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Visual Vitriol: The Street Art and Subcultures of the Punk and Hardcore Generation by Dave A. Ensminger:
A previous incident involving the Bad Brains and the Big Boys... "spurred much negative publicity in the punk and hardcore circuits. In New York, members of the Beastie Boys and Reagan Youth formed the one-off Lucifier’s Imperial Heretical Knights of Schism, in which they improvised music and read from a pamphlet titled 'What is Rastafari?' which ended with an open call for questions and members of a Bad Brains contingent pelting them with eggs. This set was followed by the mock-band Blood Clot, which included the Bad Brains’ own former soundman. "
MDC: Memoir from a Damaged Civilization: Stories of Punk, Fear, and Redemption by Dave Dictor: "We played a few other East Coast gigs before heading back to NYC to play with Reagan Youth and a version of the Beastie Boys called the Imperial Knights of Schism. They were taking the piss out of the Rastafarians, and the Bad Brains threw eggs intended for us at them. I started chatting with a few of the Bad Brains friends, and I said I wasn't looking to fight because I wished for it all to just be over. This kind of worked for all of them, but HR still looked at me hard, and I just shrugged" Going underground : American punk 1979-1989 by George Hurchalla: "The Beastie Boys' biggest break came when the Bad Brains offered them the opening slot at the closing show of the legendary New York club Max's Kansas City. Darryl Jenifer of the Bad Brains recalled with amusement them trying to vibe out the Beastie Boys with Rasta orthodoxy, and having it bounce back on them. While the Bad Brains' vibing could work in racially divided DC, New York was such a melting pot of cultures living side by side that no one there was fazed by it. Mike Diamond rose to the challenge and started another band called Lucifer's Imperial Heretical Knights of Schism, wore a mop on his head, and spoofed the faux Jamaican accents of the Bad Brains. The Knights played an infamous show at the 2+2 club, on 2nd St. and 2nd Ave., in September of 1982. A7 club owner Dave Gibson was looking for a larger space, and 2+2 was a short-lived spinoff of A7 that only lasted a few months. Accompanied by Reagan Youth, MDC, and Bloodclot, the theme of the night was to take the Bad Brains down a notch. While Cro-Mags frontman John Bloodclot aka John Joseph was touring with the Bad Brains as one of their roadies, he and the other roadies formed a band called Bloodclot as a joke on the fact that whenever anything went wrong, the Bad Brains would denounce it as "bloodclot." Mike Diamond was fronting the Knights, and read from a pamphlet called What Is Rastafari? while the band played dissonant noise. Pointing at different photos from the pamphlet, he quipped: "Okay, this is Jah ... See, here's Jah's grandma ... Check it out, Jah's best friend Eddie." The crowd roared with laughter. No one in New York took the Bad Brains' Rasta beliefs too seriously, and thought they could handle some roasting. Dave "Insurgent" Rubinstein, the singer of Reagan Youth, was playing drums with the Knights and introduced a song called "Floating in a Perpetually Fluctuating Sea of Schism," at which point Earl Hudson of the Bad Brains stepped up to the mike and declared the show over, warning, "We must all be held responsible for our actions." It goes on to say everyone got kicked out and had a massive argument outside the club. Maximum Rocknroll #3 (Nov-Dec 1982) by Tammy C: "One of the most stimulating, controversial shows ever in New York City." -- Dave, of Rat Cage Records. Although the Rasta-Anarchy confrontation caught most of us unawares, it seemed hardly surprising that MDC's first appearance on the Bad Brains' home turf - NYC's Lower East Side - should have provoked such a schism. "What is Schism?" The theme of the evening was quickly established with the show's first band whose name refers to the Rastafarian concept of the gulf between Jah's laws and the ways of Babylon. A large enthusiastic crowd listened and laughed as Schism executed their spontaneous act with an amazing ability to make it all come together. As their singer, Mike (also front man for the Beastie Boys) read from a pamphlet titled "What is Rastafari?" the band filled in with background noise. Mike showed portraits from the booklet, explaining "Okay, this is Jah... see here's Jah's grandma.. check it out, Jah's best friend Eddie". As Schism's drummer Dave Insurgent (singer for Reagan Youth) introduced the next song, "Floating in a Perpetually Fluctuating Sea of Schism", Bad Brains' drummer Earl stepped from the crowd and took the microphone. "We must all be held responsible for our actions" he said, and went on to indicate that the set was finished. Dave Insurgent objected and announced an open access to the mike. Earl was joined by Rasta friends who denounced the crowd's bloodclot ways and alleged homosexual crimes against Jah. When Dave MDC stepped up to remind everyone of the BB's past commitment to responsibility, enumerating their treatment of Texas fans and their phone-scam exploits, which they admit closed down NY's 171 A Studios and crippled Rat Cage Records, he and Schism were pelted with eggs by members of the BB contingent. At this point the club owner stopped the set and sent everyone outside to cool off. As the debate over personal freedoms raged on in the street, Bloodclot began an innovative set which included a reggae styled Rasta putdown called "Fire Burn". "Don't forget, September is Death of Hardcore Month here at 2+2", this from guitarist Jerry, formerly soundman for the BB's, now working the mixing board at 2+2. Bloodclot played a crowd-pleasing encore, "Ace of Spades", saying afterwards , "Next time you're thinking of paying $10 to see Motorhead, come see us instead". These guys are hot. Those who took in the sidewalk debate missed some good music, but also a lot of kids had their heads opened by new questions. After listening for 30 minutes to an argument which might never sway the main participants, most of the youth were ranged behind MDC and in support of personal freedom. The BB's main points boiled down to Jah's way to live a life. Beer-drinking is bloodclot. Bald heads are bloodclot. Questioning Jah's omnipotent wisdom is definitely bloodclot. This was countered with a few "Phooey's" and cries of "Thieves" and "Jerry Falwells of Jah" but most strongly perhaps by Ron of MDC who questioned their call of solidarity. "Love and unity? Hate and dissension. Love and unity? Hate and dissension, that's what you guys are all about". MDC's 40 minute set included several new songs including such as "Pecking Order", which details society's pyramid structure for keeping everyone in their supposed place, "Selfish Shit" an instrumental so far and "Pay to Cum Along", an ode to the BB's. Next Reagan Youth, one of New York's favourite bands, pulled off an inspired performance. Some of their more popular songs include "New Order", "Anarchy for the USA" and the crowd favorite "Reagan Youth". It was all over by 5am, New York punks enjoy a marathon mosh. "No one rules" is the rally cry here. Until later, and remember, there's no core like hardcore". |
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