Spirit and Sound

Meaning in Music 

My Pre-Blues Breaky! (The first and last photo I captured I'm sorry!)

When looking at the concepts of music, meaning, sound and spirituality there is, in my opinion no clear definition or summary. When researcher, author and hardcore-enthusiast Brian Peterson (2009) set out to research and pay tribute to the hardcore music scene of the 90s his passion and love of music and community were apparent foregrounding factors as he writes: "hardcore was more captivating and passionate than anything else I had heard. The sound seemed to express a feeling of frustration that I felt about my own surroundings and our culture" (2009: 2). For Peterson hardcrore is about sticking it to the establishment and blazing one's own trail, it was a place where: "there was no waiting around for others to tell you what mattered...you could define the debate yourself" (2). Peterson's research lead to the publishing of Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution in Ethics, Politics, Spirit and Sound (2009), a collection of research, interviews and perspectives from the contributors to the hardcore scene. 

When taking a look at the interaction between music and meaning it would be an oversight not to consider the way spirituality infiltrated the hardcore scene. We have come to associate spiritual and religious messages or undertones in popular music with bands such as Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, The Killers, Coldplay etc. The folky or pop music with the humanist or universal perspective. Regardless of what genre of music we are focusing on, as Peterson (2009) suggests any music-based subculture, not just hardcore, is "more than just a sound...it's a community, a feeling, a way of life" (6). When I visited the Byron Bay Blues Fest over Easter the sub-culture of the blues, roots and folk was definately greater than the sound. While the music was incredible it is the meaning in the lyrics, the sense of community and the shared experience that stays with you. The political messages against Coal Seam Gas by musician and North Coast local Xavier Rudd was one example of such "community" (Peterson 2009 6). Artists such as Xavier Rudd, The Lumineers and Mavis Staple all drew big crowds. What was interesting that while there was a spiritual presence in all three shows, they differed in message and meaning. Mavis Staple's gig was overtly religious due to her southern Baptist sound and gospel testimonies, The Lumineers were notably spiritual but without any directly religious messages and Xavier Rudd incorporated Indigenous sounds and ritual on stage along with environmental and political protests. All three are quite different and yet all three tents were filled with adoring fans, whistling, chanting, cheering and all!

What was clear from these observations is that music and a sub-culture of music indeed involves a "dialogue" (Peterson 26). As a mode of expression and a creation of art, that dialogue is limitless and as such incorporates religion or spirituality in ways perhaps not forseen. For Peterson one of the essential components of hardcore is the "spirit invested in the music" (109). He writes: "every form of music comes from within, but the passion displayed at a hardcore show can be similiar to what is seen at a religious ritual" (109). On this note I would love to include an image I saw at the Blues Fest however I regret to inform you that in the Easter rush I forget my camera. I'll describe it. The image was a man, waving his arms in the air in pure happiness, singing and dancing in the crowd, and as he turned I saw his t-shirt which read "Music is my Religion". The image reflects so perfectly Peterson's assertion that: "to many hardcore is a religion- it can have its own values and belief systems, classic texts and leaders who speak their minds and sometimes find themsleves wrapped in controversy" (2009: 109).

Below are a collection of quotes found in Burning Fight from members and fans of the hardcore scene revolving around their belief and opinion of spirituality in music. Read through if you like as there are some important and universal messages when contemplating this topic and for reflecting on finding true happiness and spiritual connections and the ways they can be expressed or shared. 

Sean Ingram: "spirituality belongs in life, and if you are in a hardcore band, and it plays into your life, it should play into your music...I still stand by the fact that hardcore is an open forum. You may not like what's in it, but it's still an open forum" (Sean Ingram Burning Fight 2009:132)

Jessica Hopper, Hit it or Quit it Fanzine: "People can do whatever the hell they want. I don't think anything 'belongs' anywhere. I am a religious person, and I came into that on my own in my adult life. It belongs in hardcore as much as it does anywhere else"  (Burning Fight 132)

Gavin Van Vlack, Absolution, Burn: "I would never begrudge someone for their spirituality, but I hate being told you have to believe something or you're going to hell. Was Christ a Christian? He was someone who beleived that there was a right and a wrong way to go about things. Lord Gautama was the same thing. The problem we deal with is someone takes these beliefs and tries to manipulate the situation. If you are doing the right thing and being of service to your fellow man then my hat's off to you. But if you are using the words of a prophet to manipulate other people and make them bend to your will then you are nothing more than a snake oil salesman. It happens with every religion and that's the reason why I think organized religion doesn't work" (Burning Fight 2009: 133)

John Grabelle: "The 20-year-old me would have said fuck religion-it doesn't have any place in hardcore And I did say that when I was that age in Trustkill Fanzine 1, 2, and 3, and I got a lot of shit for it. I'm not going to say that I regret what I said, because I don't. But I was 20 years old. I had some things to get off my chest so I did. I'm 32 now and we have 350 million people in this country alone. How many of them are on Xanax or Prozac and are depressed and suicidal? I honestly feel whatever makes you happy then do it. Life's too short not to be happy and not get what you want out of this life. So if God, Jesus, and Muhammed make you happy then go for it. If Krishna saved your life then great. Over the years my mindset has changed" (Burning Fight 2009: 134)

Kent MccLard: "There is no doubt that spirituality belongs in hardcore. Hardcore is spiritual. I'm an atheist, but I can understand what draws people to the scene and to religion as well. When I started going to shows in the eighties there was this communal energy of these people who were all having fun and were angry and we were defining ourselves by being different. It was almost a religious feeling. The best shows I went to were when there was this sense that everyone in the room had some commonality and it was important. And that's a religious experience" (Burning Fight 2009:135)

References: Peterson, Brian. Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution in Ethics, Politics, Spirit and Sound. United States of America: Revelation Records, 2009. Print