BOSTON, Mass. – A fan of various types of DIY music and art, Jenna Bushey helps run the Allston DIY venue, Rock City Art Space. Normally, she books for her divergent tastes on separate dates. But last weekend she booked a mixed-bill show to give members of the community a chance to meet new people, share ideas, and fist fight.
“I see all these great bands from all different backgrounds come through here but they never play together. I booked the show so people could hear what the Skank Lords, Psycho Skins, and Upset Conformity have to say,” said Bushey while sweeping up broken glass. “Man, this place got fucked up.”
The show was a huge success, as fans of various sub-genres of punk and hardcore met, exchanged ideas, and engaged in a violent flurry of fisticuffs.
“This big dumb skinhead kept giving me shit about my trombone ‘looking a little rusty,’ and I was just sick of it. I’m not gonna take it anymore,” said Matty A., the Skank Lords’ second trombonist. “People think I wont stand up for myself because of my porkpie hat, but I showed that This Is England wannabe that ska isn’t just a bunch of high-school marching band dweebs.”
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Matty A.’s physical aggression lead to an all-out brawl between the ska fans and skinheads in attendance.
“It was chaos,” recalled Bushey. “The punk kids that came for Upset Conformity started fighting the ska kids, too. Luckily for the Skank Lords, they have 13 band members and two full-time stage dancers, so they were able to hold their own for a little while.”
The lead singer of Upset Conformity, Bratt, explained his logic for jumping off-stage and drop-kicking a member of the Skank Lords “back to the second wave.”
“Punks and skins should always be united, and never divided,” Bratt said sternly.
“I’ve never heard a Casualties song about ‘Punks and Skas,'” he continued. “Oi!”