WHAT IS HARDCORE?
A question I have been asked many times over the years and when put on the spot it isn't the easiest thing to explain to people who think everything not on the radio is kill your mother head banging shit. If hardcore can be described in photos you are about to get a good lesson on what hardcore really is. This was my first pilgrimage down to this now globally known festival in Philly and what a rejuvenation it was for me. The four day fest started on Thursday August 9th and featured over 50 bands with a Gorilla Biscuits reunion headlining the Saturday show that I had circled on my calendar for quite some time. Walking in to the Electric Factory parking lot/hardcore shopping mall was my introduction with a variety of food trucks lining the back fence and the inner lot lined with bands hawking everything from t-shirts, to vinyl, to whatever else you can possibly think of. The kinds of tables that pro-wrestlers throw each other through served as a hangout for the hungry and the tired. Huge speakers blasted from the inside to out so even if you needed a breather you could still hear what was going on inside. Can't comment on previous TIHC locations but can't find anything bad to say about the Electric Factory as this was pretty much the perfect setting for this kind of show that claimed 3000 attendees on this day. A huge open floor plan on the first floor with a second tier that had TV screens showing the current band, additional bar space and a stadium style setup where the people way towards the back were able to see over the people in front of them. Overall the vibe was awesome for a place packed with so many people sweating their asses off, hungry, thirsty etc. I met some old friends, made some new ones, saw some awesome bands, ate a Greek salad, bought a t-shirt, bought a book, sang along with Vision, got rained on, sweated in the sun, drank a beer, watched the trailer to the City Gardens film, gave out some stickers for my website, had a really fucking great time. This Is Hardcore to me.
Thank you to all who contributed photos to this feature, especially Anne Spina for her hard work in which she took over 1000 photos of every band over a 4 day period. Her and her husband Vince run Harvcore Records, are around the same age as me, and have a teenage daughter who also listens to hardcore music. Good peeps. Hardcore music has had its share of bad moments over the years and never seems to get a fair shake in the mainstream media but days like this solidify my role as a lifer. "People from every race and background, from all walks of life, coming together with a vision and hope for a united scene that's more than talk, individuals matter, not the rule of the mob, our self esteem restored, we have chosen to work together". Partial lyrics from Lifesblood's, "Catch Our Breath", written in 1988 and for me, still holds up today in 2012.
PHOTOS BY: Anne Spina, Ken Salerno, Steven DiLodovico, Jason Lehroff, Paul Imburgia and Chris Wynne. Thank you to all that helped make this show and article happen.
Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Ken Salerno
H2O. Photo by: Anne Spina
Rude Awakening. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Crown Of Thornz. Photo by: Anne Spina
Gorilla Biscuits. Photo by: Anne Spina
Powertrip. Photo by: Anne Spina
Breakdown. Photo by: Anne Spina
Face Reality. Photo by: Anne Spina
The Rival Mob. Photo by: Ken Salerno
Photo by: Anne Spina
Empire Of Rats. Photo by: Anne Spina
In My Eyes. Photo by: Anne Spina
Bane. Photo by: Anne Spina
Negative Approach. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Floorpunch. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
No Tolerance. Photo by: Anne Spina
Harms Way. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Paul Imburgia
Blacklisted. Photo by: Anne Spina
Soul Search. Photo by: Anne Spina
Cold World. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Build & Destroy. Photo by: Anne Spina
Vision. Photo by: Ken Salerno
Ringworm. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Oblivion. Photo by: Anne Spina
Gorilla Biscuits. Photo by: Anne Spina
Killing Time. Photo by: Anne Spina
Skin Like Iron. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Paul Imburgia
Gehenna. Photo by: Anne Spina
Lifetime. Photo by: Anne Spina
Cold World. Photo by: Anne Spina
Blacklisted. Photo by: Anne Spina
View from the second level of the Electric Factory. Photo by: Paul Imburgia
Cro-Mags. Photo by: Anne Spina
Agitator. Photo by: Anne Spina
Grey Area setlist. Photo by: Steven DiLodovico
War Hungry. Photo by: Anne Spina
Vision. Photo by: Ken Salerno
Earth Crisis. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Paul Imburgia
Grey Area. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Paul Imburgia
Rotting Out. Photo by: Anne Spina
Negative Approach. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Breakdown. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Ken Salerno
Praise. Photo by: Anne Spina
Terror. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Rumpshaker Fanzine with Neysha and Eric. Photo by: Ken Salerno
Born Annoying. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Paul Imburgia
Horror Show. Photo by: Anne Spina
Floorpunch. Photo by: Anne Spina
Joe Hardcore backstage. Photo by: Anne Spina
Grey Area. Photo by: Anne Spina
Stagedive judge. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
100 Demons. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Mindset. Photo by: Anne Spina
Death Threat. Photo by: Anne Spina
Riot On The Dance Floor Documentary Crew. Photo by: Ken Salerno
The Rival Mob. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
View from a parking lot. Photo by: CW
Rotting Out. Photo by: Anne Spina
Gorilla Biscuits. Photo by: Anne Spina
Sunny Singh of Hate5Six.com Photo by: Anne Spina
Maximum Penalty. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Mike Dixon (ex-No Redeeming Social Value) and Chris In Effect
The Storm. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Twitching Tounges. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Crown Of Thornz. Photo by: Anne Spina
And down came the rain. Photo by: Jason Lehroff
Naysayer. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Lifeless. Photo by: Anne Spina
Beware. Photo by: Anne Spina
Stick Together. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Jason Lehroff
Killing Time. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Paul Imburgia
Code Orange Kids. Photo by: Anne Spina
Duane from Thorp Records with his daughter. Photo by: Anne Spina
Suicidal Tendencies. Photo by: Anne Spina
Earth Crisis. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
Terror. Photo by: Anne Spina
H2O. Photo by: Anne Spina
Oathbreaker. Photo by: Anne Spina
Maximum Penalty. Photo by: Anne Spina
Wrong Answer. Photo by: Anne Spina
Negative Approach setlist. Photo by: Steven DiLodovico
Suicidal Tendencies. Photo by: Anne Spina
Bane. Photo by: Anne Spina
Nails. Photo by: Anne Spina
Cro-Mags. Photo by: Anne Spina
Wish To Live. Photo by: Anne Spina
Lifetime. Photo by: Anne Spina
Killing Time. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Anne Spina
H2O. Photo by: Anne Spina
Title Fight. Photo by: Anne Spina
Blacklisted. Photo by: Anne Spina
Photo by: Paul Imburgia
Steve DiLodovico and Anne Spina. Photo by: Ken Salerno
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