The Church of Cancer Christ; BCP Punk Wedding @ NPU, 4/15

Written & edited by Hector Zaldivar.

A punk wedding. Pretty enticing headline for a concert, no? Perhaps the best explanation would be Adam Ziegenhals’ involvement in the LA DIY scene as a lensman. As a send-off to leaving for DC with his fiancée, he curated a show with Basic Cable Programming to showcase his work & bring together his favorite acts from the City of Angels. I actually played my first gig with Rocket 9, & had recently reconnected with The Sleeperz since my Protest Aid days. I’d also seen Cancer Christ’s Anthony Mehlhaff baptize crowds rousingly with WACKO at Non-Plus Ultra prior… A lineup of this stature was more than a marked date on my calendar, to say the least. After indulging in wedding festivities & watching Saint Anthony pronounce Adam & Jasmine husband & wife, I asked him to preach to me…

Ala @colafizzvideo. Excerpt from interview audio.

This cancerous tumor we call earth is not going to be around much longer, & the only solution to that cancer is Jesus Fucking Christ. So we just took the problem, earth: an unloving, seven-deadly place to be… & the solution: love, friendship, beauty, creation, light… Basically love personified. You put those together & you’ve got Cancer Christ. The solution to the problem.

We’re from the Word of God to spread the Word of God. In the end, we just want to be around when Jesus destroys this miserable fucking planet. We’re trying to be in God’s favor so that when it’s time to ride like horsemen, we can be right by God’s side. That’s basically it. We just want to see everyone at their doom tribulation shit.

So what’s your story with God? What’s your story with Jesus?

Oh man. My whole life I’ve been running from God, running from Jesus, thinking it was bullshit, knowing it was bullshit in my heart of hearts… It wasn’t until I became a father & husband, after living through all the shit that I lived through, that I realized: even though it sounds like bullshit, this bullshit’s real. I didn’t want to spend seven years burning time, dying, being fucked up. I want to be riding with Jesus, the brutalist motherfucker in the history of history. The alpha & the omega, the creator & the destroyer, the four horsemen… Nothing’s more metal than watching people be eviscerated at the end times; turned into bloody ash.

How much does the scripture influence your songwriting?

Personally, I don’t read too much of the Bible because it’s pretty translucent. It’s written with outside motives & based in control over the masses. I listen to the actual Word of God.

Listen to Cancer Christ’s 2021 EP on Sweatband Records as you read.

Like as I’m sitting here talking to you, I’ll hear a little bit of, ‘Hey, this guy’s alright.’ Or, ‘Hey, you know what? Don’t give this guy too much,’ or, ‘Watch out for her…’ You know? Gut feelings. Sometimes the word of God is just a sea of children singing songs together & loving each other. How about tonight? Hanging out with strangers, hugging the people next to you, showing love to people you might not show love to outside these walls.

But I see it more than anything. Body language is almost always more important than words & there’s no way a book can describe what I can see in the eyes of another human being.

Is the Church of Cancer Christ exclusive to Christians?

I call it God, my neighbor might call it coincidence. Another might call it love. Call it what you want; fine by me. I don’t give a shit what the fuck you do, as long as you’re showing love to people.

I mentioned a frequent declaration during Cancer Christ shows, ‘SATAN IS A BITCH,’ of which Saint Anthony routinely rallies the crowd into chanting.

Satan is self-doubt. Satan is being addicted to drugs & thinking you can’t break out of your habits. Satan is being in an abusive relationship, having abusive parents. Satan is not understanding how beautiful you are, no matter what your insecurities are. If you’re fat, skinny, tall, short, whatever. Everybody wants something that they’re not, right? Satan is doubt. But you’re beautiful the way you are.

However, if you knowingly treat others like shit, & you’re trying to escape through church or prayer, Jesus knows who you are. So does Satan. & you know who you are. That’s worse than any punishment the Divine can serve you; having to swallow the fact that you’re a piece of shit should just resonate with you. & if you are a piece of garbage… Just know that you can be redeemed. You can change. That’s what this whole stupid shit is about, right? This whole fucking cancer world we live in… Let’s just have a couple moments of love, purity, & harmony.

Listen to Cancer Christ’s collab track with Shamon Cassette on Rad Safari Tapes as you read.

Beautifully stated. To wrap up, why do you play music?

I don’t play music. This is my first band. I mean, I had a calling. I’m not all these motherfucking Snake Boys. They’re musicians, I’m not a musician. I guess I am now, but to be honest, I’ve always had self-doubt. I was a foster kid, I lost my mom when I was five & a half, six… I still don’t know where she’s at. I’m named after my stepdad. My dad didn’t come into my life until I already had my own identity. I was a fat little peggy hateful piece of shit, walking around, spreading my hate to others. All because I was insecure. I thought I didn’t have love. I thought I was the best at everything & it permeated my life; consumed me all through college… That headspace still creeps into my life from time to time. Sometimes it takes until you’re almost fucking 40 before you realize your worth. Today I have a beautiful wife & a beautiful daughter. Everyone in this room here tonight, including yourself, are incredible artists. I get it. Everybody thinks that they’re not worth anything, but you are. That’s what you’ve got to realize.

Here’s to the worthies from the night. Congratulations Adam & Jasmine.

Got photos/videos from the night? Send flix to sortinghat@deadrelativesmagazine.com & hit us up on Instagram to have them published on this article.

Teenage Dave Grohl crashed at a bar attic in Amsterdam? At the same spot Queens of the Stone Age started? Quite the Xmas story. Read my interview with The Sleeperz: German Cops, The Acid Tests, & Chaz Ferrare: The Sleeperz, XMAS Stoop Show 12/18