1. Could you tell a bit more about GIVE ´EM HELL record label ?
Hello Oli here, the one and only person behind GIVE ´EM HELL, first off all I wanna clear a little misunderstanding: GIVE ´EM HELL is the name of my mailorder / webshop, actually I have two labels called CIVILISATION RECORDS (for newer bands but a little bit inactive now) and THREAT FROM THE PAST (a label on which I re-release material from Eighties / Nineties, I´m more active there). I live in a small village in the southern part of Germany, in between Stuttgart and Munich, so I´m located in the middle of nowhere, hahahaha. I mainly release Punk, Crust, Hardcore and Grindcore but in my mailorder I distribute all kind of Underground music from Metal to Punk.
2. When did you start with GIVE EM HELL records label and are the bands satisfied with your services ?
The story goes like this: in the year 1995 I started CIVILISATION RECORDS, mainly to support my friends from GAUDY GAWKS (a local Punk band) with distribution / mailorder of their releases but shortly after that I released my first own outputs (in the beginning on tape but soon on vinyl too). In the year 2006 during a holiday in the U.S.A. (when being on tour with my friends from SECURITY THREAT, Denver Crustcore, Grind) I had the idea to start a second label on which I wanted to re-release old stuff from bands that had a big influence on my in my youth. It took me four more years to have the first release there: the HELLBASTARD ”Heading For Internal Darkness" LP and more stuff followed sooner or later. Around 2013 / 2014 I was dissatisfied my my internet presence, I had two shitty looking webpages (CIVILISATION RECORDS and THREAT FROM THE PAST) and more and more webshop were popping up. I also wanted to have a webshop to be able to survive in these modern times but didn´t wanted to give up both labels: the end of the story is I started GIVE ´EM HELL (mailorder / webshop / distribution) and both labels became some kind of sub-business. I still do releases on both labels but they are distributed via GIVE ´EM HELL. Hahahaha complicated but true story.
I really hope the bands on my labels are happy with my service, within the years I improved my skills in all ways and networking helped me to get in contact with a lot of people doing other labels, mailorders, working in studios or doing artwork / webdesign. Saddly I´m working fulltime to earn money for living and so my time to do real good label / mailorder work is strictly limited. I try to distribute my releases worldwide and from time to time I can help with arranging shows, but i´m not a regular booker and we don´t have many venues in my area.
3. What bands can expect from you ?
Yeah at the time I mainly re-release stuff from old bands which it´s easier for me now, mostly old recordings are existing and the original artwork can be recycled. The bands of course get their royalties and I pay for needed artwork changes or possible studio time (remastering for example). I work together with the released bands and I won´t do anything without permission, the band can be creative as they want as long as it´s reasonable concerning production costs.
4. Could you give some advice to bands about the underground scene ?
At lot of bands forget that playing in a band is some kind of hard work, it´s is all about networking, playing live as often as possible and trying to find new contacts all the time. It´s not enough to sit in the rehearsal room all the time or collecting so-called friends in the internet. No-one will release your material if you´re totally unknown, unwilling to create proper sound or play live shows from time to time. The real world is outside of your home, get out and play / protest loud.
5. Could you say something at the end for the blog. All for one and one for all ?
First of all I want to finish this interview with a big thank you for getting in touch with me and sending me this nice questions.
My last words are: Support the Underground and Stay Clean !!!
Punk will never be dead when there are people that stand against the commercial and capitalist music scene.
https://www.facebook.com/GiveEmHell666/
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