Welcome to Epitaph for a Head, the new column where ‘NYHC: 1980 – 1990’ scribe Tony Rettman discusses some of the great bands, records, and moments in the history of punk and hardcore. In his first entry, Tony discusses early Agnostic Front with vocalist Roger Miret. Don’t miss the exclusive stream of some early tracks too!
When I have the time these days to gaze off into nothingness and ponder on what led me to attempt to write a three hundred-plus paged book about the New York Hardcore scene and all the crazy bands and individuals that inhabit it, I zoom back to tip toeing into my brothers’ room on a Saturday morning in the summer of 1984 to see a freshly purchased copy of Agnostic Front’s first twelve inch Victim in Pain sitting at the foot of his bed. Since he was deep in his slumber, I could not hear the record right then, but I remember cracking open that gatefold sleeve and getting completely lost in that iconic photo of the band annihilating the Rock Hotel stage. Once he got around to waking up a few hours later and throwing the record on the box…that was it. The combination of the striking imagery and the sonic catharsis that was etched into that vinyl obviously affected me in a deeply profound way. There’s no doubt about it, ‘Victim in Pain’ was the hook in my mouth when it came to NYHC.
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And now here we are many years and waistlines later to witness the unveiling of No One Rules, a full length vinyl LP of Agnostic Front demos that predate both United Blood and the almighty Victim in Pain. The record is being released by the Hardcore historians at Radio Raheem Records and as expected with any release on that label, the thing is crammed to the gills with enough never-before-seen AF ephemera to choke a goat.
When I heard about the release of No One Rules, I did the only thing any logical human would do; I punched out for lunch at my shithole job and got on the horn to Agnostic Front vocalist Roger Miret. Kind enough to spare some time from his fatherly duties, Roger spoke about the making of No One Rules, the famed NYHC producer Don Fury and the unheralded bands from the first wave of NYHC.
Noisey: So how did this No One Rules project come together?
Roger Miret: Rich from Radio Raheem contacted me through Chris Wrenn at Bridge 9. He was asking about some early Agnostic Front material that came out years ago on a CD entitled ‘Raw Unleashed’. He really wanted to release that stuff on vinyl. He sent me some of the records they had put out, like that Abused LP and it looked very passionate and very legit and it sounded like a really cool idea.
Do you have any memories of the recording sessions that make up the album?
Oh Jesus! Well, we always practiced at Don Fury Studios and for an additional two dollars he would tape record your practice session live on two track cassette. We would do that here and there whenever we could scrounge up two bucks just to go and play them on the cassette player over at Vinnie Stigma’s house on Mott Street, you know? Nothing else more than that.
How did your relationship with Don Fury start?
Who didn’t know Don Fury? Don Fury was old school New York punk rock! Don Fury was an old punker who used to hang around the punk rock community and he loved Agnostic Front and he had this band called Balls. One day he said to us ‘If you raise enough money for me to rent this sixteen track machine, I’ll record you guys for free’. We did a show at CBGB’s with Agnostic Front and Balls and we got enough money to rent this machine. I remember the day it got there at Don’s Studio on Prince Street. We helped him take it down the steps and he was just so happy to have that machine there. That technology at the time was a big thing. We hooked it all up, said ‘Sweet!’ and recorded ‘Victim in Pain’. The rest is history, man.
In regards to the recordings on No One Rules, how long were you in the band before these sessions happened?
Maybe a month or two; it was short. I joined in the fall of ’82 and the next thing you know, I was in the studio recording this stuff. I only got to throw in two of my songs which were from my first band, The Psychos. The rest of those songs Vinnie already had.
What were the two Psychos songs you brought in? Were they ‘Fight’ and ‘Discriminate Me’?
Yeah, I think you’re right. You’d probably know better than me.
The packaging for this thing is incredible. I know Rich and Chris from Radio Raheem are fanatical collectors of NYHC ephemera, but I was wondering if any of the stuff in the accompanying booklet came from your collection at all?
I can’t take credit for any of that; that’s all them. All I can take credit for is the horrible music that’s on that thing! (laughs) But they did a fantastic job; a wonderful job. They went far and beyond. They really have a passion for preserving the history.
When you see that someone has collected that much stuff on what is more or less your whole life, do you get freaked out? Are you shocked at what they have? Do you think they root around in your garbage?
(Laughs) No, no, no. I’m glad there’s guys like that because I can see it and be like ‘Woah!’ and remember those times. They really have a love for the history and that’s good. But I mean, as far as what’s on the record, I don’t think you could put out something like that on a record nowadays and it would fly, you know? I don’t know? Maybe I’m wrong.
New York seems to be one of the first Hardcore scenes in America to really latch onto the skinhead vibe. Why do you think the skinhead thing took off in New York more so than in other HC scenes in the early 80’s?
Well, we were always into the America skinhead thing. We weren’t trying to be English. Our thing was more about pride, respect, giving and caring. It seemed later on it developed into people in America making it more of an English type of deal. We were on the side of bands like Iron Cross or the Effigies and later on, The Anti-Heroes. We were taking it from bands like SS Decontrol or Minor Threat and trying to develop an American skinhead scene.
In regards to the time this stuff was recorded, where did Agnostic Front fall in the pecking order of NYHC?
We were still openers. For instance, around that time there was a show at Great Gildersleeves in this order: Agnostic Front, Cause for Alarm and GBH. But you know what? No one really cared! The show had to start somehow, you know? The shows that happened at the A7 Club didn’t happen until one o’clock in the morning and anyone who was going to be there was going to be there whether or not. We just all played and didn’t matter who played when.
Are there any bands from this time frame who you don’t think get the recognition they deserve?
Absolutely! Urban Waste was the band that influenced me to come downtown and check this stuff out. I was more of a Brit Punk guy and they got me into hardcore. One of my favorites is Mark Truthe and the Liars, you ever heard of them?
I can’t say I know them.
Come on, Tony! You wrote this book and you don’t know who they are? They were a phenomenal band! They had an amazing song they use to play called “Subway Man”. His live performances where punk as fuck!
I think you’re fucking with me! Is this a real band?
Yeah! There was also The Influence, who were the other all black punk band on the scene back then. Killer Instinct was another one no one talks about.
Well let’s bring it into the present. Agnostic Front just got done recording a new record, right? Anything else going on beside that?
It comes out April 7th and I tell you what, Tony our new record has about eight songs that have a total Victim in Pain vibe. It drops April 7th. We were just asked by Kirk Hammett to play his thing, The Fear FestEvil, going on in April out in California and I thought that was really cool of him.
So you went through this whole interview kind of downplaying the importance of the music that’s on this record, but it’s important. You have to realize that.
Oh no, I know. History is always important. It’s like I always said ‘Don’t trust a hardcore kid who never listened to punk’. You got to know your history. It’s super, super important. And I’m not even talking about Hardcore. If you’re into something and you’re passionate about it, you should know its roots. And this record – for better or worse – (laughter) is history.
Order your copy of ‘No One Rules’ from Radio Raheem.
Tony Rettman’s book, ‘NYHC: 1980 – 1990’ can be ordered from Bazillion Points.
