God So Loved The World

The legendary Mr Andrew P Street, while he was still with us as dB music editor, drummed into all of his writers that the lamest possible question you could ask a band was about their name. However, when a hardcore punk outfit chooses to give themselves a blatantly Christian band name, you wonder if they are deliberately setting themselves up to be ridiculed. For those who may be unaware, this long phrase name is taken from the world's most famous New Testament bible verse, John 3:16.

So, after the obscure Christian reference of vocalist Dan Jones' previous band, Seraphs Coal, I wanted to know whether this overtly religious name has resulted in any backlash?

"Surprisingly, it hasn't. It's the sort of name that is likely to polarise people and, if I'm honest with myself, it even makes me feel a little uncomfortable. It's provocative, but it's who we want to be."

You might think that God So Loved The World (GSLTW) are just another bunch of religious nutters, or that they are some trendy trick of the church trying to increase numbers and credibility. Jones is certain this is miles away from the truth - in fact, despite being offered decent cash to play Christian gigs and music festivals they have a strict policy that they do not play any Christian shows.

"We're a hardcore band, we aren't out to convert people, but we think we've got a message we put across that we aren't ashamed of and that every member of this band believes in and lives."

Jones reveals the aims behind their songs, "We aren't setting out to be a religious band and we aren't a political band either; it's the last thing I'd want to be known as because we don't have an agenda. Our songs come out of the overflow of our hearts, the things we are passionate about and our personal struggles."

One song, Break Loose, screams about breaking free of the lies of climbing the corporate ladder, but Jones admits, "I'm not opposed to working, even if I need to do crappy jobs to support myself and my wife. But I don't want to succumb to the idea that you are what you do. I see most people around me finding so much of their identity and security in that. So much of the work I've done I've hated and I do it so I can afford to do what I love doing. I think it's always been like that for artists. Music is a labour of love for me and if you want to invest in your art, then you choose a life of voluntary suffering in some respects."

The band members in GSLTW have been in a number of Adelaide's most loved punk and hardcore bands including Stronghold, Seraphs Coal, Stolen Youth, STR, In Fiction, Infection and Franchise Life. Yet, even with such a strong musical bloodline, it is impressive how fast GSLTW have picked up significant tour supports - their first national tour being with US hardcore band Outbreak and there are more on the way.

"We just found out that we are doing the whole East Coast support for Rise Against, which is huge. They are probably one of the biggest punk/hardcore bands in the country."

As for the recording process of their intense melodic hardcore CD/EP with Darren Thompson, "It almost came to blows, I definitely stressed him. I made him remix it all three times. I know it's hard because I want everything, I want it to sound clean but dirty, I want it raw but produced. I want it all and Darren's the man to get it for me. I think it sounds different from our demo, but it's still in the ballpark."

And they couldn't have chosen more appropriate cover art than photos from one of their explosive live gigs.

"It's all taken from a heap of live shots during an alleyway show we did in an abandoned old building. It's somewhat of an Adelaide punk/hardcore tradition, so as summer comes around, there is likely to be a few more of those shows," So keep your eyes peeled on the band's myspace site for info on the next meeting point.

Scott Berry

God So Loved The World launch their EP at the Underground on Sat 14 October.