IE: So congrats on getting added to Day 2 of the BNB Bowl. Can we start off by asking how the idea to get back together for this show started and how things came together?

Andy: Well, the idea has been tossed around a few times, I mean people have been asking us pretty much since we broke up to please play another show or get back together or something. Lately I’ve noticed (and Gary has said the same thing) it’s been happening more and more often, people asking us to play. And also, and this is important to us, a lot of younger kids who never saw us have been asking. I’ve been approached more and more lately in the weirdest places by young kids (at DMV, the LIRR, my local supermarket, just to name a few) begging for just one more show. With all that in mind, Joe who does the BNB Bowl has been after us every year to play the show too. I can’t say for sure what made everyone decide to say yes this time around, it just seems it’s been long enough that we all missed it a lot. Any old tensions or anything from the end of the band had all been worked out through the years so everyone’s cool with each other. Not that there were major problems, but little gripes and grievances build up sometimes, again all that’s been worked out through the years though. So anyway, Joe called Paul who decided he felt good about it and he called Raeph and Gary, and it went from there.

IE: So who will be performing in KYI for the show?

Andy: The lineup is what we all consider to be the "classic" Kill Your Idols lineup. Me, Gary, Paul, Brian and Raeph. This is the lineup that was the crazy tour hounds that we got known to be. We’d be on the road better than 7 months a year, come home record, go back out. If you were to travel through the US and Europe this is the lineup most people know. I want to stress really hard here that in no way is this meant as any disrespect for any other members in any way. Every member of this band through the years served important parts when they were with us. And I don’t think anyone would mind that a special shout out and respect should go to Vinnie Value and Mike D. Both came in at a time when we were really needing some fresh blood in the band and really those two came in and were just what we needed. As a matter of fact of all members of Kill Your Idols, other than Gary who I consider myself very very close friends with, I’d say I’m closest with Vinnie still. But with all hopes that no one would be offended this was the lineup we went with. And I’m pretty sure everyone understands. I know I’ve talked with Vinnie and he’s gonna be with us at the show and everything is cool.

IE: How many members would you guess were in KYI over the course of the bands history?

Andy: Man, it would be hard to say without forgetting someone. I can say every member through the years has added to the band when they were a part of it. No past members are looked at as unimportant. Our first bass player John was quite a character, and added a lot of humor and fun in the early days. There was Ron who many including us sort of look at as the 6th and honorary member of the band. He’s been a close friend and ally since the beginning. Two Kill Your Idols songs were written by him even. And he’s helped me with songs here and there throughout the bands lifetime. If only he actually knew how to play the drums when he was in the band. Haha. There was Jim Idol who recorded “Just The Beginning” with us among other things. That was a huge time in the bands history, he did our first tours with us also, and again added a lot of flavor as far as personality. Barno, Crazy Joe, Dave O, Dan, again Mike D. and Vinnie, there were a lot of great people and musicians through the years in Kill Your Idols.

IE: When was KYI’s last show and where was it?

Andy: May 2007 on Long Island. This story has been told over and over but ill quickly retell it. We were doing our last shows (we had done a last NYC show, a last Philly show and two NJ shows) but for our last weekend we did Long Island on Friday at a Masons Hall on Eastern Long Island. Then a loft in Brooklyn (one of the greatest Kill Your Idols shows ever) and then were doing our final one at the Masons Hall again out east. The show was packed, people had driven and flown in from all over, and I mean all over. So I’m sure all the locals in that town were wondering what was going on. A few of the opening bands played but eventually and to nobody’s surprise the fire marshal and some cops showed up. Well, long story short, the place was well over the legal limit so the show got shut down. Everyone was beyond bummed. Band members and show goers. But what could we do? All of a sudden someone said we could do a sort of under the radar set at their rehearsal studio for like our close friends, people that had been with KYI since the beginning, people who flew in from far away, etc. But then we realized Vinnie left so we couldn’t do it, then he called so we could do it, then someone else had left so we couldn’t do it, then they came back so we could do it. Anyhow it went on like this for like a half hour. Meanwhile we didn’t realize but word was spreading that we were trying to set something quick up. Eventually we got it together and started to head to this rehearsal studio in Lindenhurst (ironically enough, the town of our first show) and as I was driving there we realized it was just a giant line of cars going down the Southern State Parkway headed to this little industrial park. So we get there and the whole area is just taken over by hardcore kids. Way, way too many to do the show in this little studio but in desperation the guys who’s place it was said fuck it, and we set up in this little fenced in parking lot out back. There were I’d say maybe 200 kids there and literally almost every person who really had followed us since day one. Not everyone (Big Vinnie was very missed) but really all the diehards were there. So we launched into “Falling” and the place went apeshit! People throwing confetti, opening those little exploding champaign bottles with the streamers, diving off dumpsters, waving happy retirement signs, wearing party hats, and just going nuts and of course everyone was singing along. I can’t even put it to words but everyone felt the same way, it was sad to be the last show but fuck, were gonna make every second count. We did like 4 or 5 songs and then the cops showed again and that was that. It was a really, really special way to end things. We couldn’t have written a better ending if we tried. It really was perfect.

IE: Can you think back to the time period when the band was breaking up and give us the feeling or mood around the band and why you guys decided to call it quits back then?

Andy: I was going through a lot personally so I can’t speak for the band. I think that in a lot of ways we were all in the same mindset, as far as knowing and agreeing that it was the right time to end it. But I think as the guy with the mic I may have spoken a bit more then I should have for the band, and I think that for a little while after the breakup it caused some tension and hard feelings. At the time when we were winding down I was so caught up I didn’t see it and I think everyone wanted things to end on a good note and all so it wasn’t really talked about. And as much as I’ve always been open and honest with interviews or when I talk on stage I think there’s some stuff better left just within the band. But yea, there was some stuff that through the years have been worked out and all. After all, I don’t want to make myself sound like there’s not a million others who’ve been through this, but there’s a bond built up by people who live like we did. Especially cause we did it for a long time and we lived in the van and hotel rooms a lot. One thing I can say for sure and with great pride is we toured a hell of a lot more than most bands ever would. And that was a huge positive for the band, but for sure it took its toll in some ways.

So anyhow, we started this band not knowing what would happen, and we stuck to what we loved, and went through a lot of shit in the beginning, people weren’t that into it at first. But we stuck to it and wound up getting pretty popular for a hardcore band (If I do say so myself). We wound up touring all over the country as well as lots of other countries. We put out so many releases its hard keep track of them all. But even better then that is that we helped a lot of people in the hardcore scene. We put out releases with labels that were just getting started or smaller labels where we were one of the bigger releases for them. We took bands who had trouble getting shows on tour, we filled many bands dreams by getting them gigs at the world famous CBGB's! And while I’m on the subject, that’s more I’m super proud of. We played and packed CBGB's and ABC NO RIO, two of my favorite clubs! And lets fucking face it, we toured and did split records with 7 Seconds, Poison Idea, and Voorhees!!!!!!!! 3 bands who were all big influences on us. We also played with bands like Slapshot, Sick Of It All, Breakdown, the Crumbsuckers (and had Choke and Jeff sing with us as we covered their bands, had SOIA come to a tiny club in Belgium that we were playing and do an unannounced set and opened for the Crumbsuckers reunion). More of our influences. Also did major tours and shows with H20 and Ensign (including Japan and Korea with Ensign) again, more bands who we were influenced by. None of this stuff was done cause we knew anyone special or anything, but because we worked our asses off and were true to who we were and that earned us a lot of respect.

IE: You have about 2 months to get prepared before the show happens. What are the plans as far as getting together to practice? My guess is people are busy with jobs and families these days so what is a realistic goal for practicing?

Andy: Our practice schedule is like a secret recipe, it’s our secret weapon. Seriously though, we don’t have a set schedule but I can assure you this…we wouldn't think of going out on stage without being 100% ready. This band means a lot to all of us and we would never risk not being as great as we think we are when we're out on that stage.

IE: The bands entire catalog of songs was very long. How many do you think you will practice and how many will you bust out for the show?

Andy: Well, we do have a huge number of songs and sometimes it can get hard to pick and choose. But working together we got a nice big list of what we feel are the essential Kill Your Idols live songs. That doesn’t mean everyone’s favorite songs will be played, but I really think the set we've picked out covers all the bases.

We all love this band and the songs as well as playing shows. Of course on top of that we love playing here in NY and at such a special part of the New York Hardcore scene it’s just gonna be so cool. We've got friends coming in from all over, people who grew up with this band and all of that is so, so exciting and cool. I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be nervous too though. This is the first time we've played in a long time and I can’t even express the amount of respect we all have for this band and it’s scary to think "what if no one cares" or stuff like that. You know, people have been asking, hell even begging for us to play again but at the same time the way we ended it the first time it’s impossible to top so it’s almost like, do we really want to add to that and risk putting a blemish on that memory? But hey, we have full confidence in our playing, we all know why were doing this, how much it means to us and all so really with that in mind, how could it be wrong? It's funny because of course along with the excitement comes the shit talking. Usually it’s just some nameless dork on the internet. They try to question our integrity or ideals. As if they have any idea what we talk about or what is in our heads. I’m very proud to say one of the things people always said or say about us is that we were always genuine and true to what we believed in. And we're still those same people that we always were. So while Littlejohnnydickhead sits home on his computer we put out records played hundreds or maybe thousands of shows touring the world. We also got to meet and play with/tour with/put out records with bands we always loved and supported. Having bands like H2O, Ensign, Madball, Chaos UK, Burn, 7 Seconds, Voorhees, Sick Of It All, Violent Society, the Varukers, Aus Rotten, The Pist, Sheer Terror, Breakdown, Poison Idea, etc, etc call us and talk to or about us and let us know how into us and how much they thought we were an amazing band. I'll never forget Gavin from Burn sitting me down and telling me how we were the next great hope for New York Hardcore and giving me advice on how to get the most out of touring. Or The Pist getting us on one of their reunion shows. Or Lou from Sick Of It All telling me I had one of the great NYHC voices. All this shit comes to me when were about to go on stage. I hope i don’t come off like I’m bragging too much or trying to impress anyone cause that’s not the case. The fact is that Kill Your Idols is without a doubt one of the things I’m proudest in my life about.

IE: When you see that day approaching for the show what is your expectations as far as the crowd response and as far as the bands performance?

Andy: Well, like I said I’m a little nervous. Webster Hall is a really big place. And of course there’s a part of me (and anyone who knows me even somewhat knows how neurotic I am) that’s really scared no one will care. But in reality I know a lot of people coming out from all over for this show, a lot of old KYI fans and friends as well as a hell of a lot of NYHC kids so really I’m kind of expecting or maybe more hoping that the response is gonna be crazy. Lots of singing along and dancing. Shit, us and the people who love us have waited a long time for this, so it just might be nuts. I’m gonna let it all out in those songs. As for our performance? I’m totally confident in that. Anyone who likes us or is just gonna check us out will see a really tight hardcore band playing the songs and music we love. It’s completely a part of who we are. Hardcore in general is, but KYI songs even more so.

IE: In a KYI Facebook post you mention that you had been approached in some odd places over the past couple of years with requests to get the band back together. Can you share some of those experiences and are you bugged out that people can pick you out on the street and want to come up to you and ask you that?

Andy: Well ever since the band got somewhat well known I’ve been approached, as have the other guys. All sorts of places and by all sorts of people. A lot of times, especially lately it’s been by younger kids who never saw us. They don’t realize who I am a lot of times. They come up to me cause I’ll be wearing a Kill Your Idols jacket or something and just come over to talk about the band. I mean, there’s plenty of times where I am recognized too. I’m glad that the people who support or love KYI feel comfortable coming over to talk to me. Being that I am socially awkward though a lot of times i don’t really know what to say or how to handle the attention. But it’s still totally cool and flattering. The younger kids or people who don’t recognize me at first sometimes really get excited though. One time I was at a bar with a bunch of my friends that I grew up with. None of them were into hardcore at all. They knew I was in a band but i don’t think they thought it was anything more than like a bar band or something. 

So were out front talking and some random kid comes over to ask (now again, this is totally random and weird) if anyone’s into forming a band. Let me set it up again, there’s a bunch of guys in their 30's and 40's in front of some local bar, the guys look like anything from bikers to your typical dad. No one remotely "hardcore" maybe me, but let’s face it I could just pass for an older guy with a shaved head. So yea out of the blue he asks this group of men if anyone wants to do a band. And they’re kind of humoring him and ask him what type band, so he says "oh, hardcore punk, like 7 Seconds, GBH, or Kill Your Idols" I’m not shitting you here. So one of my friends is like "what!! Don’t you know who you’re talking to?" The kid kinda gives me a long look and then raises his eyebrows and yells "Andy?!!?!" and just starts flipping out, he’s telling my friends how I changed his life and I’m a legend and all this shit. For me I felt kind of awkward, well, very awkward. But my friends were really blown away. Another time I was on the train and went to sit down. As I did I turned around and some kid saw the back of my jacket (it was a Kill Your Idols design) so this kid comes running down the aisle freaking out. Saying how he loves Kill Your Idols and he never saw that design and all this shit. Everyone in the train car is staring now and I was bright red. So we sat down and started talking and eventually I told him who I was and he was really psyched and said some really flattering stuff. It turns out he books shows and booked Too Many Voices. But again, that was cool. Stuff like that happens though more than I ever thought it would. And every kid who approaches me asks please, please, pleeeeaaaaasssseee do another show. I really hope some of these kids that I’ve met along the way make it to the show.

But a lot of kids who were into us literally got into us in the beginning and stayed around until the end. We watched them grow up. Plus they grew up with us. A lot of memories they have are from our shows or with our music as a soundtrack to certain parts of their lives. They met their wives at our shows and stuff like that. Also a lot of them had a cool bond with each other. Again, I’ve been around a long time. I’ve seen many bands, many a lot more popular than us..but very few have the same type bond with the people who see them. Every band has groups of friends, and touring bands have lots of them have groups in all different states, but again, a lot of the same kids were seeing us for over a decade and got to know each other also. It’s kind of hard to explain, but it’s something I am super proud of and I know that our diehard supporters are totally proud to claim us as their own. But to get back to it, I know we have a loyal following, but I am surprised that there seems to be a lot of excitement all over, not just our core audience. I guess though we'll see on the 19th just how many really do care.

IE: These days you have a new musical project called Too Many Voices which has been around for well over a year now but seems to be moving along slowly. There were some medical issues with someone in the band and overall I haven’t heard about too many shows yet. What is the latest with Too Many Voices?

Andy: Thanks for asking about us. It gives us a little plug kinda haha. Well, Too Many Voices is the band I’m in now. I don’t like the word "project" cause it makes it sound like something that’s more mine and I just sort of got a few people to help me. That’s not the case. It’s totally a regular fully functioning hardcore band. I’m really psyched with it and I know the other guys are too. I know it’s been a slow year but we’ve had several member changes. No beef or anything, just finding the right people who have the same idea of what we want to do as well as have the time and all. On top of that I had surgery over the summer and was out of it for several months. Also Eric had hurt his back and needed some time a few months back. I guess that comes with being older guys. Haha. On top of that, there’s a few other things. One is that I’m speaking for myself here, but I’ve done the full time band thing (as have all the other guys) and I’m not looking to do something that is going to take up every weekend and have the need to rush writing and all that. My girlfriend lives out of state and we spend most weekends together, and as much as we both love shows and like going to (and playing) them it’s not something we want to spend every weekend, or even most weekends doing. A show or two a month, maybe sometimes a few more, like a weekend away here and there is more than enough for me. It’s not that I’m not 100% into it and give it my all, but again, there’s a lot of other things we like doing. Also I have to take the blame on us being kind of slow with new material. The guys pump out songs but I’ve been slow on lyrics. And I feel lucky that they haven’t gotten frustrated with that. I’ve written so many songs (with Kill Your Idols) that it’s not something that comes so quick anymore. Being the singer, I’m not into just singing someone else’s words and thoughts for the most part. I don’t mind a few songs written by other band members but I wouldn’t want the majority to be like that. Luckily Eric and I write well together. I’ve just got to make more time to get together. Like I said they pump the songs out, and we’ve got a bunch of new material waiting for lyrics. But it may be slow but it is coming along. We’re hoping to do a record in the next few months. And as of now, we don’t have a label so if anyone’s interested get in touch. We do have a demo out on tape and on Bandcamp. It’s about to be pressed on 7" vinyl on Lifeline Records. We're also talking about a possible split EP with our friends and other Long Island hardcore band, Village Of The Branch...again, looking for someone into putting it out. We are playing shows more and more regularly now too so look out for us and check it out! Thanks again for the plug!

IE: How would you describe the sound that Too Many Voices is playing?

Andy: Well, I mean it’s pretty much no frills hardcore, but I guess hardcore at this point has been around long enough and has enough different influences that that may be a bit vague. I’ve heard several people compare us to Dag Nasty. Some people say it’s kind of melodic and I’ve even heard Negative Approach mixed with Dag Nasty.

IE: What about the other returning members who are making up this BNB Bowl lineup? What other bands are they all involved in?

Andy: Gary, Paul, and Raeph are doing Black Anvil, a black metal band. They’ve been at it pretty much since the end of KYI. I remember talking to Gary about it soon after they started. We had a really deep heart to heart and as a result of that conversation I’ve never had anything but total respect for them. I’ve never been into much metal, very, very little so I can’t say for sure how they stand up to other bands…but I know I’ve looked at a lot of their stuff on You Tube (something they probably don’t know) and really like what I hear. There’s almost elements of hardcore and even melody in some of it. I hope in the metal world that’s not an insult haha. Also Brian is in a metallic hardcore band called Man Alive based out of NJ, I believe he just joined not too long ago. Oh and also Gary and Paul are in Death Cycle with our buddy Ron.

IE: Because people are going to ask… Is there any possibility of more shows for KYI or is this really it?

Andy: Well, for right now this is all that’s planned. Gary’s answer to people who have asked us to play another show these past six years or so is kind of perfect. “Never say never.” Let’s see how this goes and just enjoy it for what it is.

IE: It may be easy to say one thing now but can you see a situation where you get a ridiculously amazing response at BNB and you run into people you haven’t seen in awhile and all of a sudden you get that itch again to play?

Andy: Honestly we all have that itch and that’s why we're all in bands. Like I said in this interview, were all really psyched and when push comes to shove were hoping and sort of (at least some of the guys are) expecting a pretty crazy response. And again, who knows if we'll end up doing anymore shows, anything is possible...but again, lets enjoy this for all its worth because I just don’t know, it very well could be the last one.

IE: That’s about it Andy, thanks for the interview. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Andy: Just thanks a lot for the interview and all the support over the years. It’s really appreciated.

IE: We also caught up with KYI guitarist Gary Bennett and got his take on the last Kill Your Idols show that Andy was previously mentioning in May of 2007…

Gary: When our official "last show ever" at the Masonic Lodge was shut down by the fire department a few guys from various bands (Mainly Joe Ciatto from Wiretap Crash and Joey Saccente from Capital, and other members that also played back then in the band Down in the 4th) organized to set up and have us play at their jam room in a rehearsal building in Farmingdale, Long Island. (Then called Joe's Garage, now called "13" studios). Not far at all from the PWAC, which was pretty much the most legendary DIY show space on Long Island (Now it's some weird religious hall.) About 200 people from the show were made hip to this, maybe even less. It was real spontaneous and last minute. They were renting a room that was previously rented by our friend General George, and that's where KYI recorded the "For Our Friends" EP. Anyway, realizing that NONE of these people were gonna fit in the rehearsal room, A PA system and various pieces of gear were brought out into the parking lot. And that's where it happened. My brother Ryan commented to me "Dude, that was the best ending for a band. It was like it was written. Like a John Hughes movie.". We played about 15 or 20 minutes and then the cops came, so we stopped. The cops then informed us that we really coulda kept playing if we wanted too, since it was an industrial area after dark, no one had complained, they just popped over to see what it was and make sure there was nothing crazy going on.