Detroit hardcore

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Detroit Suburbs we're the location of one of the first important hardcore punk scenes that swept underground America in the early 1980s. By the end of 1981 the new style sometimes known as "Midwest Hardcore" had exploded across North America and Detroit was one of several important regional centers fostering its spread.

Hardcore punk was a perfect fit in Detroit. Rock music there had always been louder, harder and more aggressive than in the rest of the country. In the 1960s while other rock music scenes were consumed by countless acts riding the "flower children" zeitgeist, Detroit musicians such as the MC5 and the Stooges were playing to huge crowds at the Grande Ballroom and arguably inventing punk rock in the process. While once epitomizing the prosperity of the working class "American dream," Detroit had seen its massive base of high paid manufacturing jobs decimated. Thousands of applicants would line up for a dozen job openings. By the time the eighties rolled around there wasn't a kid in South East Michigan who didn't know quite well that the days affording a comfortable life through a factory job were long gone. The rage and anger which permeated the hardcore punk of the era was something the Detroit area had in seemingly unlimited supplies.

One key event in the birth of the Detroit scene was the screening of the documentary film "Decline of Western Civilization" at the Punch and Judy theatre. Hundreds of Detroit kids saw in its portrayal of the west coast punk scene something that suited their own situation perfectly and quickly dedicated themselves to bringing this new subculture to bloom in Detroit.

The Detroit scene wasn't an isolated phenomena but also the focus for a number of sister scenes throughout Michigan and northern Ohio. The major hardcore bands of this early regional scene included Lansing, Michigan's The Meatmen and Violent Apathy, The Crucifucks, Toledo, Ohio's Necros, and Detroit's Negative Approach.

[edit] The 80s and 90s

The Detroit scene has become most important over the years for Touch and Go Records, which was started in Lansing Michigan by Tesco Vee and Dave Stinson as a popular local fanzine also started this small hardcore label then moved to Washington DC and finally to Chicago, and is now one of the most important indie rock labels in the world.

A crucial venue for hardcore in Detroit was known as The Greystone. A previous venue called The Hungry Brain had been forced to relocate several times and by 1985 found a permanent home at a run down old hall on Livernois deep in the city of Detroit called The Greystone. For several years it was unquestionably the most important hardcore venue in Michigan. For several years the vast majority of all hardcore bands that toured anywhere within 250 miles of Detroit played at least one gig at the Greystone.

Throughout the 80s and 90s Detroit was a mecca for hardcore punk bands. The band Cold As Life developed a loyal following right up to there demise in the early 90s, even surviving the murder of their frontman Rawn Beauty. Other important bands of that time period were the Almighty Lumberjacks of Death (A.L.D), fronted by the charismatic and deep voiced Jimmy Doom. A.L.D. always filled the house opening up for all the heavy hitting punk stars of the time(Social Distortion, Circle Jerks, etc.)at venues such as St. Andrew's Hall and Blondies.

Other notable acts of that often violent and exciting time were Heresey, Ugly But Proud, Disgust, SBLC, The Rouges and The Skraps. The Skraps were fronted by memebers of the uber punk gang, The SIDs. Known for their uniform of engineer boots, and their Hell's Angels esque leather jackets, with patches and the SIDs emblem painted on all their jackets, the SIDs ran the shows in Detroit. Burly, tough and evil -- the SIDs paid homage to the likes of Glen Danzig and Elvis with their devil locks and slicked back hair. These were some hard drinking boys from the suburbs who would step hard on any kid who so much as shot one of their members a dirty look at a show.

At one time, a major feud broke out between the SIDs, and Disgust who formed their own club called the American Beer Allies (ABA). ABA were all about drinking beer, getting high and having a good time. The SIDs did not like the good time antics of ABA members and swore to squash any hardcore kid associated with this group and the band, Disgust. During this period, shows in the city became a tense outlet for the SIDs vengeance, and many members of ABA felt the fury of the SIDs.

By 1991 most of the punk in Detroit centered around hardcore, with the band Pittbull leading the way into the future. Shows became much more intense, and the dancing moved from the traditional circle pit of the past to an all out war "hardcore stomp".

Some bands carrying on the hardcore scene in Detroit include H8 Inc, ATTACK OF THE..., Dogz of War, The Imp Villains, The Ratfinks, Pedestrian Takedown, A Rage to Kill, Bloody Knuckle Combat, Blackbirds, and keep it up!

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