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to Las Vegas just to see Oasis there if the mood struck him ( Trent Reznor and Billy Corgan flew in for that gig , as well – other open-minded composers who didn ’ t restrict themselves to one narrow-minded definition of music ). Today , in fact , one might not even recognize Havok in an average airport – save for his huge ear piercings , he could easily pass for some burly businessman , flying off to some corporate board meeting somewhere . Inside , however , he remains just as sepulchral – and remarkably sophisticated – as ever . He no longer has any need to manifest it all outwardly . Or , as he puts it , “ The aesthetic then look further into why that male is naked . And compassion for animals is important to me , so I ’ m using my voice , my music , and my body to help someone who doesn ’ t have a voice .”
Naturally , the AFI leader isn ’ t the first to make such startling statements . He goes on to praise the work of his wise vegan forebear Chrissie Hynde ( featured on page 8 in this issue ) and all the trails she ’ s blazed for inherent animal rights . “ But I ’ m lucky , because I ’ ve been able to find a community that I live in that ’ s very insular ,” he says of the straight edge movement , whose once-renegade precepts now seem like simple common sense . “ I found a group of like-minded people that support each other , even though they share very unpopular beliefs .” Drugs , alcohol , hamburgers , and black leather jackets don ’ t have to be part and parcel of rock and roll , he posits – AFI rocks just as pedal-to-the-metal convincingly without any of those outmoded
26 illinoisentertainer . com january 2017 of how I present myself has always changed , and it can change with the seasons . And it does very much so . It ’ s a matter of expression , it ’ s how I feel comfortable and how I feel most like myself . With my body , I ’ m very much part of a healthful movement , and I ’ m very aware of what I put into my body , and very aware of my body ’ s upkeep . And that , of course , will lead to exercise . I ’ ve never been a fan of sports , so I went the gym route . And I used to go to the gym in Berkeley , back when it was open 24 hours .”
Falling in with a plant-based diet made all the difference , Havok adds . “ It actually makes you feel like you ’ re infused with super powers – you really respect the way that your body feels , and the way your body feels affects the way that your mind feels ,” he reports . Which gave him the courage to sign on to PETA ’ s nude-notables campaign . He loved cruelty-free clothing , but was gutsy enough to disrobe for the striking new print spread . “ Because I really believe that ads like that make you think ,” he says . “ Because of the different perspectives of it , from male to female , you rarely see male nudity , just because of the social stigma attached to it . So you see a naked male and you think , ‘ Why is this male naked ?’ And hopefully , people will trappings , thank you very much .
Still , Havok will happily acknowledge the darkness swirling around the group ’ s new record like ancient Whitchapel fog . Mention The Mission ’ s God ’ s Own Medicine debut , plus definitive discs from Wayne Hussey ’ s previous band Sisters of Mercy , like Floodland and First and Last and Always , and he ’ s delighted that those tones resonate on various AFI cuts . “ Because The Mission are fantastic , and the Sisters have made records that will absolutely always be in my Top 10 ,” he declares , unequivocally . “ And Floodland itself is unbelievable – that record is really stunning and unique and unlike anything I ’ ve ever heard . But we owe a lot of that ( sound ) to Jade , as producer , who handled my voice in such a way that only he could , since he ’ s already so familiar with my voice .” He then goes on to discuss news that he finds fascinating – that sepulchral Sisters frontman Andrew Eldritch claimed that if Donald Trump actually managed to get elected in America , he was going to finally write and record a new concept album about an unusual online spate of spooksters all sporting " Goths For Trump " T-shirts , adorned with the group ’ s Merciful Release label logo .
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