1.: Okay, Let's start with some background infos.... How did everything get started with the band? Where are you from, who's in the band and what kind of music do you guys deliver?
Well we started back in January of 2005. Got a few friends together and decided we wanted to start a hardcore band. Didn't really care what we sounded like, just wanted to play loud fast music. I think over the years we just found our sound. People can describe it however they want, as long as I can listen to it on a daily basis, I'm content. We're heavily influenced by all that is New York Hardcore. We also have a deep love for Suicidal Tendencies, I think you can clearly hear both influences come through our music. It's a great thing.
2.: What have you been released so far?
We have a couple early demo's that sort of disappeared into thin air, so we wont talk about those. The one that really caught peoples eyes was our "Negative Outlook 2007 Demo." After that we released "Peace In Death" in 2008 on our own record label called Mind Disease Records. We are now awaiting the release of "Happiness Under Chains" a two song 7" that should be out by this fall. So keep your eyes peeled.
3.: What's your personal story? How did it all begin for you and the core?
It started pretty early I guess. Started to get into stuff while I was in middle school, met some friends that had brothers in bands and things like that. Started going to house shows with them and as many other shows as we could together. We became real close friends with everyone around our city that was into hardcore and now everyone knows each other.
4.: You just played Sound and Fury Fest! Tell us something about the fest and how did your set turn out? Is Bob Shed still involved in putting on the fest?
We had a great weekend. We were very thankful to have been apart of it, and our set was a lot of fun. Hopefully we'll be fortunate enough to play the next one, if there is a next one. Yes Bob Shed is still involved with the fest.
5.: Okay, Some of you guys are totally into skinhead style? How did you get interested in the skinhead style/movement?
The skinhead "style" caught my eye before I even started going to hardcore shows. I would see them at punk shows and it would always interest me. So I decided to check it out for myself. Once I looked more into it I was instantly attached. I mean everything from the dress, the lifestyle and mentality, to the music, it really just felt right. I got real into Oi!, just sounded real powerful to me. Shortly after that I started getting into bands like Iron Cross, Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, WarZone, Blood For Blood, and those bands are what really did it for me.
6.: Lets talk about your shirt designs for a second. One of your shirts shows the „Iron Cross“ of the German „Bundeswehr“...who came up with this idea and what's the „message“...!Why did you chose this symbol? I'm from Germany, so i'm interested in why do kids from th eother side of the planet use this symbol!
I love the iron cross for what it represents. It's just a real powerful image, to me it acts as a symbol of strength and independence. I just happened to fall across this depiction of it. I didn't necessarily use it because it was a "German Bundeswehr" just thought it looked cool, that's all haha.
7.: You guys are out of San Diego? Hows the scene at the moment and are there any other core bands worth talking about?
We're actually from a city called Chula Vista, which is a city in the South San Diego county. We have a scene of our own down here, it's small, but it's definitely growing. Plenty of bands at the moment and i've heard of more projects coming soon. One band that you need to check out, my personal favorite, is a band called Deadlined. They have a demo out and I believe they have plans for a 7" coming out later towards the end of the year. For fans of Breakdown/Sick Of It All and all that good NYHC stuff etc. Check'm out; www.myspace.com/deadlinedhc
8: What is the highlight and what is the lowest point in the bands history so far?
Our highlight would most definitely have to be releasing our own 7" "Peace In Death." Our lowest point would have to be the band almost breaking up one or two times over the years because of inner band problems. But those have been resolved thankfully.
9.: What are the lyrics exactly about? Tell us what the following songs are about please: Happiness under chains Walks of Life Neo Bro Nazi (to be honest, i'm not 100% sure if this is by you guys. I got this on a tape and someone told me „this is Take Offense....it has got a pretty sweet vibe“. But i have neither a cover nor something else...just the info's by a friend)
Happiness Under Chains is a song about finding your truth, your happiness while dealing with all the bullshit that surrounds you. Hardcore, family, and friends, are my happiness. These are the things that give me security and make things feel right and give me balance. Work, money, society, are the chains that hold you back from doing things you really want to do. Walks Of Life is a song about growing up, going through different experiences at certain times in your life, and basically how all of that affects the way you live, the way you see things and make decisions based on what you've learned in your lifetime. Do what you feel is right. Neo-Bro-Nazi, wow I forgot about that song, haha. I don't wanna get to deep into this one, but it was about these dumb kids at our high school that we had a problem with, drew Swazi's on themselves, decorated their web pages with all types of neo-nazi propaganda and called themselves skinheads. They were just a bunch of dumb bros, they didn't know a damn thing, just thought they were the shit.
11.: What initially attracted you to hardcore and is that still the reason you are involved in it? Why did you decide to join a band?
I fell in love with hardcore at the first hardcore show I went to. It was a house show down the street from mine. It was like nothing I had seen before and I was blown away, instantly attached. I loved the environment, I felt so comfortable just hanging around, felt like it was where I belonged and it still does to this day. So yes, it is in fact the same reason i'm still involved. I decided to create a band because I felt that's what was right. It was more of a subconscious decision, I just felt I needed to so I did.
12.: As a broad question, what are your overall thoughts about the state of the hardcore community today? Is the scene thriving, or in need of a revival?
That's a real tough question. I can only answer partially because all I know is the scene in Southern California. Hardcore is definitely thriving down here, and has been for the past couple of years. Makes me real happy, I know a good amount of people up the southern coast and I mean everyone has seen each other around and it's real exciting to see new faces. Just seems like it's growing, real fast.
13.: How has your hometown of Chula Vista* influenced your music and your lyrics?
It strongly influences me and all of us here in CV. We're a really tight knit group down here. We all look after eachother and just have a lot of hometown pride. Take Offense has a song about our city that we rarely play anymore, but when we do it always gets a real strong reaction. It's someting about this city man, we just love it here.
14.: Are you all from the same area? Whats the area like and where do you know each other from?
I grew up with my bassist, lives down the street from me. The rest of us live within a couple blocks of each other. Most of us met at school, we met Greg our guitarist at one of our early shows. Our city is a suburb of the South San Diego county area. Some parts aren't so great some parts are perfectly fine just like any other city in the US. You can see Mexico from here, we're about 5 miles from the border.
15.: What kind of people attend „Take Offense“ shows. I ask this because i think there are weird sketchy skinheads attracted by the style you deliver also.....not just because of the hardcore sound, rather the Bundeswehr symbol on your shirts or the Iron Cross Symbol on your homepage and maybe the way some of you guys dress. Do you have problems with boneheads and other sketchy political weirdos on your shows. I was told there were a lot of fascists in California...okay, this was a long time ago, but they come and go like rats.!
Have not seen one bonehead around any of our shows ever, let alone any other hardcore shows going on in SD. I have definitely heard stories from the older Chula Vista/San Diego heads of them coming around and having to fight them out of their shows. But there haven't been any real problems since.
16.:What is the most fundamentally important aspect of hardcore you try to keep alive and carry on...on a personal level!
Just being able to be yourself. You're not here, involved in hardcore to impress anyone. This is for yourself, for your own satisfaction. Who gives a fuck who thinks this or that, just do what you feel is right for you because that's all that matters. If your here for any other reason, then you'll be gone in a year.
17.: What's your favourite move when you're moshing in the pit?
Hah, I'm gonna have to say I just love to circle pit. Takes alot of energy and is just a lot of fun.
18.: Your favourite NYHC/ Skinhead band?
I'm going to have to say WarZone without any hesitation. Everything about that band is just so genuine. Band is untouchable in my opinion.
19.: What was the Craziest thing you've ever seen or experienced at a show? Please tell us a story stuck to your mind!!
Plenty of fights and brawls, cops shutting down shows. Not to much craziness other than that.
20.: Where’s the future going in 2009 with Take Offense...any upcoming releases or tours?
We're putting out a 7" within a month titled "Happiness Under Chains" it'll be 2 songs. We've already started to write new songs for a full length that will hopefully come out by the end of the ear or very early next year. We plan on touring ASAP, just gotta get out shit together and get organized. Announcements for that will come up very soon.
21.: Thanks a bunch for the interview, i really appreciate it! Now it's time for shout outs...
Just wanna say thanks to everyone that has supported us in anyway. Special thanks to all of our friends from Chula Vista and all surrounded cities of the Southern California region. I wanna give a huge thanks to Zack (Oxnard) Nelson of Retaliate, dude is the best and has helped us out in so many ways. If you want to keep up with what's going on in CV go ahead and check out my blog (http://cvhc09.blogspot.com/) I update it once I get new info on whatever is going on with the scene in Chula Vista. Thanks a lot for the interview, it's refreshing to know that people are that interested in our band, so we really appreciate it, so thanks! Take care man.
-A.H.
(Take Offense at Sound & Fury 2009)
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