warped interview guide 2002 

the onofficial guide that smells official. 

 

Brett re-rejoins. They sign back on epitaph. Bobby's shoulder injury forces him to leave the band. Brooks Wackerman becomes the new drummer. Change is all around Bad Religion. With everything this band has faced, they still put out a new album, The Process of Belief, which is absolutely unbelievable. Bad Religion proves that they are able to handle 50,000 things on their plate, all the while maintaining their composure. Just one of the many reasons their fans adore them and their music. Jay Bentley was kind enough to take some time before the show to fill me in on what it means to be in Bad Religion, how they cope with all the changes, and how everything is going for them. 

 

SKRATCH: In your new record, The Process of Belief, I noticed some sound similarities to Stranger Than Fiction. Is this due to the fact that Greg and Brett worked together on the songs for the new album, which they had not done since Stranger Than Fiction? 

 

JAY: it has everything to do with it. This record is the logical record to follow Stranger Than Fiction, because those two write against each other; they actually are competitive with each other, which is great, 'cause you know Brett will write a song and go, 'Check out my new song,' and you can just see Greg going 'Fuck!' And then he goes back to him and goes 'Check out MY new song,' and you can see Brett going 'Fuck,' and now they have two songs, and so that's how they work. So this record, because Brett has had a lot of time to work, he had like six songs right off the box. When all the dust settled and we were like 'Where the hell are we?' and all of a sudden we're back on Epitaph, Brett's in the band and we're all happy.... 

 

SKRATCH: I know Brett and Greg have Pro Tools studios in their houses; do you all have something similar to record ideas on? 

 

JAY: Well, not quite the same. Everybody has a different version of something like that. Brett's is probably the best because he has a studio and he has access to a lot of really great material. Greg's is really good, for what he's got in his house. It's very impressive, you know, realistically speaking, it's probably too much for anyone to have in their house just as a demo studio. Mine is basically like a RadioShake tape deck with a plastic microphone and a guitar amp!(Laughs) 

 

SKRATCH: As long as it works... 

 

JAY: It works for me. And then when they send stuff to my house to listen to or work on, they either burn CDs or send ADATs or DATs or whatever. We're waiting for that time when we can all just make a record via the internet. We all have like DSL connections, we're like 'We're not going to the studio -- we're just making it right here, right now.' 

 

SKRATCH: How was it to work with Brett again, after you all got back together? Was it kind of like old times, where you just picked up where you left off? 

 

JAY: Yeah. It wasn't KIND OF like old times, it was exactly what I know, and think of, as Bad Religion. When I think of this band as entirety, and in its best form, it's with Brett. We had personal problems that we couldn't seem to get over in '93, but it's not really that big of a deal. In terms of fighting with the band, it's nothing new. We've been fighting since we started, since we were 14-years-old. Graffin and I used to have fistfights. You know, that's just the way things are. But we're all OK with that, it doesn't mean anything. But '93 was different because it was decisions that affected the rest of our lives, you know, between Epitaph and the band, and school and all this shit that we were doing. Those were really heady decisions, and we weren't mature enough to make them like adults....We didnt's break up, but why the whole thing splintered. And then when all the dust was settled, everyone was back exactly where they were before. Within an hour of me not seeing Brett for seven years, we were sitting alone in a room and i said, 'you know if everything hadn't happened this way we wouldnt be sitting here right now. And nothing makes me happier than sitting here right now, so i'm glad.' 

 

SKRATCH: How have things been between Bobby and Bad Religion since his injury? Has the friendship remained intact? 

 

JAY: I spoke to him two days ago for an hour and change. We always still talk. He's OK. I mean, it's a bummer what happened, but he knows it's not his fault, it's not really anyone's fault, it's just something that happens. It would be no different if I got into a motorcycle accident and lost my hand; i wouldn't expect the guys to figure out a way to keep me in the band, it's like, no wait a minute, it's over. You need to get another guy. 

 

SKRATCH: I consider Bad Religion to be one of the most talented bands i have heard. 

 

JAY: Well that's just tenure. I think after you've done something for a modicum of time, you find that you excel at your craft. It doesn't necessarily mean that you can fly an airplane, or perform a treciotomy, but you better be pretty good at what you're supposed to be doing. Otherwise you should stop and go find a new career. (laughs)... 

 

SKRATCH: As a headlining band for this year's Warped Tour, do you have any plans or expectations for how it will go? 

 

JAY: Uh, for something like the Warped Tour, the only thing that corsses my mind is, 'What am I going to wear?' That's all I care about, 'cause you get a half an hour a day and in a half an hour, most bands probably blow off seven songs -- we can do probably 20. (Laughs) We don't talk a lot and we just play as fast as we can. It's just like a traveling circus,...and when it's over and they leave, there's still like 300 guys left from the bands sitting around going 'Now what are we going to do?' And that's just the trouble in a bag. So it's a pretty demanding tour from that point of view. It really is so fun, that all you need to think about it 'What am i going to wear?' And that's like dresses and kilts and, you know, sand bags or whatever. You just have to think way outside of the reality.