Put the rumors and gossiping to rest, the BNB Takeover proudly announced the complete line-up for this year's Black N Blue Bowl which will feature a highly anticipated reunion from JUDGE. A complete list of announced bands and details are as follows;

Continue reading "Full Black N Blue Ball 2013 hardcore lineup announced (JUDGE included)"

Shout Out Louds @ Webster Hall in 2010 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Along with the announcement of Shout Out Louds on the lineup of 2013 edition of Sasquatch (May 24 in Washington) comes word that the Swedish group will headline NYC's Webster Hall on May 10 in addition to the Brooklyn show they play at the smaller Music Hall of Williamsburg two months earlier (which we're giving away tickets for). Tickets for the new NYC show go on AmEx Presale go on sale Wednesday (2/6) at noon, and on general sale on Friday at the same time.

All tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Shout Out Louds add Webster Hall, Sasquatch & more to May tour (updated dates)"

Little Boots at Webster Hall - 12/14/12 (via)

Little Boots came to NYC for a Girls & Boys party at Webster Hall last month/year (pictured above) and she'll return to the venue on January 25 for another Girls & Boys party but this one is a tribute to Daft Punk and Tron-themed party. It takes place in all there rooms of Webster Hall that feature Doorly, Sean Sharp, Jess Marquis, Matty Glitterati, and more. Doors are at 10PM and admission is 19+. Tickets (including VIP and party packages) are on sale now. Show flyer below.

UPDATE: Webster Hall's website had Little Boots on the event page for the Daft Punk tribute party, but it was a mistake. She's currently on vacation. Come back soon, Little Boots!

Speaking of Daft Punk, Chic member and major pop producer Nile Rodgers, who is working with the duo on their new album, recently posted a blog post which sounds pretty promising that Daft Punk will have their new album out in 2013 (via NME):

The next time I set foot in Japan, my collaboration with Daft Punk would have started to hit people's eardrums, as well as a number of songs I'm working on over the next few months with a select group of artists, and of course finally, my lost CHIC and solo material. No matter how it ends, 2013 Won't Be Boring!

Flyer for the Daft Punk party below...

Continue reading "LIttle Boots played 'Girls & Boys' party who are throwing a Daft Punk tribute; Nile Rodgers says new Daft Punk in 2013"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

every year between Christmas and New Year's, we catch up on unposted stuff. This year is no different...

2012 was the year Garbage returned with a new album (which made Rolling Stones's Top 50 list), and a bunch of shows. We caught them in Austin, NYC, Belgium, Montreal, Los Angeles, and Austin again. The NYC show was at Webster Hall and we have a second set of pictures from it that were never posted, until now. More below...

Continue reading "previously unposted pics: Garbage @ Webster Hall"

Chris Brown, clearly a fan of The Exploited

As you can see above, Municipal Waste reacts to the "fashionable punk jacket" worn by R&B vocalist Chris Brown which, as Tony from Municipal Waste points out, is eerily similar to one worn by ex-girlfriend Rihanna on the back cover of her brand new album, Unapologetic, which was released today (11/20).

Its definitely jacket weather out there, so it wouldnt be too farfetched to expect Rihanna to wear hers to Webster Hall tonight (11/20), a last minute promo show for her record release today that is also the close of her "777" tour. Her tour with A$AP Rocky is in 2013 and hits two nights at the Barclays Center.

Check out the back of Chris's jacket below...

Continue reading "Chris Brown loves metal & punk? Maybe Rihanna will play some at Webster Hall tonight"

Wayne Coyne hands out candy (more)

Despite the mayor's perhaps optimistic statement about rescheduling the big NYC Halloween Parade that was cancelled due to Sandy, there has been no update since November 3rd when the Village Parade organizers posted the following:

The Mayor's Office has told us that the event is cancelled and they cannot give us a reschedule date any time in the foreseeable future. As you know the Marathon was also canceled. We will keep you updated if anything changes for the future!

We thank you all for the incredible support you have given us during these last very trying and exhausting days!

The Spirit of the Parade is YOUR Spirit --and YOU are all joyful, energetic, inspired, and creative folks!

Hallelujah Halloween!
Jeanne Fleming
Artistic and Producing Director

Webster Hall, home of one of the biggest annual Halloween parties in the city, has also rescheduled their annual event which will now take place this Saturday (11/10), The Virgin Sacrifice included...

Throughout the evening, guests witness a series of mind-blowing spectacles. At the stroke of Midnight, with flames blazing, an innocent virgin is picked from the crowd. Stripped of her clothing and dignity, the crowd watches as she is ritualistically sacrificed on a massive pentagram hung 40 feet in the air.

Freelance Whales, as predicted, and like many others, have officially postponed their 11/1 show at Webster Hall. The band writes:

New York City, our show with @geographermusic has been postponed due to lack of electricity. It is currently being rescheduled, date TBD. So sorry everyone, we'll keep you posted. Generator jokes welcome.

photos by Greg Cristman; words by Bill Pearis

Saint Etienne @ Webster Hall, 10/26/2012

Long-running London pop trio Saint Etienne played Webster Hall on Friday (10/26), their first NYC show in nearly seven years. With Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs on platforms manning synthesizers, it was up to singer Sarah Cracknell, looking like a million bucks in a sequined gown, to provide the charm. Onetime Dolly Mixture frontwoman Debsey Wykes on backing vocals, and retro projections added too. As a longtime fan who rates their new album, Words & Music, as the best record of the year so far, this was a fun show though Saint Etienne have never been the most exciting live group (except when they toured with a full band for 1998's Good Humor), their great, highly danceable songs carry most of the weight.

My only complaint about the show was it was not loud enough. The volume was downright polite and took a while for people to get in the dancing mood. It wasn't really until the last third of the show, when "Like a Motorway"'s synth bass rolled in, that people got there groove on but from there out, and by the time of the first encore of the Eurodisco-y "He's on the Phone," Webster Hall was bouncing. And it was not an oldies crowd either, who seemed as into new cuts like "Popular" and "I've Got Your Music" as their classic cuts like "Sylvie," "Nothing Can Stop Us," their cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" not to mention a few deep cuts too, like Foxbase Alpha's "Spring" and In Good Humor's "Lose That Girl" which opened the show.

If you're going to see Saint Etienne on one of their remaining North American dates (listed below), they're selling an exclusive tour CD of Words & Music that comes with a full album's worth of outtakes that is worth picking up. Only 2700 were made.

More pictures of Saint Etienne's Webster Hall set (plus openers The Golden Filter) are below, along with the setlist.

Continue reading "Saint Etienne played Webster Hall with The Golden Filter (pics, setlist, review)"

photos by David Andrako

Father John Misty / Andrew WK & Matt Sweeney

Petty Fest returned to NYC last night (10/24) at Webster Hall for a night of Tom Petty covers with a huge lineup of contributors backed by The Cabin Down Below Band. Cyndi Lauper, Fred Armisen, John McEnroe and Alia Shawkat were surprise guests. Nicole Atkins, Nick Zinner, and Josh Lattanzi teamed up for "Mary Jane's Last Dance," Father John Misty (who also played his second of two sold out shows in NYC last night and will be back at Webster Hall in January) did "Learning To Fly" and "I Won't Back Down," Har Mar Superstar did "Don't Do Me Like That," Andrew WK & Matt Sweeney did "Listen To Her Heart," Albert Hammond Jr. did "I Need To Know" (Fab played the show too), Caveman (who just played our day party and team up with Albert for a show again this Friday) did "Don't Come Around Here," plus a whole lot more.

More pictures from the Jameson-sponsored benefit show (all money went to Sweet Relief), and the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Petty Fest pics & setlist (Andrew WK, Father John Misty, Har Mar Superstar, Nick Zinner, Albert Hammond, Cyndi Lauper, more)"

We haven't completely compared what was announced a month ago, to what the current lineup is, but this is who is playing Petty Fest at Webster Hall Wednesday (10/24):

The Cabin Down Below Band
With Special Guest Stars: Karen Elson, Justin Townes Earle, Father John Misty, Adam Green, Nicole Atkins, Jesse Malin, Sammy James Jr. of Mooney Suzuki, Cory Chisel & Adriel Denae, Steve Schiltz of Hurricane Bells, Ryan Miller of Guster, Har Mar Superstar, Devendra Banhart, Johnny T, Andrew W.K., Matt Sweeney, Danny Clinch & The Tangiers Blues Band, Justin Long, Petter Ericson Stakee of Alberta Cross, Delta Spirit, Caveman, Mikki James, Jody Porter of Fountains Of Wayne and many many more surprise guests!

100% of Ticket Proceeds To Benefit Sweet Relief Music Fund & The Musicians Cancer Fund

Brought To You By The Best Fest, Makers of Dylan Fest & Stones Fest
Artists and line-up subject to change without notice

First Melody's Echo Chamber (who we also interviewed) got interviewed by kids, and then Pitchfork took her Halloween shopping before her Webster Hall show (with the Raveonettes) the other day. Watch the results in the video below.

And speaking of Halloween shopping, get your MEME costumes ready. HallowMEME is around the corner (10/25 at the Bell House, free with RSVP).

Continue reading "Watch Melody's Echo Chamber shop for Halloween (video); What are you going to be for HallowMEME? (RSVP)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

"Polica just put on a hell of a show at Webster Hall" - @digenger

Polica, whose ongoing tour recently brought them to NYC to open for Bon Iver, returned over the weekend for what was by far their largest headlining date in the city yet at Webster Hall on Saturday (10/6). The place didn't sell out, but it was looking pretty full the whole time and the crowd seemed into openers Gardens & Villa too. Pictures from the show are in this post.

More below...

Continue reading "Polica and Gardens & Villa played Webster Hall (pics)"

TItus Andronicus at House of Vans, Aug 2012 (more by Ryan Muir)


Titus Andronicus and Ceremony will team up for a US tour in October and November, kicking off in Philadelphia and looping the country, including a stop at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin. The tour comes to a close in December with a pair of NYC area shows: 12/1 at Maxwell's and 12/2 at Webster Hall. Maxwell's ticketing info is on the way, as is Webster Hall.

The massive tour is intended to welcome Local Business, the band's new LP due via XL Recordings. Look for Titus's new baby to rear its head the day before tour kick-off (10/22), and check out the first song to slip out of the gates, "In a Big City," with all dates, below.

Continue reading "Titus Andronicus touring with Ceremony this fall, including Maxwell's and Webster Hall (dates)"

"They should be embarrassed that they jumped me and I am going to court for putting them in the hospital." - Harley Flanagan via NY Natives

Harley on a horse

You probably remember the now infamous 'Cro-Mags incident' that took place during the 'CBGB Festival' over the summer, and how Harley Flanagan, who was the one arrested, is claiming he was jumped and that it was all self defense. Vice has an update:

...the state's case isn't coming together as easily as everyone assumed it would. With Harley in court, the judge asks the assistant district attorney what's up. No grand jury has been convened yet, the ADA replies, and the case gets adjourned to Dec. 5.

If the case doesn't come together, with witness statements and testimony and a grand jury the thumbs up to the ADA to proceed, then the clock runs out on the charges on December 8, and Harley can shut the door on the legal troubles stemming from that night in July...

...To hear the other side tell it, Flanagan was crazed on the night of July 6, and may or may not have smuggled the knife into Webster Hall in his ass. Harley, speaking to me, paints a different picture: He was invited backstage and was ambushed, and in a subsequent fight for his life got stabbed, coming out of the VIP room with an oozing leg wound that at first looked like a compound fracture. "The only thing I did wrong that night was go out to the club," said Flanagan on Thursday. "I got jumped by a bunch of wannabe thugs."

Harley didn't know he was in trouble until the cops arrived and he was labeled as the assailant. He spent the next six days on Rikers Island, somewhat of a celebrity because of his case's notoriety. "I was like a white Mike Tyson," he says.

In Rikers, his leg wound, which had been simply stitched up, became infected with staph and MRSA and ballooned, and after being released on bail, he wound up in a hospital bed for ten days

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Ariel Pink & R. Stevie Moore @ Webster Hall - 9/14/2012

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, complete with R. Stevie Moore in tow, brought its current headlining tour in support of "Mature Themes" to Webster Hall in NYC Friday night (9/14). TEEN and BODYGUARD opened the show which is pictured in this post.

The somewhat unofficial afterparty happened afterwards at 285 Kent, and despite unofficial confirmations and strong rumors, Ariel Pink apparently never confirmed he would play 285 Kent, and he didn't. However, Webster Hall opener Bodyguard (James Ferraro) did play along with rumored secret guest Holy Other (who opened for Amon Tobin at Hammerstein Ballroom earlier in the night) and secret guests and Pink associates Geneva Jacuzzi and R. Stevie Moore (whose set started around 3:45am).

More pictures from Webster Hall, including one of Ariel's pre-encore setlist, below...

Continue reading "Ariel Pink played Webster Hall (but not 285 Kent) with R. Stevie Moore, Bodyguard & TEEN (pics)"

Paul Simon at Webster Hall in 2011 (more by Ryan Barkan)

Back in 2011, Paul Simon played a small (for him) club date in NYC, a BrooklynVegan-presented Webster Hall show, and that show is now being turned into a live album/film called Paul Simon Live in New York City which will be out on 2-CD / 1-DVD on September 18. That show was part of Paul's tour of his 2011 LP, So Beautiful or So What, and included a number of tracks off of that album, in addition to many of his classics like "Mother and Child Reunion," "The Sound of Silence," "The Only Living Boy in New York," and others.

Based on the tracklist, which you can check out below, it won't be including the part of the encore when David Byrne came out to perform "You Can Call Me Al" and the Talking Heads' "Road to Nowhere" with Paul, or Paul's cover of "Here Comes the Sun," but the majority of the show was captured and will be available. To get a glimpse of what you can expect, check out a video of Paul and his band playing "Dazzling Blue" at that show, along with the film trailer below.

Those videos, the cover art, and tracklist are below.

Continue reading "Paul Simon releasing live CD/DVD of his 2011 Webster Hall show (video premiere)"

Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz, who has been making guest appearances for years and has a few mixtapes to his name as well, is set to release his first official album, Based on a T.R.U. Story, this week (8/14) via Def Jam. The album features guest spots from Kanye West, Drake, Nicki MInaj, Lil Wayne, The-Dream, John Legend, Scarface, and more. You can check out some streams and videos from the album and the cover art and tracklist below.

2 Chainz has some upcoming dates in support of the new album. His only live date in the NYC area is Rock the Bells, which he plays on September 1 at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ, but he'll be in NYC on Thursday (8/16) to sign autographs of the new album at J&R Music and Computer World (23 Park Row) at 6 PM. "Purchase the CD beginning 8/14 & receive a wristband to meet 2 Chainz on 8/16. While supplies last."

That same night (8/16), there will also be an official album release party for Based on a T.R.U. Story at Webster Hall for a Girls Night Out party (ladies free all night). No word on whether or not 2 Chainz will actually be showing up, but if he's in NYC for that autograph signing, it seems likely. The flier for this party is below.

UPDATE: Though Webster Hall is still open Thursday night, the 2 Chainz event is cancelled.

A list of all dates, videos, streams, and more below...

Continue reading "2 Chainz releasing LP, touring, doing autograph signing and album release party in NYC (dates & videos)"

by Klaus Kinski

Sick of It All at Webster Hall in 2011 (more by Kurt Christiansen)

When word got out that Sick of It All and Cro-Mags would co-headline a show at Webster Hall on Friday July 6th as part of the CBGB Festival, my water almost broke. I didn't even bother to wait and see if BV could somehow sleaze my bald ass into that sucker; I toddled over to Ticketweb and did the right thing and ponied up for a ticket. Your man Klaus was PUMPED. However, as you may or may not know, your man Klaus is sort of a mess in the old mental-stability department and on the day of the show I had an attack of the old agoraphbees. And it wasn't because of what the show was; it could have been a show featuring Devendra Banhart fluffing pillows and I still would have succumbed to the agoraphobic explosion occurring in my brain. So rather than put myself in a loud, sweaty, crowded room I opted to stay home curled up in a ball in the middle of my living room floor. As a matter of fact, the ticket for the show is literally still sitting in my bag.

As it turns out, my attack of agoraphobia may have been more a prophecy than a sign of my own mental weakness. For, as you all must know by now, the show was called off when Harley Flanagan went on an alleged rampage of alleged self-defense (depending on who you talk to), that resulted in stab wounds and bite marks. What luck! So the show was cancelled and everyone had to go home. I've been wondering since then if Webster Hall, Ticketweb, or the event organizers would make up for the fact that nobody got to see the two bands that clearly everyone was there to see. And then, WHAM, the following message landed in my inbox today:

Thank you for your patience in waiting for this rescheduled date.
Sick of it All is psyched to announce the rescheduled date for the missed performance on July 6th.
On September 7th, we'll be joined by our good friends and New York Hardcore legends CIV(!!), at Webster Hall with very special guests.
Due to the unfortunate events that resulted in the postponement, the Cro-Mags will not be playing.

All tickets purchased for the July 6th show through Ticketweb will be changed into WILLCALL list tickets, which means your name will be on a list at the door, and you just bring your ID - not your original ticket. Previously purchased tickets will be handled this way to avoid issues with the many people that may not have their original ticket.

If you have already received a refund, you will NOT be on the willcall list and your barcode has been invalidated on your existing ticket.
New tickets will be on sale Thursday (August 9th) at 10am at Ticketweb.

If you are unable to attend and would like a refund, please email refunds@ticketweb.com - refund requests must be received prior to August 17th.

Got a question? We're here to help. Email us at thestudio@websterhall.com

photos by Chris La Putt

Toadies/Helmet/Ume at Webster Hall 8/02/2012

For a band of only three people, Ume had incredible power -- they blasted sound and strength out into the crowd at Webster Hall.

Frontwoman Lauren Larson's frenetic energy and distorted guitar meant lots of movement -- Ume is perfectly suited to playing on a huge stage with ample room to move about.

While some may prefer the raw energy of their live show, I prefer the nuances on their album. The standout tracks on album Phantoms are "Captive," "Destroyer," and "Dancing Blind."-[After The Show]

Continue reading "Toadies, Helmet and Ume played Webster Hall (pics / video)"

Freelance Whales are one of the many bands visiting Montreal this weekend for the Osheaga Festival (Aug. 3 -5) which sounds like it's going to be a really good time. (They play tonight.) The winsome New Yorkers will then cross back across the border to play Higher Ground in Burlington, VT on Saturday (8/4). After that the band will be putting the finishing touches on their new album, Diluvia, which is out October 9 via Frenchkiss. You can stream the album's first single, "Locked Out," below.

The band will also be going on tour around the same time as the album's release, including a hometown stop at Webster Hall on November 1. Tickets to that show (and the rest of the tour) go on sale today (8/3) at noon.

Additionally, buying tickets to the tour online will also come with some audio goodies. On August 20 you'll get a batch of songs including new single "Locked Out" and "Spitting Image." Then you'll receive a download of the entire new album on its release date. That pretty sweet.

All upcoming Freelance Whale tour dates are below, as is Deluvia's cover art and the single stream.

Continue reading "Freelance Whales releasing 'Deluvia' (stream a track); get a free LP download with tickets to upcoming tour (dates)"

photos by Alyssa Tanchajja, words by Lauren Jackson

"Finally, sad skinny guys get a chance to mosh hard without fearing for broken bones or glasses." -- Anonymous concertgoer, American Nightmare, July 22

Friday (7/20) and Sunday night (7/22) at Webster Hall, Cold Cave's Wes Eisold rejoined former American Nightmare (Give Up the Ghost) bandmates for sold out shows at the large NYC venue. I went Sunday when the hardcore legends were supported by Damnation A.D., New Lows, and Prurient, the solo noise project of the other half of Cold Cave, Dominick Fernow (who also played Saint Vitus on the night before). The Friday show, which is pictured in this post, was opened by Horror Show and Indecision.

Thanks to the band's cult following, the grand ballroom at Webster remained packed with aggressively enthusiastic concertgoers from start to finish. American Nightmare was never known (or loved, for that matter) for sticking to the hardcore tradition. No doubt more than one "sad skinny guy" or girl in attendance received a bit of ribbing from their more stalwart hardcore friends when they told them where they were headed that night (I know I did). What American Nightmare fans lack in tough guy cred, they make up for with unrivaled passion and dedication to their pack.

Prurient kicked off the night to a flurry of confused looks and awkward shuffles as he unleashed his signature sonic assault on the audience. Though it was an obvious divergence from the typical "hardcore show" tone, a fair number of concertgoers seemed interested in Fernow's performance.

Damnation A.D. and New Lows brought the moshers into the fold and set the night on the fast track for the crazed American Nightmare set to follow. For all their heavy riffs and breakdowns, the two supporting bands couldn't hold a candle to the fervor that the headliners incited when they came onstage. From above, the crowd appeared less as a group of individuals and more a military outfit acting in chaotic unison: not one lyric went unsung, no finger point went up alone.

More pictures from Friday, and videos and the setlists from both nights, below...

Continue reading "American Nightmare/GUTG played two nights at Webster Hall (pics, review, video, setlist)"

As we were saying, original Cro-Mags member Harley Flanagan told website NYNatives that he was acting in self defense when two members of his old band were injured by him at Webster Hall on July 6th. NYNatives since posted Harley's entire statement...

"According to Harley, he was invited to the dressing room back stage and instead of being welcomed as he expected he was jumped by a group of men. "When I saw that door get pulled shut I was literally fighting for my life. I was afraid these guys were going to kick me half to death, roll me down the back steps and that no one would see it... and there would be no witnesses and that would be that....and all I could think about was getting home safe to my kids...I wanted to save my life, to protect myself and these guys were trying to do me in."

Continue reading "Harley Flanagan says he was invited to Webster Hall & jumped; John Joseph issues statement, says he's a liar"

Amanda Palmer in Brooklyn in May, 2012 (more by Bryan Bruchman)

Amanda Palmer, who has been very busy so far this summer, has just announced a fall tour including an NYC date on September 11 at Webster Hall. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday, July 13 at noon with an AmEx presale beginning Wednesday at noon. All dates are listed below.

HOWEVER. The outside the box thinker that she is, Amanda is trying the Louis CK route this time, selling at least some of the tickets for this tour directly through her website. We'll let Amanda explain:

The huge, beautiful & bizarre tour that we're building all summer is HITTING THE ROAD in september. And....scream it in the streets: WE HAVE DIRECT TICKETING!!! I've been hoping and praying to be able to do this for YEARS - to sell tickets directly to my audience without ticketmaster and other middle-people. I still have to play ball with the giant system of venues and promotors and the world at large, BUT i've at least managed to free up about 10-20% of all venue tickets to sell direct to you guys.

These tickets I'm selling directly from this website will probably disappear fast. Almost all of our shows this summer sold out within a day - some within a few hours. But if you do try and get tickets on monday and there aren't any more left, don't fret. A lot more tickets will go on sale on friday july 13th. as soon as we have direct links to all of the shows, we'll add them to my shows page.

I'm hoping this works out. it's an experiment. we'll see.

All Amanda Palmer tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Amanda Palmer announces tour, playing Webster Hall, giving direct ticketing a try (dates)"

photos by Kurt Christensen

John Joseph addresses the crowd @ Webster Hall Friday night - 7/6/12 (video below)

Before things took a turn for the worse and got all stabby, Webster Hall hosted performances from Vision of Disorder, Sai-Nam and Absolution as part of a five band bill that would have also included Sick of It All and Cro-Mags if the CBGB Festival Friday show didn't end early. Pictures from the relatively peaceful opening to the show are in this post.

As discussed, things got ugly when ex-Cro-Mags bassist Harley Flanagan, who is known for not being happy that Cro-Mags continue without him, allegedly assaulted current Cro-Mags members with a hunting knife before the Cro-Mags set. Harley has been charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

John Joseph and his version of Cro-Mags (that was scheduled to play Webster Hall but instead got cut) issued the following statement:

WE... as a band are truly sorry for the way it all turned out in every regard even the ex-member who's family is now effected by his choices. Our prayers go out to them as well as Mike C., and the others who were hurt, but it was 'his' choice to come to our concert with a hunting knife, standing by our dressing door. Who knows what his actual intent was, obviously he wasn't there with it to cut bread for a peace offering as he was heard saying outside he was putting an end to us playing without him. Let's move on now & stop the trash-talking. Keep that PMA - that's what we are all about.

That's a picture of John telling the Webster Hall crowd that the show is over on Friday. You can watch video of it below.

The NY Times talked to John too:

John Joseph, the band's lead singer, said that Mr. Flanagan had been at odds with other members of the Cro-Mags since he left the band in 2000 and had not been permitted to rejoin.

"This dude has been a negative thorn in the side of this band forever," Mr. Joseph said. "I hope he gets what's coming to him."

Few bands were as energetic as the Cro-Mags during the heyday of the Lower East Side hard-core scene in the mid- to late 1980s. Their first record, "The Age of Quarrel," featured an illustration of a mushroom cloud on the cover and driving songs with shouted lyrics about existential fear and the limits of anarchism.

In many ways the songs were a reflection of the world as seen by Mr. Flanagan, who left school at an early age and began hanging out on the decaying streets of the Lower East Side, where rent was cheap, abandoned buildings proliferated and the drug trade flourished.

The hard-core scene gradually become less visible, said Clayton Patterson, a photographer on the Lower East Side who has documented many of the bands, but it has experienced a revival in recent years.

The crowd was waiting for the Cro-Mags on Friday night when Mr. Flanagan darted from the dressing room while yelling something that onlookers could not make out, according to a spectator, Elie Perler, 30.

Joseph warned CBGB Festival organizers that Flanagan wasn't wanted, but he wound up obtaining a press pass.
"Get somebody on the door who knows what he looks like," Joseph said he warned. "They didn't take that threat seriously."

If you missed Vision of Disorder, you can catch them in NYC again at Music Hall of Williamsburg on November 24th, tickets go on AMEX presale at noon on Wednesday (7/11) and regular sale on Friday.

More pictures of a peaceful Webster Hall before the storm, and video of John Joseph addressing the crowd, below.

Continue reading "pics from the Cro-Mags show (before it shut down), a statement from John Joseph, a new VOD show & a... fundraiser for Harley"

CBGB Fest in Times Square - 7/7/2012 (pic via BrooklynVegan Instagram)

The CBGB Festival released this statement today:

We are saddened to learn about the events that occurred last night at Webster Hall. Our primary concern is always the safety and experience of New Yorkers, music fans and the general public. Naturally we will fully cooperate with law enforcement while hoping for the speedy recovery of those injured.

Live music can be incredibly uplifting, empowering and positive. We don't feel the actions of one person should overshadow four amazing days and nights of events that include today's historic and unprecedented free concerts in Times Square and Central Park.

-The CBGB Festival