Got-A-Nerve?

10/31/2009 | Passionate and motivated like very few around Belgian THE SETUP, who started out some 6 years ago, are back on track with a heavier than ever new full-length album titled “Torchbearer” (which follows-up to 2007’s “Minister Of Death”) out through Maastricht based GSR music.
The chief line-up changes and hardships the guys went through over last year didn’t break them neither slowed their run, and as you’ll be reading The Setup have still much to say and places to play before hitting the day of the final call. And beware, the combustible blend of hardcore and metal displayed on the new album is the perfect propeller that will ensure intense physical shows and relentless mosh pits.
I emailed the guys a bunch of questions about the new album, live shows, hardcore and more. Read on…

GAN!: Hello, how are you doing guys?

We’re ok, thanks for asking.

GAN!: I know over last year you’ve gone through many hardships and key line-up changes. How has this affect the band chemistry and songwriting process? How do you feel about the current line-up?

The Setup has always been a band with a lot of replacements. Because of the intensive schedule it isn’t always easy for everyone to be on all tours or shows we play. I think at one point we had a replacement for almost everyone in the band. It wasn’t until our previous singer, Dries, decided to quit that we hit a rough patch. But with Kris we found a good replacement. As for writing goes Andries (now in Born From Pain) did most of the writing together with Serch (drummer), while now everyone is more involved in the writing process. We really thought about what we wanted to do with the new line-up and what direction we wanted to go. What previous records missed was the raw energy of our live shows; live we were always harder then on our records. This is something we also wanted to create that sound on the new album, and we’re pretty happy how it turned out. Jacob (Olsen) did a great job on recording it.

GAN!: Let’s talk about the “Torchbearer” your latest output. How much the new album sounds different from “Minister Of Death”?

Like I said before, the new album is heavier because it sounds more like the Setup live. We’re really proud that we finally could capture our live sound on recordings. If our Minister of Death sometimes lacks heaviness, we really love that record, but we wanted it to have more punch. For Torchbearer we wanted a heavier sound. Jacob Olsen really did a good job on giving us the sound we wanted.

GAN!: What the title “Torchbearer” means to you? Do you feel like you guys are any kind of torchbearer of Belgian hardcore?

No, we don’t feel like we’re torchbearers of Belgian hardcore haha... The album is about everything that is going wrong in the world nowadays and that sometimes it seems like we’re caught in a downward spiral. Torchbearer says there still is hope and we still have to believe in the things that do matter. It is not that we are the bringers of light in the darkness, that’s something that each and everyone has to find for him or herself.

GAN!: Can you describe an THE SETUP show for those who have yet to see you play?

Well a good Setup show is one that hits you in the face like a freight train. We’re always giving a 110%.

GAN!: What’s your fan base like? Are there any areas where you’re doing better over others and what’s your favourite venue to play?

We attract a diverse crowd, not only hardcore kids, but also a lot of metal kids are into us. We did some festivals in Belgium this summer and they were just crazy, everybody went nuts. It’s good too see that despite all the line-up changes people still support us and give us the support. We appreciate it a lot. We used to love playing at Lintfabriek in Belgium, but unfortunately that place closed down.

GAN!: Your label mates Backfire just called it a day after 15 long years. Can you picture out a day when you guys get up and The Setup is no longer a thing to bother about? What would you be doing then?

I don’t want to think about that day just yet. Everything comes to an end, but we all feel that the Setup still has some stuff to do. We still want to bring our message and connect with people that come to shows and listen to our music. We’ve all been involved in the hardcore scene for a long time before the Setup and this probably will still be when the Setup quits. I can’t imagine a life without the Setup. I’ve been going to shows for over 15 years so I’m hooked. For me personally, music and hardcore isn’t something you can quit on just like that. If you’re heart is in it, you’ll always want to be a part of it.

GAN!: And what’s your earliest memories of The Setup starting out?

I remember it growing naturally when we quit our old band Thumbs Down. We wanted to do something new right away. We started out as a tight group of friends and along the way all our close buddies ended up playing in the band. So it’s a band of brothers I guess. We played everything we could. Funniest place we played in the beginning was in a small record store, that was cool.

GAN!: If you had to compare European hardcore to USA hardcore, what differences (if any in your view) would you emphasize? Is there anything Euro bands are better at than USA ones?

I rather think of hardcore as a global thing, I don’t look at it like US hardcore and European hardcore. Both continents have good bands, and bad ones also of course. I get the impression that European kids are more interested and show more support to unknown US bands than the kids in the US do with European bands. They often just don’t bother checkin' bands out. Probably because there are shitloads of bands over there. But then again a lot of European bands get good support in the US, so that's cool.

GAN!: Outside the band and job’s commitments, what you guys do during your free time?

We all have jobs, except for Michiel, he still studies. I’m a web designer and I’m into photography, so the little spare time I have next to the setup I’ll go out and shoot some pictures or check if there isn’t a show in the neighborhood. Serch is a graphic designer and Kris studied arts. And when Jef isn’t working he goes to metal summer camp, brutal haha... He’s a really good musician, really passionate about it, I learn a lot from him.

GAN!: What do you guys think about GOT A NERVE!?

Everybody who actively supports underground music gets our support! Keep on doing what you do!

GAN!: What the future holds for The Setup?

Playing shows and touring. We want to play as much as possible and tour all over the place. We’re planning to go to Eastern Europe in December together with Born From Pain. Since they’re good friends and almost everyone from the Setup did at least one show playing for them it is going to be amazing. Good times ahead!

GAN!: Any shout outs?

To you guys and everyone who supported us and underground music in any way. The kids will have their say!
Hardcore Lives!

Check: myspace.com/thesetup myspace.com/gsrmusic

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Category: Interviews
Posted by: marcs77