The Hotseat: Sam Crocker of Antagonist A.D
on July 22nd, 2012This Friday, New Zealand’s Antagonist A.D will release their cracking new album ‘Nothing From No One‘ via Shock / Mediaskare. Next month they will head up a tour also featuring Lionheart and Shinto Katana to launch it. This week in The Hotseat we catch up with the band’s singer Sam. Expand this post to check out his answers. You can pre-order a copy of ‘Nothing From No One’ [Here].
THE BASICS
Name : Sam Crocker
Band : Antagonist A.D.
Job In Band : Singer
Website Address : www.antagonistad.com
HOME
Hometown : Tirau
Hometown is best known for : A giant corrugated iron sheep.
Best venue in your hometown : Closest place bands play is Hamilton, so that would be VOID.
Favourite show you’ve seen in your hometown : That’s a hard call – I can’t choose just one but some of the shows Evil Priest played at Youthzone were amazing, Madball at Upsett Records.. or one of the Hamtown Smakdown’s.
Favourite show you’ve played in your hometown : Upsett Records with Carpathian… in ’06 I think?
THE BAND
How did the band first come to exist? Our original bassist and myself formed the band trying to write something heavy & aggressive. Dropping older bands like Arkangel, Maroon, Martyr AD – we wanted to do something no one was doing at the time.
How long has the band been going? 6 years.
Any particular story behind the name? Named after the Maroon album ‘Antagonist”. The suffix was added to avoid confusion with an American band with the same name & also because the band had changed members & refined our sound – the A.D. was the start of a new era of the band.
What’s your most recent release? Tell us a little about it… ’Nothing from No One’ is about to come out on Friday July 27th. Took us a year to write, first album written with our new guitarist.
Got a personal stand out achievement of your band to date? Touring with the bands we grew up listening too (earth crisis), seeing/playing through South East Asia, Japan & Europe. Making so many good friends through the music.
OFF THE STAGE
What was your first introduction to music that made you think seriously about playing it? Watching ‘big’ hardcore bands from the states come through and play a small room to 80 kids. Then stick around and talk to everyone afterwards – you realize they were just like you.. These massive bands that influenced/inspired so many people, playing in our local venue, for me and my friends.. It was humbling & inspiring.
Any particular band / album or song that you personally credit as a major influence? Personally local bands like Sommerset & Kitsch made me who I am today – Musically Arkangel/Until The End with Antagonist.
Your first band name, and what style did you play? I played guitar in a punk band called Captain George… We did some of own songs & covered Rancid & Circle Jerks haha…
Most prized music related item you own? All the posters/clippings from Antagonist’s history to date – it’s a trip seeing what we have done… Also a bunch of tour posters from when I started going to shows when I was like 12/13…
When you’re not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing? Struggling at the Muay Thai gym, playing xbox , instagram & drinking coffee
The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is… all the food.
The thing you least look forward to before a tour is… possibly getting sick or someone else getting sick & spreading the disease – that’s a vibe killer.
ON THE STAGE
When on offer, what’s your one must have item on the rider? Water.
Favourite place you’ve toured… and why? Hard question – everywhere we have been has been amazing for different reasons. Japan was one of the coolest places I have ever been. Singapore gave us so much love & we made a lot of friends there. Australia is always amazing & is pretty much our home now.. Europe was a DREAM come true
Most memorable show you’ve played? and why? Melbourne u18 at the corner hotel with the Red Shore after we had just been through South East Asia – longest tour we had done to date and it was the last show. Kids were going crazy and it was so humbling & mind blowing to be in a different country & feel like you were home.
Got a favourite song to play live? We covered NOFX for a little bit – Linoleum… That was fucking awesome to play.
Any embarrassing on stage moments come to mind? Ive fallen off a couple of stages that sucks.. Sliding off the front of the stage…
Any pre-show rituals? Haha I’ve got a weird one where I have to re-tie my shoelaces, even if I just put on my shoes.. no idea when it happened but I do it before every show.
RIGHT NOW
Last song you listened to? The True Blood intro song
Last album you acquired? Xibalba
Which band or album is currently on high rotation? The Ghost Inside, Yelawolf, Acid King & Frank Ocean
Tell us an up and coming band or artist you think we should go and listen to right now? Survival (Brisbane) & Outsiders Code (Melbourne)..
What’s on the cards for the next few months for the band? Australia & New Zealand Tours
IF ONLY…
You can pick any one album for your band to cover in full, what would it be and why? Arkangel – Dead Man Walking – Collectively would easily be one of the bands favourite albums. It would be amazing to hear that CD re-recorded.. It would be fun as fuck!! That or Poison the Well – Opposite of December
You can pick any one band / artist to cover one of your albums in full, what would it be, and why? Arkangel or Icepick– Just because that would be awesome for me.. Haha.. Just the fact arkangel had to learn our songs would blow my mind. I say Icepick because I’d be all about Ice T doing some raps on a song as well haha.
One band you wish you were able to see live but never had the chance? I keep choosing more than one answer –but Arkangel & Disembodied
One venue you have yet to play that you would love to? Venue doesn’t matter so much but anywhere in Canada/South America/South Africa please..
The chance comes up to fill in for a member of a band for one tour, which band would it be, and why? Presuming this also give you the ability to be able to pull it off without a hitch I’m gonna say I’d sing for Poison The Well on a tour where the only play songs off albums up until You Come Before You. Either that or I’d be Yelawolf for a tour. Haha.
A headline tour overseas comes up, tell us two bands you’d take along to support your band. Shinto Katana & Lionheart.
PLUG TIME
Got any final words? Check out our new CD ‘Nothing From No one’ – I’m sure after it’s out you’ll be able to dig it up online somewhere, CHECK IT OUT. But if you’re into please go read the lyrics, finger through the booklet… Take in what we tried to create, judge us… We are on tour in August so come say hi & bring us some vegan food.
