CIAC Tour 2013

Over the summer, I managed to pick up the record release version of the You've Lost 7 inch from Caught In A Crowd. That record was released back in 2012, and it was kind of cool to finally get my hands on it ten years later. It also got me thinking about the band again, and as I was looking at their Discogs page, I noticed that there was only one record that was keeping me from having a complete CIAC collection (minus test pressings, of course)... the 2013 Summer Tour release for The Fight 7 inch.

As luck would have it, Discogs had a few options to pick up this record. It seems that some sellers still want to price the record based on the highest value from 2015, but I was happy to pick it up for a price that is a bit more reasonable.

Handnumbered like all good tour pressings should be.

A complete collection means you've got to get the group photo. I guess I'll have to go through this exercise again if I ever get my hands on the 7 inch test pressings.

Lost In A Crowd

In March of 2012, I placed an order with Camp Records for the You've Lost 7 inch from Caught In A Crowd. The label was kind of a mess and it took them 15 months to finally get my records out in the mail. After that clusterfuck, it was no surprise that we never heard from Camp Records again. Still, it looks like the label was able to get some records to the band in time for the 4/28/12 record release show. Ten years later I was able to pick up a copy.

The record release version of You've Lost comes with a nice looking cover. It is a bit more of a straight forward design compared to the pink and pastels of the original cover, and makes for a good variant. I dig it. I'm even more stoked on this because having number 1 of 50 is pretty cool.

Ten years old and this record is still great. I was lucky to see Caught In A Crowd play at the Vantage Point record release show in 2019, and the band still delivered their songs with fire and passion. CIAC had been broken up for years at that point, releasing their last 7 inch through React Records in 2013, but it was wild to see them still play with that energy all those years later and it makes me wonder what they would have done next if they'd stuck around for another year or so.

Wild Life / Survival

Powered Records is on a roll...following up their Not Afraid pre-orders with two new 7 inches. For a label that disappeared for a few years, it is cool to have them back in action.

Sometimes I buy shit that I'm not really that interested in. I buy it out of some weird kind of obligation. Seriously, most of the stuff I want, falls in the realm of Metal or Rock. I still love Hardcore, and there have been some gems that have been released this year, but I've been finding that it has been a bit of a struggle to get me excited about new stuff.

When Powered put up pre-orders over the summer, for the new Survival and Wild Life records, I really wanted to ignore it and put the money towards something more exciting. But 10 years of record collecting habit is hard to break. Powered is a solid Hardcore record label, and I generally enjoy everything they release, so I sucked it up and placed an order anyway.

When the records first arrived, I tossed them into the pile of new shit that I've received. Meh...no surprise, but I was not in the mood to check them out. The time came this week, when I'd worked through my vinyl backlog, and I couldn't avoid it any longer...it was time to finally write about them. Suddenly, it felt like a like from that Circle Jerks song, Defamation Innuendo.

Hell, I never heard 'em and now I've gotta write about 'em
God, the story is due, the story's due tomorrow
What should I write? Well, they're no good

Thankfully, it didn't play out like that at all. First up, I drop the needle on the new Survival record. Even though I'd spent the day listening to Testament, Exodus, and Dio, the songs on this nine minute record are like a strong kick to the jaw. Man, even in this Metal state of mind, I can't help but recognize how good this is. Straight forward Hardcore.

Limited to 150, and hand numbered for Powered preorders.

Survival helped to whet the appetite, and things roll nicely as I moved on to check out the Wild Life 7 inch next. This one taking swings at more of a New York Hardcore sound. Goddamn, I'm really glad that I didn't turn my back on these two solid releases.

Wild Life preorders were limited to 75 on orange vinyl. Typically, Powered places the preorder sticker on the dust sleeve, but in this case they stuck it on the inside of the fold out cover. Odd...maybe they ran out of dust sleeves.

While placing my order for these two 7 inches, I figured that it was also a good time to grab the blue vinyl pressing for the Caught In A Crowd 12 inch.

Caught In A Euro Crowd

It has been a long time since we've seen a release from Powered. In fact I haven't ordered anything from them since The Great ON Delay of 2009. The label seems to have revived itself, so I figured that I'd take a chance with preorders for the new Caught In A Crowd compilation LP.

It seems like more and more bands are releasing a couple of 7 inches, and then collecting those songs and pressing them to 12 inch vinyl. With a Euro tour planned, CIAC jump on the bandwagon, and Powered pressed some new vinyl for the band to sell while on the road. I really like the clean, crisp design, but it feels somewhat familiar.

Looks like I got number "W" out of 100.

Preorders for the Caught In A Crowd vinyl came with Powered Fanzine number 5, featuring interviews with CIAC, Ev from REACT!, and an old one with Dag Nasty. Great job all around. Solid looking package.

Love the personal touch with the fanzine...even though I couldn't give a shit about soccer or football.

CIAC Limited Band Pressing

Little known fact about me: I'm a big fan of React! Records. I know...I'm full of surprises.

When Caught In A Crowd posted up some copies of the limited "band only' pressing in their webstore, I jumped at the opportunity to grab one. Thankfully I didn't have to play the eBay game for this one. I love it when a band or label includes a little personal touch when packaging records. Right on.

130 pressed on clear with black smoke vinyl.

React To The Crowd

Dude, I love Hardcore. My passion for this music has not faded since I first started checking out Sick Of It All and Slapshot around 1990. Over 20 years later, and I still get a charge from checking out new Hardcore bands...and when it comes to new bands, REACT! still deliver. This started to get a little sketchy there for awhile with Damages, Tranzmitors, and Fell To Low. I appreciated what Aram was doing, but I wasn't going to be giving that stuff a lot of playing time. I love where Ev is taking the label, and the signing of Caught In A Crowd is a perfect fit for REACT!.

I remember first seeing Caught In A Crowd three years ago, and feeling excited for this up and coming Straight Edge band out of Massachusetts. It was a bit of a struggle getting their first 7 inch from Camp Records, so it was nice that CIAC found a home with REACT!. Solid band with a solid label.

I'm going to need to pony up for those special pressings that REACT! has at some point. This record is so good.

220 on purple vinyl, 300 on white, and 400 on black.

While I was picking up my CIAC preorder package, I decided to add the Remission 7 inch on white vinyl to the cart. I wasn't thrilled with this record when I picked it up on blue vinyl earlier this year, but I did eventually warm up to these two songs.

Fifteen Months At Camp

In March of 2012, I sent payment to Camp Records for the pre-orders that they had posted for the debut Caught In A Crowd 7 inch. In September the label posted on Facebook that the records should begin shipping in a couple of weeks. In October, they stated that they should begin shipping that weekend. When January rolled around, and I still hadn't seen my order, I fired off a note to the label asking if mine had shipped. I got a quick reply that stated that most of them had gone out, but that he would make sure that mine went out that weekend. Still, no records arrived, but I'm a patient man, so I continued to wait. In March, the label again posted on Facebook, thanking everyone for their patience and that more records were shipping. Here we are in June...fifteen months after the pre-order went up, and the records finally landed in my mailbox.

Hey, he acknowledged that I'm awesome and threw in a couple of pins, so I guess it was worth the wait.

For those that don't know, Caught In A Crowd are a Straight Edge band out of Massachusetts. They have a new record coming out this year on REACT!, so you know they are on the verge of being huge. You've Lost is a great debut from a promising band. If I had this in my hands last year, my Best Of 2012 list may have looked different. I can't say enough good things about this record.

100 pressed on clear vinyl for pre-orders, and 500 pressed on black.

After I was repeatedly told that my records were shipping, and then have months go by without receiving them...I finally gave up. I broke down last month and bought a copy of the CIAC record through REV, and I was preparing to write a Camp Records Can Suck It post. Of course that was when my records finally arrived, leaving me with an extra copy on black vinyl. This whole thing has been a clusterfuck, but I'm glad that Camp finally came through in the end, and that I received my records.