"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

John Joseph is likely claiming that the Harley-sympathetic Vice article is filled with lies. What do you think?

Tenacious D fans in NYC (more by Chris La Putt)

Las Vegas police confirmed Sunday night that at least one suspect was arrested in connection with a stabbing at a concert at the House of Blues that left at least one man injured.

Police spokesman Jose Hernandez said there were conflicting reports, but it appeared two suspects were arrested Saturday night at the Tenacious D show inside the Mandalay Bay music venue.

Hernandez said one or two injured concertgoers were transported to University Medical Center with injuries not considered life threatening. He did not know the identity of the suspects nor what charge or charges they could face.

Hernandez said the concertgoers fought prior to the bloodshed.

"There was some sort of altercation that led up to the stabbing," he said.

An eyewitness said there was a violent incident about halfway through the Tenacious D show.

The show, scheduled for 90 minutes, was cut short by a half-hour, and concertgoers were told not to leave until the area was secured.
[Las Vegas Journal] (via)

This was the same night someone sprayed mace at a Fiona Apple show.

Video of Jack Black explaining to the Las Vegas crowd that the show is ending early before playing their last song, below...

Continue reading "Tenacious D concert ends early due to stabbing"

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."

Current Cro-Mags frontman John Joseph, who was also in that dressing room, has since issued another statement that starts with the line, "[Harley's] been watching too many sci-fi movies." The rest below...

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

by Fred Pessaro / BBG

Harley Flanagan is wheeled out of Webster Hall (via NYC Hammers)

To follow up our vague tweet last night, the NY Post has the full story:

A former member of the hard-core punk band the Cro-Mags attacked two of the group's current members with a hunting knife in a dressing room before a show at Webster Hall yesterday -- biting one and slashing both.
The band was about to take the stage about 8:15 p.m. when tattooed rocker Harley Flanagan, 42, barreled through the East Village venue's VIP section toward the Cro-Mags' dressing room, sending nearly 30 guests on the balcony into a frenzy, law enforcement sources and witnesses said.

"Someone was yelling, 'Get his hands, get his hands, he's got a knife!' " witness Dave Gustav said. "Everything went nuts."

Several beefy security guards rushed to contain Flanagan, who seemed about to boil over before he entered the East Village venue.

...Flanagan, the band's former bassist and founder, suffered a broken leg by the time security finally pinned him down, witnesses said. Cops handcuffed him to a chair and took him out.

"People started booing him and throwing stuff at him," eyewitness Justin Brannan said. "His hands were handcuffed but he still gave everyone the finger."

William Berario, 45, was slashed above the eye and bitten on his cheek. Michael Couls, 33, -- the band's current bassist, who is known in the hardcore world as "The Gook" -- was cut on his arm and stomach. -
[NY Post]

The show, part of the CBGB Festival, was shut down before either Sick of it All or Cro-Mags took the stage. Its a sad day for New York Hardcore. This unity that everyone speaks about? PMA? The time for that is now.

Harley, who did the stabbing, is an original member of the band that formed in 1981. John Joseph, also an original member, leads the current version of "Cro-Mags" that Harley is not in, and which John was calling "Cro-Mags (jam)" for a bit in 2008 to avoid confusion with a version of the band Harley was leading (or for legal reasons or something like that). John's version, which didn't keep the "(jam)" on their name for long, has been having much success the past few years, this CBGB Festival booking included. Harley's version hasn't been active in a while

UPDATE: Here are pictures from the show and a statement from Cro-Mags too..