Q: Are you performing new N/A material or playing just the classics?

A: No, we’re not doing anything new but the shows are much longer. Back in the day, we used to come out and play for like 12 minutes. It was hardcore. That was the gig. Now we’re doing about 40 minutes. So we’re basically playing everything we’ve ever recorded, a bunch of the outtakes that have been on the bootlegs, and we’ll throw in some cover songs of bands that we dug growing up.

It’s kinda funny, I’m gonna go see Alice Cooper tomorrow night. He does a free show in Detroit every summer. You don’t wanna listen to anything new off his new album. You only wanna hear things off ‘Killer’ or ‘Love It to Death’. The kids that come to our shows also wanna hear the stuff they grew up with too. We haven’t gotten any complaints and we still get a kick outta doin’ it because we haven’t done it for so long.  Even though it’s old stuff, it’s still fresh and exciting for us.

Q: It looks as though your recent shows have been in front of much bigger audiences than when the band began. Does it surprise you that interest in the band and in hardcore in general has grown so much over the years?

A: The original Detroit hardcore scene was like 50 to 100 kids and now we’re doing gigs for like 5,000 to 7,000 people at festivals. It’s kinda weird. When we did all that shit, we weren’t thinking about what we were doing. We were just doing it and just having a good time doing it. The fact that it’s lasted and people are excited about seeing us gives us the drive to wanna play shows when we can do it for the people that haven’t seen us. It’s totally exciting. The music is better than ever. We can still do it. It blows all of our minds that the interest is still there.

Q: The Negative Approach sound seems like it came out of a lot youthful anger. When performing with N/A today and considering that you are now older, are you able to return to those raw emotions that originally fueled you as a teenager?

A: The whole thing was just about how we were growing up and what we were feeling. It’s kinda like a universal feeling. I think the songs are kinda like teen anthems and still hold up today. I don’t feel that outta place saying those lyrics. People are always gonna piss you off. I’m still pissed off.

Q: Has time mellowed you out at all?

A: Nothings mellowed. Trust me. Nothings mellowed.  Today’s N/A is probably even harder than it was back in the day.

Q: Have you lost any vocal power?

A: No. Actually my voice is stronger than when I was originally in N/A. I dunno; it’s in me. I never lost that.

Q: From the work you’ve done with your other bands like Laughing Hyenas and Easy Action, it’s obvious that you’ve been influenced not only by punk rock but by things like blues, rockabilly and the Rolling Stones. When you started, did you see punk rock and hardcore as an extension of some sort of longer rock n’ roll lineage perhaps played just louder and faster?

A: It’s all rock n’ roll. I grew up in the ’70s. When I was like 12 or 13, I was obviously into Detroit bands like Alice Cooper, The Stooges and MC5 and I also grew up with the whole Glam thing too. Then when I was in high school that’s when the Pistols, The Clash, Dead Boys, and Devo came out. Then we all kinda got bored with that and Oi! came around and we also picked up on the LA scene: Germs, early Black Flag with Keith, The Weirdos…

It was all an extension and we kinda soaked it all in. We were like, “These are all our favorite bands and we dig it all so let’s just play it harder.” When we started, the term “hardcore” wasn’t really there. We were just fuckin’ around in my mother’s basement trying to write some rock n’ roll songs.

Q: How important has being from Detroit influenced your music?

A: We never lived in that hardcore bubble. There are people that can only live their lives from 1982 to ‘84. It’s just that growing up in Detroit we were exposed to so much -- between Motown, the blues, and the fact that every great inspirational rock band has been from Detroit. The MC5 has probably influenced the whole punk thing. We were always exposed to so much music that has really influenced the world and we just soaked that all up.

And we grew up and we’re out buyin’ our punk 45s, reading Flipside and Slash magazine and checkin’ out what’s goin’ on out in LA. The whole hardcore thing; it was good for like two years with the classic bands that really kind of laid the blueprint like Bad Brains and Minor Threat. But after a couple years, there was only so much you could do with that. But even the early punk rock scene in Detroit was so diverse. All the bands sounded totally different, which was kinda cool. Everyone was kinda doin’ their own thing but we all played together.

Q: While watching footage of early N/A shows, not only is the shear ferocity of the music apparent but so is a genuine camaraderie with the audience. Between fans and the bands, was there in fact a real sense of community in the early days of hardcore?

A: That was the early scene. At that point, we were all young and it was fresh and new and exciting and I think everyone kinda had a feeling that we were doing something. And with the help of Touch and Go -- they had the record label and the magazine -- it kinda gave us the feeling that this is something that’s ours. This is before it got all sick and regurgitated itself and became generic. We were all fighting that war for punk rock and there weren’t a million punk bands out on the scene. Everyone kinda had that camaraderie. Everyone was in touch. It was before the Internet and email and basically before MTV.

It was all about cassettes and hand written letters and flyers. It was all a little more human. It just seemed a little more real. People made a point of being in touch. It was like, “Hey, there’s somebody in that state that’s into what we’re into.” You really had to put some effort out there to make your contacts because this was before punk rock was really accepted. The bands that were actually doin’ it were all in touch and all friends. We crashed on their couches and they slept on our floors.

Q: When you look back on your career, what is the most positive aspect that you hope Negative Approach is remembered for?

A: When younger bands come up and say, “You guys were a big influence to us“, that’s always a good feeling. I’m not gonna take it for granted or have something on my shoulder I gotta flick off. It’s great when kids come up to me and be like “Awww man! I used to rock your records when I was a kid. I started playing music ‘cuz I was checking you guys out when I was skating or whatever.” That stuff’s great.

Just the fact that the records are out there and people are still talking about it. When we put it out we were all just like little kids. We were just excited about having a record out and to be able to do some shows. It just blows our minds that people are still into it and we’re able to do it.

Q: Are there any new bands today that you think genuinely carry the torch for what you started?

A: Today everything is laid out for the kids: how to dress, how to look, how to sound. And that’s why they’re all generic. I can’t really give too many props to too many new bands right now. They’re not exploring anything. They’re not taking any chances. They’re just trying to fit in with the norm. Back in the day, we were fighting the war just to get our music out there. We really had to fight. Most people were trying to kick our asses just for the way we looked. But now punk rock is too laid out for everybody. So what we want to do, the only thing we can do now is show ‘em how we used to do it back in the day. The big thing about N/A was always about fighting peer pressure and all that. But kids today, I don’t think they can get away from it ‘cuz it’s all laid out for them.

We were about taking chances. When we first came out people hated us. They were like, “What the fuck is this? What is going on?” And we stuck to our guns and were like, “Ya know what? We dig this. We’re gonna do it like this.” Punk is now the norm so I guess I’m just waiting for the next thing for the kids to fight against.