Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel –
An April 2010 interview that Sikh Temple shooter Wade Page gave to promote his hard-core punk band End Apathy reveals a man who felt he was holding himself back when it came to accomplishing “positive results . . . in our sick society.”
Along with five songs that were streaming on End Apathy’s MySpace page until the page was deactivated late Monday afternoon, the interview offers insights into the Army veteran who shot and killed six people at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek Sunday before he was shot and killed by police.
In the interview, conducted by “Rick 56” from End Apathy’s record label Label 56 in Linthicum, Md., Page said he started the band in 2005 “to figure out what it would take to actually accomplish positive results in society and what is holding us back.”
“A lot of what I realized at the time was that if we could figure out how to end people’s apathetic ways it would be the start towards moving forward,” Page is quoted as saying. “Of course after that it requires discipline, strict discipline, to stay the course in our sick society.
“But I didn’t want to just point the finger at what other people should do, but also I was willing to point out some of my faults on how I was holding myself back.”
That sentiment, he says in the interview, inspired the song “Self Destruct.” Other angry End Apathy songs include “Useful Idiots,” “Submission” and “Insignificant.”
As recently as last month, Label 56 was promoting new merchandise packages for End Apathy and Definite Hate featuring shirts, stickers and a 7-inch vinyl record featuring songs from both bands.
But as of Monday afternoon around 1 p.m., Label 56 said in a statement, “all images and products related to End Apathy have been removed from our site. We do not wish to profit from this tragedy financially or with publicity.”
“Label 56 is very sorry to hear about the tragedy in Wisconsin and our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who are affected,” the statement reads. “We have worked hard over the years to promote a positive image and have posted many articles encouraging people to take a positive path in life, to abstain from drugs, alcohol, and just general behavior that can affect ones life negatively. Likewise we have never sought attention by using ‘shock value’/symbols and ideology that are generally labeled as such.”
“In closing please do not take what Wade did as honorable or respectable and please do not think we are all like that.”
Label 56 also took down the interview with Page early Monday afternoon, but before it did, the Southern Poverty Law Center captured the article and is currently hosting it on its website..
In the 2010 interview, Page says his band’s songs “vary from sociological issues, religion and how the value of human life has been degraded by being submissive to tyranny and hypocrisy that we are subjugated to.”
Page also discusses other bands he’s been affiliated with, including Youngblood, self-described as an “American Nationalist” band on its Last.fm page, and Definite Hate, a group captured in a 2007 YouTube video performing in front of a Nazi flag superimposed with the image of Adolf Hitler’s head.
On End Apathy’s MySpace page, a Nazi flag was seen behind the drummer in a picture of a band practice.
It’s unclear if End Apathy was active in Milwaukee. At the time the interview was conducted, Page said he was a Colorado native living in North Carolina. He mentioned leaving his home state in 2000 with “what I could fit into a backpack,” traveling to Georgia, Ohio, West Virginia and California.
The band’s MySpace page indicated End Apathy was based in Nashville, N.C.; it was last active in March 2011. But an End Apathy Bandmix.com page last updated late 2011 identified End Apathy as a musician in South Milwaukee.
The Page interview initially was posted on Uprise Direct, a blog sponsored by Label 56, which bills itself as promoting “cultural change through music and activism.” Label 56 has been identified as a racist skinhead group by the Anti-Defamation League.
U.S. Attorney James A. Santelle confirmed Monday morning that Page, 40, shot and killed six people Sunday at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek. He served in the Army from 1992 to 1998. He was assigned to psychological operations, or PsyOps, according to other sources familiar with the investigation.
Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, said Page was shot and killed by 32-year police veteran Sam Lenda. Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said Page was shot and killed after refused to put down his weapon and opened fire at police.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the band End Apathy was based in Nashville and North Carolina.
