As he’d probably be the first to admit here in 2025, storied Cro-Mags’ founder Harley Flanagan accrued the type of reputation, over the course of his colorfully tumultuous life, that could understandably prevent even the most charitable person from giving him the full benefit of the doubt. A "Zelig"-like figure on the Punk Scene writ large (not just New York), the youthful Harley mixed and mingled with Punk Rock royalty at a significantly tender age (see above, sitting next to Mick Jones of the Clash at The Palladium, as captured by Pennie Smith, possibly the same night she shot the cover of London Calling), cutting his very sharp teeth as the pre-teen drummer of The Stimulators before later going on to practically personify (alongside his brethren in Agnostic Front) all things New York Hardcore with his stint in Murphy’s Law and then by forming the Cro-Mags, a band whose shadow looms large as a pivotal proponent of the genre.
Along the way, Harley credibly cultivated an aura of menace around himself, establishing the notoriety of being prone to violence and volatility. I’m not making all this up, as it’s well documented by the man himself in his 2016 autobiography, “Hard-Core: Life of My Own,” and in a forthcoming documentary, “Wired for Chaos.”
But, y’know, people grow. In the same way I’d like to think I’ve fully evolved out of being the sneery, socially challenged dweeb I was in my high school years (you, of course, may beg to differ), Harley has – by all accounts – recanted many of his former ways and grown into a thoughtful and affable elder statesman, of a sort (although I doubt he’d like to be described that way). But the specter of his earlier infamy is a tough one to shake. I haven’t taken them down, but I deeply regret some posts here wherein I jumped to some conclusions about a certain incident in 2012 between him and former band mate John Joseph (an equally complicated and polarizing figure) based solely and speculatively on Harley’s by-then-cemented rep as a human wrecking-ball. The minutia of that full story was, of course, never fully disclosed, but Harley was absolved of the allegations and the charges were dropped.
Years later, I fleetingly corresponded with Harley about possibly contributing to a book project I was working on, at the time, and he couldn’t have been more accommodating about it (although said book project was shortly put on the rear burner of a stove that wasn’t even plugged in, but that’s a separate, weepy tale).
So, why am I talking about any of this stuff now? Well, Damian Abraham of Fucked-Up just launched the latest episode of his “Turned Out a Punk” podcast – which I’ve discussed here a few time – and it features a sprawling, two-hour chat with Harley Flanagan about pretty much everything under the sun. Whether you’re just a passive fan or a bug-eyed NYHC zealot who considers Age of Quarrel their gospel, it’s well worth your time.
And if you're unfamiliar but curious, ... these were the Cro-Mags in their heyday at the old Ritz on East 11th Street (now Webster Hall). Enjoy.
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