Punk Outlaw

Hardcore Heavyweights Cro-Mags in NYC

// July 2nd, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Videos

NYC.. why did I leave? The questions I’ve been asking myself this week as I ran from one hectic appointment to the next in incredibly beautiful weather.  I can’t believe this was the place that just 9 months ago I was bitching about and so ready to get the hell out of.

But that’s what happens.

You take leave, you go away seeking something, not sure what and return a different person. And while the greedy douchebags and wall street fat cats are sadly still here living it up and spreading their particularly stealth brand of global death and destruction as much as ever, the average New Yorker seemed like some pretty cool people this time around.

This town really is full of good folks of all stripes, colors, ethnicity and whatever. It will always by home no matter where in the world I am.

Of course, and I know this better than anyone, it’s all about the energy you’re giving out.

The NYC Punk scene is not what it used to be, I think anyone will agree there. But there still is a vibrant scene and it’s still made up of good people doing their part to keep the scene alive.

From street punk bands like The Casualties who’ve been holding it down for 20 years, to people like my buddy Mike at NYC Punk who keep out of touch dumb asses like me abreast of the latest local punks shows, thankfully, there will always be a punk scene in NYC.

It was Mike, who dutifully let me know about the legendary thrash and hardcore legends Cro-Mags playing at the Bowery Ballroom last night.

I had exchanged phone calls with John Joseph, the long running and current lead singer (check a couple of the Cro-Mags “Official” sites HERE and HERE and I’ll let YOU see if you can figure out their rather complicated  history) sometime last summer about being interviewed for Punktology.

At his request, I sent him an email with the information and never heard from him again. Not a problem. I don’t take that stuff personal. I’m sure, like me,  he’s a busy guy and I still hope to interview members (current or former) of the band someday.

But in the meantime, I was happy to be able to catch one of their shows on my much too brief trip back in to NYC and to be able to share just a small sample with you below.

The venue was packed and it was a tattoo convention of NYC born and bred punks. You could tell the band was beloved by the hometown crowd and John Joseph’s patter with the crowd was on cue. He got a message across (it’s the food not the pharmaceuticals that can save us) along with some humor “you need to watch some soul train clips before you come back up here with that stuff” to one rhythmically challenged stage diver (maybe the guy in the video?).

NYHC is a genre unto itself, with bands like Agnostic Front, Murphy’s Law, Madball and of course the Cro-Mags doing the heavy lifting to get it where it is today, which is, I assure you from my travels abroad, very international and still growing.

It’s not my particular cup of tea all the time, but I had a good time last night mixing it up with my punk and hard core brothers and sisters without a douchebag in sight.

Enjoy this clip of the Cro-Mags playing a song called “Street Justice”.

Next stop my other U.S. punk stomping ground, Los Angeles!

 

 

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“Punktology”… The Documentary

// September 25th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Photos, Videos

WHAT IS PUNKTOLOGY?

What is “Punktology”? It is my attempt to produce a video documentary and accompanying blog that helps punks from all over the world tell their story about the influence and philosophy of punk music in their lives, their culture and their society.

WHO AM I?

Who am I? My name is Robert G. Rose. I’m an aspiring filmmaker and an experienced independent TV producer, marketer and media entrepreneur who happens to love traveling and punk rock music.

There is nothing more cool than meeting punks from all over the world. If you want to know more about me you can read my bio HERE.

HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?

The journey of producing “Punktology” began when I was visiting Medellin, Colombia. I spotted a group of young punks completely punked out with mohawks, piercings and tattoos trying to catch a bus and the bus driver denied them access, presumably because of the way they looked.

Having lived in the East Village in New York City just a block away from the famed St. Marks Street and a few blocks from the iconic CBGB’s, I was familiar with punks making the pilgrimage to NYC.

But now, observing these kids in Medellin being obviously discriminated against,  I wanted to know what it was like to be a punk rocker in other countries compared to the U.S. where freedom of expression and individualism may not be as celebrated. Is the punk philosophy the same? What about rockabilly or psychobilly subcultures? Does discrimination and intimidation regularly occur? When and how did punk begin in their country? Who are their musical influences and what is the music scene like there? So many questions…

WHERE HAVE I JOURNEYED SO FAR?

This journey has taken me to some cool spots where you might not think punk is having an impact. Like Havana, Cuba where an outspoken and tight knit group of punks called “los freakies” (the freaks) co-exist with a communist, dictator style government that arrests them at every turn for offenses as minor as “talking to tourist”. I witnessed this first hand when I was conducting some clandestine interviews with punks there. You can read more about that HERE:

It took me to Buenos Aries, Argentina where punk and even rockabilly and psychobilly were outlawed during the military rule just a few years back. Later in the trip, on the way to catch a boat to Uruguay, a fake taxi driver drove off with my camera equipment, computer, passport, etc. and with it 3 weeks of footage from the entire trip (Lesson learned, I went back the next February to re shoot and was sure to only take OFFICIAL taxis).

My most fascinating trip was to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia where where punk rockers are still being censored and some have even been murdered by the Nazi skinhead element. We were surprised how big the rockabilly scene was in Russia and Ukraine. It’s a tough trip but we can’t wait to get back there soon.

Besides punk bands like NOFX, Tiger Army and The Casualties, I’ve also interviewed punks bands and fans from all over including the U.S., Central and South America, the Caribbean, Taiwan, Italy and more trying to expose the similarities and the differences in the punk scenes and philosophies all over the world.

WHO DO I WANT TO TALK TO?

I’ve interviewed drifters or “squatter” punks in NYC, ska fans Valpairaso, Chile where I dodged the devastating earthquake by less than 24 hours. I’ve tagged along on stops of concert tours by American  punk bands like “The Casualties” playing Colombia for the first time.

It doesn’t matter if people are into punk, ska, rockabilly, hardcore, psychobilly, punkabilly, neo-punk, industrial punk, or reggae, I want to document their story and see how punk has and can make the planet a more livable, equitable place.

I’ve discovered that punk is not only a complex and worldwide underground musical genre, it’s a powerful philosophy and way of living that has a tendency to be strongest in countries where injustice and corruption is most prevalent. I’ve learned that punks in the most tolerant of societies have a responsibility to help punks in the least tolerant societies help instigate change.

Traveling and taping for “Punktology” has been extremely rewarding with dozens of interviews logged, hundreds of hours of concerts and travel footage shot but most importantly scores of lifelong friends made.

It’s a big enterprise for a lone documentarian but then again, what’s more punk than doing it yourself? I’m hoping the journey will take me to Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan and yes, even Africa!

I plan on spending whatever time it takes to get a full breadth of interviews from punks all over the world and in the most unexpected places to tell a story that has never been fully told.

DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL?

If you have a story to tell and you are interested in participating in “Punktology”, no matter where you live, shoot me an email to PunkOutlaw@aimtvgroup.com or leave a comment here and I’ll get back to you. Chances are I’ll be in your section of the world eventually.

CHECK OUT THE MUSIC

Documentaries like “Punktology” take years to produce. That is why we created the blog, so people can get some immediate gratification from our travels and interviews. We also recently launched a digital only record label called “Punk Outlaw Records” that features music from some of the bands we’ve interviewed over the years from our travels. That way people can be turned on to more music from punks as far away as the other side of the world. We haven’t turned a profit yet, and we may never, but if we do, we’ve pledged 25% of our portion of the profits to “not for profits” that help some of the world’s most vulnerable and poor citizens, a cause we feel strongly about.

BE A PAL?

If you’d like to get periodic updates of our travels, be sure and check back here often as I write and post photos and videos of my travels at Punk Outlaw (you can subscribe to our updates by hitting RSS feed or you can get a monthly email updated by leaving your email in a comment).  And be sure to be our FACEBOOK , MYSPACE and TWITTER friend. We all need more friends right?

Or if you want to subscribe to our monthly newsletter you can do so at the link below.

In the meantime you can check out a few of the dozens of web teasers from the documentary below. More video can be found at our YOU TUBE PAGE and more photos from the journey at our FLIKR page.

Thanks for your support!!!

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Casualties T-Shirt Featured on CBS News’ Story on Kent State Massacre

// May 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Videos

I happened to be watching CBS News this weekend and the story on the 40th anniversary of the Kent State massacre which has always intrigued me. It’s wild to think that the U.S. military would fire on their own citizens killing and wounding them. Sounds like a third world military dictatorship doesn’t it? But alas it did happen.

One of the students wounded during the confrontation, Alan Canfora is wearing a Casualties T-Shirt. You get a good shot of it towards the end of the video. The shootings (some call it murder, I tend to agree) are still a mystery.

Check it out.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

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The Unseen “So Sick..” @ Casualties 20th Anniversary Show

// March 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Videos

I am sick.. so sick..

Boston punks “The Unseen” perform “So Sick Of You” @ the Casualties 20th Anniversary Show at Santos House in NYC on March 28th.

They put on a great show. Check em out on their myspace page . If you  like em some of their songs are available for download on i-tunes including this little diddy, “So Sick of You”   (not you, I’m not sick of you guys, at least not yet.. that is just the name of the song).

Are you sick of me yet? Well, then, maybe I am sick of you too..

nah.. I’m not..

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Casualties 20th Anniversary Show Rawks

// March 29th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Photos

March 29th, 2010:

The Casualties 20th Anniversary party at Santos Party House in downtown NYC did not disappoint. By the time doors opened a little after 6pm there was a line of punks and fans down the block.

And true to the venue’s name, this felt more like a party, a celebration, a birthday than just a concert by some great punk bands.

The evening started off with Guilt Trip, which played to a mostly full venue as people had arrived early.The punks didn’t need time to get going either, they circle pit was active almost from the get go.

By the time Violent Society took the stage the venue was packed and the excitement was building to a crescendo.

When the Unseen from Boston hit the stage, it was all out chaos. I’d never seen them live, but I’m glad I did. They didn’t let some equipment problems get in the way with delivering the audience a kick ass set, and the crowd was very patient while they fixed their gear.

When the Casualties hit the stage, opening with “Carry On The Flag” and “We Are All We Have”, the crowd was going nuts. The Casualties played a marathon set, incorporating lots of their older stuff from their 20 year repetoir to a very appreciative crowd.

The crowd was mixed as any NYC concert is, with punks of all shades and stripes, Asians, Latinos, Black, white, the whole damn rainbow as only you can find in New York City, the greatest punk city on the planet.It was also fairly mixed (for a punk show) with some females (some quite hot) tearing up the pit. There were punks of all ages, as you might expect for a band that’s been around for 20 years.

I even spotted a young fan, the next generation of punks with his mom, both big Casualties fans and both sitting right up front at the stage.

The band was pumped for this show you could tell. These were their most hardcore of their hardcore fans, the officers of the Casualties Army if you will and they wanted to give them all they could.

Midway through the set, lead singer Jorge gave up the mic over to the crowd for a Ramones cover, while he changed shirts. The band ended the set with “Unknown Soldier” before the crowd demanded an encore and they came out for  a couple more songs before everyone hit the exits to a rainy, cold NYC night.

I really love NYC and the punks of NYC, a really good bunch. I also love The Unseen and the Casualties, two really good and really down to earth punk bands who play for all their worth for their largely working class fans. I like everything but the NYC rain in March, which was the only thing that kept it from being a perfect night.

You can check out more pics from the evening at our flikr page be sure to tune in later in the week for videos from the evening.

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The Casualties Turn 20 This Month..

// March 22nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Videos

With legendary punks “The Casualties” celebrating their 20th anniversary in a few days, I thought I’d repost this video of their Bogota, Colombia show just a few months ago, in case you missed it. I hope to be able to post some video and photos from their big 20th celebration featuring “The Unseen” later this week.

I also have a Colombia trip pending in April, so more to come from that punk stronghold as well.

Until then.. enjoy:

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Upcoming Shows! Hope to see you there

// March 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // Events

Scenic Presents
GANG GREEN (80′s HARDCORE LEGENDS!) with Cerebral Ballzy / Born Loose / World War IX Wednesday, Mar 17, 2010 7:00 PM EDT
Europa, Brooklyn, NY
The Casualties (20 year anniversary party) with The Unseen , Violent Society and Guilt Trip Sunday, Mar 28, 2010 6:00 PM EDT
Santos Party House, 100 Lafayette Street, New York, NY

Tickets

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On Stage With The Casualties in Medellin Performing “Unknown Soldier”

// January 24th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Videos

Video of The Casualties performing their classic “Unknown Soldier” in Medellin, Colombia last December. Sorry for the delay in getting these up.

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NEW VIDEO EDIT: Casualties in Bogota, Colombia

// January 9th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Videos

The crowd goes NUTZ as the Casualties take the stage for the first time in Bogota, Colombia to perform “Carry on the Flag” and “We Are All We Have” from their latest CD. More video coming soon.. stay tuned!

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The Casualties In Medellin, Colombia

// December 19th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Photos

Combine my favorite music (punk) with my favorite city (Medellin, Colombia) and throw in one of my favorite bands (the Casualties) and objectivity begins to seriously deteriorate. Throw in one of the most vibrant punk scenes I’ve ever seen with cold beer and backstage access and there is no way you’re gonna hear me say anything negative about the Casualties first concert in Medellin (12/13/09).

The previous night in Bogota, Santiago, Casualties South American tour manager, warned me to get to the Medellin show early because he wasn’t sure exactly when the Casualties would go on stage. Since I also wanted to get some interviews backstage I moved my Avianca flight from Bogota to two hours earlier.

My very connected punk amiga in Medellin, Claudia, picked me up in a taxi at my hotel Sunday afternoon to head to the show and it’s a good thing as the location of the venue changed that day.

I didn’t want to miss the opening bands, including Medellin’s own legendary I.R.A. who has been around since the 80s. IRA has toured the U.S. a few times including a couple of high profile gigs at CBGB’s in NYC. I also had heard a lot of good buzz about a Medellin hardcore band Grito that I wanted to catch. Neither band disappointed.

The Medellin punks were out in full force drinking beer with friends before the show.  The Policia were around but there was no tension like in Bogota… everything was calm and tranquilo.  Claudia introduced me to some of her friends including the guys in another Medellin band with a big following “Los Suziox” (Pronounced Su-si-os which roughly translated is “dirty” in English. One of Suziox’s friends down from Toronto, Ronnie, spoke English which was cool because that point in my trip (day 3), my Spanish was “mas or menos” (more or less) but decidedly more “menos” (less) than “mas” (more).  Ronnie and the guys graciously offered to allow me access to one of their practices later on in the week for the cameras which I gladly took them up on (more on that later).

I floated backstage through security by simply uttering the name “Santiago” and waving my camera around.  I’m sure being the only gringo around (besides 3 out of the 4 Casualties) didn’t hurt either. Why else would a gringo be at a Medellin punk show if he wasn’t with the Casualties? Yes, the gringo card was in full force, so I played it.

Despite being busy and hectic as hell, Santiago took me around and introduced me to everyone, including IRA who set the stage for the evening by agreeing to do an interview right on the spot before they went on stage.

I said hello to Jake (lead guitar), Rick (bass) and Meggers (Drums) from the Casualties and went in to check out Grito and get some video and pics. Inside, I spotted Jorge (Vocals) from the Casualties checking them out as well and I know why… Grito is really very good! The hometown crowd knew every word to every song and they didn’t hesitate a bit to jump on stage and sing in the mic (video footage from Grito performance coming soon)

I.R.A. came on stage later with equal enthusiasm and I was thrilled to be able to supplement my interview of these legends with some really cool footage of their very tight performance. IRA’s songs are old school in that they are pretty short, and very, very tight. Vicky Castro from the Medellin band Fertile Miseria whom we interviewed back in August) jumped on stage for a couple of songs and the crowd went nuts. I could easily tell that Vicky is punk royalty in Medellin.

By the time the Casualties were ready to hit the stage the Casualties’ army was in a frenzy. The guys came out to their traditional soldier’s march sound effects and started the show as they had in Bogota (and NYC @ Times Square) with “We Carry on the Flag” followed immediately by “We Are All We Have” from their latest CD. The ripped through a good 4 to 6 songs before Jorge finally took a break to address the crowd (in Spanish).

The stage was smaller than Bogota and there was always a crowd of onlookers on stage that sometimes got in the way of the band.  Security was there but a bit inconsistent. I noticed they pummeled one guy for getting on stage repeatedly after trying many times to talk sense to him, but he just wouldn’t be denied. Yet when Rick was trying to get a girl out of his way so he could play, they were nowhere to be found. I have a feeling the guys from the Casualties are quite used to this because they handled it like pros, playing on and not getting distracted from the task at hand of giving the punks in Medellin what they came for.

Security didn’t pummel me (once again the Gringo card?) and let me jump on stage behind Rick and get some good video and pics from stage level. It was hot as hell up there but the view of the crazy punk contingent in Medellin was worth the heat. Medellin punks are truly a breed apart. It’s hard to compare them to the Bogota scene but it seemed a little tighter scene with the Bogota having cliques of skins, hardcore punks, etc. hanging out in different groups. In Medellin they seemed to just melt all together a little more seamlessly which I guess makes sense since it is a much smaller city (yet a possibly bigger punk scene).

The Casualties didn’t play an encore like they did in Bogota, but I think everyone was spent after an almost solid hour of hardcore punk music blasting and the pit going non-stop.

Backstage after the show, it was chaotic and the guys seemed spent. After the crowd calmed down some, they were escorted out, I presume back to their hotel.

Thanks to Santiago’s sister, Pinky, who kept in contact with me, I hooked up with the band and crew along with a few fans and friends later at Parque Pablado, where a lot of the Medellin punks hang out.

Unlike Bogota, I decided to hang out longer and party with the guys (except Jorge, who stayed in) .We all did some shots and the guys from the band seemed to be having a great time, but also seemed really ready to get back to NYC after 2 solid weeks on the road in Latin America.  Alas, I had to call it a night and I left the Casualties contingent surrounded by fans, partying it up and still taking photo after photo. Partying after the Medellin show almost did me in; I can’t imagine doing that every night on tour.

But as I said, these guys are pros. You don’t survive much less thrive like The Casualties have for 17 years in a tough “genre” like punk unless your good and the casualties are. They are first rate musicians, but more importantly they are true working class punks. They were very cool and accessible and selflessly took countless photos with their Colombian fans and put up with many a borracho (drunk) who just wanted to party with them. These guys represent the working class like no other punk band out there today as far as I’m concerned.

In addition the Casualties, I spent a lot of time hanging with the punks of Medellin. Medellin people (Paisas) as a whole are known for their friendliness and ability to have a good time and paisa punks don’t lose that trait. To their fellow punks, they are even friendlier than the average Paisa and that is saying a lot.

From what I can tell in the short week I was there the punk scene in Medellin has a rich history but is still growing. With legendary bands like IRA and Fertile Miseria being joined by new, talented bands like Los Suziox, Grito, Lokekada and more, I think we’ll be hearing more and more about the punk scene in Medellin and Colombia as a whole.

If you ever find yourself in Medellin, Colombia (you should, it’s a great city) head over to Parque Pablado, find a punk and say hola and maybe share a beer.  Don’t let any language barrier stop you, true punks always seem to find a way to communicate.

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