Larry Livermore
Introduction
Larry Livermore ran Lookout! Records and writes. He also plays in The Potatomen.
Interview
How have you seen punk rock change since you became involved with it?
Larry: Well, at one time it was a very underground, very cutting edge thing; now it's almost completely mainstream.
Is it better now or worse than when you got involved?
Larry: I suppose that depends on how you feel about the mainstream versus the underground. There are lots of great bands today, the music is much more accessible, but it's not all that exciting.
Do you think there's anything wrong with punk?
Larry: See above: it's not very interesting or challenging.
What's good about it?
Larry: Good clean fun, a chance to meet lots of other people, an opportunity for almost anyone who wants to be in a band or otherwise get involved, writing, art, etc.
How have you seen the crowds and people at shows change?
Larry: Yeah, much less of the walking dead you used to see at 70's punk shows, a lot more healthy, clean-cut suburbanites.
Do you see any problems with the way people act at shows?
Larry: I see a lot of problems with the way people act everywhere.
What can we do to make the scene better?
Larry: Stop thinking of it in terms of a scene and start thinking in terms of what we can do to make ourselves better and more interesting. The "scene" will follow.
Final thoughts? Anything you'd like to add?
Larry: It may seem we're going around in circles but it's really a spiral. History doesn't repeat, it rhymes. The only thing we can really change is ourselves, but once we do that, everything else is child's play. The only thing that really matters is sincerity; once you can fake that, you've got it made. OK, the last one is a joke, sorry.