Fugazi went on hiatus in 2003 and last played a show in November 2002. Nearly a quarter century since the iconic post-hardcore band was active, drummer Brendan Canty still holds out hope that a reunion is possible, telling Consequence, “I never say never.”
The Washington, D.C. band formed in the late ’80s, and built a massive fanbase with a DIY approach, charging just five dollars for their concerts and independently releasing albums via singer-guitarist Ian MacKaye’s own label, Dischord Records. But fans who are not of a certain age never got the chance to see their legendary live shows.
Consequence caught up with Canty to discuss his career scoring television programs and films, including the new documentary Stolen Kingdom, and the drummer was kind enough to offer his thoughts on the current status of Fugazi.
“Luckily, we’re all still friends,” says Canty of his Fugazi bandmates (MacKaye, guitarist-singer Guy Picciotto, and bassist Joe Lally) in the video above. “We don’t play live, but we get together all the time, and we see each other and communicate all the time… We put out that In on the Kill Taker Albini Sessions for charity [earlier this] year.”
From a personal standpoint, Canty would certainly like to perform with Fugazi again, noting, “Do I wish we could keep playing? Yes. I wish we could all be out there playing now. I love those songs. I love writing with those guys, but we’ll see.”
Canty, who currently plays with Lally in the band The Messthetics, went on to say that he didn’t anticipate the love Fugazi have received during these past two decades of dormancy. “When Fugazi did go on hiatus, I was like, ‘Oh well, that’s it. Nobody’s gonna give a shit about this band after this,’ and that’s not what happened. I’m very happy to have people continue to give a shit about my band.”
As for the chances of a reunion, Canty closed with, “I never say never.”
For more on Brendan Canty’s thoughts on Fugazi, watch the video interview in the player above.
