The BGN News Archive

Skippy in the middle of the Von Traps

Just after we finished the news last week we found out about two deaths. As the week went on there were two more!

Skippy (Michael Abraham) of The Von Traps died in a motorcycle accident. Skippy was a very engaging person. He was an attention getter on stage, he seemed to be deeply involved with the music to the exclusion of all else. You can see from almost all the photos of the group that he is putting everything he had into playing and singing.

The Von Traps broke up during Covid but we had hoped some of the guys would regroup in some form. Skips sudden death was a shock to all. We think of how his family and close friends must be distressed. They have a burden we can’t imagine.

His obituary

Then there came the news that Jay Potts died. Jay was the drummer for Skin, Big Catholic Guilt, Cobolt 60 and few other bands. Originally from Connecticut, Jay well known in the Boston scene for a very long time and he had many friends. Social media was full of posts for Jay with fond memories and shock at his passing.

Then it was the news of Michael Weddle. He had been sick for a while but passed on October 17 at the South Shore Hospital.

Michael was on the Boston rock scene from the mid-sixties. He was always involved with the music and politics. He carried that all the way through his life. When we interacted with him was during the Rat Beach Parties (started in 2013) that he held in Hull. Bringing those concerts to the South Shore helped the rock profile of the whole region. The C-Note became a place to go. In the Rat Beach Parties, which went for days, he was sure to get the local high school bands to play. That was very inspiring.

He had a band called the Climate Change. There it was, even the name of the band told you that it was going to be socially conscious material.

Last week we posted about a GoFundMe page for Robert Gordon to help with bills form his leukemia treatments. Then the next day we heard he died. The outpourings of tributes have come from all over. We saw him at The Club as part of Tuff Darts way way back and the last time was at Once just a few months before Covid shut things down. Tuff Darts were part of the punk explosion but Robert left and pursued his love of Rockabilly. He didn’t take what looked like the easy road. Article on Deadline website

A terrible week, let's hope there is a reprise for awhile and every one is happy and healthy. But this is a sad reality of life and of getting older....

Let us also remember that on October 23, 1986, Paul O’ Halloran, original bass player for The Dogmatics, died in a motorcycle accident when he was hit on the Expressway. That was a tragic loss. Paul is remembered to this day, you can't help but think of him when you see the band play because his twin brother Peter is there on stage. The Dogmatics have been posting lots of photos of Paul on the anniversary of his passing.

Some high profile gigs came out this week.

Lydia Lunch and Joseph Keckler do their "The Ecstasy of Oblivion: Pleasure as the Ultimate Rebellion" at the Lilypad, Inman Sq, Cambridge On November 6 with two shows 7 and 8:30. Here's Facebook page for the show.

Then the Dictators are going on tour again and will have a show in Providence at Alchemy November 8, Locals Little Billy Lost are openers. Facebook page for show

And then of course there are ton of Halloween shows too...

October 28, 2022 (Friday) has The Dunk Kennedys and BlackWolfGoat are at The Square Root, Rozzie...and ...Free Halloween Show at The Worthen Attic with RoseR - as "AEROSERSMITH", members of Wildcat Slim - doing Morphine as "The Mighty Morphine Power Rangers", members of Speed Fossil - doing Guided by Voices as "Guided by Choices" and members of Radio Compass - doing Green Day as "1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Half-Hours" ... and ... TREE returns Halloween weekend with EXCLAVE and PSYCHO at Urban Farm Fermentory & Gruit Brewing Co. in Portland, ME.

October 29, 2022 (Saturday) has Matinee Massacre with Hammered Saint, Hambone Skinny, Black Souls at The Jungle - 4PM early show...and ...Red on Red Dress Like a Rock Star Halloween Party with Stupidity (from Sweden) with Keith Streng from the Fleshtones, Cold Expectations, Andrea Gillis, Justine & The Unclean and Speedfossil - at the French Club in Waltham... and ... Halloween Cover Extravaganza by Once at The Armory with bands: A Lad Insane are David Bowie, Staring At The Sea are The Cure, Gretchen and the Banshees are Siouxie and the Banshees, Bikini Whale is B52's

October 30, 2022 (Sunday) there's A Red on Red Halloween Mess-Around! with Stupidity featuring Keith Streng Lynda Mandolyn, Linda Pardee and Tim Gillis, Justine's Black Threads, Tom Baker and of course Mess Boss Jay Allen 4PM at The Plough &Stars ... and ...Lucretia's Daggers' 20th Band-iversary with Happy The Clown, Dead Harrison, Lucretia's Daggers, and Lobotomobile at The Rockwell by Once.

Check the gig listings by scrolling down for more info on these shows.

The economy is in shambles, inflation is rampant…time to open another record store! Vivant Vintage has moved into the space that In Your Ear vacated, that's 957 Comm Ave in Allston They sell vintage clothing and antiques ... and now they'll have records, the great news is they being sold by Cheapo Records. Here’s the Vivant Vintage facebook page.

There’s a lot of song mixes out there but this one is particularly good. Patrick Amory compiled "Black Sheets, White Stains: the Boston Underground 1978-1984."

Artists include: The Molls, Gang Green, The Rentals, Maps, 21-645, Neats, V, Vitamin, Mission of Burma, Proletariat, Bound & Gagged, SSD, Sorry , the F.U.’s….it goes on with 44 cuts in all.

It’s on Mixcloud. You can go there to get the songlist

The Plymouth Punk Rock Market is coming again on Sat/Sun December 17 and 18 and this time it’s inside like the first one and still at The Mayflower Brewing Company.

We spoke to Leandra Kelly who started the market. She tells us that though she is originally from around here she has lived near Philadelphia for the past 5 years where ‘punk rock flea markets’ are really common. She was a vendor at a lot of these markets selling handmade accessories and housewares. You can see her items at myrocknrollbaby.Etsy.com. When she moved back to Massachusetts it was her goal to get a punk rock market started here and she has done it! She is hoping this can continue as a monthly thing. She started with 25 vendors, that grew to 40 in September so there's lots of "weird stuff for the weird people" on your holiday lists.

The Plymouth Punk Rock Market Facebook page

VIDEOS.....

Cold Expectations now have a video for the song “Hey Compromise.” Joan Hathaway shot the done well video. She should do more!

Steve and JoEllen seem like video veterans at this point. They make all the scenes credible. The song is pop with a little indie feel to it. The recording has a strong gritty core. The energy of the backing track alone would carry the song. The synth lines seal the deal.

Jan Crocker made two videos to show at the Brother Cleve/Thom Lane memorial show at Bill’s Bar.

In the first video you get to see and hear Cleve and Lane as well as the places they spent time in work/playing. The second is all photos with some cocktail music in the background. Cleve would have loved that. We miss those guys

RADIO......

Sara J on Gorilla Got Me did a tribute to Lux Interior on the occasion of his birthday. She plays thirteen Cramps songs and two interviews. The other songs are groups that influenced Lux. She also plays the original “Goo Goo Muck” 1962 by Ronnie Cook & the Gaylads.

To hear the show in archive go to the WMBR archive page and hit the link for Friday 4pm.

Joanie Lindstrom is back from another international trip. In her show this week she played “Thievery” by locals Guilloteenagers. It’s a strange one. They say “it’s the true story of the US Air Guitar Nationals in LA.” It has the great line, “Standing next to Danzig and he’s so goddam short.” It works for us.

To hear Joanie’s show go the the WMBR archives and hit the Thursday at 10am link.

Brian Young had Key of Caustic on his A Crash Course for the Ravers show. You get a good sense of the group from the songs and the interview. They have only been a band for two years, but they've been gigging steadily these last months.

Jason, the singer from Baabes came in for a visit too. Those Baabes songs are hot and the groups has been explosive live from the get go.

To hear the archive show go to the WMFO schedule page and hit the Crash Course show at 1pm n Saturday and hit the ‘archive’ link on the page.

PODCASTS.........

Blowing Smoke with Twisted Rico has two guests for the second week in a row. This week it’s Al Barile and Jamie Sciarappa of SS Decontrol.

It was the first time I heard the story of how the Boston Crew started and grew. Al revealed that The Kids Will Have Their Say was recorded four times before they got a recording they wanted to put out. The final recording was done at Radiobeat in Kenmore Square.

There are stories on how hard it was to keep the band together and the story of the album cover shot for The Kids Will Have Their Say. The talk about the song “How Much Art Can You Take” deals with the hardcore group and how they were treated by the existing punk scene. Al talks about how larger clubs did not want to book SSD.

Al also said that there will be a SSD book with photos by Phil ‘n Phlash, due early next year. Yes!

NEW MUSIC/CDs.....

Just in time for their US tour Red on Red’s Stupidity has a new single. “The Murder of Love” is full of ear-catching goodness. They have what sounds like a fuzz bass on the song. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard that and we just love it. It’s also is peppered with horn back-ups. There’s a high vocal back up that swings in now and then, it’s buried in the mix but is all the more mood inducing because of that.

The photo for the digital single has a chain saw on it. When the song gets to the solo it sounds not just like a buzz saw guitar but something like a real chainsaw massacre happening for 20 seconds. Are we imagining that? The lyrics hint that maybe one of the dissatisfied lovers is taking revenge on the other. That’s a lot of stuff packed into a single! We have it on our Top Ten Songs

Stupidity will be doing an Exclusive Premiere Vinyl Signing at Stereo Jack's on Thursday Oct 27 - 5 PM – 7 PM. FB page for that.

The Jacklights are on Red on Red too. They formed just before Covid. Despite that headwind they made real progress during the shutdown period. We’ve liked their punk attack. Their two new songs on a digital release are thematically connected. They’re about growing up or trying to grow up and being the adult you are chronologically supposed to be.

The music cranks, the pace is brisk. Nilagia’s voice is distinctive and we’ve come to recognize the group when we hear it.

The Amplifier Heads give us a new genre in their new song “Zombie Moon”. It’s a romantic horror song; the girl zombie eats the guy’s heart and brain so he’ll never feel pain again…and he does the same in kind. It’s so sweet!!

Bad To The Bone is a release by the new California band M.U.T.T. . They sound like a very very rough Ramones. A lot of groups have a neat cleaned up version of the Ramones sound, this goes the other way.

Give “Crusin’” a listen and if you like then you will like the whole album.

WarGraves released a single in preparation for a seven song EP to be released on October 28.

“Scales” is an uncompromising slice of hardcore, the kind we’re not getting enough of these days the way we see it. We love the way the song lets up a few times and there’s a sort of calm, like they are taking a breather, then boom, they’re back blasting again. We also would love to have the lyrics. This really hit the spot for us. Live this must be great too.

The Endorphins are working up to the November 11 release of their album Nothing Is Real. They released one song this week titled “Myopic Dystopia.” This is less psychedelic than their last song “Voyager of a Daydream.”

They take a solid minute to slowly build up the momentum and urgency of the song. Then it gets stronger and stronger and ends with some staccato drum strikes that bump up again to some machine gun beats. It’s very dramatic and effective.

The Beatersband from Italy posted a new digital single. They do great with the cover tunes both new and classic rock because the singer has the smooth voice. This time they take on Blondie’s “X Offender” and “I Only Want To Be With You” - a hit in 1964.

Here's some good shows coming up .....

October 27, 2022 (Thursday) Stupidity will be doing an Exclusive Premiere Vinyl Signing at Stereo Jack's on Thursday Oct 27 - 5 PM – 7 PM. FB page for that.

October 27, 2022 (Thursday) Modern Day Idols, Gretchen Shae & The Middle Eight at Notch Brighton

October 28, 2022 (Friday) FEAR performing The Record in its entirety at The Middle East Down - FB page.

October 28, 2022 (Friday) The Dunk Kennedys and BlackWolfGoat are at The Square Root, Rozzie. Who are the Dunk Kennedys? they are Duncan Wilder Johnson, Stephen Venable, Tony Savarino, and Jim Janota performing a set of Dead Kennedys.

October 28, 2022 (Friday) Free Halloween Show at The Worthen Attic with RoseR - as "AEROSERSMITH", members of Wildcat Slim - doing Morphine as "The Mighty Morphine Power Rangers", members of Speed Fossil - doing Guided by Voices as "Guided by Choices" and members of Radio Compass - doing Green Day as "1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Half-Hours"

October 28, 2022 (Friday) TREE returns Halloween weekend with their branded in wood style Hardcore Punk, EXCLAVE from Portland brings their tinged metallic power metal while PSYCHO (Boston) hits with their brutal, in-your-face extreme punk at Urban Farm Fermentory & Gruit Brewing Co. in Portland, ME. 21+ $15 in advance or at the door 7PM Doors | 8PM Music FB page. Tickets.

October 28, 2022 (Friday) Stupidity with Tiger Bomb & The Bumbling Woohas at Sun Tiki Studios Portland, ME. FB page.

October 29, 2022 (Saturday) Matinee Massacre with Hammered Saint, Hambone Skinny, Black Souls at The Jungle - 4PM early show.

October 29, 2022 (Saturday) Red on Red Dress Like a Rock Star Halloween Party with Stupidity (from Sweden) with Keith Streng from the Fleshtones, Cold Expectations, Andrea Gillis, Justine & The Unclean and Speedfossil - at the French Club in Waltham. FB page

October 29, 2022 (Saturday) Halloween Cover Extravaganza by Once at The Armory with bands: A Lad Insane are David Bowie, Staring At The Sea are The Cure, Gretchen and the Banshees are Siouxie and the Banshees, Bikini Whale is B52's - TIX

October 29, 2022 (Saturday) Tiffy, Divine Sweater, Kipani, Paper Tigers at O'Brien's

October 30, 2022 (Sunday) The Manglers, The New Frustrations, The Instamatics, Charmed & Strange -3PM matinee at The Midway

October 30, 2022 (Sunday) A Red on Red Halloween Mess-Around! with Stupidity featuring Keith Streng (of the Fleshtones), Lynda Mandolyn, Linda Pardee and Tim Gillis, Justine's Black Threads, Tom Baker and of course Mess Boss Jay Allen 4PM at The Plough &Stars FB page.

October 30, 2022 (Sunday) Lucretia's Daggers' 20th Band-iversary with Happy The Clown, Dead Harrison, Lucretia's Daggers, and Lobotomobile at The Rockwell by Once.

November 2, 2022 (Wednesday) River Of Trees, Black Helicopter, Accidental Caps, Tower Brothers at The Midway

November 5, 2022 (Saturday) Shuriken, State of the Union, Sonic Libido are at The Midway for a 3-7PM matinee

November 5, 2022 (Saturday) Nathan Gray & The Iron Roses, Brix'n Mortar, Baabes are at The Middle East - Upstairs (8PM)

November 5, 2022 (Saturday) The Nervous Eaters celebrate the release of their album Monsters + Angels w/ Special Guest Carissa Johnson at The Burren (7PM) FB page

November 5, 2022 (Saturday) The Mahones, The Pourmen, The Gobshites at Askew in Provi.

November 7, 2022 (Monday)Starcrawler at The Brighton Music Hall - this is all ages and EARLY at 6:30PM TIX.

November 8, 2022 (Tuesday) The Dictators, Little Billy Lost are at Alchemy in Provi, RI FB page.

November 9, 2022 (Wednesday) Actor|Observer's record release show they will be joined by Moss Tongue, Kid Disaster, and Life Itself is at The Rockwell - this is a 7-10PM show. Tickets

November 11, 2022 (Friday) Hardcore Stadium Presents: Wound Man, Tinnitus, Robert Siege, Hideous, Shawnie Brando, Strictly Hip Hop, Sinister Wand, Operation Paperclip, Biproduct at The Middle East Down. Doors at 5 PM.

November 11, 2022 (Friday) The Chelsea Curve, Speed Fossil, Canyons & Locust are at Sally O'Brien's

November 11, 2022 (Friday) The Teezers, The JackLights, Phantom Ocean, Key of Caustic at The Jungle

November 11, 2022 (Friday) Hardcore Stadium Presents : Wound Man, Tinnitus, Robert Siege, Hideous, Shawnie Brando, Strictly Hip Hop, Sinister Wand, Operation Paperclip, Biproduct at The Middle East Down

November 12, 2022 (Saturday) Paper Tigers, Groundlift, Lurid Purple Flowers, Stormstress are at The Jungle

November 12, 2022 (Saturday) Dutch Tulips, Bellwire and Jonee Earthquake Band at Faces Brewing Malden

November 12, 2022 (Saturday) SO/CAL Punk Invasion 2022- Black Flag, The Dickies, TSOL, Total Chaos at The Granite State Music Hall Laconia, NH - TIX!

November 14, 2022 (Monday) The Schizophonics, Muck and the Mires, The Chelsea Curve are at Middle East - Upstairs

November 16, 2022 (Wednesday) Youth of Today, Art Thieves, ICU at The Middle East Down TIX!!

November 16, 2022 (Wednesday) International Pop Overthrow starts today at the Union Tavern and runs through Sunday 11/19. Go here to see who is paying when

November 17, 2022 (Thursday) The Thigh Scrapers, Mad Painter, Doug MacDonald Band, The Stigmatics at The Middle East Up.

November 19, 2022 (Saturday) A Crash Course For The Ravers on WMFO 91.5 FM has Mach Bell as guest. 10AM- 1PM FB page

November 19, 2022 (Saturday) Linnea’s Garden, The Lights Out, Emily Grogan Band, Crow Follow at The Jungle

November 19, 2022 (Saturday) Men and Volts at The Square Root

November 20, 2022 (Sunday) Hardcore Stadium presents - The Trouble at the Middle East Down (alas this show is sold out)

November 25, 2022 (Friday) Grayskull Booking & Hardcore Stadium present Slapshot, Crown of Thornz, Risk, Neighborhood Shit at The Middle East Down

November 25, 2022 (Friday) The Sheila Divine, Valleyheart, The Rupert Selection at the Paradise Facebook event page Tickets

November 25, 2022 (Friday) Tree are at Alchemy in Provi RI - FB page

November 26, 2022 (Saturday) Stars & Stripes, The Prowlers, Cinderblock, Luger at Sonia

November 26, 2022 (Saturday) Dinosaur Jr., Guided by Voices and Eugene Mirman are at the House of Blues -FB page

November 28, 2022 (Monday) War On Women, Cancer Bats, Spaced at The Middle East - Upstairs

December 2 & 3, 2022 (Friday & Saturday) America’s Hardcore Fest 2022 Friday December 2 - tons of bands check out the Facebook page for bands, times and weekend pass purchases.

December 10, 2022 (Saturday) New England Punk Rock Flea Market presents our inaugural live event, happening here at the historic Hotel Vernon, located in the vibrant and newly revitalized Kelly Square. Join us for a fun day of vendors and bands, a toy drive, and holiday raffles! 11AM - 9PM Music at 7PM -Music 7PM with Michael Kane (solo), Scare City, Sapling, Memory Lame FB page for vendor info etc

December 10, 2022 (Saturday) Magic Room Rock and Roll Holiday Party! with Diablogato, The Shang Hi Lo, Muck and The Mires, Little Billy Lost - this is an early-ish show- music starts at 7:30PM -FB page.

December 17, 2022 (Saturday) Hardcore Stadium Holiday Celebration with Infest, Siege, Citizens Arrest, Dropdead, F.U.'s, Shark Attack, Intent To Injure, Tree, Firewalker, Peace Test, The Lousy, Tossed Aside, Sinister Wand, Burning Lord - at the Middle East - All Ages, $35 Advance / $30 Day of Show, 3:00 PM Doors

December 17, 2022 (Saturday) SCMF, Dogmatics, Jittery Jack & Amy Griffin at Faces in Malden FB page.

December 17, 2022 (Saturday) Murdoch, Lonely Leesa & The Lost Cowboys, Gene Dante & The Future Starlets at The Middle East - Upstairs - (Doors: 6:00 pm )

December 17, 2022 (Saturday) The Lemonheads are playing the Paradise

December 18, 2022 (Sunday) The Lemonheads are playing a second show the Paradise - Facebook event page

October 11, 2023 (Wednesday) The Mission UK & The Chameleons: Deja Vu Tour 2022 Rescheduled to 2023!!! also on the bill Theatre of Hate

CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.com Send us your gig listings, your anything else ya got!! You want your CD reviewed?? Contact us for that too.