Touché Amoré Speak More On Playing Warped Tour

August 19th, 2013

Kriston McConnell

Jeremy Bolm, the frontman of Touché Amoré, recently stated in an interview that the band has no intention of ever playing Warped Tour due to personal beliefs. They’ve received both positive and negative comments about the issue since then, and the band decided to clarify further on their stance due to a comment made by Alternative Press editor Scott Heisel on an Alt Press article. You can read the conversation below.

What do you think about Jeremy’s thoughts on Warped Tour? Do you support their decision to never want to play on the tour or no?

Scott Heisel

Of course, had you asked Jeremy Bolm three years ago if he’d ever go on tour in 1500-cap rooms as main support for AFI, he’d probably respond the same way. Time changes perspective. Sad to think that one of the most important bands in hardcore wouldn’t want to try and spread their message to people who need to hear it most.

Jeremy Bolm

Scott Heisel I cannot stress how wrong you are. I’ve always stated that we’ve never been too cool to do anything. I’ll play a million capacity room or a basement show tomorrow. This has nothing to do with being too cool for anything. I’m not cool at all, its why I’m in a punk band. There is a world of difference playing alongside a band like AFI and a band like Atilla. My problem is playing alongside bands EVERY DAY that represent things that make my skin crawl. You and I have debated over bands like Falling In Reverse in the past, so you know full well that I’d rather not spend my Summer in the same vicinity as that garbage. My heart goes out to our friends how have done Warped the past couple years (Title Fight, Defeater, Man Overboard, LetLive, Make Do and Mend etc) because I know they’re doing their part for sincere music. Your point is that we could be the band speaking out against it on stage. Well, from what I’ve been told, Kevin Lyman has a huge issue with any sort of bad mouthing on his tour and you get threatened with removal very easily. I guess my way of speaking out is by not doing it at all. This article was clearly written the way it was for the shock value. If you took anything from our debates in the past you should not be surprised by my feelings on this matter. I’d like to add this aspect that of course wasn’t mentioned in the article. It’s immoral to have pay to play bands on a tour. I have a huge problem with that as it is demeaning. I know I can’t control every band at every show we play and there are times we have to shrug it off when doing a festival date, but to be on an entire tour, no thank you. I know that AP gets a huge push with that festival and vice versa so I no doubt understand you defending it. It puts money in your pocket and those bands help sell your magazine. BUT, you are old enough to understand why I feel this way. Put your magazine aside and remember when Warped Tour was once an actual punk festival. You’re not representing the same tour it was then. I’ll wrap this up by asking you to please not put words in my mouth. You don’t know me like you think you do. I will always appreciate you giving TA a push, but there’s no need for this kind of reaction.

Scott Heisel

Hey Jeremy, I appreciate you replying. First off, I have nothing but respect for you and your band. I think the music you’re making is important and inspiring, and I’m definitely not trying to make this into a salacious issue. Just to respond to a few things you said:

1. I never said or tried to imply that Touché is too cool for Warped Tour. I exchanged posts with Jami of COK down below in a different thread where I explained my side a bit more. My original comment was not meant to be a snickering one.

2. I don’t know anything about Lyman’s policies on bands speaking out. I haven’t done the tour since 2008 and when I did do it, I never heard/saw anything like that so I don’t have any inside track there. That said, I have seen PLENTY of bands publicly trash other bands onstage daily and not get kicked off (Gallows and Senses Fail immediately come to mind). So maybe it’s not a hard-and-fast policy, or maybe your sources aren’t well informed. Maybe we’re both wrong.

3. I didn’t write this story; we have a separate web team. I didn’t even know it was going up until it went up. And while the headline may have a bit of shock value in it, I don’t think it is at all inaccurate (if anything, the OC Weekly headline is more inaccurate). Do you feel like you were misquoted by the OCW? If so, I would be happy to update our story with that information. Email me at heisel@altpress.com.

4. Re: pay to play on Warped: I honestly know nothing about this. I’ve never heard a single band tell me they had to pay to play Warped. I know many smaller bands have played for free, though.

5. I don’t defend Warped because it puts money in my pocket. I defend Warped because I still believe in Warped. I’ve gone every year since 1997, and it was never this punk rock utopia you imagine. 97 had Limp Bizkit and Sugar Ray. But you know what? That year also had Descendents, Suicide Machines, Social Distortion and Less Than Jake—all performances that legit changed my life. There will always be bad music.

6. I apologize if you feel like I was putting words in your mouth. Again, not my intention. I know I’ve made it clear time and time again that I like and respect you. I would hope you could understand that we can have differences of opinion and still get along. As for the remark about not knowing you like I think I do, well, it’s clear that is a two-way street. But again, my email address isheisel@altpress.com if you ever want to talk about anything.

Good luck with the album release. I hope to see you in Cleveland with AFI.