(M)Was it your choice to play with Most Precious Blood and Born From Pain ?
(F) It was an idea that was brought up, and it seems like a good thing. Up and coming bands from Holland : Born From Pain, new bands from NY trying to do their thing, so it seems a descent good typage.

(OS) Do you think that hardcore has taken a new breath with popular bands like Hatebreed and Born From Pain ?
(F) You mean the style they are playing ? Yeah, I mean Hatebreed, is is being doing really well lately, and that style is starting to influence other bands, it's great, it's good that the hardcore scene could be diverse. It's good to have different styles, it's important you know. Hatebreed and Madball come from the same roots, but we sound different.You know what I'm saying, and that's cool to have these differents elements of hardcore and stuff like that.

(M) For you, does this new Hardcore scene come from the hardcore roots you created ?
(F) Yeah I think so. I know Jamie from when he first started doing Hatebreed. The played some shows with us un Connecticut, he was always involved in the scene. He's still like that. His band is doing really well in America. He takes a lot of bands and bring 'em on tour. He's got that hardcore mentality. We've always mentained that.

(OS) After twenty years of music what significate for you "Madball" ? An income, a joyce, a social revendication ?
(F) It means a lot to us, even more now because we took a two year break because we were having a lot of problems, personnel stuff and band stuff. And I think that on the time that we had off we realized what an impact it did make on our lives, how bigger part of our life it was and how much we missed it. It's what we do, we love doing it, that's what we choose, as a career if you wanna say or whatever, this is our life.

(M) Your last released "Hold it down" was in year 2000, have you planed to make a new one ?
(F) We actually have started writting new songs, and we plan on doing a new album. It's not gonna come out until 2004, next year, but we maybe come out with an EP before that. Because we got a few new songs and we're gonna be coming back on the Resistance Tour, so maybe we'll come back with something new for that Tour. But, yeah, we plan on doing an album and everything, Come Back !

(OS) As a human person like the others, what did you felt when you saw the twin towers fall ?
(F) It was pretty disturbing. I felt a lot of things in the same time, anger, sadness, frustation, like what the hell is gonna happen next ? You know it was pretty crazy, one one way I was fortunat that I didn't have any of my family members die there, thak God, but other people like, brother was 2 blocks away he could have die and I know other people that lost their people there. It was a sad time, especially because it happened right in our back yard. I know it affected the whole world but when it's right in your back yard, it affected you that much more. But everybody really came together in NY, I think all over the world, all over the states. People really united behind something, you know, lot of innocent lives were lost, but the only positive thing that came from this is that people became more aware of a lot of things. The dangers of certain elements out there and also more appreciation for their own life life and stuff.

(M) Has the N.Y. City way of life changed ? Is the relationship between citizens different ?
(F) It changed. The city is like the melting pot of the world. People that live in that city know about adversity. They know about going through tough things. That was like a big blow but it's back to kind of how it was. But there is still that presence, you know with the military and everuthing. And when you look up and you don't see the twin towers, there's always that reminder of what happened. But it's a strong city, you can't just take it out like that.

(OS) Do you know the european scene ? What do you think of it ? Can you name some bands you like ? Some french bands maybe ?
(F) I love it. Kickback, Stormcore. Those are the main 2 that I know, I don't know if there's any new one I should know about ? I know a little bit about bands here and there but it's hard to hear about the new bands. I'm sure if I lived in here I would know about them.

(M) Is it hard for european bands to come and play to the US ?
(F) I think it's hard, but I also think there is going to be a time. Bands like Backfire from Holland, and Discipline went to the US and played with us. Of course you have the business and stuff like that, but I think that if the band can make an impact on theirt own country, stand on their 2 feet pretty well, I think they can do OK in america too. I think it's gonna happen in the next few year where you're gonna get more european bands coming to the US for a change. I think it's gonna be a time for that, I hope !!!

(OS) What are your projects for the next months, after the tour ?
(F) When we'll finish this tour, we got another 2 weeks. We got back, we're gonna work on some more new stuff. Maybe get an EP together, hopefully for the Resistance Tour, take it from there. But it's a good to be back.

(M) How did you come to tattoo ? Which is your first one, and why did you made it ?
(F) I was influenced a lot by my brother Roger from Agnostic Front, when I was a kid, guys like him, Vinnie, Frengy, all guys from NY.
I used to see this guys, when I would sse them always got these tattoos and I used to think it was cool, altough people think it was strange. And I think from that moment I always knew I was gonna have tattoos. It's either you like it or not. You can look at it and think "taht's for me or not".
Or people get to it latter on in life, when they get older, that's cool too. Now it's trendier. All kind of people have tatto. But I remember a time when I was kid, when my brother and all the other guys that I know, were like outcast. You still get looked upon like strange but it's more and more acceptable now. Back then, it was like : "What's up with these guys, you know !".
When I was like 15, I get my first tattoo. I got some little scibber thing on my hankle.
But that was like really cheesy. It says "A.F. Junior" That was my first tattoo ever but I don't count that much. This is my second, when I was 16. That's my last name.
Then I got this one : Jesus Christ. I come from a catholic background so I've always liked religious work. I always liked the way they look, angels and saints.
I'm not the best exemple of a catholic, but I like all that religious type of art, always did.
I don't know what orederd after that.
This and this and then I lost track. This is my family Christ .
My mother's family (my mother is cuban) but her family Christ come from spain (her last name is Gonzalez) and this is the oldest Gonzalz Christ. My mother's roots are up here, and I just like the way the Christ look. And there's my father family Christ which I found in a history thing but I wasn't sure if it's authentic, si I changed it. So now I claimed it (lough) , my Chirst now. I claimed it for my family. I got all kinds of stuff you know.

(OS) Among all your tattoos, which one do you prefer, and why ?
(F) The one I prefer I haven't got it yet. I'm gonna get my back done this year. I've always liked my newest ones but probably the one I like the most is this one, (a personn in harmor), fighting temptation that's what it says.

(M) Which is the last one ? Have you got an idea of what the next will be made of ?
(F) The last one, I got the color inside, the background in here to join it together, I haven't got nothing really new in like 3 years, the next one is gonna be my back.

(OS) Is there a tattoo artist whose work impress you more than every one else ? Who's he ? Would you like him to tattoo you ?
(F) Mike Leger. Ther's a lot of great tattoo artists out there like, you have a guy from California, his name is Cartoon. A guy in a West Coast, he's been doing a lot of the big rap stars and a lot of those guys. He's been tattooing them a lot lately. He's got like a East LA, West Coast style. But he's a really impressive tattoo artist. But I don't have any work from him, maybe I'll get some in the futur. Mike Leger is a great tattoo artist, he's the last guy wha tattooed me. He did all the background. He's the guy that is most likely to do my back and I think he's just gettin' better every year. He works in Hawaï, but also in NY Hardcore Tattoos when he comes in NY. And Chris Garver, he works in California now, used to work in NY. He's a great artist, there's a lot of guys you know.
Most of my tattoos are one my arms. Some of them are gettin' a little old now, because some of them are 8 or 10 years old. But they're still olding up. I have no regrets, I like it.

Thanks.

Interview Manu & O.S.
Translation by Tataye

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