During some conversations that I've had with some people that I don't know quite that long, one question keeped popping up.
"How did you get into all of this, how did you get into hardcore, this live you're living now. What has gotten you into straight edge, vegetarianism" and so on.
This is my story.
I was born in Ghent in '88, and lived since then in a small town called Belzele, about 10 km away from Ghent or civilisation for all I know.
I have pretty good childhood memories about this town though, just not knowing about the bigger things this world has to offer. Growing up on the countryside was good as well, kids love the outdoors, so do/did I. Everything went quite well until the summer of 2000 after I just 'graduated' from primary school. I witnessed the death of one of my closest friends at that time. Hit and run. the person responsible for it never to be found. Other witnesses of the accident claim the driver was drunk according to his driving capabilities seen before the crash.
This was pretty much the biggest turning point in my life. In that same late summer of 2000 I got into high school, where I had a hard time adjusting to people and school. Nobody hadn't really given me the chance to mourn, the school which had no idea what happened wasn't aware of the issues I had. I almost failed my first year, forcing me to pick another school and subject. This made it even worse.
In 2001 I started out at PTI in Eeklo. I went there until I failed my year in 2004 changing schools again. These 3 years where probably the worst years of my life and I'm not even kidding.
I started hanging out with the wrong people, wrong 'friends', started drinking frequently after school, got into fights, with time I became the black sheep of my class, if the teachers weren't, then I was center of all mockery. I knew I shouldn't expect any help from teachers because if they were harrasing me they weren't harrasing them. So from then on I got into a lot of arguments and other bullshit with my teachers leading to even more bullshit throughout the years I kept going there, I didn't give a fuck anymore, Why should I. vicious circle
In the summer of 2002 at age 14 I went on summercamp to Maloja Switzerland, this how ever was pretty good! I was put in a room with 5 other great dudes, one of them Jan-a dude with 'long' hair, quite the 'rebellious' type had leant me his discman, getting me immediatly into Rage Against The Machine. During lunchbreaks I sat with him at the table talking about all these new bands I got to know through him, picking up our food he said to the lunchlady, "I'm a vegetarian", and he got this rich filled plate of veggies and a great veggie burger. So I said "I'll take the same as him in my best French". This is pretty much how it started out, I never saw this dude again after that summer but the change he had brought I'll never forget. So I got home, saying I was veggie. Living in a small countryside town where agriculture is a big part of the daily life and your dad who's actually the son of a animalfarmer, it was pretty hard convincing my parents over and over again this was for real and not just some phase like they called it. So I kept it up, until this day over six years now, still a phase mom & dad, I don't think so.
So after that summer, back to school, shit got worse, even more due to the fact I was growing my hair and I didn't fit in into the image of the avarage scooterboy asshole my school was populated by. In that previous year, I always wanted to fit in, wanted to be a part of that gang, having no idea I was selling out on who I really was, RATM turned this all around. I realised I didn't have to fit in, in a matter of fact I didn't want to become an asshole like all of them, since then I was out of step with everyone and everything. Or at least at that time... I always knew things between me and my brother were watered down, since he was going to the same school as me and being 2 years older, instead of 'protecting' me or taking a stand for me he started out being the same dickhead like everyone else, even when I got into a fight and I saw him laughing at me, that did it, that was it, I knew then already we were through. About not fitting in, I'd hit me even harder when I was still in that phase of listing to the shit music my brother was into and for all I know the whole school, which was dance, techno and whatever, the rubbish kind and the music like RATM. I got into Deftones, one night I sent a text message to the radiostation to play Minerva by Deftones. They didn't have any albums by them they said. "You're listening to the wrong station dude" So I stopped listening to that crap.
So I thought I was out of step with everyone. I guess not. At school i began wandering around during lunch hours, just listening to music when I ran into some punk/hc kids, wearing Agnostic Front hoodies, having cazy hairstyles, running around with skateboards. I should smash my face into a wall for not getting together with these guys and getting into skateboarding as well. I guess I was afraid of getting my ass kicked again. I shouldn't of been afraid. One of those guys is now actually a pretty good friend of mine, maybe he is because I met him at a better time in my life. So I just held my distance getting into the music they were into.
And the next thing I know I failed my year and got to go look for another school.
So after looking for something the whole summer I eventually started out at VISO Mariakerke. This is where I went to school from 2004 upon graduation in 2007. This on the other hand was pretty much a great school. But that also caused me having troubles adjusting to everything and everyone. I met some really legit people, one of them was David. when I first saw him, I was like what the fuck, this kid's even worse then me, David switched schools the same year as me, coming out of pretty much the same situation as me, So he came into the classroom, late wearing this dready pants full of metal patches and wearing some Slipknot shirt. From that day we were hard to be spotted alone. we always hung out, pulling stupid jokes on each other, talking about music, new bands and whatever, I realized I finally found my place.
So after that first year of being together in school we decided to go to Pukkelpop in august of 2005. Over the months we got to know new bands and started checking them out, I saw an episode of Battle for Ozzfest where they were showing some live footage of an Unearth gig, and boy let me tell you I was hooked from the moment I heard them play! So at pukkelpop we got to check out 12 tribes, Everytime I die, A Life Once Lost and Chimaera. Especially those last dudes changed a lot, Me and David discovered the Pyrrhus Records Store in Ghent ran by Bruno who is now actually on of my closest friends. We bought the cd of Chimaera which was also released on Genet records where I spend my time now as well together with Bruno, and we started hanging out at the Pyrrhus more and more. That is where I found this:
This was my first HC show, november 12 2005, H8000 Fest.
We had no idea how this was gonna be but before we knew it we were on the train to Kortrijk, all we wanted was to see Chimaera, but after them Liar played, the almighty Liar. This night has changed my life forgood. that night I claimed Straight Edge as a part of me.
I had heard about it, but never seen or experienced 'it'. After pukkelpop I went to a metalfest in Eeklo where I met some great people and actually drunk my last bits of alcohol. After the fest me and my girl were going to a friend of hers her birthday party. This is where I met Duive. I'd seen him in Eeklo when I was still in school, I saw him on pukkelpop and also earlier that day in Eeklo at the fest roadying for Days Of Betrayal, of which he is now the singer. Since I knew almost no one at the party we started talking, he started talking about straight edge as well. David had claimed edge some months before pukkelpop, I was just getting to know it through him. So during september of that year I had quit everything, I stopped drinking, smoking and drugs. although I knew straight edge was the probable answer to all my questions, I needed someone to actually tell me. About a week later David showed up at school handing me over a cd that said it all: Minor Threat's Complete Discography:
This gave me the answer but still I needed convincing, something that Liar would quickly take care off on november 12 at H8000 fest. I never knew HC and SXE were and are something so big but at the same time so small. That night rocked my world, when I saw how intense this gig was, kids giving every single bit of energy they've got, singing every lyric along. This was what I've been looking for.
I do realize now, I might of turned edge out of fashion, or because some friends were doing it. I don't really care about it now, the edge has grown in me and nowadays I tend to keep it to myself in daily life, cause people only know the weird and shit things about SXE and HC. Throughout the years my concept and perception on straight edge changed, for the better, getting into bands like Champion, Betrayed and lots more. I started being straight edge as something for myself, the way it should actually be I guess.
So this is how it all started, me and David went more and more to shows, we were meeting new people, people like us, we made friends, in 2006 we got to know some of the Eeklo kids and we all went together to Ieperfest in august of that same year, we had the best of times and we still do.
Hardcore and Straight Edge have given me so much in this life that I'll never be able to repay if I had the chance to do so. It kept me from drinking myself into oblivion, it kept me from hanging out with the wrong people. It got me into being true to myself, it got me into great adventures, it made me get to know real, lasting friends.
I knew I could never pay back for what HC has given me.. how cheesy this may sound but after all I found a way to do my part. As we heard the Pyrrhus was closing down, we went to the shop for the gig that Bruno held in the empty store, No Recess and Shredder played, you could see it as an honor salute haha. after the show I said to Bruno, if you need anyone helping out with moving or whatever, I'm your guy, I guess he must've thought, 'another kid with lotsa talk and no action' so I heard nothing from him. In sept. of 2007 a bulletin was broadcasted through myspace genet was looking for volunteers so I applied, probably the best thing I did in 2007
From there on it went only upward, I got to know even more awesome music, awesome people got to see lots of bands and had the chance to work on Ieperfest in 2008 and currently working on the 2009 edition.
So this is my story, somewhere I should be thanking those fucking assholes from my old school. If they hadn't give me such a hard time, I wouldn't of been searching for something more, that something that led me to all of this, to all I have and am right now.
For those who know the story about Band of Brothers, you could see those guys as Capt. Sobel and me as Easy Company...
promises kept and lasting values
it's all that really matters.
