18 Questions with THE DEAL!

I am excited to share this interview with you. Some of you may have heard that The Deal is getting back together, I had a chance to ask them 18 questions about where they have been, what they are doing, and what the future plans are for the band now that they are officially back together.

If you never heard The Deal, they are an awesome hardcore/Oi! style band. These guys were putting out Christian influenced hardcore/Oi! when nobody else really was. So if you want, you could really credit a lot of the great hardcore bands that are out there now to the influence of The Deal. If you haven’t picked up any of their albums, go and do so, I promise that you will not be disappointed!

Band Name: The Deal
Music Style: Street Punk/Oi!/Hardcore
Location (Home Base): Chino, CA
Myspace Page: www.myspace.com/thedeal

1. Let me start by thanking you guys for taking some time for an interview! Where has The Deal been and why all the sudden is The Deal getting back together?

WELL LIFE HAPPENS AND WE ALL MOVE ON. RECENTLY WE’VE FELT THE NEED TO REGROUP AND JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENS. WE REALLY JUST WANTED TO GET BACK TOGETHER FOR THE OUTLET AND THE COMRADERY WITH NO EXPECTATIONS.

2. Tell us about all the other bands the guys have been playing in, is everyone taking a break from their current bands?

WELL RICK, TOM, DEREK AND DAVE HAVE BEEN BUSY FOR PASTER COUPLE YEARS WITH “EL DEATH.” THEY’VE BEEN DOING WELL AND THEY RULE I MUST SAY. THEY MAY TAKE A SMALL BREAK TO CONCENTRATE ON WRITING SOME NEW DEAL MATERIAL BUT THERE IS A HIGH DEMAND FOR THEM IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SO I’M SURE THEY WILL STAY FRESH AND READY TO JAM. (CHECK THEM OUT IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY..MYSPACE. COM/ELDEATHBAND)

3. We heard that Rick is forming a new band with Chad from Officer Negative, Justin & Jason from The Havoc, Dakota from Dead 77 & The Mopic, can you tell us anything about that?

RICK LEADS A DOUBLE LIFE….HE’S OUR BATMAN SO HE MUST BE THEIR BRUCE WAYNE. – BUT REALLY YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK HIM .. I HAVE NO CLUE.

4. You guys have a killer show coming up in Chino, CA on February 7th at the Stronghold with No Innocent Victim, Death Comes Fast, The Rekoning, and Faith Snakes, is this your first show back together? How did this all-star lineup come to be?

YA I CAN’T WAIT. IT’S OFFICIALLY OUR FIRST SHOW BACK FROM OUR HIATUS. AND AS FAR AS THE LINEUP GOES, ALL OF THESE BANDS ARE SOME OF OUR BEST FRIENDS AND HAVE BEEN FOR MANY YEARS. THE LINE UP IS VERY FITTING…AND ITS THE PERFECT MIX OF STYLES, JUST LIKE THE DEAL LIKES IT.

5. We notice that you don’t have any other dates lined up yet to play, can we expect some more dates? Will the band be touring in 2009?

INDEED , WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON BOOKING QUITE A FEW SHOWS FOR THE SPRING. BUT YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN ABSENT FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, SO WE MAY TREAD LIGHTLY AND SEE HOW PEOPLE ACCEPT US COMING BACK BEFORE WE START MAKING FUTURE PLANS.

6. Is The Deal writing new material? Are you planning on putting out any new material?

WE CURRENTLY HAVE 3 NEW SONGS IN THE WORKS, 2 ARE PRETTY SOLID. WE ARE DEFINITELY WANTING TO HAVE A NEW RECORD WITHIN THE YEAR. WE SHALL SEE.

7. It has been quite a number of years since The Deal was together, what changes, if any have you noticed in the hardcore/punk scene?

TO BE HONEST, I, MYSELF HAVE BEEN PRETTY MUCH OUT OF THE “SCENE.” I KEEP TABS ON MY FRIENDS BANDS N SUCH TO SUPPORT THEM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT..I TRULY NEEDED A BREAK. I WAS PRETTY BURNT OUT. CALL THAT WHAT YOU WANT. AND IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY CHANGES, I DO HOPE THEY ARE FOR THE BETTER AND THAT EVERYONE IS TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER.

8. What are the future plans for The Deal, will you be playing a tour and going your separate ways, or will The Deal be sticking around for while?

WELL,OUR PLAN IS TO STICK AROUND, BUT THAT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE COMING OR NOT (COMING TO SEE US), AND LISTENING OR NOT LISTENING TO US. WE ARE ALL IN A DIFFERENT (BETTER)PLACE THESE DAYS SO THE THINGS THAT WOULD HINDER US IN THE PAST REALLY AREN’T THERE ANYMORE, WE FEEL LIKE THIS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO US SUCCEEDING FURTHER THAN BEFORE..(IN OUR EYES ANYHOW)

9. The Deal is a Christian Hardcore band, no doubt about it, will The Deal continue to sing about our Lord and Saviour, or will you be taking a more secular approach this time?

WELL, THE DEAL HAS ALWAYS WRITTEN ABOUT LIFE. AND IN OUR LIVES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WAS MOST IMPORTANT, BUT NOT ALL OF OUR AUDIENCE HAS THE SAME STORY AS WE DO SO IT’S TOUGH FOR THEM TO RELATE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE WHAT WE FEEL, WHEREVER GOD WILL HAVE US, THAT’S WHERE WE WILL BE.

10. Now that you are all a little older and wiser (aren’t we all, moshing kills me!), what things will the band do differently than you did the first go around?

WELL I HAVE A CANE NOW SO I’LL NEED A MIC STAND, AND TOM HAS A WALKER, SO HE HAS TO SIT AND PLAY BASS. KIDDING! WE’RE ALMOST THERE THOUGH..ALL I CAN PREDICT IS THAT THE MUSIC WILL GET TIGHTER AND A LITTLE MORE COMPLEX I’M SURE. US HAVING MANY NEW INFLUENCES MUSICALLY WILL HAVE AN IMPACT AS WELL.

11. The Deal has had a huge influence on the Christian hardcore scene, have you had other bands that tell you The Deal is the reason they play or that you influenced them?

WOW, THANK YOU THAT MEANS EVERYTHING TO US. I SUPPOSE, I MEAN AFTER WE PUT OUT SOME RECORDS AND MADE OUR WAY AROUND THE STATES WE DEFINITELY STARTING SEEING MORE BANDS COME UP IN THE VEIN OF WHAT WE WERE DOING. (THE MIX OF HARDCORE, STREETPUNK AND OI) WHICH WAS BOTH FLATTERING AND ENCOURAGING AT THE SAME TIME. WE HAVE A MILLION AND ONE FRIENDS THAT DO SAY WE HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON THEM MUSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY WHICH TO US IN PRICELESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE THE SAME FOR US.

Crazy video of The Deal circa 2005, I am glad they are back for more fun!

12. What bands have influenced The Deal, are there any bands out there now that you all have been listening to and really recommend?

OH MAN TOO MANY TO NAME, AS FAR AS WRITING GOES, WE ALWAYS LOOKED TO AGNOSTIC FRONT, SICK OF IT ALL, THE ANTI-HEROES, AC/DC, THE COCNKEY REJECTS ETC. FOR INFLUENCE. LATELY (STILL NOT FORGETTING OUR ROOTS) WE’VE BEEN REALLY INTO QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, CLUTCH, BLACK SABBATH, ETC. “WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN INTO THESE BANDS BUT NOT SO MUCH AS FOR WRITING FOR THE DEAL (UNTIL NOW).

13. What have been some of the most memorable moments for the band?

AGAIN, TOO MANY TOO MANY, EVERY TIME WE WOULD BE IN THE STUDIO AND BASICALLY WRITE A SONG IN 30 MINUTES AND IT ENDS UP BEING OUR FAVORITE TRACK ON THE RECORD. THAT’S ALWAYS MEMORABLE. EVERY TIME WE WOULD MEET A NEW FRIEND OR HEAR THAT WE HELPED SOMEONE OUT ALONG THE WAY WAS ALWAYS THE MOST MEMORABLE BECAUSE IT WAS THE WHOLE REASON FOR US BEING AROUND. AND OF COURSE TOURING AND GETTING TO SEE AND MEET FRIENDS AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE CAN FLY ANYWHERE AND HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME…THAT IS AMAZING. AND HUMBLING.

14. Tell us about the best show The Deal ever played and why?

THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE…I’LL GIVE YOU TWO. 1ST WHEN WE PLAYED WITH AGNOSTIC FRONT IN CONNETICUT. IT MEANT A LOT TO US, THEM BEING A HUGE INFLUENCE ON US AND KNOWING THE HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE OF THAT BAND. AND THEN TO GO TO DENNYS THAT NIGHT AND HANG WITH THEM AND TALK TRASH WAS SICK. THEY ARE THE BEST DUDES AROUND. 2ND I’D HAVE TO SAY OUR LAST SHOW, MAINLY BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH EMOTION BEHIND IT AND WE HAD ALL OF OUR MEMBERS UP THERE SHARING WHAT WE ALL HAD CREATED TOGETHER. IT WAS BITTERSWEET AND PRICELESS.

15. Can you tell us some things about the band members that nobody knows?

RICK CAN FIX ANYTHING, DEREK IS A SUPER HERO, TOM IS GOING TO BE PRESIDENT, DAVE IS ALREADY PRESIDENT, AND I (COLLIN) AM HALF SHARK.

16. If you could convey a message to hardcore scene today, what would that be?

I DARE YOU TO LISTEN TO SOMETHING ELSE.

17. Anything you want to tell the fans of The Deal?

YOUR SUPPORT HAS MADE US FEEL UNBREAKABLE. WE PRAY TO GET TO SING ALONG WITH EVERYONE AGAIN VERY SOON. TO EVERYONE THAT DID NOT GIVE UP ON US EVEN AFTER WE THREW IN THE TOWEL, WE ARE HUMBLED AND MOST APPRECIATIVE. GOD BLESS OUR FRIENDS.

18. Feel free to add anything, shout-outs, links, whatever you want!

THANK YOU TO HXCCHRISTIAN. COM FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND TAKING THE TIME TO GIVE LIL’ OL ME SOME TIME TO RUN MY MOUTH. ALSO FORGIVE MY MISSPELLS AND PUNCTUATION, I AM BED RIDDEN AND VERY SICK RIGHT NOW..I’M PRETTY MUCH SEEING DOUBLE.
AND IF YOU GOT THE END OF THIS INTERVIEW..

Don’t forget to check out the forum, you can go and discuss God, music, and good times there (and fellowship with other hardcore Christians!!!)