We Could Not Do Any Better: Marc Hanou & Jean-Paul Frijns Discuss Their Book On European Straight Edge

While the term “Edge Day” may sound super cringe since it started on October 17th, 1999 in Boston with American bands I rarely listen to and generally don’t care about that much, I wholeheartedly embrace the idea of having a day to celebrate straight edge hardcore in all its beauty and contradictions.

Over the past few years, I’ve used Edge Day to promote straight edge on this site through extensive writing—whether it’s interviews or lengthy listicles featuring up-and-coming straight edge bands and records. In 2021, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Minor Threat releasing their song “Straight Edge” on vinyl, I even curated and released a 16-song international straight edge compilation tape, accompanied by an 80-page zine packed with interviews and writings on the subject.

This year, instead of focusing on new bands and records, I decided to interview the authors of We Could Not Do Any Better—A History of European Straight Edge, aka one of the best hardcore books to come out recently. Tracing the timeline from 1982 up to 2024—and even reaching back to 1976-1981 with their introduction to proto-straight edge bands like De Rondos from Rotterdam’s anarchist squatter movement—the authors Marc Hanou and Jean-Paul Frijns narrate and visually depict the European straight edge community through the oral histories of those who shaped it.

Their 700-page book is packed with stories, art, and photographs like never before, featuring almost 100 people who played in over 50 bands, ran record labels, published fanzines, organized DIY shows, or were involved in sustainable citizenship and activism all over Europe. The book stands out by exploring the distinct development of European straight edge through detailed accounts of several Dutch bands, each representing different eras, and expanding to the broader European scene—from Belgium to Germany, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the UK, and more.

From the DIY extreme noise of Lärm to subsequent generations with Profound, Colt Turkey, ManLiftingBanner, Mainstrike, Crivits, Betray, A Step Apart, Gnezl Drei, Step Forward, Refused, Abhinanda, Nations on Fire, Congress, Liar, Spirit of Youth, Solid, Wheel of Progress, Blindfold, Shortsight, Feeding the Fire, Healing, Vitamin X, Sunrise, Ironside, Eyeball, Spawn, Common Cause, Damage Control, Onward, Sportswear, Reaching Forward, Echoes, Steadfast, Know Your Enemy, Voorhees, Eye of Judgement, Birds of a Feather, and many more—the book captures a history of pure dedication and commitment.

With its outstanding layout, top quality print, and first-person narratives from the people who have walked the walk, We Could Not Do Any Better is the definite tribute to the passionate and consistently political European scene. We maybe getting old, but straight edge is still not a passing phase, neither for me, nor the authors or many of those who left their mark from the past to the present. I devoured most of WCNDAB’s pages in just one weekend after receiving my copy from Refuse Records, and was excited to interview Marc and JP for this year’s Edge Day feature on DIY Conspiracy.

In 2008, you published the 108-page book The Past The Present, a history of European Straight Edge from 1982 to 2007, which came with Birds of a Feather’s LP of the same name. How did the idea to tell the oral history of European straight edge come about, and what motivated you to revisit and expand the book into the 700-page We Could Not Do Any Better in 2024?

Marc/JP: When we played in Birds of a Feather, a straight edge band with members over 30 years old, which at the time (2005-2008) seemed ridiculous, we traveled a lot throughout Europe. We were a band with ex-members from groups like ManLiftingBanner, Betray, Mainstrike, and the Crivits. While in the van on our way to shows, we told each other stories about our past and how our shared history was slowly fading away. Even then, we met many young people who did not know about the origins of Straight Edge in Europe. So, in 2006/2007, when we worked on our Birds of a Feather LP The Past The Present—a concept album about 25 years of Straight Edge in Europe—we decided we had to write down those stories in a book.

Remember, at that time, there were only a few books about the history of punk rock and hardcore, and most of them dealt with the US and the UK. Luckily, in the last decade, people like Helge Schreiber, Gabriel Kuhn, and Hans Verbeke have also written books about our mainland European scene!

We decided to have our LP accompanied by a book, much like those LPs from the ’80s by the Dead Kennedys or Crass. We were very excited when the LP with the book was released, but right away, we knew we could do better. First, due to the tight deadline of the record, we couldn’t track down everyone we wanted to talk to. Some people we found didn’t respond or didn’t want to participate, so there were stories and people missing from that book. Also, the print quality was quite disappointing.

It took a while to gather enough courage to start working on an improved version. We picked up the work seriously again in 2019—a strange coincidence, as a result of COVID, everyone was at home, and suddenly everyone was used to digital meetings and such. So, we filled in the gaps. Again, we still didn’t talk to everyone involved: some people refused to participate, some we didn’t want to interview ourselves, and after such a long period from 2006 to 2024, we were simply too exhausted to talk to new people on the fringes of our experience. We used our friends to tell the history of European Straight Edge in chapters. If we don’t know you, you’re not in our book.

That’s why the backbone of the book consists of the stories of three important Dutch bands: Lärm, Profound (who evolved into ManLiftingBanner), and Mainstrike. They were our closest friends; we know them best, so why not start with them? Also, Lärm really deserved attention and appreciation. What they did for the European hardcore scene, and straight edge in particular, is unprecedented—the politics, the anti-music with faster-than-hell speed, and besides being in the band, also running a squat, doing a fanzine, and even—in the mid-’80s!—a video fanzine. Unbelievable!

For me (Marc), it was such a coincidence that I grew up only 15 kilometers away from them and met them by accident—close enough to be inspired but also far enough to find my own path and develop our own little niche scene.

For the period after Mainstrike, we used other Dutch bands like Vitamin X, Reaching Forward, A Step Apart, Eye of Judgment, and our own band Birds of a Feather as stepping stones. For each era, we interviewed people from all over Europe to make the story as complete as possible. We stopped interviewing other people when they started telling us things we had already heard and stories became similar.

In the early 2000s, straight edge became a subject of academic or sociological research, and several books were published, focusing primarily on its American origins. Your book stands out by exploring the unique development of European Straight Edge, through the detailed stories of several bands, each representing different eras. How did you come up with this approach, and what myths or preconceptions were challenged as you interviewed all these people?

Marc/JP: Well, firstly, we are not scholars but participants; we both contributed to the European Straight Edge scene. So instead of looking in from the outside, we decided to explore from within—ourselves and our friends. In a way, it’s easier to be an outsider; you can more easily place things in a wider context and be more critical. As insiders, you can easily find all the key players, but at the same time, you’re more biased because you limit yourself to your own experiences. For me (Marc), I made a conscious decision not to judge people or events but to let both the interviewees and the reader be the judge. Also, we stayed away from religious influences on and in the European Straight Edge movement because anything you give attention to will grow, and we both did not want that. I’m sure an outsider would have touched on topics like these.

Secondly, we had a very natural way of dividing tasks according to our capabilities: Marc is a writer, and JP is an art director and designer. Together, we decided who to interview; we did 98% of the interviews together. In all interviews, we had a more or less standard set of questions, and we also had specific questions for the person interviewed. During the interviews, Marc followed all the questions while JP always listened very closely to make sure we did not forget any topics that were mentioned or that there were unspoken topics remaining.

The backbone of the story was the bands of our Dutch friends. As mentioned, we added people and bands from different eras to the list of people to interview, trying to get a balanced, geographically complete story for that time period. But with a continent as big as Europe, and starting from our own experiences, we could not cover all bands, venues, scenes, and fanzines.

JP already had an idea for the overall design—our book should become a top-notch combination of text, good usage of pictures, and minimal design within the limits of our DIY funding. JP made several proposals on page layout, typeface, and so on. Together, we decided which way to go. Our printer collaborated with us and gave us ideas on the paper we should use, and after discussing our preferences on book sizes, they came up with the best page size, both in aesthetics and economics.

Thirdly, myths and preconceptions. Well, we think it’s good to realize that a small group (of loudmouths—laughter) shaped the European Straight Edge scene. Jos Houtveen and the van den Berg brothers from Lärm—the two brothers who later played in Profound. When that band turned into ManLiftingBanner, Bigma came on board, who would later start Mainstrike. From that circle of friends, bands like Betray, Feeding the Fire, and Rise Above spawned as well. With the connection to Peter Hoeren and Crucial Response, the stage was set for later bands like Spawn and Onward, and the H8000 scene arose with bands like Congress, Shortsight, and Spirit of Youth.

Another misconception might be that straight edge differs from hardcore. It does not; it is part of the bigger scene of hardcore and punk rock. And last but not least, it is not copied from its American counterparts; ManLiftingBanner has no counterpart worldwide—not in lyrics, not in artwork, not in music. They influenced bands like Refused.

From the start of your book, the specific cultural context of straight edge has been noted as an outgrowth of punk and hardcore, and as inherently linked to leftist and radical politics. What are your main arguments against the idea that straight edge can exist outside of this cultural framework—such as when people claim edge without ever listening to or being interested in hardcore punk?

Marc/JP: For us, straight edge is a subculture of punk and hardcore, based on four principles: no alcohol, no drugs, no smoking, and no casual sex. Straight edge was a reaction to the destructive behavior of punks in the early days from 1977 to 1980. These punks were just as hedonistic as the society they protested against—they escaped into alcohol, drugs, and sex; opium for the masses.

Straight edgers resisted this. How could you fight a class war when you are intoxicated? Later in the ’80s, especially in Europe, vegetarianism and veganism were added to the four principles, resulting in many vegetarian or vegan straight edgers. Straight edge is connected to hardcore; without punk rock or hardcore, it is nothing more than just being sober. This is how we see it, and from this perspective, we wrote our book.

We don’t like gatekeeping; there is no exam, there are no rules. If you want to call yourself straight edge and not be part of the hardcore scene, feel free to do so. But for us, it is part of the hardcore scene, and straight edge exists as a reaction to early punk. We think we wrote in the book: how can you wear the style of clothes of a certain music genre—like the metal ‘battle vest’—and not listen to metal? Or wear combat boots and a T-shirt of a punk band and never go to a hardcore show? Without the connection to punk and hardcore, straight edge becomes hollow and is nothing more than being sober. To us, it is pretty clear and simple.

One of the defining traits of the European Straight Edge scene, especially in Holland with pioneers like Lärm and later Profound, Colt Turkey, and ManLiftingBanner, is its strong sense of class consciousness. Do you think the American scene, even its more left-leaning elements, has been more individualistic and less focused on class struggle due to its cultural context?

Marc/JP: We would not say that US straight edge is more individualistic, but in general, US straight edge is definitely more ‘personal’ and less focused on politics. It always has been since the mid-’80s. On the other hand, we realize it is hard to take politics to the level that some Dutch and European bands did and sometimes still do. It is also very hard to compare the circumstances between Europe and the United States. Although Europe suffered from neoliberal politics in the past decades, some Americans still see Europe as ‘communist’ or ‘socialist’—with our healthcare, social housing, unemployment benefits, vacation days, and labor unions. In that respect, it is hard to judge which scene is more political, but we tend to agree with you!

We always found it remarkable that being straight edge in Europe goes against the grain and mainstream societal values where drinking alcohol and, to a certain extent, using drugs is acceptable, whereas in the States, you almost comply with the moral majority as a straight edger. It almost seemed a bigger statement to make in Europe, and from the get-go, the early straight edgers in Europe viewed it as a necessary condition for class struggle.

But throughout the book, a common criticism from the broader European DIY punk scene is the “Americanization” of straight edge—most notably in terms of fashion, but also in copying the music, stage presence, and even adopting the aforementioned individualistic approach to politics. In your opinion, what do you think is the biggest difference between US and European straight edge?

Marc/JP: The biggest difference is politics, as we mentioned in the previous questions and answers. The second one is probably dedication—as in, “not just being straight edge until you are 21 and legally allowed to drink.”

Since straight edge is part of the larger hardcore community, European straight edge developed its own identity. European bands and community put their unique take on straight edge from within the European hardcore scene—a scene that was built on squats but also on subsidized youth centers, a scene that originated from left-wing politics and resistance. This scene changed when the Iron Curtain came down in 1989/1990, bringing in new people who longed for something new. This was reflected in the music, but especially in the lyrics and the way the movement was organized. There was always the political aspect of straight edge in Europe, setting it apart from “just being a lifestyle.”

But we have to agree that in music and lyrical subjects, straight edge got stale from time to time: “We are a straight edge band, our first song is about not drinking, and by the way, do you know that we are a straight edge band? 1, 2, 3, 4…” There are many bands that make us frown… Also, the predictable artwork—there is definitely some copycat work, which is not only copied from the United States but mainly from each other. We are really glad that in this version of the book, we took the chance to pay attention to artwork—for the Lärm albums, but also Bart Griffioen’s work for ManLiftingBanner. And the story of the first Vitamin X seven-inch, we think that is hilarious. But coming back to the copycats… they also make things recognizable, and that comes along with different other subscenes as well—you immediately recognize a d-beat or crustcore record or T-shirt.

I’ve heard many accounts of the Youth of Today European tour in 1989, which was defining in shaping a passionate and young straight edge scene in Europe at the time. The book also mentions legendary moments like the Shelter gig in Umeå 1993 or the Unbroken / Battery tour in 1995. Do you think today’s abundance of shows, festivals with big headliners, and money-grabbing reunions has diminished the impact of seeing a favorite band for the first time? Also, while we have some popular bands today, there doesn’t seem to be a single straight edge band that defines this era. What are your thoughts on that?

Marc/JP: Please take note of two things. First, in the ’80s, scenes were geographically divided. You could have a different scene every 15 to 30 minutes of travel. There was no internet; everyone had to write letters, meet people at shows, or get information from (underground) fanzines. So, the occasional straight edger would be out there on their own, maybe with one or two like-minded people in their surroundings.

Second, bear in mind that we were used to seeing European bands, among whom straight edge was not a topic of interest (besides Lärm, of course). Touring bands from the States were scarce. Those tours were big events—like Bad Brains, MDC, Crucifix, or Dead Kennedys in the early ’80s. Their shows were highlights. So when the first US straight edge band came over, it brought a sigh of relief and brought people together who had never met before. It empowered those people. So the Youth of Today tour and the Shelter show in Sweden catalyzed people and, therefore, a movement.

As for money-grabbing reunions, yes and no. JP personally still enjoys going to shows from legendary bands from the past—not all of them, but a handful. And to be honest, I (JP) don’t really care if those bands make some money now when playing shows. It’s good for them, as long as their heart is still in the right place and they’re not just doing it to cash in.

Marc: I see it differently; a band from the ’80s with members in their early twenties is a different band than one still playing the same songs when the members are pushing 60. I have no longing to see that. But I have to admit, I made an exception for Negative Approach somewhere around 2005, and I do not regret that decision. And I do go out to see old friends play, but that revolves more around the friendship than the music.

We don’t see one band carrying the straight edge torch at this moment—not like Lärm, ManLiftingBanner, or Onward and the likes. Not in Europe, but also not elsewhere. Although bands like Spirit Crusher and No Way are straight edge bands, they do not have the massive impact or following of late ’80s United States bands or early ’90s European bands. Is that good or bad? We have no idea.

In the book, you mention the separation between hardcore and straight edge in the late ‘90s, with straight edge becoming its own scene—embracing positive values but excluding anything that didn’t fit its self-righteous narrative. How do you think the scene managed to shed the machismo, self-righteousness, and moralism that were often associated with it in the ’90s? What still makes straight edge relevant as part of today’s hardcore scene?

Marc/JP: What goes up must come down. As someone says in the book, “we were too straight edge.” This was not only the case for straight edge; in our opinion, the scene fragmented into little subscenes. These subscenes had their own bands, shows, and fanzines. In the long run, that is not sustainable. A lot of people nowadays realize that there are more similarities than differences between all these subscenes. In order to survive, these subscenes had to reunite into one hardcore scene.

And the “jumping on the bandwagon” of major labels and the music industry in the late ’90s and early 2000s died out; there is no money to be made anymore, so they left our music to the underground.

Beyond the band stories, labels like Crucial Response, and later Commitment Records and Refuse Records, played an important role in shaping the European straight edge scene. Today, DIY labels are facing more challenges than ever—shipping costs have skyrocketed, hyped American labels are setting the trends of what’s cool in hardcore, and corporate platforms like Spotify are dominating over physical releases. What are your thoughts on this shift?

Marc/JP: Life in general has become a lot more expensive. The days of paying €3 for a 7-inch, €10 for an LP or a shirt, and €5 for an 80-page fanzine are long gone. The same goes for our book; shipping costs are so high that we had to do quite some calculations to keep the overall price as low as possible, while realizing the book still costs a serious amount of money.

As for so-called trends, it comes from both ways, and it’s part of the evolution of how things go. If there is demand for something, it becomes a lot easier these days to respond to that specific demand.

The good thing nowadays is that you don’t need records—it’s so much easier to publish your music or ideas. Nevertheless, we also released our book in physical form because we wanted to make something tactile that would connect with your senses. But honestly, we invested so much money in doing this, it’s actually ridiculous. We can see how, for young people, it is really a challenge to get funding for releasing your dreams or ideas…

What we liked about all those labels is that they were (and are) a sign of quality. Because it was Crucial Response or Commitment, you knew what to expect. They built a catalog of a certain style or certain ideas.

Browsing through all the archival photos and scans in the book, I was struck by the incredible amount of straight edge zines, art, and self-published media coming out of the European straight edge community. How important was zine culture to you before the internet, and do you think it has shifted from being a platform for political discussion to a more music-focused medium? Where did Value of Strength zine position itself ideologically?

JP: And the fanzines displayed in the book are just the tip of the iceberg, so go figure. I decided to only pick a selection of zines that were important to me during certain eras.

I still love reading zines. Zines are important for the subculture that hardcore is, despite the fact that the internet has somehow taken over. To this day, I’m interested in reading what kids and bands have to say. The same goes for cut ‘n’ paste artwork or fancy-looking digital artwork—I’m a sucker for both and always will be.

Generally speaking, I think zine culture has shifted to a more music-focused medium over the years. There are still zines covering political issues and write-ups, but it has never come close to the fanzine culture of the ’90s. Looking at myself and how I changed over the years making a fanzine, I noticed I got little to no feedback on the political columns. So later on, when I focused more on long and in-depth interviews for the fanzine, I often brought up political and/or ethical topics. I started combining things in a more creative way and with a different approach.

From day one, VOS has been a vegan straight edge fanzine. During the days of the latest issues, I had more people involved, helping me out by writing reviews and interviewing bands that might not have been straight edge or vegan. But like I said before, to this day it is important—same as politics. During the first couple of issues, politics and veganism were more in the foreground as I felt the need to be more outspoken. Later on, when veganism and the straight edge lifestyle were more intertwined in my everyday life and basically shaped me into who I am, I shifted to writing about different subjects and made the fanzine a bit more personal by writing about everyday life.

While the book might suggest that the straight edge scene has shrunk, we still see young, passionate bands like No Way (15-16 year olds) in the Netherlands, and more Edge Day shows being announced in 2024 than ever before. Do you think the current straight edge scene has just become more diverse—geographically, in terms of gender diversity, and beyond?

Marc/JP: If you think that is what we suggest, we did not express our thoughts properly. There still is a vivid scene with straight edge bands all around Europe. It’s just that we hardly interviewed bands after 2010 because these bands and people do not often belong to our circle of friends. Also, we wanted to focus on the same time frame as used for The Past The Present book that came with the Birds of a Feather record, because we want to pay attention to times long gone and the people that made straight edge in Europe happen. We do talk about some of the newer bands, but we also challenge people to write a story about the bands and scenes from their (or this) era.

We still see straight edge as an influential and still alive subculture in Europe. Although straight edge has experienced ups and downs over the years, the core message of sobriety, self-discipline, animal rights, and DIY remains relevant to new generations.