The Dead Kennedy's

I'm going to say it was May or April? 1983, in New Hope at Club Zadar( stupid name,and a place not known for hardcore shows). Also playing this night was Philly's own Autistic Behavior. I don't remember who drove to the show ,again my friend Eric and I found someone that was going to drive ,so we were on board. Skated before the show in Allentown ,skated some banks until the transportation arrived. When we arrived Autistic Behavior started their set and the crowd was going nuts,stage diving and thrashing  all over the place.T-shirts and plaid shorts with high top vans was the official uniform for the skate rock set. Once the DK's started playing everyone was going fuckin nut's , covering  every song in their repertoire,lightening fast and on time. After the show we talked to Jello and the rest of the band about the show,he handed me a Minor Threat flyer and recommended that we check out their next show.(Brubaker from COS and the some of FOD were hangin out as well).

 I remember coming home when the sun was starting to rise and then having to go to school that same day. Didn't care I was so stoked from the show the night before. no pics just this autographed press photo Jello handed me. In  the following years the Dead Kennedy's were sort of marginalized due to their own success pretty much every poser had at least one of their records,but their contribution to hardcore cannot be denied. 

Check out the pictures of Jello's 50th birthday party playing with the Melvin's and The Drunk Injuns on Thrasher Magazines website, wish I could have been there.

The Misfits halloween 1982

The Misfits and Reagan Youth played at the Northampton County Community College in 1982. I remember Reagan Youth was amazing ,played a blistering set ,some of the crowd didn't get it,most were there eagerly awaiting the Misfits.

  Hardcore was still undefined at this point no one had the same thrashing/slam dance/pogo style it was a creative free for all.

 The handbook wasn't written yet. Misfits played a complete set of all their classics,this was" Walk Among Us" era . Some highlights:138,skulls,die,die ,die my darling,Mommy,Hatebreeders and on and on. 

My friend Eric and I bummed a ride to the show since we did not have a car or drive yet,(we would have ridden our skateboards to this show if we had to!)8 miles away! 

Talked to some punk girls, if you met girls that were punk/hardcore you were stoked !

Here is a guitar pick from  the show. I didn't own a camera yet so no photo's ,damn! 

Black Flag was going to be the next show at NCCC ,never happened I think the school might have been scared to allow another show that they could not understand. 

The Deadly

Same night as the Ready to Rip photo was taken summer a few years back I really should have keep a journal to record time and place for most of the photo's I shot. The more time that passes It's hard to remember the details.

Ready to Rip!

Playing in a living room in Philadelphia after a day of skating and BBQ. This I shot a few years ago during the summer. Skate rock 100%,this is what it is about, no whiny ass commercial shit just friends playing music for the right reasons. Now go skate or thrash!!!!

Gorilla Biscuits 1989 Wally's Part 3

Wally's had just about every major Youth Crew /Straight Edge/Hardcore band in the late eighties played there. If you want to hear something funny get a hold of the Gorilla Biscuits Start today CD with the bonus tracks and you can hear a lively discussion on Wally's versus it's nemesis Oliver J's. I don't know if it is on the current CD pressing's,I kind of doubt it.

Some memorable shows: Sick of it All,Icemen,Uniform Choice,Chain of Strength,Bold,Krakdown,Raw deal(Killing Time),Breakdown,Yot,No for a Answer,Gwar ,GG Allin,Turning Point,Judge,Wind of Change, Murphys Law etc,etc.........

Deception at the hand of thieves.

It's pretty sobering when you realize that the so called experts don't have a clue.I used to think that education made people smart,unfortunatly that is not the case.

records,records......

Essential listening not complete but a damn good start.

Jon Smith

Jon throwing down a layback "rollaround street vert". Last I heard he's living in CO. Jon lived in Easton. Along with a few and I mean a few he was the Easton skate scene!,from building a half pipe in the alley next to his house to crazy quarter pipes to coffin rides down college hill. Jon's  mom was cool enough to drive the whole crew down to the lengendary Cherry Hill skatepark.

Craig ditch vert

More skate madness.

generic

No training for the dew tour here. Damn I always get the short end of the stick!

Not waiting for death

You think these guys care what you think? I doubt it, strap on the bagpipes and let it rip.

Under the neon glow , Bob Stetz nose slide at the Kmart curb.

Bob said he would not mind me posting this photo. I didn't want to bum him out, 35 mm wheels,over sized pants and shorts. The early 90's was bizarre time for skating although creatively it was a free for all. I remember it was hard to find a decent set of wheels. I would bomb a hill near my house and after about eight blocks I would have flat spots and then the wheels were worth shit. If I had to buy my wheels I would have been pissed. 

Kickflip at Liberty High School

Willie Hoffman , kickflip down the four step set at Liberty. This I shot in the early nineties.

Living to be consumed ,or consumed by living?

Shut off the noise and get to it. Energy drinks and clothing adverts the ridiculous crap that is on TV most of time. The talking heads and empty suits that want to influence who you vote for what you drink,eat and what people should look like...stupid opinions from suck ass script readers. 

Jason Farrell

Invert at the Cove in Santa Monica, Jason played guitar for Swiz, Bluetip and others. If you see him skate he does some of the sickest inverts.

Rick Charnoski

Sick tuck knee invert at SLUG 2 in Macungie PA.So many rad sessions at Slug one and Slug two. Pull up in the car and skate.

Rob Mertz backside air MFC2

Vintage photo from a negative that I never even made a print from. I found a contact sheet and negs from high school photography class. Some of these will be in my book.

Today

Reasons,no jocks,no authority,no rules,7 ply's of maple,forged aluminum,poured urethane ,and bearings.

More stickers

Not much to say ,more stickers I had in a shoebox.

Swank zine

Sorry not the porno mag, this was put out by Todd Swank of Tumyeto fame. I don't know how many issues or for how many years he put these out. Summer 1985  Eddie Reategui (spelling) on the cover. Some zines of the day,Speed zine from San Jose,Skate Fate put out by GSD...and more. Tape markers , xeroxed photo's ,xacto knife and a stapler and you were in business.

Guarding the table

Sign up for the raffle one at a time,step back! The Vision Streetwear outfit says it all.

The lost art of the sticker

I just don't see it anymore, stickers that I want to collect. The decal/sticker is,was a great communicator, unique one of a kind designs that were cool to collect or stick.

Gwar at Wally's place

Underground club for what its worth ,they put on great shows and had a reasonable door charge. If you have a decent club support it if not then don't. Small clubs let band's play and grow hopefully avoiding manufactured image and sound.

Bill Danforth

Michigan skateboarder doing a Texas plant in a Pa town. Same tour obviously,If you ever get to talk to Danforth ask him about the first Negative Approach 7" .

Troy Chasen

You guessed it same tour,listen to Contortion Session if you can find it, Memory is a little foggy they were from Pasadena Texas saw them play with Barkhard John Gibson's band.

John Gibson

Same tour, When you see a photo of Gibson you think Zorlac,They just reissued his original shapes and graphics,now you don't have to pay through your teeth on ebay.

Jeff Phillips

Life's a Beach tour August 1989 Bethlehem Pa . Skating the demo ramp that traveled on a flat bed tractor trailer across the country.
I just found these photo's in a box as I was organizing shit way past due.

Once I was skating the clown ramp in Dallas Texas. Phillips showed up past midnight and tore the shit out of the ramp , If you look at the photo's of the Clown ramp you would never know that condensation would make It slippery as shit when the sun set for the day.

dont wait

get away

now is the time no crowds.

Rodney "the mutt" Mullen

The "mutt" doing what, I dont know , world Industries demo. I dont remember the year.

Archives

Rad shot of the second Mfc vert ramp. Build your own we never cried , a public park was unheard of let alone expected , busted our asses building and skating our ramps. No Bozo's, Posers go home!
Rob Mertz layback air,Fish and Musler on deck.

Bankvert

We used to skate this place regularly,it had gnarly ass pebbles mortared into the cement we made the best of it.

Inspiration

Whenever I see a photo a Duane,Lance,Salba,Cardiel,Cab,Miller ripping the least I can do is go out and slappy some curbs.

recharge

Napkin sketch at breakfast.