HardLore Podcast: "Mark Porter: 30 Years of FLOORPUNCH"
Hosts: Colin Young, Bo Lueders (Knotfest)
Date: December 11, 2025
Guest: Mark Porter – Vocalist, Floorpunch

Episode Overview

This highly anticipated HardLore episode welcomes Mark Porter, frontman of the legendary New Jersey straight edge hardcore band Floorpunch. The conversation spans the entire 30-year history of the band, touching on New Jersey hardcore, style, lore, the process behind the new Shining Life Press Floorpunch book, touring tales, famous shows, scene wars, and the ever-evolving meaning of straight edge. The hosts and Porter keep the tone characteristically irreverent, nostalgic, and self-deprecating, delivering deep insight into one of hardcore’s most influential bands.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins of Floorpunch

• Formation Story
  • Porter wanted to start a band with a mission to bring back the hardcore he loved; the group came together quickly after collectively witnessing a disappointing Snapcase/Bloodlet/Donuts show ([00:00], [40:47]).
  • Quote: "This is how it happened. Like, I want to start a band. We're going to call it Floor Punch… And that was it. We were practicing two months later." – Mark Porter ([00:00])
  • The band’s immediate aim: to play the music they wanted to hear, regardless of trends.

2. The Lore of New Jersey Hardcore

• Early Scene
  • Porter paints a vivid image of the late '80s/early '90s NJ punk/hardcore scene—the shore, skate culture, and the role of older punks and literal family members in shaping his path ([10:09]-[11:58]).
  • Quote: "Meeting Brett Beach, becoming straight edge in 1987...these are the things that molded me." – Mark Porter ([12:39])

3. Becoming and Being Straight Edge

• Porter adopts straight edge after listening to Youth of Today’s "Can’t Close My Eyes," never wavering since 1987 ([13:53]).
• Talks about the shifting definition and external perception of straight edge over decades. Notes the difference between being part of “a counterculture” and merely abstaining from drugs/alcohol ([24:00]).

4. Hardcore Style and Evolution

• The "sportswear" look—Porter and Floorpunch’s refinement of the clean-cut, athletic aesthetic carried from high school football into hardcore.
• The intention behind merch and style: "peacocking," but authentically ([33:25]).
• Quote: "I think I did it, you know, consciously... I wanted to just hang out at the beach every day. My mom was like, you're playing a sport." – Mark Porter ([33:25])

5. Core Memories: Legendary Shows & Venues

• CBGB's Experience: Sneaking into the Lower East Side as a 15-year-old, learning to avoid trouble, and soaking in the venue's legendary sound ([25:37]-[27:46]).
• Early NYHC crowd moves, the origins of the "floor punch" and spin kicking: Porter recounts witnessing the first real floor punch and names the possible inventors of the spin kick ([16:19]-[17:01], [31:34]).
• "Raw Deal" and Burn shows at CB's—peak NYHC.

6. Band Dynamics, Haters, and the Floorpunch “Mission Statement”

• Early on, they were met with both huge enthusiasm (packed first shows) and plenty of haters, especially from older scene members ([52:36]).
• Quote: “There was a lot of haters from the jump too… older heads being like, 'I've been there, done that.'” – Mark Porter ([52:36])
• Porter’s self-deprecation: constant anxiety about whether anyone would mosh or care for their music—right up to the first gig ([04:22]).

7. Legendary Rivalries and Culture Wars

• The "Floorpunch vs. Earth Crisis" incident, including the infamous "yogurt" incident and stylistic divides within straight edge ([53:09]-[55:07]).
• Quote: “Are you Floor Punch straight edge or Earth Crisis straight edge?”—a divide Porter didn’t hear about until later, but one that symbolized the split between youth crew and militant vegan scenes ([54:01]).
• Clarifies the band’s actual relationship with bands like Earth Crisis and Fury of Five—not as beef-heavy as rumored.

8. Documenting the Lore: The Shining Life Press Book

• The multi-year process of compiling materials, stories of photos rescued from consignment shops, and the joy (and trepidation) of seeing their legacy documented ([02:46]-[06:48]).
• Quote: "To be honest, I still haven't read it... I'm really weird about core memories." – Mark Porter ([05:46])

9. Classic Songs, Merch, and Lasting Impact

• Songwriting process was extremely instinctual—Porter wrote most demo lyrics in one night.
• Structure of Floorpunch’s early material praised for impact: “Intro," "Change," and "Clear" are cited as perfect opener triad ([67:51]).
• Merch: intentional, heavily influenced by youth crew bands and local artists, each design crafted with legacy in mind ([92:53]).
• The myth of the gold 7" records “thrown into the ocean” is debunked ([85:26]).

10. Touring Life

• Tales from their sole US and European tours highlight the camaraderie, exhaustion, eating habits, and eventual burnout that led to their initial demise ([122:20]-[128:47]).
• European tour in 1998 is described as brutal and a turning point: “The nail in the coffin.” ([125:37])

11. Final Mosh, End of an Era, and Reunions

• The decision to end the band at CBGB’s (“Final Mosh” 2000) was unanimous and cathartic—"on top," no regrets ([133:05], [134:08]).
• Occasional reunions only for meaningful causes; Porter avoids becoming a “clown” in the oldies circuit ([141:22]).

12. Legacy and Generational Impact

• Porter acknowledges and values Floorpunch’s influence on generations of hardcore kids, including younger artists in modern, even stylistically different, bands ([144:39]).
• Quote: "It's crazy... here's this band that sounds nothing like us, but, like, know who we are. So I think that's kind of sick.” ([144:51])
• Reflection on modern hardcore’s size, monetization, and global reach.

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Tight-Knit Scenes & Core Memories:
  "Meeting Brett Beach, becoming straight edge in 1987...these are the things that molded me." ([12:39])

• On Starting Floorpunch:
  "We're going to call it Floor Punch... that was it. We were practicing two months later." ([00:00])

• On Early Style and Punk Crossovers:
  "The nerve to wear that to CBGB's... I'm sure I did it, you know, consciously... but it was authentic." ([34:48])

• Spin Kicking Debate – First Mosh-Move Innovators:
  "Lou Hawk... was the first one I saw doing spin kicks." ([32:04])

• On the East Coast/West Coast Scene Gaps:
  "I think it just sounds like everybody had had it at the same time... and a revolution came." ([44:36])

• On Writing the Demo:
  "Pretty sure I wrote all the demo's lyrics in one night." ([46:12])

• Straight Edge Divisions & Rivalries:
  "Are you Floorpunch straight edge or Earth Crisis straight edge?" ([54:01]),
  "They wore that shit on their sleeves." (re: Earth Crisis) ([56:04])

• On Hardcore's Modern Global Impact:
  "Who would turn style be in the 90s, size wise?... They're hardcore kids." ([144:25])

• Classic Hardcore Canon (Porter's Top 4):

  • Suicidal Tendencies – S/T
  • Circle Jerks – Group Sex
  • Cro-Mags – Age of Quarrel
  • Agnostic Front – Victim in Pain
    ([160:05])

Important Timestamps

• Formation of Floorpunch after Snapcase Show - [00:00], [40:47]
• Snapshots of Early Hardcore Experiences & Becoming Edge - [10:09]-[13:53]
• On Style, Authenticity, "Sportswear" - [33:25], [34:48]
• CBGB's Stories & NY Experiences - [25:37]-[31:24]
• Origin Stories for Mosh Moves - [16:19]-[17:01], [31:34]-[32:26]
• Rivalries, Scene Splits, the Yogurt Incident - [52:36]-[55:07]
• The Shining Life Press Book - [02:46]-[06:48]
• Demo, Songwriting Process - [46:12], [67:51]-[68:23]
• Merch Lore - [92:53]-[95:00]
• European Tour Burnout, Kill Your Idols as "nail in the coffin" - [125:37]-[128:53]
• Final Mosh/Cathartic End of Band - [133:05]-[136:50]
• Reflections on Punk, Modern Hardcore, Turnstile/Monetization - [144:02]-[146:31]
• Porter’s Top 4 Hardcore Records - [160:05]-[160:25]

Listener Q&A Highlights

(From Patreon segment)

• We Just Might or Time to Forgive? – "We just might every day, all day." ([146:49])
• Drafting a Hardcore Football Team: Jasta = GM, Rob Lind = Coach, Jesse Standhard = QB ([148:13])
• On introducing his kids to hardcore: “None of them are hardcore heads…” ([152:24])
• Who is the greatest straight edge band of all time? – "Youth of Today." ([153:15])
• Vodka Sauce pass for Straight Edge? – "Yeah, because I think the alcohol burns off, right?" ([155:50])
• Porter's 9/11 Story – narrowly avoided being at the World Trade Center and lost coworkers ([157:03])

Tone & Style

Porter is open, self-effacing, often lighthearted, but never short on detail—giving a blend of foundational lore and humor, reflecting the spirit of '90s hardcore. The hosts honor and rib him throughout, connecting Floorpunch's mythic status to the wider culture of straight edge and hardcore with direct, insight-rich questions and in-jokes.

Conclusion

This episode is a definitive oral history of Floorpunch, New Jersey hardcore, and youth crew legacy. Mark Porter's stories and HardLore’s thorough approach ensure this is essential listening for new fans, lifers, and anyone fascinated by DIY culture’s long shadow. The episode celebrates the cyclical vitality of hardcore and the enduring mystique around bands who "just wanted to play the kind of music we like—if no one likes it, we don't care."

For those hungry for further detail, stories, photos, and first-hand accounts, the Shining Life Press Floorpunch book "No Exceptions" is recommended extensively in the episode.