Loud! Fast! Philly!

Joseph A. Gervasi interview Mano Divina, the original drummer of Philly’s favorite hardcore punk band, F.O.D. (Flag of Democracy) and the founder of The Divine Hand Ensemble (with many bands in between). Mano Divina (that’s his legal first name) was raised by an Italian-American family who took great pleasure from all forms of music and sharing it with one another. Since Mano Divina claims he can’t remember most of his childhood, our discussion soon reaches his teenage years, which were fueled by his obsessive love of music and, by his early teens, his welcoming into the nascent Philly punk scene. Mano Divina speaks with infectious enthusiasm about the accepting nature of the Philly scene and the creative individuals with in it. It didn’t take long for Mano Divina help form F.O.D. and play their first show — one of the most (in)famous in hardcore history — with Minor Threat at Buff Hall in Camden, NJ (a show discussed in some other interviews in this series). In our wide-ranging interview we talk about Mano Divina’s time in and out of F.O.D. (one of the first ultra-fast bands of the early ‘80s who’re still amazing today); the many bands and studio sessions he played on; his tutelage under none other than Venusian-Philadelphia jazz god Sun Ra (!); the threat Philly’s blacks and punks received when Rizzo was mayor and after the MOVE debacle; moving into the electronic music/rave scene; Mano Divina’s discovery of the theremin and the impact it’s had on his life; the mystical roots of his name; my beloved prog rock (King Crimson! Jethro Tull!); and, of course, forming The Divine Hand Ensemble. The Divine Hand Ensemble brings something of a punk attitude the performance of classical music. Mano Divina lectures on science and the theremin to wide range of people, so his ability to communicate with all and sundry is evident in this interview. Our talk filled with great stories and high cheer. I think many will find Mano Divina’s D.I.Y. ethos to be a source of inspiration. Plus: the interview ends with an absolutely demented story!

The Divine Hand Ensemble

Joseph A. Gervasi interviews Pierce Jordan and Ruben Polo of the Philly hardcore band Soul Glo. Soul Glo is a relatively young band, but in the short time they’ve caught the attention of many with the intensity of their performances and Pierce’s impassioned and confrontational lyrics. We talk about their upbringing as outsiders in both the black community and the largely white world of punk, how they came to Philadelphia and met, and how the band formed. Most essential to this interview is our discussion of the power of words, particularly the word “nigger,” which appears in Soul Glo’s lyrics. Since the word makes many in the black community as well as liberal whites rather uncomfortable (hence the substitution by some of the phrase “the n-word,” which the brain provides an immediate translation for, thus rendering it pointless semantic obfuscation), its appearance in the lyrics makes for a thoughtful discussion of race and language both in and out of punk. We also discuss role models, both those Pierce and Ruben grew up with, and the fact that by presenting themselves to strangers with their band, they may find that they too will be role models for others. In a conversation that may make some listeners uncomfortable at times, we discuss all this and more. It’s worth noting that as serious as some of the talk can be, Pierce and Ruben retain a cheerful sense of humor that comes through in our talk.