xXx Fanzine - Hardcore and Punk in the Eighties

Moominpapa

Just out of interest, was anybody here big into the US hardcore and punk scene in the 1980s - particularly the scene in the Boston/Providence urban area in the US? If so, you may be interested in a book that came out in 2017 which is a reprint (with lots of commentary) of a fanzine called xXx that was dedicated to the bands, records, and concerts of that time. I am definitely NOT a fan of 1980s punk and hardcore, but Mrs. Moominpapa in her wild yoof definitely was. As a teenager she would head out to the Providence and Boston clubs, to the wildest gigs, and sit on the stage with her camera taking photos of the bands - who very rarely minded her being there. (Those were different times!) She sold a lot of her pictures to the local fanzines, who would happily take them because very few other photographers were going to these gigs.

So, rattle on to 2017. "Cindy Mendes" as was has become my lady wife and we have been out of Rhode Island for ten years.  Out of the blue, my wife gets contacted on FaceBook by this guy Mike Gitter who tells her that he is putting together a book about xXx and has been trying to trace Cindy Mendes so that she can be properly credited for the pics that she took.

And today a heavy square parcel turned up from Bridge Nine records in Mass. Two complimentary copies of the book! I've just been going through some of the pages and there are loads of my wife's pictures in it. It's very cool to know that she was one of the few people documenting that particular moment  in the American punk scene in the Northeast. She has regaled me in the past with tales of some of the bands she saw and interacted with. A lot of them were probably only known locally, but because because both Boston and Providence had extremely vibrant club scenes, and were known for having lively and committed fans, a lot of big name (or soon to be big name) artists played there. She saw the Dead Kennedys, met Henry Rollins, was hit on by Lemmy, saw Metallica play a very early gig - and now she lives in Wokingham

The book is xXx Fanzine (1983-88): Hardcore and Punk in the Eighties; by Mike Gitter, edited by Chris Wrenn, published by Bridge Nine.

jonnyburgo

I like a lot of that stuff Black Flag, Bad Brains although my favourite is Minutemen Sadly cut off in their prime with the death of D Boon, totally different, still in awe of Mike Watt, what a guy he is.

Moominpapa

@jonnyburgo Two minutes after I read your post just now, my wife walked in from an evening class. Hey, I said, I know you've mentioned Black Flag, but what about Minutemen? Bad Brains? Oh yeah, she said, I know those bands. Then she  began looking at the book with my son. Ten seconds later, they found a picture she took of Bad Brains 

Moominpapa

My son just found a killer shot she took of Corrosion of Conformity.

RobDavies

I'd like to have a leaf through that book....

I like the slightly later stuff like AF, Cromags and SOIA but it's always cool to educate yourself on the history.  

RobDavies

Found a digitised version of an xXx fanzine.... Great stuff - and what a fantastic legacy for your wife. 

https://issuu.com/bridgenine/docs/xxx_issue_14_full_pdf?e=31028643/66171690

boogieman

Cool. Must be a great feeling to get her pics published and credited.

One of my pics is on an Eddie and the Hotrods cd sleeve, not quite the same though 

MattBanshee

jonnyburgo said:

I like a lot of that stuff Black Flag, Bad Brains although my favourite is Minutemen Sadly cut off in their prime with the death of D Boon, totally different, still in awe of Mike Watt, what a guy he is.

A good friend of mine is an experimental, avant-gard solo electronic artist in the most expansive sense of the term. He went to a Mike Watt solo show somewhere, was smoking weed round the back of the venue or something and along trots Mike, who shares his spliff and ends up going back to my friend's house for some more! His repayment of the favour was to appear as a guest artist on my friend's self-released LP, and also book him as a support act for a London show. Absolute crazy guy.

jonnyburgo

MattBanshee said:

jonnyburgo said:

I like a lot of that stuff Black Flag, Bad Brains although my favourite is Minutemen Sadly cut off in their prime with the death of D Boon, totally different, still in awe of Mike Watt, what a guy he is.

A good friend of mine is an experimental, avant-gard solo electronic artist in the most expansive sense of the term. He went to a Mike Watt solo show somewhere, was smoking weed round the back of the venue or something and along trots Mike, who shares his spliff and ends up going back to my friend's house for some more! His repayment of the favour was to appear as a guest artist on my friend's self-released LP, and also book him as a support act for a London show. Absolute crazy guy.

I bought him a pint a few years ago after a gig at Hebden Bridge, he was so thirsty he downed it in 5 seconds. No barriers with Watt, he’ll shoot the shit for hrs after gigs with people if he has the time. That was the spirit back then in the 80s hardcore scene bands would sleep on fans floors and sofas it became like a huge network. Your story doesn’t surprise me in the least, I fucking love that guy.