Abrasive Hardcore / Punk, offered in short but deadly dangerous doses. Big Cheese, from London, England, resembles police turmoil, rubber and pepper gas bullets, truncheons and open foreheads! It's from the sewer, my loves, it's from the sewer, but it is refined and top-notch. A few words from the nice, nice chaps behind the band. Big Cheese, pricks!

Well, what the hell is going on in the UK that has given us so much high quality Hardcore / Punk in recent years?

Good question. I think it’s important not to get complacent and to keep things progressing and moving forward. People are angry and have things they want to say, and if not, people want to have a good time and forget about the outside world for a while. I think it’s been bubbling for a while and there’s a collective feeling in the U.K. that has united people for better or for worse. We have a scene that’s harnessed some of those feelings and become an outlet and somewhere people can really feel they belong. Once there’s something popping off, people are gunna flock and want in. There’s always a vibe here and the scene is a strong one despite how gritty and real circumstances are for many.

Your past on the Hardcore scene left a dent, but how did you get to Big Cheese? How was the whole journey from the first rehearsal, the first concert...? It's been a tremendous adventure, hasn't it? 

Big Cheese was conceived in late 2016 when Meg, our guitarist, showed me a bunch of tunes she’d written. I’d dipped my toe into most genres under the umbrella of hardcore punk but always wanted to sing in a NYHC style band. We rounded off a demo together then recruited Alex and Louis who play in Higher Power and got together a few times a week in the old Flex house basement before bashing out the demo at a practice space in Meanwood, Leeds. It has been a wild ride and every show we’ve played has pretty much been crazy. Especially Russia and the shows on our two Europe tours. I think we’re the best we’ve ever been right now and I love every second of it and itching to do more.

I love that your music is full of energy and immense power. It ressembles a "call to arms", doesn't it? Raise your fist and set a Revolution in motion. Am I too far from the message you want to send? What is the real inspiration behind your music, lyric wise?

I like your thinking, but I’m not sure I’d be the best person for the job, nor would I really want to be! I have a voice but there are those with voices far more important than my own. There are certainly aspects of society that affect me in ways it won’t others, and those aspects I’ll gladly write about and tell it like it is. But some subjects are better explored by others more qualified to do so. Big Cheese was never meant to be overtly political, as it was a band with good tunes, but in 2020 you have to be. Everything is political. Lyrically I tend to write from first-hand experience and try avoid steeping everything in metaphor because it can be farcical or trivial. With that being said, most of my lyrics are pretty tongue in cheek. Sadly, I don’t think this music can change the world and I don’t really have any solutions or answers to anything, but there’s definitely importance in telling a good story, and it’s equally important to write a good tune to go with it. I will say that there is a reward like no other in travelling the world with this music and bringing people together for the sole purpose of losing themselves on the dance floor.

Short tracks, tremendous energy, controlled violence that exalts destruction and revolts. Where does all the inspiration to create the music you create come from?

Musically it comes from everything from early UK punk, to GBH, to Motörhead, to Cro-Mags, to everything else we’ve all individually soaked up like a sponge over the years. I could tell you one definitive video that spurred me to want to do this and it was Agnostic Front at The Ritz 1991. The way they transition from Victim In Pain into Public Assistance gets the juices flowing.

Quality Control HQ helped British Hardcore a lot in terms of projection, I risk saying that it is undeniable. How did the relationship between the band and CQHC take place?

We’ve all dealt with QCHQ in some capacity prior to Big Cheese as they’re an integral part of the scene. A few of our other bands were released on QCHQ and it just felt natural to do the same with Big Cheese.

How do you describe the British Hardcore scene, today? These last 10 years, more or less, have brought a growing of bands, of editions, of interest. It has been positive for everyone, musicians, publishers and fans, I suppose.

I think we’re making a mark. Maybe not in a big significant way like when punk was covered by major media outlets in the 70s, but I reckon 20 years will pass and there’ll be people telling their stories. Maybe not. But if you’re there to witness events like Arms Race playing, that will be ingrained forever. The bar is set very high and I like what’s going on right now. It’s also nice to see friends getting recognition for their talents. I respect how I came up in the scene but it’s a world apart from what it used to be and much better for it.

The United Kingdom – mostly England, perhaps – is famous for its history in Punk and Oi. Do you think that the British, as they did with Punk, helped shape another way of seeing / creating Hardcore, beyond the one born in USA? British Hardcore has those very particular details that make it stand out, in my opinion.

I believe so. I would go as far as to say scenes in the USA look at our scene here in the UK with much respect these days. No matter how much influence we might take from our US counterparts, there’s something unique about the British sound that no matter what, always works it’s way into our music. There’s also a satire and cynicism that is bred into us and I think that’s unmatched.

"New Wave of British Hardcore", the term, an expression that the world uses to describe much of what is done in the UK. Do you consider it a positive thing or is there still a fear that it will be used to describe everything, and anything, that is within the sphere of Punk and Hardcore, and is British?

I think the term is a positive one. It’s also not exclusive and there are no gatekeepers so if someone wants in, all the power to em. Let the music speak for itself you know?

How did it feel to have one of the Hardcore albums of the year, in hand?

Ha ha, I don’t believe you. But seriously, it’s nice to know Big Cheese is on people’s radar and they enjoy the record. Had a lot of fun making it and wanna tour it till the wheels fall off. I appreciate the kind words.

I found it curious – in a positive way, of course – that you gave the film "Punishment Park" as inspiration for your latest work. Can you explain / describe how much weight it had in the way the creative process went? If it "guided" you, in a way, to reach the final product?

We needed a record title and I think the recurring themes in the record can be tied together quite nicely with that phrase. It also influenced the art process and Nicky’s approach to painting the cover. It just made perfect sense in my head and I didn’t really overthink it at first.  The more I did though, the more we incorporated things from the film. The sample went nicely with the piano interlude and the lyrics for the song Punishment Park fell into place. It’s an abstract concept but I think it captures a mood.

What can we expect from Big Cheese for the future? Did the most recent event force you to change plans / projects?

We have a split coming up with Florida band Dominant Force. 3 songs each, pressed to a 12” on a new label who are yet to reveal themselves. I can tell ya it’s going to be banging though and I’m excited for it. We didn’t have any plans other than a release show prior to lockdown but obviously that was canned. First things first will be this split release and the postponed release show whenever it’s safe to do so with little compromise. Then who knows? Portugal I hope... 

What bands can you recommend to all those who appreciate a good Punk / Hardcore, with that British aroma?

The Chisel, The Annihilated, Nekra, Subdued, The Flex (still alive and kickin) to name a few. Keep your ears pricked, there’s always something new popping up.

Big Cheese Official Bandcamp

My sincere thanks and availability. I hope we can speak again, in the near future. Greetings from Portugal.

Love and respect,

Razor