The Nerve Agents

Like demon hounds hell-bent on vengeance, The Nerve Agents charged into the modern hardcore scene in 1998, with reckless abandon and intensity. They sought to tear through the fashions and factions with a raw sound and intelligent lyrics that would leave all in their path utterly ravaged and confused.

The Nerve Agents aimed to instigate a furious graveyard riot that would resurrect the power and passion of true hardcore spirit that had been woefully dormant. But with the punk fury came a creeping darkness. The Nerve Agents have woven together both the manic and the macabre to create a musical tempest of ghastly wrath.

The Nerve Agents were brought to life by stitching together the severed limbs of formidable Bay Area hardcore bands Redemption 87, Model American, Rely, and Fury 66. A punk rock group set to awaken dormant minds, and stagnant standards. They combine the frenzied indignation of Black Flag, the social sensibilities of Minor Threat, the morbid flair of The Misfits. The lost art of lyrics with a thought provoking purpose falls evidently hard in The Nerve Agents writing.

Their first two tumultuous manifestoes "s/t" and "Days Of The White Owl" were delivered courtesy of legendary hardcore label Revelation Records. A split with Kill Your Idols on Mankind Records proved that these diabolic boys had the gall and balls to cover the Bowie classic, Suffragette City. The Nerve Agents have since left Revelation to join their friends at Hellcat Records. Their latest opus is due in the summer of 2001.

The Nerve Agents have garnered plenty of attention for their infamously frenetic live shows. It is authentic emotion running frighteningly amok. The rumors of occasional blood spills and hospital visits stemming from The Nerve Agents' live shows are very true indeed. They have decimated stages and devastated crowds from coast to coast with the likes of AFI, Tiger Army, T.S.O.L, Sick Of It All, U.S. Bombs, and The Explosion, among others.

The Nerve Agents set out to agitate the underground and they have done just that by actually uniting all the different scenes who have only their teenage rage in common. Hardcore kids, punk rockers, goths, and every other form of deviant being have all succumbed to the grotesque charm and charisma of The Nerve Agents.

This band will incite a new ideal as to what hardcore punk can accomplish.

Dont let their cutesy stage names (Outbreak? Stardust? Come on fuckers!!) fool youthe Nerve Agents are a continuous trainwreck in the making. Mr. Neanderthal back there slugging out the beats behind an eye-lined and ear-splitting string section, who themselves oughtta be scared out their wits of frontman Eric Ozene, veteran curdler, Spirit of 87, aint carin one bit about stripping out his bandmates guitar cords or knocking over their amp heads. Frontside snap kicks, headstocks-to-nosebleed, youth crew dog piles and trashy alterna-queens struttin their barely-legals all add to the fun of this past meets future hardcore rock show. The "from the ashes" clich fits nicely here; these kids have cut their teeth with the likes of Unit Pride, Redemption 87, Fury 66, and Model American (Redwood fucking City represent!), while lending hands to the Anti-Domestix and the Distillers.

By the way, the Nerve Agents are playing our Thrasher Skater of the Year party! And be forewarned: Yer lil frilly skater boy party shenanigans aint nothin compared to what these cats are capable of unleashing. Ive seen the aftermath Nightmares, holmes; nightmares.

What are your names?

Andy- Andy Outbreak
Tim- Timmy Stardust

What band do you play in?

A: Aerosmith. I mean Cream

What kind of music is the nerve Agents?

T: contemporary jazz
A: Reggae rock

Who are some influences?

A: Bob.. Just Bob
T: Our influences?

Yeah, you know like anything beating up jocks or boning sessions.

A: Tim is my inspiration.
T: Mine is Andy.

Who gets the most groupies?

A: Me.. (laughing).

Whats some favorite bands?

T: Andy you better go first dude.
A: uuummmm my favorite bands are the Nerve Agents, The Distillers uhh nah I don't know. Tim?
T: My favorite band is Andy.
A: The Pixies! Yeah my favorite band is the Pixies.

No way.

A: I take it back.

Tim, What size pants are those?

T: I dont know because I make my own clothes, but I guess I start with a 28 or a 29 And then I stitch it up.

Are you rex?

T: No! Look at you. So I am as rex as you.
A: What?
T: He thinks I am anorexic, but look at him.
A: hahahehe laughing.

Who is your favorite skateboarder?

T: Corey Duffel Yeah Corey and Tony Hawk.. laughing

What?

A: Whats the difference. Laughing

Whats your favorite magazine?

T: Inline Transworld inliner rollerblades. Laughing
A: Daily Bread.
T: Thrasher
A: Thrasher

Is the band gonna break up soon?

T: Inline Rollerblader.. laughing.. Uhhhmmm nobody knows.. Its a mystery.
A: Its a mystery.
T: Youll find out when it happens. Yeah yeah.
A: Yeah you will find out when it happens.
T: Its a mystery package.
A: Yeah, laughing, every show go to it because it might be the last.
T: Its the last or its not. You never know, its a gamble, like life.

Do know what the store Hot Topics is?

T: yeah

How do feel about the kids who shop there that come to the shows?

A: Laughing
T: Laughing Theyre good laughing. I like them. I like to lick them, I like to lick their faces.

Do you have a girlfriend?

T: Yes

Who is she?

T: Rose

What band is she in?

T: The Distillers.

Who do you live with?

T: Andy lives with me. Laughing.
A: Above Tim. I hear everything!
T: I live below Andy. Also just fags.
A: Well I am personally filled with fags. There is like six of them living inside of me.
T: We live with.. Well AFI lives here. Uh, and then there's the rest of them. There's like five college kids and the rest are frat.
A: boys
T: Yeah frat boys who suck dick.

Chuh man chuh?

T: Exactly

Pizza or Taco Bell?

A:T: Taco Bell!

Best food there?

T: Mexican pizzas dude.
A: Oh yeah

How long has the band been playing for?

A: Since 98. Four years.
T: Good math

Howd you get in the band Tim? I auditioned and I said is it cool if I jam with you?

A: No. It was because you had a mustache.

Have you played in any other bands?

T: Uhh yeah. Andy and I played in a band called Model American.

How long was that around for?

T: Since we were sixteen. We broke up in 1998, 99. Same time the Nerve Agents started.

What did you think of high school?

T:It sucks.
A: I went to it.

Do you go to college?

T: I go to art school so it doesnt even count.

Whens the last time you guys skated?

T: You mean the last time we rollerbladed. Dude I havent skated for minutes, Yeah like minutes man.
A: A second ago, Tim just bluntslid my face.

Have the nerve agents ever played at a Thrasher party before?

T: No, never.

Are you looking forward to it?

T: Very much!
A: Im not gonna be there.
T: Oh yeah, Andys not playing.

Awh really?

T: Your out of the interview.

Yeah you're gone.

Whats the best album?

T: Nirvana - Nevermind

Come on Andy!

A: Nothing Substantial. No no, no. Thats bullshit. I dunno

Thats fine because your out anyways.

What member do you fight with the most?

T: Dante. I tried to fight him on tour. We were really drunk.

Is he gay?

T: No he is just weird a lot...sometimes we make out.

Is punk dead?

T: Uhh yes and no.

What you talkn bout?

T: Punk is dead if it is an opposite day. It is not dead though because there is always going to be kids coming up playing aggressive music and having snotty attitudes, and thats punk.

What about the "Hot topic" kids?

T: That aint punk.
A: Thats "bunk".
T: Punk is a magazine.
A: Punk is not an attitude its a magazine.
T: Yeah its not a way of life its a magazine.

Who is the best bass player?

T: Fuckn whats his name.
A: Jocka Pastoria.
T: Yeah thats it, and then me.

Best Drummer?

A: Me

Best Guitarist?

T: Me

Yeah Timmy Stardust and Andy Outbreak for life.

A: Yes that is right.

Best vocals?

T: Corey Duffel for life!
A: Or Alanis Morsette... Just kidding

How were the Nerve Agents formed and how was the name thought up?

T: Andy you should take this one.
A: Whats the question? The Nerve. The Nerve Agents, they were thought of from Eric, and me, because we wanted to band Yeah we wanted to do band. And I knew Tim Because we were Model American, so me and Tim came. And we knew Dante...
T: When we would go to parties in Redwood City(R.C. represent!-webLORD), He would always be very destructive... So we thought he would be perfect for the band. Dante once pissed on a girl when Dante was on mushrooms.
A: Yeah he was on Mushrooms and and he pissed on a girls head while she was in the hot tub. Then we asked him to be in our band While he was pissing.

What happened to Erics band Redemption 87?

T: Arthritis. They just broke up.
A: They broke up like nine times.

Who thought up of the album name the Butterfly Collection?

T: Uhh me and Eric kinda came up with it. But mostly Eric.

What is the black eye make up about?

T: Ummm. Well when we fist started there was mostly hard core kids and a little punk kids and there wasnt that many you know. It was really segregated, The hard core scene and the punk scene And it still is. So Eric thought it would be cool to wear the make up. And because he was in Redemption 87 he was a Hard core guy and then he put on this make up. So then the hardcore kids stopped coming. Then you figure if you stop coming to our shows because of that shit, your lame! Ya know basically the hardcore kids would call us faggots. And if your like that your just dumb ass jocks any ways.
A: I never wore the make up, and I call them faggots anyways.

Have you talked to Kevin Cross since he left the band?

T: Yeah
A: yeah
T: A: We partied with him.
T: Me and him got drunk at the Dickies show And I made peace with him.
A: Hes got a band and he is doing good for himself.

How did you start playing music?

T: I started because I had a guitar but I couldnt play very well so I started playing to Ramones songs, Black Flag songs and Nirvana songs. Because they were easy to play.
A: Yeah me too, but I play drums instead.

Who are you guys again?

T: Im Tim

And you the fat one?

A: laughing I am big Graham
T: Laughing
A: Can I give some shout outs too hey is Plan B still a skateboarding team?

No, they died.

A: I give shout outs to Veraflex.
T: I just want everbody to know that rollerblading is not dead, it is very much alive.
A: And Tim is a fag because he rollerblades.
T: It is called inline skating Andy!
A: And skydiving, where the surf board is attached to your feet and you go flying. Extreme games for life.
T: And wake boarding too.

(interview courtesy of Corey Duffel at Thrasher Magazine)