there was always like some kind of like
weird like mysterious thing around judge
the fact that there was only like
stories and urban legends about them
like you know obviously being an
outsider are you always kind of just
intrigued like who was the singer or a
judge kind of you know there actually
wasn't all that much information about
Mike you know other than the music and
there's something wonderful about that
really because that's art and is really
pure form but I think it allowed people
to invent in a vacuum whatever story
they chose to invent about
god the stories my god and I didn't
believe a single one of them because
stories have been told about you about
me about everybody you know once I'm
shelter was in Sweden and we play with
that band refused and then all of a
sudden I hear like Dennis from refused
on stage he's going front on my judge
you know something might judge like some
Swedish word and I turned to precise
like what the hell is he saying he was
saying free Mike judge and the whole
crowd was chanting free my judge because
there was a rumor that Mike was in jail
you know whatever happened to Mike
someone said like he lives in Nutley New
Jersey or something and like you know
family has a farm there was the Mike's a
farmer I heard that one you know you
would hear all Mike lives like in a
shack somewhere in the mountains cuz he
hates people like Mike joined like a
renegade motorcycle group like all this
crazy the the rumor was basically
Mike's a biker gang guy you know the
craziest is still that I was like in the
Hells Angels in Germany and I
killed a cop and that I actually rode
around the cops head on my motorcycle
people really believe that
the people I was hanging out with at the
time they would always be like whose is
my judge and I'm like it's me
man
just rattle that alcohol
so brain a little bit it's me ladies
thinking I was in a band
they called me Mike judge they're like
what you're nothing like that I'm again
that's why it's so up stupid
the band broke up and I went home and so
I'm sitting in my little town in Jersey
I got nothing to do with myself and
so I start hanging around with people
who aren't like you know the nicest
people yeah next thing I know you know I
not the next thing I knew what I was
doing you know I joined a bike club it
was just one mistake after another for a
while you know it makes sense after
being like a hardcore guy or Skinit or
whatever like where do you go you become
a biker after we broke up
all's I wanted to do is ride my
motorcycle and never have any
responsibilities just I just wanted to
ride my motorcycle forever
eventually
you know my father you know came to me
and said that he had lung cancer and
that they gave him like six months or
some
I just went right into being around him
and you know being with him and he
lasted for like two years before he
actually passed away that was like the
hardest hardest hardest two years the
most emotionally draining time of my
life was that time and that that last
like six months to a year was just
I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy how
brutal that was
you know my father he was like a guy
who's just like you know your your man
and
you man up you don't you just don't
display the softness he did say that he
was proud of me and everything I I did
and that I stood up to him and everybody
else and just
I had a goal and I do her die I went for
it for better or for worse
after judge had broken up in like 1991
and Gorilla Biscuits had broken up and
you know a big chapter the hardcore
scene just kind of it's like the you
know the page got turned or whatever it
was changing I felt bad that I wasn't in
a band because when you're in a band
it's like it's you and your handful of
buddies against the world they
were like the family I didn't have you
know and then all sudden that was gone
and and then I loved judge right there
get up
don't you do it don't ya I usually stand
up and admit to my own fuck-ups you know
I always had and instead of buckling
down and fighting for it
you know I took my ball and went home
when I walked away I just lost track of
everybody
we were so incredibly tight for so long
even like Gorilla Biscuits and SIV and
volley and Arthur I mean we spent
so much time together like our summers
were spent in vans and then part of me
that's like hates myself because I
didn't see like where their lives went
you know like it just wasn't there for
the good and the bad you know I just
missed it all because I created
something that I didn't want to face you
know judge is one of these bands that
the idea of getting back together was
you know would be amazing
you know when some of these bands were
getting back together I think it just
came up like hey judge would be really
you know great fantasy and also you know
who the is Mike where is he where'd
he go it's all of a sudden pops up on
like Facebook and I'm merely I'm
thinking like okay this can't be you
know Mike I know but it's Mike judge
with the submits fits kalus is like logo
on Facebook and he's all about it he's
just like wow this Ned first of all I
never thought it was going to happen
never in a million you know people would
ask me it's judge ever gonna do reunion
I'm like dude it is never gonna happen
nobody had really been in contact with
him and instead started talking to him
I know SIF had been working on this for
a while he really this was like his baby
this was his project he wanted this to
happen Mike and I spoke on the phone a
lot and you know one of the things I
said was you can't me so you
don't miss it
like I sing in a band too you miss it
we've been showing up for 20 years
going the shows promoting shows playing
shows
doing interviews doing whatever to you
know cause this scene to move and and
ice you know said to Mike like you know
no offense but like you got to get back
in here like you got to show up this
doesn't happen unless everybody shows up
and I was like you haven't shown
up at 20 years man you got to help and
he was just like you're right brother
that's a fair enough that's all I needed
you know truthfully I was a million
miles away from playing a judge again I
guess I just figured he was buried
Anthony Sivir le SIV so he asked me a
favor you got to come to the black and
blue this year GB is headlining it and
we want you to be our guest so I say all
right a black and blue boys they
treat us really good I just have a
good time I'm up in the
talking G becomes on I'm just I'm
just digging big time man and
brought back good memories and like all
sudden like it wasn't the bad that
was flowing through my mind it was just
all those good times and all the cool
we did Anthony had this rap
before you're cruel right and he says
this thing about me my brother Mike
judges in the house might took me out of
Queens in 1987 as his drum tech showed
me the world taught me what Harco is
about what being a skinhead was about
what being a friend was about this goes
out to Mike this goes out to you what
have you got left
let's get it out now it's calling to
your crew right there I was like I
leaned over and I just told my
wife all right and down
my job is going to play the next black
and blue