Go It Alone hails from Vancouver, B.C. a.k.a. Rain City. They have been one of the most influential hardcore bands that I have listened to since my start in the hardcore scene almost 6 years ago when I started going to shows in later half of 9th grade. I continued to support them throughout the years due to their sincerity (especially Mark, who did vocals) - even though I got more and more unsatisfied as to where the general hardcore scene (especially within California) was going and how kids acted within it. Along with Go It Alone, there were other bands I saw sincerity in at the time of my engagement with Go It Alone. Bands like Allegiance, and Verse - both who were on Rival Records at the time (later turned into Rivalry Records) after Go It Alone had left Straight On records. It was times such as these when I had fun going to most shows that I attended. At the time of their existence, I would say they were one of the only few bands on the West Coast within the general hardcore scene that tackled issues such as gender roles, sexism, societal conformity, and macho assholes in the hardcore scene. I wish I saw more bands with similar sincerity in the general hardcore scene today (although it is heavily present in the radical hardcore scene with bands like 7 Generations). It's kind of sad. Luckily I got to go Vancouver in the December of 2007 to see their last show. It was amazing and I experienced snow for the first time!
Anyways, below is their first 7 inch EP titled "Vancouver Gold" and a few pictures I took at their last Southern California show at Chain Reaction and second to last show ever in Vancouver, BC.
Go It Alone - Vancouver Gold
Download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B16LLYD9Pictures:
4 comments:
Though I didn't get in to Go It Alone as early as you did (try freshman year of college instead of freshman year of high school) they're one of my all time favorite hardcore bands lyrically. "Our Mistakes" was the first GIA song I ever heard and if that doesn't express how many of us feel in our late teens and early 20's then I don't know what does.
Unfortunately, I never got to see them perform before they broke up. I've become increasingly disenchanted with the hardcore scene in Northern California over the years, especially my place in it as female. Who knows, maybe GIA attracted a different crowd than who I usually saw at shows. I have a hard time imagining hardcore being more than just a boys club though, no matter what the band on the stage is saying.
But really, GIA lyrics are top notch. "Nobody But You" is another favorite of mine: "This is what I've learned: Don't search for solace in another's embrace. Everyone that we hold so dear gets lost in the static of the passing years. So, learn to be alone. Find comfort in the solitude. Harden your heart and build unbreakable will. It's the only way you'll ever survive this world."
Aw, that sucks that you never got to see them. Although GIA did sing about certain issues such as sexism, machoness, and so forth - they still attracted the usually boys club as you stated which sucked. I would literally see kids singing along to the the song "A Constant Refrain" at a show and then see them use the word faggot at a show and I would just get enraged. It just doesn't make sense. (It's kind of how kids sing along to silly Trash Talk songs like "Sacramento Is Dead" in other parts of the country/state when they have never even fucking been there. That band is a whole other story though...!)
Due to this, I do not blame you at for becoming disenchanted with the Northern California hardcore scene (Southern is worse from my experience!). The only sad part is that such disenchantment just causes the scene to be more and more male dominantated leaving females/womyn more objective. I personally try to stay away from bigger hardcore shows and the bands involved with them as much as I can to avoid such male dominanted bullshit whereas when I go to see more of a DIY show, I usually see a proportionate amount of men/womyn/queer people and so forth.
Anyways, the singer Mark was actually talking about moving down to Santa Cruz but I beleive he is aiming for the bay now. Hopefully he sings in another band when he moves down here!
Hahaha, wow, Trash Talk. I try to forget about them but they won't go away. Let's just say that their lead singer has been an ass to everyone I know that knows him, myself included, and wields much more power than anyone should. He is the epitome of what I hate about hardcore. Trash Talk and Hoods (or at least the people the later associates with) are everything that's wrong with the Sacramento scene.
I hope Mark moves down here and starts another band. We could use some quality hardcore around here.
word!
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