But you just have to tell it like it is and let you, the reader, interpret it how you're going to interpret it. Spacone: The events and the truth of all the matters are definitely sensational, sure. At the same time, they all have a similar story. Everybody who actually went to shows, who actually lived in this punk rock world during the time, has a different story. And no matter what, with this material, it's going to come off like that. Maybe it's a byproduct of musician narcissism.Īs you were tackling this largely unexplored territory, was it a challenge to steer clear of finger-wagging, and conversely, glorification? But the other guys who said, "That's not what we were singing about"? These kids didn't have the depth to understand what they really might be singing about. I know Rollins talked about being held up at gunpoint by some gangsters back in the day, and he detests violence. I really don't understand why they won't talk about it. It's well-written and all, but I didn't even know this stuff existed." And then there are other people, like Jack Grisham, who had no problem saying he was part of the problem, and I respect that. Mattioli: I don't want to mention names, but we were going after some back cover testimonials from some of these legends, and they just put their hands up in the air and said, "Hey man, I really wish I could say something about the book. What musicians did you ask about the violence going on in LA? So to say, "Oh, I didn't know about any of that," is clearly misdirection. Everybody talked about things that happened during and after shows. Spacone: They all seem to want to act like they're Pontius Pilate, and they can just wash their hands of it, but it's very clear they can't. We weren't aware of this stuff." Many musicians have said that, and I think it's absolute bullshit. They knew what they were doing, I don't believe that act: "Oh, we were backstage, got onstage, then we got in our van, and bailed. Most stories are from bands' point of view, and they mention these things in passing, but usually only to show that they themselves were uninvolved and didn't promote any of it. VICE: Aside from the initial fear mongering in the news, there hasn't been too much written about the actual violence that occurred in LA's early punk scene. Over the phone, Mattioli and Spacone spoke with VICE about the gangs' ugly and largely forgotten stain on LA punk's legacy. In a way, the book feels like a lost chapter in the already-storied history of LA gangs that have been examined ever since the Prohibition era. appear, but only to soundtrack La Mirada Punks brutal rampages, or worse, get bullied and bruised by the gang. Seminal bands such as The Germs, The Adolescents, and T.S.O.L. The result is an arresting first-person narrative that begins with Frank's first punk show (X at the Whisky a Go-Go), but quickly becomes more about beat-downs and murders than a love of punk music. Slam pit stabbings, bodies found in the street outside concerts, and an exploration of a scene that was once infested with loosely-organized crime: this is a facet of punk history you won't get in the average band biography.Īfter spending nearly six years picking Frank the Shank's brain for all of the grisly details of his reign in the LMP gang, authors Heath Mattioli and David Spacone have published his tales in a 230-page account that's written from Frank's own perspective and includes artwork from iconic scene artist Raymond Pettibon. In Disco's Out… Murder's In!, out now through Feral House Publishing, the story of "LA's deadliest punk rock gang" is told through the eyes of the aptly-named Frank the Shank, the notorious chieftain in the LMP gang who was eventually arrested for murder. Whether it was stabbing an innocent bystander or humiliating a band's frontman by trapping him in a trash can for hours, tales of LMP's indiscriminate violence spread like wildfire throughout the punk scene in the mid-80s. LMP members attended shows en masse, but often seemed to be there out of bloodlust rather than any sort of musical appreciation. Hailing from an East LA suburb that was infested with gangs long before punk took root, this coalition of troubled kids was mentored by an old veteran of a cholo gang and bonded over punk's confrontational image and antiestablishment stance. Most dangerous of all were La Mirada Punks, a gang that quickly grew in notoriety in the 80s.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |