Here's a bracing change of pace from The Lovin' Spoonful. You've heard me talk about the mighty Cro-Mags quite a few times here by this point, as well as the storied old downtown venue The Ritz (now Webster Hall). Well, here are both of these things in one aggressive little clip from 1986. My comrade Drew introduced me to this video a couple of years back -- it's evidently spawned from a film called "The Beat," which I've never heard of, let alone seen (you can read a more authoritative account here). Regardless, this footage was filmed at The Ritz and perfectly captures the vibe of what that whole NYHC scene was like at the time, which is to say that it was fairly intense.
It's certainly not for everyone, but try to enjoy.
I've never seen this before, and it does capture the raw power of the Cro Mags during the late 80's.
The Age of Quarrel stands as one of the greatest explosions of Hardcore ever recorded. It's power is undiminished, 25 years later.
In fact, I think I'll dig out my cassette version of Quarrel, purchased in 1987, and give it a listen.
Thanks for the video.
Posted by: Caleo | July 31, 2011 at 04:00 PM