Spiritual Adultery in the East Village: Revisiting False Prophets

As New York City punk bands go, False Prophets never seem to get their due. Led by the charismatic and sartorially adventurous Stephen Ielpi (a CBGB regular ... and possible employee, if memory serves), their name was everywhere at the time, but they don't quite get the same recognition of other bands of their scene and era. They put out one record on Alternative Tentacles in 1986, but things didn't seem to progress beyond that. Kind of a shame, that.

I saw them once or twice, usually opening for another band (I want to say I saw them share a double-bill with the similarly difficult-to-pigeonhole Alice Donut, but that might be purely projection -- although Alice Donut were also on Alternative Tentacles). They counted Flaming Pablum-favorite George Tabb in their ranks for a little while. Their greatest exposure may have come from an old MTV bumper wherein a bunch of punks -- including Tabb -- are lined up in front of CBGB, and Tabb -- wearing a black leather jacket with FALSE PROPHETS scrawled across the back -- bangs a gong with the MTV logo on it.

So, yeah, they were weird, artsy and didn't adhere to strict stylistic genre stipulation (to their credit, I'd suggest), but I'd suggest they're worthy of revisiting.

Herewith a vid from their debut LP. Even if you're not a fan of False Prophets' brand of caterwaul, it's yet another nice slice of since-vanished downtown NYC culture, largely filmed within Avenue A's Pyramid. Crank it.

Comments

[Francisco Rosado]

Loved this video! loved the False Prophets! I met the singer in early 1995 answering his guitar wanted add. He was an amazing guy, turned out he lived across the street from me, in the corner of 9 and C--Loisaida. I lived on the Dos Blockos squat, now a fancy apartment by a garden. His apartment would have made Marilyn Manson seem like a flower child. It was like he lived in the Adams Family house but for real. Forget about the looks the feeling was something else. Anyway, he kindly showed me his whole trajectory/evolution thru music as we discussed also what I played etc. and of course he kindly explained he was looking for a classical guitarist, and I was just a self taught punk, but we both had a great time talking about music. A character like no other.

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RE VISION:::
Loved this video! l\Love the False Prophets! Thanks to Alex flaming pablum for reminding me of them. I met the singer in early 1995 answering a guitar wanted add. I had heard them, never thought I will make it. Turned out he lived across the street from me, in the corner of 9 and C--Loisaida. I lived on the Dos Blockos squat, now a fancy apartment by a garden. His apartment would have made Marilyn Manson seem like a flower child. It was like he lived in the Adams Family house but for real. Stuffed animals, dark everything , old furniture, weird shit . Anyway, he kindly showed me his whole trajectory/evolution thru music as we discussed also what I played etc. and of course he kindly explained he was looking for a classical guitarist, and I was just a self taught punk, but we both had a great time talking about music. A character like no other, without an ounce of pretense--only in the lower east side.

[Bunnymunro12]

Your blog is great.
And I was so happy to see your post about The False Prophets.
You're so right that they were under appreciated because trust me;
no one on that Lower East side worked harder at their band than Stephan Ielpi!
I came to the city in 1981, a 16 year old girl who was mad for music & became friends with him.
He'd drag that bag of props & tricks round with him everywhere he went; promoting the band.
I think a lot of the Hardcore bands respected them & liked Stephan, but the comic side didn't resonate with the more black & white sensibility of the time.
But I will say that he was a sensitive, intellectually curious person under the Chaplin stash.
Would love to know how he is now, have a cup of tea with him & go down that nauseating road of nostalgia.
Anyway, I'll forward your blog to some people who will appreciate it, if they haven't seen it already that is..

[Eva Marie]

In the late 1970's in my freshman year of high school I went out with Steve Ielpi. We both attended Nazareth H.S. in Brooklyn, New York. He would of graduated class of 1978. Can anyone tell me if Steve Ielpi & Stephan Ielpi are the same person??

[Andrew McCarthy]

I saw the band perform many times and loved them. They did play with beloved Alice Donut at CBGB one time. The False Prophets released two singles and three albums. Exceptional they were in combining musical genres to transcend the narrow confines of punk, notably on their last two LPs.

Stephan did not work at CBGB but in the men's room selling toiletries, candy, etc (not drugs) at Webster Hall, and later at Coney Island High on St Marks Pl. After the False Prophets, he recorded an EP or two fronting a project called HEAL. Guitarist Steven Taylor released a memoir about the Flass Prophets in 2004.

Stephan did grow up in Marine Park in Brooklyn, and his cousin, Anthony, played bass in the band for a while. Maybe he did go to Nazareth. Stephan was fascinating and eccentric. He always was a caring creative person, but seems to have become less public, wherever he is.

[Eva Marie]

Thanks Andrew for the info. The Steve I knew grew up in East Flatbush But like Stephan he was born in 1960, he liked to draw and was a big Aerosmith fan. I even thought they looked somewhat alike. Although I haven't seen Steve Ielpi since 1978. Anyway False Prophets were a great band!

[Yo mama]

I think Stephan worked at Pyramid. I loved his crazy bike and overgrown nails. What a freak!

[Dano]

They were certainly different and I would even venture to say ahead of their time. Also - did a tremendous live set on Pat Duncan's show on WFMU.

[Eva Marie]

I have since found out the Steve I went to high school with is indeed Stephan Ielpi of False Prophets. He always loved to be seen as weird and different. And he always had a great love of music.

He grew up in East Flatbush not Marine Park; two very different neighborhoods.

[Tom Golzen]

My old band (Brothers Grimm - the Danish one, not the famous one!) played support to False Prophets a few times in Germany in the late 1980s. Stephen was extremely kind and supportive, especially so considering we weren't on the same planet as FP, quality-wise.

I remember both him and the rest of the band with affection and gratitude. I'm only sorry I never got the chance to even things out with the karma gods.