This week, Togetherfest hits London after making its way around Europe. The line-up features a stellar cast of bands from right across the board. One of the most recognisable names in hardcore, Walter Schreifels, has been doing double duty on the tour in both Youth Of Today and his latest project, Vanishing Life. Not to mention he has curated the line-up for the tour, which also includes American Nightmare, Trash Talk, and Wolf Down.
“Hardcore can often get lost in its own rituals and formulas,’ says Schreifels, explaining how they wanted diverse cast of bands on the tour. “I feel the bands on this year’s fest to be pushing up against those expectations. The commonality is that connection to the roots combined with an innovative spirit.”
Speaking of commonality, that has always been part of the glue that should keep hardcore together. It tends to wax and wane, going through stage of either unity or turmoil. On that subject, Schreifels admits that “the scene could certainly benefit from some unity,” right now. “In the New York scene I came up in there were many different styles and we would all learn from each other. We got better faster and the standards got higher. Like New York itself, we had a diversity that created something unique.”
Hardcore, essentially, is something that stays with you forever. Even those who drift from the scene usually take something with them and apply it elsewhere; be it music or attitude. For some, the first time they go to a hardcore show really is the first day of the rest of their life.
“There’s a family vibe to it and a system of support that continues on,” states Schreifels, when asked what he would tell someone who is just discovering hardcore. “At a glance, it might appear that it’s about being tough but I don’t think that’s where it’s really at. It’s about creating a scene which can for a while be a utopia until the next wave of kids come in and put their mark on it.”
To celebrate Togetherfest coming to the UK, and on the back of the excellent Vanishing Life album, ‘Surveillance’, we are premiering the video for the self-titled track below.
“Every hardcore band worth its spit has a song with their band name as the title and this is ours,” Scheifels emphatically states. “The visuals play like they do in my mind, great dancing scenes too. Learn the lyrics, sing along.”
Togetherfest takes place on February 25th at The Electric Ballroom in London. Vanishing Life’s self titled album is available now via Dine Alone Records.