“I'm just trying to keep real punk alive and keep rock and roll dangerous,” says Tim Raldo.
“I'm doing sh** a lot of people wish they had the balls to do. I've cut myself onstage, performed in the nude, I've even brought in fish heads and other animal parts for performances. I love to see the looks on people’s faces as I’m mutilating my flesh, miming with animal sacrifices, and smacking myself around; it's priceless.”
He’s not concerned that audiences tend to dislike being antagonized. “One of our first shows at the Playhouse ended when some guy threw a barstool at us…I’ve noticed that the people who stand in the back and talk sh** almost never have anything to say to me when I call them out. Instead, it seems like it’s always the guy in the front, not saying or doing anything, who ends up punching me in the face as soon as I start running through the audience.
“That’s punk life,” he explains. “Sure, we've played shows that only last three songs before they shut us off, or someone falls into our equipment and breaks sh**, but that just comes with the territory. Most club owners don’t say sh** to my face, until I call them trying to book another show, then they say they can’t book me again unless I tone it down. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I tell them I’ll tone it down, but then I f*** sh** up all over again."
Filthy Fuks drummer Kevin Allen joined the Hathcocks in 2016.