HardLore Podcast — Davey Havok Part 1: 1991–2003 (A HardLore Special)

Date: September 18, 2025
Hosts: Colin Young & Bo Lueders
Guest: Davey Havok (AFI)

Episode Overview

This HardLore special is a career-deep dive with Davey Havok, frontman of AFI, charting his journey through the hardcore, punk, and metal scenes from 1991 to 2003. From discovering punk in Northern California, to formative years at 924 Gilman, through the arrival of key band members and the creative turning points that came with each record, Davey details not just AFI’s evolution, but the culture, philosophy, and lore of West Coast punk and hardcore itself.

The conversation navigates musical influences, ethics, identity, and the collaborative changes that defined AFI's sound, with candid detours into family, aesthetics, and community. The tone remains personal, witty, and deeply music-nerd oriented.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Family Ties and The AFI Origin Story

• The episode opens with light banter about unexpected family connections between the hosts and Davey ([02:13]), revealing a running joke about being second cousins once removed.
• Davey recounts forming AFI in high school with friends, their drive to play Gilman St., and the role of early inspirations: “We wanted the band to be an acronym because what inspired that? TSOL. DI. RKL. MDC. DRI.” ([28:45])
• Before AFI, Davey tried to start a heavy metal band to play his Catholic school’s talent show ([31:17]).

2. Finding Punk & Hardcore in California (Early to Mid-80s)

• Davey vividly describes how he first encountered punk culture through mall punks and new wave imagery, long before hearing the music ([04:32–11:32]).
  • “I was enamored of the style, the aesthetic… I thought they looked so cool, beautiful, and interesting. But I didn’t really know anything about the music…” ([04:32])
• Thrasher Magazine and skate culture became an onramp: “My folks got me a subscription to Thrasher… first issue had Samhain, Glenn Danzig on the cover with a skateboard.” ([11:32])

3. Vegan Straight Edge & The East Bay’s Ethic

• The leap from straight edge to veganism is traced back to Minor Threat and the influence of Earth Crisis:
  • “Minor Threat... I was already of the mindset of what essentially is the fundamental premise of straight edge: not understanding why anyone would do recreational drugs.” ([12:01])
  • “I was resistant to being vegan because it was so trendy… I didn’t want to participate in posturing.” ([13:54])
• Davey credits the Bay Area’s 924 Gilman community as a hotbed for ethics, literature, and activism. He notes the strong presence of intersectional rights activism at Gilman ([14:31]).

4. What Does “Hardcore” Mean? (Defining the Ethic)

• Hosts and Davey have an extended, nuanced discussion about how “hardcore” is defined now versus then ([19:01–24:11]).
  • “At this point it is more a code of ethics than a specific way a band sounds.” — Host ([20:03])
  • “Are we oppositional just for the sake of opposition?” — Davey ([20:20])
  • “DIY. What are you willing to do? Are you willing to help other bands and help the community?” — Host ([22:26])
• Davey expresses discomfort with the influx of Christianity into hardcore, saying “It’s the antithesis of what we are about.” ([21:05])

5. Finding His Voice: Musical Theater to AFI

• Davey’s first live performance was Oliver Twist at age ten—an origin story for his comfort on stage ([24:27]).
• “I damaged my voice terribly in AFI… I had surgery twice because I was singing incorrectly… I am still learning.” ([27:05])
• He emphasizes the impact that choir and musical theater training had on his vocal style.

6. Early AFI Years, Gilman Street, and the Role of Community

• AFI’s early years were built on relentless gigging, Davey being the Gilman “flyer boy,” and the collective nature of the venue ([33:43]).
• “Everyone would come to most all the shows. Certainly a lot of people didn’t like us, as many do dislike us now for various reasons. But there were more who did.” ([34:59])

7. Records & Evolution (1995–2003)

Answer That and Stay Fashionable (1995)

• Slightly exaggerated production credit for Tim Armstrong; AFI credits Rancid for pivotal support: “They gave us our first… time ever got on the Gilman Street stage.” ([36:07])

Very Proud of Ya & Nitro Years

• Nitro’s insistence on a producer changed the studio dynamic.
• The band valued rare releases and B-sides; “I love that. You can only go to the 7-inch to get a song. If you can’t get it there, you can’t get it now. Technology has really ruined everything with this.” ([46:23])

Black Sails in the Sunset (1999)

• Turning point: Jade Puget joins; the classic era is born.
• “It’s reborn and born... what the majority of people associate AFI with is born with.” ([78:33])
• Jade’s collaboration and influence: “He had his acoustic guitar… played the chorus—‘We all began to burn.’ He had that lyric too. I didn’t write that word.” ([81:30])
• This era brings more melody back, at Jade’s suggestion.

Art of Drowning (2000)

• First Billboard charting record for AFI (peaked at #174): “Could not believe it. I was here in the studio… when we got news.” ([108:33])
• New studio, larger budget, the sound perceived as “a little too much like Iron Maiden” by the band ([111:53]).
• “We did not… recognize at the time how odd the record was. When it came out, people were making Motley Crüe comparisons…” ([112:30])
• Track deep-dive: “Sacrifice Theory”—direct homage to Samhain’s “Queen Wasp” ([113:21]).

All Hallow’s EP (1999)

• Conceived for fun, not as a strategic bridge: “It wasn’t as strategic as that… It was just an exercise in fun.” ([91:02])
• “We wanted it to be generally seasonally themed and autumnal... We just wrote those songs.” ([93:19])

8. Visuals & Image as Art

• Davey’s deliberate aesthetic, from early devil-lock/“Eddie Munster” hair to high fashion. “My looks are intentional… an amalgamation of artists that have inspired me… Sometimes it’s an act of aggression or rebellion almost. ‘Fuck you.’” ([63:39])
• Inspiration even extends to Kiefer Sutherland’s nails in Lost Boys ([57:11]).

9. AFI Setlists and Relationship to Old Material

• AFI now pulls from a “cache” of 72+ songs for setlists; Davey rarely listens back to older material outside of prepping for tours ([37:52], [38:59]).
• His relationship to the newest record is strikingly different, more “metaphysical”: “When I put it on, it feels… there’s a metaphysicality to it… it speaks so profoundly well of how I relate or am unable to relate to these utterly surreal and dystopic times…” ([39:35])

10. Misfits, Covers, & Musical Influence

• The hanging garden of influences: AFI covered The Cure and the Misfits out of genuine fan love ([69:34–73:04]).
• “The Misfits are one of the many bands we would play at rehearsal. We started by playing covers.” ([69:37])
• Davey’s Misfits Mount Rushmore: “Hybrid Moments” comes instantly to mind ([73:25]).

11. Community Lore, Touring, and Punk Culture

• Extended stories of live AFI chaos (broken noses, wild mosh pits, electrical shocks at the Fireside Bowl) paint the color of 90s DIY punk ([15:34], [119:03]).
• Funny/awkward fan/celebrity moments: Davey denied a concert line-cut by a fan wearing his band’s shirt ([104:54]).
• The Fireside Bowl in Chicago, and the era of “everyone was dancing”: “When I was saying everyone was dancing, what I was also saying was some people stopped dancing, which no one's ever really... I've never said that before.” ([114:44])

12. Scene History: Hardcore Dancing and Its Origins

• Davey and the hosts discuss the roots of “hardcore dancing/kickboxing,” tracing it to NY legends (Marauder’s Saab), linking the evolution of pit moves, and the inherent absurdity and utility of dance as scene marker ([122:33–125:51]).

13. Son of Sam Project

• After touring with Samhain and Danzig, Davey was asked to sing for Son of Sam (Glenn Danzig approved), but only participated on record—not live—due to rising AFI commitments ([126:05]).
• Anecdote: being recognized at Coachella as “the singer of Son of Sam” — “My friend was with me and went, what is that? And I said, I’m not sure.” ([134:23])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On punk beginnings:
  “I was enamored of the style, the aesthetic… but didn’t really know anything about the music.” — Davey ([04:32])

• On Minor Threat’s influence:
  “I was already of the mindset of what essentially is the fundamental premise of straight edge.” — Davey ([12:01])

• AFI’s community roots:
  “I was the flyer boy for Gilman Street. I hung the flyers which allowed me entry into all shows.” — Davey ([33:43])

• On old punk ethics:
  “We experienced records… Records are what made us want to make music. Records, singles, full-length records.” — Davey ([86:54])

• On “hardcore” vs. “norm”:
  “At this point it is more a code of ethics than a specific way a band sounds.” — Host ([20:03])

• On visual inspiration:
  “My looks are intentional…sometimes it’s an act of aggression or rebellion almost. ‘Fuck you.’ I will call it aggression more than rebellion.” — Davey ([63:39])

• The myth of punk fame:
  “If someone is familiar with AFI per se… they would know who I am… Yet the kid said, ‘No, you’re not.’” — Davey (on not being recognized by a fan at a NIN show) ([105:08])

• Collaboration & the arrival of Jade:
  “He played… just the chorus [of Malleus] and he had ‘We all began to burn.’ He had that lyric too. So I didn’t write that word.” — Davey ([81:30])

• Art of Drowning charting:
  “Could not believe it. I was here in the studio on Cahuenga making the Son of Sam record when we got news… it was beyond anything we had ever considered.” — Davey ([108:33])

• On Fireside Bowl lore:
  “Stage left and stage right covered in blood. Me kept getting electrocuted... Mark would run up the wall—he put his foot through the wall. It wasn’t like Kool-Aid Man…” ([119:03])

• Davey on Misfits covers:
  “It's thievery. Beautiful.” ([113:27])

Key Timestamps for Segments

• Punk discovery & 80s style: [04:00–12:00]
• Vegan straight edge & Minor Threat: [12:00–15:55]
• Hardcore ethics, Christianity, and shifting definitions: [19:00–24:00]
• Vocal development, injury, and theater roots: [24:10–28:00]
• Early AFI and Gilman phase: [32:00–36:00]
• Physical media, rare releases, and B-sides: [46:23–47:20]
• Jade Puget joins AFI/Black Sails era: [78:28–81:42]
• All Hallows EP & AFI’s Halloween association: [91:02–94:03]
• Misfits, covers, and creative influence: [69:34–73:25]
• Art of Drowning, and charting success: [108:33–112:29]
• Fireside Bowl, mosh history, pit anecdotes: [115:55–125:51]
• Son of Sam project/Glenn Danzig anecdote: [126:05–134:23]

Final Notes

This episode packs dense scene history, musical process, and emotional reflection—essential listening for AFI devotees and hardcore historians. Davey’s anecdotes are threaded with humor, geeky references, and vulnerable admissions about career milestones, creative exhaustion, and the evolving nature of punk identity. The tone maintains HardLore’s intellectual irreverence and community nostalgia throughout.

End of Part 1 — the story continues into the major label era with “Sing the Sorrow” and beyond in future installments.