VA - Champion Brewery No Tix / Free Show
