BOSTON HARDCORE & PUNK FACTSHEET (1999-2000) Š2015 Chris Wrenn / Bridge Nine Records All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by electronic or mechanical means, including informational storage and retrieval means, without written permission of Bridge Nine Records. B9PRESS:04 First Edition Published by B9 Press, a division of Bridge Nine Records. www.bridge9.com Editing, layout and cover design by Chris Wrenn. All of the interviews were done by Chris Wrenn unless otherwise noted. Printed in the United States of America. ISBN 0-9765966-4-4 Special thanks to everyone featured in these original interviews; those who took a few moments to talk to the new guy and be included in his newsletter! Please note: All of this content was originally printed in 1999-2000, so please assume that all email addresses, websites, phone numbers and addresses listed within are no longer current.
CONTENTS RIGHT BRIGADE 7 sweet pete (in my eyes) 9 the explosion 11 ian larabee (reach the sky) 13 fastbreak 15 aaron stewart (piebald) 17 the ducky boys 19 mike mahoney 21 (blood for blood) daltonic 23 ten yard fight 25 nate Newton & j. bannon 28 (converge) proclamation 31 aaron bedard (bane) 33 a poor excuse 35 al barr (dropkick murphys) 37 close call 39 al quint 41 (suburban voice fanzine) diecast 43 dicky barrett 45 (the mighty mighty bosstones) american nightmare 47 aaron turner 49 (isis, hydra head records) vigilantes 55 rama mayo 57 (big wheel recreation) the hope conspiracy 59 shred (espo records) 61
PREFACE
I moved to Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood during the summer of 1998. I spent my formative years in central Connecticut and had just graduated from college in central Vermont. Moving to a city, even only a couple of hours from where I had lived, was an exciting change. There were a dozen other transplants from my hometown hardcore scene in the area but Boston had a much larger music community than I had grown up in and I wanted to be more involved. I started Bridge Nine only three years prior and had released just four 7-inch records at the time - the last two of which were from Boston area bands. I was still building my label, but I was the new kid and I needed something to help me meet people. In high school I had printed and distributed an “underground” publication with a very simple format: an 8.5”x11” sheet folded in half to create a four page newsletter. I borrowed that same basic layout, ensuring that it could be released on a monthly basis. The first Boston Hardcore & Punk Factsheet debuted in April of 1999 and over the next year, I conducted 25 interviews spread over 12 issues. Only two recordings came out on the Bridge Nine label during this period, but this was more of a time to introduce myself to as many people as I could within a new community. Some of the interviews were done via email but most were done in person. Interviewing both new and established contributors in the Boston scene and promoting their efforts allowed me to get to know a lot of people, many of whom I consider friends to this day. Following the DIY tradition, and with easy access to a Xerox machine, I printed as many copies of each issue as I could - anywhere between one and two thousand per month. I made little display boxes for the entrances of several local record and skateboard shops and placed each hand-folded copy in these various locations. I would also stand at the exit of venues and hand them out to each person as they left a show. The Boston Hardcore & Punk Factsheet was a relatively short-lived intiative but it helped capture a very exciting period in a city rich with history in aggressive music. On a personal level, each issue allowed me to meet some of the most creative artists in the area as well as the fans who supported their efforts. Reading these reports and interviews today, one is truly able to get a firsthand look into the Boston scene during this definitive time.
Chris Wrenn Bridge Nine Records November, 2014
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