I was able to catch up via email with one of the creators of this years most talked about Southern California extreme music festivals…California Discord Fest. The first of many more to come, this festival has already generated massive buzz due to the impressive and exclusive lineup with bands from all over the world convening at its Los Angeles based location. Heres a brief insight into the mind of Daniel Gonzales of Bones Booking.
Read the rest of this epic interview after the jump!
Give me a brief history in regards to Bones Booking.
I started Bones Booking “officially” in August 2010. Although I’ve been booking shows for a while since my first band. Back then they were just out of necessity to get more gigs for my band and helping other friends out. In August 2010 I had a ton of free time, wasn’t in a band at the moment and saw the lack of shows in the Southern California area, mainly L.A/O.C. It’s almost one year and I’m very happy with how much I’ve achieved in this year. It’s awesome to help out bands from almost everywhere to play for our scene!
What inspired you to get into extreme music and more specifically why did you find an interest in booking it?
Hm…..extreme Music? I don’t know exactly what you define as extreme music, but to me the most extreme music I listen to is Swedish Hardcore and I cannot get enough of it. Bands like Wolfbrigade, Skitsystem, Martyrdod, Disfear, Anti Cimex and on and on is definitely what keeps me going as far as playing music and even booking. But specifically how I got an interest in booking it? At first was because I had friends and my friends had friends who kept leaving the punk scene because of the lack of shows and I suppose “activity” of the punk scene, and that pissed me off how that was possible.
But as far as music and such, well I’ve played in a couple of bands through out the years and I know how hard it is for smaller bands to get their name out in their OWN scene, so imagine how hard it is to do so in other states, countries, etc. So once I started, I was booking gigs locally just to help out those bands down here and get more shows going in So Cal. I soon started getting hit up from just about everywhere, not just from U.S but overseas. That’s what keeps me going, listening to bands I’ve never heard of and finding out about them by doing this! It’s fucking awesome when you get to book a band who not a lot of people know but when they go see them, they say “Where the FUCK did these dudes come from!?”
What’s your proudest moment in Bones Booking?
As of right now, it would be my festival California Discord Festival. But even though that has been the one with the most work, and bands, every show I book to me seriously is a “proud moment”. Like I said I’ve learned about many bands from doing this, and it’s awesome! In the upcoming months I have Masakari/Alpinist on tour, Rorschach, etc.
Let’s talk about CDF. Give me details on the fest. Dates, lineup, location, ticket availability, etc
Well, California Discord Festival is a 2-Day Punk/Metal Festival in Downtown Los Angeles at “The Vortex” and it is all ages! And it is on September 24th & 25th. Tickets have been on sale since May, and we have single day tickets available right now for $25 and a two day pass for $40 those prices are pre-sale prices so they are only available until July 20th. After that date, the tickets are $30 single day, and $50 for the pass (if there’s any left). Our passes are limited, and we are down to 20 passes, so there might not be any left by next week! Tickets can be found on our website www.californiadiscord.com
The line up consists of 24 amazing bands: RATTUS, Finnish Hardcore Legends. This is their last performance as an original line up, and is also an exclusive show, it is not a tour! At the festival there will also be their last release which is a split 7″ with California D-beat band Holokaust, the split can be found on Rotten To The Core Records. But there will be limited special edition 7″ at the day of the fest! We have DROPDEAD who have not played down here in 7 years! This is also an exclusive gig! Magrudergrind also an exclusive gig! The amazing GHOUL From Creepsylvania! MANGE is also performing for the first time I believe 6 years! It is their Reunion gig. Sooooo many other amazing bands like Lack Of Interest, Despise You, Bumbklaat, Coaccion, Blown To Bits, Resistant Culture, Resist And Exist, Diatribe, Bloody Phoenix, Murder Construct, Holokaust, Temple Of Dagon, Massakro, ACXDC, Destroy Judas, D.I.S, Deminishing Device and a VERY special guest which will be announced very shortly!!
We update everyone on news on our Facebook www.facebook.com/californiadiscord but you can find all the information as well on our website. Tickets are also available at Mass Media Records in Costa Mesa and Headline Records in Hollywood. We have a Pre-Fest gig as well on the 23rd in Pomona, at Aladdin Jr.
What made you want to take on such a massive undertaking?
Well I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, and I finally decided to go for it in the Fall of 2010. I started planning out booking, and organizing the festival, then I noticed I had a TON of work I needed help with so then I got my friends Kyle Hertz and Dwane Burgess to help me out on booking, festival organization, etc. What made me want to do this mainly was seeing amazing huge festivals just about everywhere and L.A. needed some of that. Although we are just starting out this year, if all goes well this year we will go bigger and bigger and hopefully make this as fun of an experience for everyone as other fests have done in other states and in overseas!
What have some of the most frustrating things you’ve had to deal with been in regards to booking this?
Definitely the expenses, I’m sure that’s the main thing that frustrates anyone who puts on shows or festivals. But it’s all worth it for this festival! Other than that, just trying to figure out the bands I want to play to hopefully make sure their schedules coincide with the festival so we can make it happen, luckily it has!
Who did the art for the flyer?
Adrian Balderrama, he also plays in Bumbklaatt, check them out! He’s done the artwork for Wolfbrigade, Skitsystem, Lock Up, Napalm Death and tons more!
What about CDF sets it aside from other fests?
The fact that no one else in the world has the energy that the L.A. scene has! So if you are coming from out of town, bring your helmet, so we can show you how L.A does it!
Contact info?
E-mail is best at bonesbooking@gmail.com for any festival information you can go to www.californiadiscord.com, www.facebook.com/californiadiscord and for shows that I put on in California www.facebook.com/bonesbooking
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