Raison D ’ être
Raison D ’ être
By Tom Lanham photos by Jiro Schneider
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22 illinoisentertainer . com january 2017
avey Havok would like to take a vacation . He really would . But at this point – as the AFI bandleader and latter-day Renaissance man grapples with one of the busiest schedules in show business – he very well might have forgotten how . Rest and recreation are for other rockers – not him .
“ Two months off would be incredible ,” the Los Angeles native purrs , trying to envision an exotic , stress-free retreat . But it ’ s a pipe dream . “ And I wouldn ’ t know what to do . My friend has this place in the desert that we stay at during Coachella sometimes , and I may go out there next weekend . So that ’ s kind of my only getaway – for only two days , unfortunately . I don ’ t have the time to take a vacation , because I have so much that I want to do . And because I ’ m fortunate enough to have the ability to do these things , I feel like I have to take those opportunities when they present themselves .” He sighs , with forlorn detachment . “ But don ’ t get me wrong – I really do wish that I can take a break . Some day .”
Sure , Havok , 41 , is preparing to head out on tour with his group ( which includes longtime members Jade Puget on guitar , drummer Adam Carson , and bassist Hunter Burgan ), backing their new tenth effort , AFI ( The Blood Album ), which Puget also produced . It picks up where the previous disc , 2013 ’ s grim Burials , left off , opening on the sinister military march “ Dark Snow ,” then tapping into Mission-and- Sisters-of-Mercy-vintage basslines and even heavier philosophical musings on “ Aurelia ,” ” Get Hurt ,” “ Snow Cats ,” and a Bauhaus-evocative “ Feed From the Floor ,” with Havok ’ s voice hovering over the proceedings like a cloak-fluttering Max Schreck in F . W . Murnau ’ s silent classic Nosferatu . Puget also mikes the singer ’ s voice differently , as more of a sleek metallic snarl , on the more propulsive punk cuts “ Dumb Kids ” and “ So Beneath You ,” so the album – like AFI itself is never easy to pigeonhole .
But that ’ s merely the first item on the artist ’ s cluttered roster . He ’ s also been doing a bit of acting , starring alongside Rob Lowe in the 2012 film Knife Fight , and he ’ s also done voice work in recent features like Dacryphilia . At the request of Green Day ’ s Billie Joe Armstrong , he appeared on Broadway in that band ’ s musical American Idiot , for several 2011 appearances as the character St . Jimmy . And now he ’ s got a taste for treading the boards – Havok has fingers crossed to someday get the nod to join the cast of the long-running show Hedwig and the Angry Inch , maybe even a turn in some future Rocky Horror revival . Having always lived a compassionate , straight-edge lifestyle , it ’ s no surprise that , in addition , he oversaw a hip line of vegan clothing and footwear called Zu Boutique , plus cool collaborations with PNUT Jewelry . And after Zu ended in 2012 , he ’ s jumped back into the fashion fray with a new company , Eat Your Own Tail , revolving around stark , message-heavy black T-shirts .
And oh yes – Havok is a published novelist now , with one 2013 book to his credit , Pop Kids , and another , as-yet-untitled followup on the way , its plotline centering on a secondary character from its predecessor . Additionally , he ’ s just appeared nude in a racy ad for one of his pet causes , PETA , his giant heart-and-dagger chest tattoos clearly visible , under the watchwords “ I ’ d rather go naked than wear leather – rock the skin you were born in . Let animals keep theirs .” And there ’ s more music barreling down the pipeline , too . Havok and Puget formed a hardcore offshoot called XTRMST , but mainly they keep occupied via another , more electronic-minded project , Blaqk Audio , which just finished recording more than 50 songs for its upcoming fourth salvo . And – believe it or not – there ’ s actually more on the docket : Dreamcar , a hush-hush supergroup Havok formed in 2016 with sans-Gwen-Stefani No Doubt members Tony Kanal , Adrian Young and Tom Dumont . They , too , are putting the finishing touches on a fulllength debut ; It ’ s a sound the vocalist is loathe to discuss at this early date , but he swears that it will sonically surprise fans of both outfits . Again , he says , stay tuned to his Twitter feed , faithful guys and ghouls – he ’ ll be announcing further details shortly .
No wonder that Havok – in photos of late – always seems to have a toothpick hanging out of his mouth . He ’ s got so much nervous energy , he ’ s been gnawing through dams of them like a beaver . “ They ’ re flavored chewing sticks , usually soaked in cinnamon , and they come from Australia – I really enjoy them ,” he explains . As an ardent animal lover , he would love to own a pet or two . “ But I actually don ’ t have the ability to even consider something like that , given my hectic life ,” he sighs . “ The pet would end up being neglected . But I love cats – I really do . I always take the opportunity to go and visit my friends ’ cats , whenever I ’ m given the chance .”
All good devils need a familiar . But over his band ’ s 25-year career , Havok has transformed into something almost angelic . In the early days of AFI ( for A Fire Inside ), the rocker originally known as David Paden Marchand had left his native Ukiah , CA for Berkeley , where he was living with fellow bandmates in a spooky old off-campus house after studying English and Psychology at UC there . He was rail thin at the time , with long luxurious hair , and sort of resembled Jack Skellington if he ’ d adopted a swashbuckling D ’ Artagnan look . He was a huge collector of all things Gothic and kitschy , and he could often be found on eBay , bidding on something macabre . At one point , though , he decided to : expand his wardrobe from traditional black ; Sell off most of his truly remarkable arsenal of toys , dolls , and action figures ; And take his vegan lifestyle to the next level by regularly working out in a gym . He still had the flowing black locks , but suddenly he became beefy enough to beat you up if you made any snarky comments about it . Not that Havok would – he ’ s one of the calmest , soft-spoken performers on the planet . But he carried himself with a new confidence , a self assurance that led to his current look – a short-haired , designersuited George Raft look straight out of some film noir classic , like Detour or The Big Sleep . The guy had found his Maltese Falcon – there was no reason to keep searching through bogus-bird identities .
And AFI grew , matured as a result . They shook the Goth-punk tag with broader breakthrough efforts like 1999 ’ s Black Sails in the Sunset and 2000 ’ s The Art of Drowning . Havok loved a vast array of artists , from all genres , and would say , fly
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