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Interview
with Davey Havok- 1999 B: Thanx so much for taking the time out to do this, im sure you must be busy. Its greatly appreciated. When I was asked to do interviews for Agree to Disagree I decided that AFI was definitely on the top of my list, and here I am. DH: No problem, this is Davey Havok, I'll be answering. B: A lot of people are wondering when your birthdays are. Your music has been around for a while and you're becoming a staple in the punk/hardcore scene. That would lead some to believe you're a lot older, but you're only in your early twenties right? DH: Yes we are all in our early twenties. I was born on a full moon in November. Really. B: I know Mark and Geoff left the band, and so you picked up Hunter and Jade. Was the switch of members hard to get used to? Do you see this as being the permanent line up for AFI? DH: Yes, I think this line up is very strong. The switches were very easy to get used to because we were replacing people who no longer had a love for us or the music we created, with people who did. B: Your sound has changed a lot over the years, though it does seem to be somewhat of a natural progression. What has influenced you to take on the darker heavier sound that you sport now? DH: To me it seems that the music slowly began to meet the lyrics and currently they both compliment and work with each other very well. I have always appreciated dark and introspective music, it appeals to me more than any other kind of music. I suppose that would account in part for our darkening. B: In the long run are you planning on pursuing this sound, or is it merely a phase in your evolving musical tastes? DH: We don't actually persue any sound really, we just do what comes natural to us. Currently what you hear is what we are, we couldn't be anything else without the music sounding forced in some way and I am very happy with our newest releases. I can't imagine ever losing the dark quality, however that is not to say that the music will not change in some way. B: A lot of bands seem to be sounding like and moving in the same direction as Blink182 since that's where success seems to lie. You guys have definitely held your own and don't seem to be propelled by success as much, so what drives you? DH: Well, I wouldn't say we are not interested in success. However, success to me does not have a monetary value, but instead is the feeling that I get when I know that there are a group of people who truly appreciate what I have dedicated my life, and my entire self, to. By my standards we are currently very successfull. That is not to say, however, that I wouldn't like to expand our fan base. It's great that there are so many people who currently enjoy what we do, and it would be great if there were more. But if we were playing music that I didn't believe in, that didn't mean anything to me personally, it wouldn't matter to me if 6 million people thought we were the best thing in the world. It just wouldn't be real. By the way, there's nothing I enjoy more than playing shows. B: There's been talk about how your fanbase has grown immensely and worries thatthe bond that is formed when a band plays a small venue will soon disappear.I know where I live you're playing w/ SOIA at a huge theater in which thesame impact might not be made. Do you plan on making this a habit? DH: I definitely understand what you mean about the small venues. At most small venues there are no barricades which allows for the intimacy that makes our shows so much fun. I do not however, believe that impact made at small venues, cannot be made at bigger venues. It really relies on the crowds willingness to overcome the size of the and the barricade both physically and mentally. I always prepare for those shows before hand, because I feel I too have to work hard to overcome the obstacles. I alway do whatever I can to make it more personal. I have played some of my most enjoyable shows at larger venues suprisingly enough and I have spoken to some kids who were at those shows, all of whom who've seen us many times at places like Gilman and The Roxy, and said that the aformentioned bigger shows were some of the best. I'm being long winded, I aplogize...Finally, to answer your question, we just play whichever venue is most appropriate for us to play at within each city. Whereas I love to play small venues, I always feel terrible playing in some city that we come to maybe, say, once a year, and turning away kids who wanted to see us because the show is sold out. Not that it happens very often, but every once in a while it does. B: Recently someone on the message board said "If the guys in AFI don't have serious girlfriends, then there is no hope for me." Any of you tied the knot yet? DH: No. B: I've heard that you are interested in acting and have been in a movie or two, is this something you are interested in persuing? DH: Yes, I do love acting, and yes I did have a very small part in and indie film called "Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore". I would love to act more. Unfortunately I think I've limited my options for roles with my permanent bodily adornments. B: You're a great role model in being sXe and vegetarian. What made you decide to commit to this? Has anyone else in the band done the same? DH: Jade is SXE, Hunter and Adam are both Vegetarians. Personally I have never found the practice of recrational drug use appealing. In fact, I have always found the lifestyle and the people who surround it to be abhorrent. I never quite understood why anyone would risk sacrificing their bodies, minds, and relationships at the expense of a quick damaging high. I grew up in a small town and at my highschool, like every highschool, everyone's recreation of choice was drug abuse. I never understood it. I never took part and always felt quite alone in this decision. Then one day I discovered a band called Minor Threat and realized that there were more people out there who thought like me. I was very excited to say the least, and what was more encouraging, these people were part of the oh so self destructive punk scene. From that day on I claimed the X. I continue to do so today because I believe the SXE philosophy is a very positive one that many people, especially young people, can benefit from greatly if they have the desire. B: The punk/hardcore scene seems to be shrinking where I live. Do you feel its diminishing at all? If so, what should be done to prevent this? DH: Well, honestly the only place I have actually noticed the punk scene diminishing in is the mainstream but it will be re-discovered in about 8-10 years anyway, so yeah.....I'd talk about that some more but it would take too long. Other than that it seems to me to be as strong as ever. I'm sorry if it's lacking where you live. All I can say is that we should encourage everyone to support their local bands. All tourning bands are local at some point and they can never grow if they do not have the initial support, and hey, what's a punk scene without good new punk bands? B: More and more Ive seen little girls at shows all dressed up seeming to know nothing about the music and screaming " I love you insert band member here" How do you feel about that? DH: I don't know. Who's to really say if those little girls don't both truly appreciate the music and have heavy crushes on the bandmembers. If they are truly at the shows just 'cause they find one of the guys in the band attractive, I suppose that's their perrogative. Who am I to say who should and shouldn't go to shows. I do however understand what your getting at, I mean, it is definitely repulsive at times, but if they're enjoying themselves and not really hurting anyone..... B:I've noticed you have an abundance of tattoos but Ive never been close enough to depict what they are. Care to share? Do any imparticular have a special meaning? DH: Well, I have a lot of X's a lot of ghosts, Jack o Lanterns, bats and a few black cats. Some other stuff that's less visible as well. Most of it's pretty self explanatory DH: What do the guys in AFI do when not working? We go to movies, hang out with friends, some of us go to the gym. Normal stuff. B: What were you like as a kid? Good in school? Popular? Shy?girlfriends(or boyfriends-haha)? DH: Well, I'm not too different from how I was as a kid. I was raised on eighties video games. I guess most people would say I was good in school, popular, on the other hand, I'm not so sure? I was in a lot of plays and musicals. I had one girlfriend surprisingly enough. Girls weren't very into the strange spooky kid. I liked to skate. Sucked then, suck more now. I always liked monsters and Halloween and that kinda stuff. Like I said not much has changed. B: I know at one time you were in college, what was your major? Do you ever regret dropping out to concentrate on AFI? DH: Yes, I attended UCB for two years. Just before I dropped out I was about to declare a double major of Physcholgy/English. I do not regret leaving to do AFI in the least. College was leading me nowhere that I really wanted to be. I mean it was okay, but all I really saw that could make me happy was either a career in acting, or being in a band. I'm very lucky to be able to do what were doing. B: Who or what is the antithesis of AFI? DH: Hmmm, I suppose that would be a happy Ska band who bases it's existence on encouraging people to be as disrespectful to one another as possible and to wear lots of bright colors while doing it. Um, yeah. B: If you could play a four band bill with any band in existence, who? why? where? and in what order would they play? DH: Okay... It would be at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. We played there with Rancid almost a year ago and it was really fun but I don't know if we'll ever get to play there again because it's huge. We would have to play first on this bill because I would have to guess that the fans of the bands I'm about to list would wanna show up late and miss us. I suppose the bill, from last to first would be The Cure, Bauhaus (I think they're back together, I know I saw them recently) , Danzig and afi. I'd want to play with these bands because they're some of my all time favorites and, although we wouldn't quite fit with any of them, it would be quite an honor to play with them. B: What could make AFI stop? and what would you do if that were ever to happen? DH: I don't even want to think about this. B: Any last words or regrets? DH: Thank to everyone who took the time to read this and I apologize if I bored you. Brooke, thanx for the interview. Hope to see you in Cleveland. brooke*
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