AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE's HANKS Discusses VIRGINIA TECH Massacre

Planet Loud recently conducted an interview with AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE's Chad Hanks (a.k.a. Mr. H.C. Banks III). An excerpt from the chat follows:

Planet Loud: I was going to do this interview last week but recent events in America brought up a whole series of new questions. Considering there is a good section of footage on the DVD with members of your band using firearms, I just wondered what you felt about the gun laws in America in the wake of the recent University shootings.

Hanks: It is irrelevant to me and unfortunately, living in America has desensitized me beyond all recognition. Guns exist. Crazy people exist. If we can just figure a way out to keep the firearms from the crazies, we'll probably be doing much better as country on the whole.

Planet Loud: Recently in London there has been an increase in gun/gang crime and people are always campaigning for stricter gun laws. A lot of the gang/gun related crime in the UK involved kids aged as young as nine and ten years old. Do you think more could be done to educate kids about the dangers of firearms?

Hanks: Firearm education could nip some of the problem in the bud. But it's an EXTREMELY complicated issue. We could do an entire interview 7 times this long concerning my views on gun control. I will say that when I get back from the tour I'll be purchasing a .50 caliber Desert Eagle. Big. Fucking. Boom. It can take down a rhino. Literally.

Planet Loud: Although you are not directly saying ‘guns are great' , by showing footage of you handling firearms, do you think this could be misinterpreted by your younger fans as you glorifying carrying firearms?

Hanks: I guess it depends on the intelligence of our audience, which honestly I question at times. Kids. Monkey see, monkey do...sometimes. But it's not entirely their fault. Parenting plays a key role in how these children turn out. 8 times out of 10, you can trace it back to a questionable upbringing. Of course no parent ever wants to admit they fucked up. So they go and blame people like...us. So take a look at yourselves, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. You might not be all your cracked up to be.

Planet Loud: What do you think the American people can learn from the recent shootings?

Hanks: I think a psych evaluation should be utilized in handing out permits for firearms. Crazy? No gun for you.

Planet Loud: Just rounding up this subject, if a fan wrote/emailed you and said they were getting caught up in the guns/gang related lifestyle through friends or family, what advice would you give them?

Hanks: Give me your phone number and I'll call you. Honestly, that's what I would do. Advice from a disembodied voice of a rock guy, in print? An umbrella statement? Nope. I would talk to the person one on one.

Read the entire interview at www.planet-loud.com.