Interview with Benito Garcia (vocals) of Hoods by Jack Botos

Metal Curse: How did the Hoods get together?
Ben: Mike (guitar) started Hoods in 1995 with the intent on making a mark in the underground Hardcore scene. Playing pretty much non-stop for the first year, he started to notice the dedication wasn't as strong as it once was. So, as members left, he recruited some other friends of his to step in and take over as his partners in crime. So around the middle of 1996, Hoods started touring the country on their own. Recording demos, EPs, and split 7 inches just to get the name out. With the line up set, there was nothing to stop them from smashing your face with their own unique blend of Cali style Hardcore.

MC: What bands / people inspired you the most?
Ben: A lot of different bands came into play in the birth of Hoods. Not all of these were Hardcore bands. Of course bands like Cro-mags, Sex Pistols, Bad Brains, etc. had a major influence on us. Then there were bands like The Police, Rush and Paul Simon to help keep an open mind about the whole outlook on everything that would later come into view for Hoods.

MC: How did the Victory deal come about?
Ben: After being in contact with Victory, as well as other labels, for a while. We wanted to sort through our options and make sure that we were gonna have someone who knows what we are all about, and more importantly, give us the proper support that we deserved. After all was said and done, Victory records was the only place Hoods would call home.

MC: Are there any releases available before Time the Destroyer?
Ben: We have had a number of different releases even before signing to Victory. Hoods had a full-length record on an East German label titled New Blood, which was recorded within the first few months of the current line up. There [have] also been several EPs: 1997's Endless Pain, on Jamie Jasta's label, Stillborn records. In 1998 Hoods put out another EP entitled Alone, which was released on the Bay Area label Breakout records. Hoods has since then appeared on various other compilation records put out by a variety of different record labels, with three of them being on Mikey Hoods' own label, Westcoast Worldwide records.

MC: How was the tour with Dying Fetus?
Ben: Wow, the Dying Fetus tour. Let's just say that it was probably the best tour we have done so far. That tour had everything. Fights, members getting arrested, tons of robbery, endless boozing and smoke sessions. Shit, you name it, we probably did it. Dying Fetus is defiantly one band I would love to go out on the road with again for sure. A great bunch of guys who are into their music as much as we are about ours, ya know. Just ask the guys in Fetus who are the craziest fuckers to tour with.

MC: Did you like playing Milwaukee?
Ben: The Milwaukee Metalfest was very interesting for us. For starters, it's a "Metalfest" and we're not a "Metal band." Right away we had some problems with the fuckin' promoter guy, or who ever put it on, about when we were gonna play and what stage we were supposed to be on. After getting all that shit square, it was finally time for us to play. When we set up our drums on the stage, the whole entire place cleared out since we didn't have a fuckin' gi-normus double kick set. By the 3rd song, the place was fuckin' packed and goin' ape shit for us. Victory had given us some summer sampler CDs to give out on our tour, but we decided to make good use of them and throw 'em as hard as we could at the crowd and not to them. It turned out to be a real good show for Hoods, I guess you could say that they all (Metalheads) thought we were ok for a bunch of guys from Cali with no hair, leather, or spiked arm-bands.

MC: How is the band received by the SxE hardcore scene?
Ben: We have a great deal of straight edge kids who come out to the shows to support us. A lot of our friends are SxE. We do shows, even tour with SxE bands. I don't think anyone really cares if a band is SxE or not anymore. For me personally, I've never been SxE. My favorite hardcore band is Judge, though. We [have] got a lot of love for the straight edge movement and anyone who is sober. Mikey was straight edge for 7 1/2 years, ya know. He's still got the respect of SxE kids everywhere.

MC: What is your opinion of xtian hardcore?
Ben: I really should keep my mouth shut on this topic. Fuck it! "Religion is a joke!" I've never heard of any other subject that causes people so much pain or question. Just read the lyrics to "Pray for Death," "Above this World," and "Unforgiven." Read our whole fuckin' album if you still don't get our point. I'm rambling, sorry. Look all I'm saying is that "christian Hardcore" is kind of funny to me. Keep going to church, pray, do whatever the fuck it is you people do, but do not try and push that bullshit on me. "No god died for me!"

MC: The new album is awesome! Who are the lyrics for "John & Kitty" aimed at?
Ben: This entire album is very personal to us. Especially for Mike and I. Everything said or felt on this recording is all true shit. Real fuckin' life for us, or for Mike, those close to us as in the case of "John & Kitty." A little about me can be felt on track #4, "By My Side." This song deals with my fight with alcoholism and the pain that I myself had caused my friends, family, you get the picture. It's all "real talk" straight from the heart with all sincerity.

MC: Can we expect anything new from Above this World, or Powerhouse [other bands that the Hoods guys are in -Editor]?
Ben: You will most likely be hearing from Above this World in the near future, after this upcoming Hoods tour in October. Mike has been creating some real brutal shit for the next release.

MC: Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?
Ben: Ya know, in ten years I'll probably be with Mikey. Yep, in a beat up van driving our smelly un-showered asses across the fuckin' US. To play at some show where the venue treats its bands like shit and pay out even better. This is all we have, so we're gonna be Hoods from Sacramento for many years to come. As long as there's fucked up shit goin' on in this city, or world for that matter, we'll keep tellin' you fucks how we feel about it, you, and anything else that needs to be brought to the table.

 

As of this interview, the Hoods website (www.sactohoods.com) seems to be out of commission...
So, check out the Victory records site (www.VictoryRecords.com) for more Hoods info!