IE: So how did this reunion show at the BNB Bowl in NYC come about? Who contacted who and how did the ball get rolling?

Tom: The show came about from BNB asking us to be on it. I heard it first from Kevin who is friends with Joseph “Cuz” Cammarata’s cousin. We were already in the process of putting together a reissue on vinyl of the "Dew It" demo, live material, and "No Longer At Ease" for Revelation Records. The BNB show makes it a great opportunity to be a part of hardcore once again.

IE: Will this be a one and done where you play just the one show or do you think you will follow the lead of Judge from last year and play some additional shows? Has it been discussed yet?

Tom: We would like to play more shows but we are not on the same level of Judge in popularity or worth. We are way more underground. Maybe after the reissues people will know about us more and will be able to get to play some of the shows we have been offered.

IE: What are the current members of the band doing with their everyday lives these days?

Tom: Kevin works in television and lives in Queens, NY. Sergio does Deftones full time and some Quicksand gigs, Larry works at Astoria Soundworks and is a drummer in various projects. I live in Los Angeles, play in Quicksand and Bold, and am a raw vegan chef.

IE: You were telling me about plans you have already made with Revelation Records about re-issuing some old Beyond material. Can you tell us what is planned so far?

Tom: Revelation is doing three Beyond releases… 2 vinyl and one CD discography. The first will have the "Dew It" demo and live at WNYU Crucial Chaos show. The next would be "No Longer At Ease" on vinyl, with a new layout/cover. Last would be a CD discography of whatever we can fit to fill it up. Hopefully rehearsals and fun stuff. The cool thing about putting out the "Dew It" demo is that we originally recorded it to 1 inch tape and mixed it to cassette because we couldn't afford the tape. Well now were going to remix and make it sound as fat as possible. The same way Crippled Youth did theirs on "The Search" from Bold.

IE: Have you guys discussed or have you thought about writing new Beyond material after the BNB Bowl?

Tom: We haven't talked about new music from Beyond. I'm open to whatever feels right. In my experience in doing reunions with bands sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It depends on the chemistry. I think after the show we might have a better idea. With that being said, it is difficult to write music with a band who is older and not getting paid for it. When our bands were younger we put a lot of blood sweat and tears into making those records and playing those shows. It seems logistically difficult to arrange the proper environment to create something as good as the past.

IE: That’s about it for the 2014 interview Tom, anything else that you would like to add?

Tom: I wanted to express my gratitude to the hardcore scene for keeping me alive. I'd be dead if it wasn't for playing music and these upcoming shows. I also very much appreciate this interview by In Effect and all you have done to expose hardcore to people. I can't wait to play this show with Beyond. It's truly my favorite band I have been with.

END OF 2014 INTERVIEW

...AND HERE IS THE 1988 INTERVIEW WORD FOR WORD WITH A NEW LAYOUT

The following is an interview with Beyond, a hot new band from Long Island. All questions were answered by Tom and Vic.

Band ID: Tom-guitar (18), Kevin-vocals (18), Vic-bass (16), Alan-drums (19)

IE: How did Beyond get started?

Tom: Well, the band got started in October with me and Kevin. We wanted to do a hardcore band similar to the bands we mostly listened to. We got hooked up with two guys… a drummer and a bassist who went to our school. The two guys liked the music we played but weren’t really into traveling and working hard for the band. We recorded a demo cassette during January and after that me and Kevin parted with them. We then got a second guitarist added to the band, with a new drummer and bassist. After two shows the bassist turned out to be a real sap. So we took Vic (who was our second guitarist) and switched him to bass. Right now we don’t have plans for getting a second guitarist again, and with the change it has worked out tremendously great attitude wise. Before and during Beyond, we have all played in different bands, but none of us would like to mention them.

IE: Are you happy with how the demo came out?

Tom: Yes, I’m really pleased with the recording and music. We dropped the music and lyrics to our song “Better Things To Do”, keeping the title. The response from the demo has been great. It sold real well at Some Records, but since the store is closed now, I’ve been selling the demos at shows and through the mail. 

IE: Why did you add a second guitarist to the band?

Tom: Vic was a real cool guy, he was into the music we played, he loved hardcore plus he had a real positive attitude, so we got along good with him. Basically he was on the same level as me and Kevin. I thought adding another guitarist would make the music more powerful, which it did. But with two guitarists I really didn’t have the feel for what I was playing, plus it was kind of hard to do the picking and timing exact.

IE: What are some of your favorite bands?

Vic: My favorites are the Bad Brains, Cro-Mags, Minor Threat, and Youth Of Today. Also I have to say that reggae is a very big influence, as you can tell from my hair.

Tom: Some of my favorite bands right now are Y.O.T. Verbal Assault, Gorilla Biscuits, Bold, and Wide Awake. There are too many to mention because I listen to other types of music. When I started the band I was really inspired by Y.O.T. and Minor Threat type stuff. Lyrically, I became influenced by my surroundings.

IE: How did you get hooked up with Schism Records/Zine?

Tom: Porcell of Schism Records/Zine approached us because he liked the recording that Duane of Some Records played for him. They were first interested in doing a 7” but now there has been a lot of talk about a 12” album. So I’m pretty psyched about it. If the 12” deal comes through we should have it out by fall. We want to take our time on it, putting our best ideas to use. 

IE: All of the Schism bands are big on straight edge. Does Beyond fit into this same style?

Tom: Yes and no. There are some similarities in the music style and lyrically we might possibly have the same ideas. But overall we do not try to fit into any specific category. The one thing I want and have always wanted was for Beyond to be an unpredictable band. I want to play whatever I’m in the mood for. I don’t want to be limited or tied down to a label or a specific style. I’m straight edge, Beyond believes in the same things as straight edge bands do, but we have other things to sing about. Pushing an alternative to drugs and other negative trends is extremely important to me. 

IE: What message are you trying to get across in your lyrics?

Tom: A big underlying message in most of our songs is to be responsible about your actions.

Vic: We also stress the fact that you should use your time wisely.

Tom: I believe any form of life is precious, that’s why I’m against abortion and eating meat.

Vic: We are strongly opposed to any white power/black power stuff. There’s no need for all that stupid scapegoat hate.

Tom: Our song “Care” is about when people become so caught up in their own selfish wants and needs that they forget about who they could be hurting.

IE: You have already played a few shows out on Long Island. Do you find it easy to get shows out there?

Tom: It’s not hard to get a show if there’s one going on, but since the only club we have is the Sundance it’s pretty hard to play out. The Sundance draws a good size crowd. I guess it’s pretty cool to play for an audience like that because you might open somebodies eyes to a specific topic.

IE: Have you already played a lot of shows?

Vic: Around 80% of our shows have been out of the NYC/Long Island area. We’ve played CB’s, the Right Track Inn, and Sundance. We have a good connection with Schism bands so that has helped us a lot to play shows in Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

Tom: We have been lucky to play with some of our favorite bands. As for future shows, we are trying to play as many as we can. We have a van to use so we’re into traveling. 

IE: Does the name Beyond have any special meaning behind it?

Tom: Yes, I chose the name because it represents the way I feel about drugs and any other barriers that weaken your life. To be beyond something is to overcome it, or to surpass it.

Vic: It’s a positive name.

Tom: It might sound funny when first heard, but if you look what it could symbolize, then it might appeal to you.

IE: Do you guys practice often?

Vic: We try to.

Tom: I try to get in at least two rehearsals a week. For me I love rehearsing.

IE: Are there any other new Long Island bands that we might not know about yet?

Tom: Yes, Difference and Reach Out are two great new bands that play fast hardcore with a positive message. Watch out for these two bands because they will be playing shows and releasing demos in a few weeks. 

IE: Do you have any merchandise for sale?

Tom: Yes, we have or demo still available for $3.00 and we have double sided shirts that Neil of Lifesblood is helping us out with. You can get the demo at our shows or send it at my address. The shirts are $7.00 by mail. As for other merchandise, we probably won’t come out with anything else, because it might get too gimmicky.

IE: Anything else to add before we end the interview?

Tom: Yeah, thanks a lot for the exposure. I’m psyched for the zine.

Vic: Good luck. I just want to say one more thing. Always remember that there is a way through any problem, just search for what you really feel is the best solution and work it out. Dew it!

Tom: Buy the new Y.O.T. album and the new Wide Awake 7”.