By Ben Lybarger
The half-life of uranium is 760 million years. The half-life of tritium is 12.3 years. The half-life of Half Life might be said to be 2.5 years. That is until a couple reunion shows in 2002, and more slated for later this year. Faced with the prospect of seeing this band resurface, many people are questioning the wisdom of restarting this powerful punk rock reactor that dominated the Pittsburgh underground all those years ago. Will the radioactivity be contained? Are our communities safe? Will the fallout cause births of mutant babies with lizard-like skin and no upper lips?
The answer: Perhaps... but who really cares? Let’s just throw up our fists and circle dance into oblivion with a 12 pack of Yeungling sloshing about inside our fiery bellies until we reach critical mass and spew our dying breaths into an uncaring galaxy!
The following was done with vocalist Jeff Lamm in May.
RRP: When did the band actually get its start and who was your first gig with? How did it go, was it nerve-wracking?
Jeff: Our first show was in 1984 in Pittsburgh. We played with our local heroes, The FIVE. We sounded like shit, a mix of Flipper, No Trend and Fang. Our friends all came and had fun so we kept doing it. I had never done anything like it before, but the other guys in the band were in Real Enemy, Pittsburgh's first hardcore punk band. I was of course nervous but managed to pull it off. I was never scared to play again until we did our reunion shows almost twenty years later!
RRP: Conversely, when and why did the band call it quits?
Jeff: Half Life disbanded shortly after I quit to join the Army (Infantry), in late 1989. They continued with Rick Dowdle, the guitarist, singing. Rick and Ron Volpe plus a friend of theirs named "Murph" started a band called "Facer" in 1990 that did some of the Half Life songs we were working on when I left. They put out a CD but never really took off. At the time Half Life had reached a peak, and basically we were all very poor and the band was doing well but we were the big fish in a little pond. Remember in 1989 punk rock was not something you could make a living at and all of us had shitty dead end jobs. Not that we expected to get rich from the band, but it sucked playing the same places over & over and getting paid squat while the club owners got rich.
RRP: What have you all been doing since that time?
Jeff: Mike LaVella ( Bass guitar ) moved to San Francisco and started Gearhead magazine and record label. He's doing very well obviously. Vince Curtis (guitar ) runs a Kung Fu studio in Pittsburgh, Damon Che' (drums) plays with a band called Bellini and was in Don Caballero, he is doing well also. I haven't seen Rick Dowdle or Ron Volpe in years, I don't know what they are doing or even if they still live in Pittsburgh. I got out of the Army after 3 years stationed in Germany (1990 to 93) and now work as a police officer in Ohio.
RRP: Do you plan on doing more reunion shows like last year’s in Pittsburgh? Before that time, how long had it been since you played a show as Half Life?
Jeff: Yes, we are playing again in August 2003, a couple shows in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and maybe Akron. The last Half Life show before that was in November of 1989, so we were a little rusty! The reunion line up was from an even older era, 1986/87. I was nervous as hell to get up and sing again but the people were great to us and it was a blast seeing old friends and making new ones.
RRP: Do you guys plan on recording anything new, and is Get Hip still planning to reissue your old releases?
Jeff: Yes and Yes. It's kind of hard to record new songs with the members spread out all over the place, but we are working on some stuff now. Both of our CD's, "What's Right" and "Never Give In" will be released on Get Hip soon. Both will feature new graphics packed with tons of photos and art from the period.
RRP: I know that Silver Tongued Devil recorded one of your songs. Have there been any other bands that you know of who have paid similar tribute?
Jeff: I guess there was some controversy over that, Anti-Flag wanted to cover the song "Go Down Fighting" but STD did it first. That's what I heard anyway. There's a band from Pittsburgh called Shiver that plays it live. There was supposed to be a release of bands covering songs from our "Under The Knife" seven inch, I don't know what happened with that. Some kid from Canada was going to put it out.
RRP: What are some notable bands that you played with back in the day, and what are the most memorable shows?
Jeff: Sheet, there were so many great ones... We played with GBH and the Exploited a lot; that was always fun. One of the bands that always hooked us up was Agnostic Front. We played with them all over the place, several times in NYC and Pittsburgh, Cleveland etc. They are a great bunch of guys, we still keep in touch. As far as memorable shows, there were some great ones. We toured the country in 1987 and played out in the desert in Las Vegas. They had a generator for power. Frightwig played along with some local bands, it was unique, blasting punk rock in the middle of the desert under the stars.
RRP: Aside from drawing up the cover of our release (Rocked-N-Loaded #2), and letting us use your stuff as clip art in the mag, where else has your artwork appeared? Are you still thinking of putting together a collection of flyers that you’ve drawn?
Jeff: Well, I used to do all the Half Life artwork, t-shirts and stickers, stuff like that. I do allot of flyers for some local punk bands here in Ohio, mainly Drop Gun. The Pittsburgh flyer book is still in the planning stages. It'll be sort of a history of the late 70's and 80's scene along with plenty of photos and flyers. There's going to be a whole crew of creative people working on it, so it should come out well.
RRP: How do you think the punk rock scene has changed since Half Life was at its peak? Is there a different feel, attitude, style?
Jeff: Oh yeah it's different. In some ways the popularity of punk is good. Bands can actually make a living doing what they love. It's weird to me seeing Oi!/punk shirts for sale at the mall. When I was young we had to make our own shirts, walk through miles of snow to see bands etc. I try to go see every band I can when I'm not working. I always have a good time at shows and love talking to punk kids about music, the old days, or whatever. I think punk kids today are not a lot different than when I was young. Basically we were a bunch of social misfits who had a common love, punk rock. It seems like everyone back in the day was an artist of some sort. My circle of friends in Pittsburgh were all a bunch of working class kids struggling to get by. We would save for a month to order a pair of Doc Marten's from England. One thing that's different today are the cliques within the scene. Like punks/skins/ etc. I guess during the old days we all stuck together a little more since there were so few of us. Now it seems like they don't intermingle as much, or cross-breed.
RRP: Coming from a punk rock background, do your old fans or anyone give you shit for now being a cop? How did you find that occupation, and what is your response to these people’s suspicions or disapproval?
Jeff: I get a little shit, always from people who don't know me. My friends were not surprised by my career choice. At our reunion shows a couple people out of the hundreds there tried fucking with me, but they were both idiots. I realize being a police officer is not the most punk job in the world, and I can accept that. Most people have no idea of what the job really entails, I know I didn't before I got it. They think it's all writing tickets and chomping on donuts. Far from it! I know it sounds corny but I really enjoy helping people out and solving their problems, and I get to do that every day. I get a little sick of bands like the one from Pittsburgh constantly bad mouthing the police and getting rich from it. While they're out whining about domestic violence, I'm out arresting the people who do it, sometimes as they are doing it! If that's not direct action I don't know what is. You can't believe all of the propaganda put out by different anti-police groups. The same people who get so mad at generalizations and stereotypes have no problem with it if it's directed at cops. I decided to pursue a career in law enforcement while I was living in Pittsburgh. The police there were always pretty cool to me, even if I was fucking up. Once my neighbors and I chased down somebody who robbed my room mate. I thought it was kind of fun so I looked into police work. I talked to some Pittsburgh cops about getting hired who thought I was joking at first because I had blue hair. I actually took the civil service test in 1988 and did well but didn't get hired. At about that time it seemed like everyone I knew from the scene was joining some branch of the military so I joined the Army with the idea of getting out and becoming a cop, that's exactly what I did. I love it, it's a very rewarding career choice. I don't get mad at some 17 year old punk kid wearing an MDC shirt. When I was that age I believed all the crap put out about cops by different bands. As I grew older I realized that all cops weren't the fascist bullies that some people would have you believe. I guess my point (finally!) is simple. I'm proud of my job and I know I'm helping the people that live in the neighborhoods I serve. I know because they tell me "thanks" all the time.
RRP: Have you ever pulled anyone over that had your band’s stickers on their car, recognized you from Half Life, or anything like that?
Jeff: Once when I first started I stopped a car that had a Half Life sticker on it. I told them who I was and I don't think they believed me until I showed them my name tag. Whenever I'm working and I see some punk kids, I try to talk to them a little bit and be a positive influence, maybe destroy some of their police stereotypes. It always surprises them when I know all about every band on their jacket.
RRP: Is it true that police officers have to meet quotas?
Jeff: Quotas are not true as far as traffic tickets etc. I could go a full year and not write a ticket ...I would not get in trouble for that. We get paid by the hour, not the arrest!
RRP: What has been one of the more exciting or dangerous moments that you’ve had on the job?
Jeff: I've been doing it close to 8 years now, it's amazing what goes on out there. Once my partner and I got shot at, we chased down the guy who did it and another officer shot him. The guy lived and he's in jail for a while now. It was intense. Exciting/dangerous stuff happens all the time...part of the job. I've been dragged by cars twice (that hurt) , shot at once, shot somebody once, cut with blades, etc... add broken bones to that list! I broke my hand once (boxer's fracture) and my coccyx (stop giggling) in a car crash.
I've worked one of the roughest districts in Akron for 4 years now, shit gets crazy as you could imagine.
RRP: Thanks a lot for the interview, and all the artwork that you’ve let us use. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Jeff: Thanks for giving me the chance to air my views! I love doing artwork for you guys and appreciate being able to help out in a small way. You guys rule.
