The New York Hardcore Chronicles 10 Questions w/ Harley Flanagan (The Stimulators / Cro-Mags) 

the most common theme in all of these videos is how amazing and impactful the Bad Brains were

08:31 "with internet music lost its lineage, integrity and connection with the past". So fucking right

really glad to see him interviewed. No need to get into the JJ vs Harley drama but you CANNOT deny his role in cro-mags and NYHC in general.

Harley Flanagan is NYHC. He is one of the pioneers of the style man and he was ripping at since he was mad young man. I respect all those oldet dudes because they saw the golden age of hardcore punk.

Hanged out with Harley a bunch of times in the 80's and 90's, a coupla in the aughts too, always cool, whether we talked about hardcore, religion (always disagreeing completely) or Gracie Jiu-Jitsu we've never had a dull conversation, mad respect for a true NYHC and crossover pioneer and fellow MMA fighter, hardcore punk royalty, period.

As someone who grew up in the D.C. scene, Harley nailed it when he answers the question asking if the Bad Brains were as good as the stories. They were better. They had no peers, they were just so beyond all the others bands when it came to their music and the energy they performed with.

Harley is absolutely correct! New York hard-core has influenced mainstream culture to the fullest. I came onto the New York hard-core scene the summer of 1984. (This is just one example)! The only other people with tattoos all over back in the mid 80’s were bikers and us hardcore kids. Now it’s completely main stream and excepted everywhere. Now kids are tattooing their Throats before they get A tattoo on their arm. We were a product of our environment back then. I came out of the womb hard-core. H/C comes from my heart. H/C runs in my veins. YOU CANT BUY HARDCORE! H/C may be popular all over the world now but the spirit of the old NYHC scene of the mid to late 80’s is long long gone for me. I’ll be 50 next year and although I don’t go to many HC shows anymore Im still tight with the same crew of skinheads we all ran with since back in the mid 80’s. Some of my old crew are still very involved in the HYHC scene. Some of us have jobs with long hrs and families. Hardcore of old New York will always be in my heart! Every memory I have from 14 to 30 involves NYHC is some way. Hardcore for life!

Ok props for mentioning Jaco. Never thought. Jaco Geezer nice

interesting that he mentioned Cronos from Venom. the riff from "7 Gates of Hell" sounds like a lot of hardcore

I keep coming back and watch his interview: he's focused and has a clear sight of the past and present of HC. I'm here for the historical part of this HC scene (the best one, in my opinion), not to read comments about what he did here and there. Here the point is the music and the scene in which this music grew up. He is the soul of Cro Mags. He is part of the history of NYHC. Period.

One of the best bass players ever best vocalist ever nyhc legend .. Best wishes rules love that album alot

One of my biggest regrets is losing my Best Wishes "Down but Not Out" 89 tour shirt

this man knows his shit.

One of the few people in this whole series who had the decency to acknowledge Metal bands. Lots of people like the acknowledge the influence early hardcore (Discharge, etc) had on bands like Hellhammer, etc, but this isn't a case of chicken vs. egg. Metal existed long before Punk, and long before any version of Punk that even remotely resembles Hardcore. Kudos to this guy for showing some respect

having grown up in va beach va had the opportunity to see bad brains alot as well minor threat ,scream,even HR's solo stuff!a bad brains show was by far the greatest live shows I've ever witness still to this day nobody has even come close to creating that amount of energy felt at their shows!in my opinion the greatest band live ever hands down

Wearing my CRO-MAGS SHIRT today Dorchester Mass. Loves to see these guys kick ass !

Nice interview and an honest and moving point at the end, very true. Although he has his issues, Harley's funny and articulate and gives some of the best interviews

Hardcore got co-opted by pop culture a long time ago. I definitely relate to what he's saying, having lived through the 80's period.

"find somebody I didn't like and backfist them in the face" backed hard.

These fucking interviews are amazing..keep doing them..!! Please

Show some respect, people. Don't judge by the account of some other people you've never met or what's posted on Facebook or whatever. This guy was out there being the part of hardcore punk scene back when most of you weren't even alive. He doesn't deserve the shit to be said about him.

I was at that Santa Monica Civic show. I think it was supposed to be an Angelic Upstarts show but their visas were denied and the Jerks Headlined. It was also the first time Discharge played So. Cal. (I think the only time with Bones), and the first time any of us saw the Bad Brains, who proceeded to blow everyone off stage in no small way. I've still got the first single they did. What I think I liked the most (other than the music itself) was that the guys I knew who dismissed them for doing Reggae and being black had to acknowledge they were more intense in every respect. Bad Brains Forever!

Saw the first Cro-Mags show. I knew who Harley was and was pretty psyched to see it. Did not disappoint. One on the best shows for me at CBGB.

He's still putting out new great music. Glad he got the Cro Mags. name back.

One of the greatest shows I ever saw was the Cromags in Pittsburgh right after Age of Quarrel came out. Like the other NYHC pioneers of hardcore, Harley made a huge difference on the music and you can't deny it... love him or hate him.

this video is so incredibly inspiring to me. Especially that part about hardcore being like pushing yourself to the limit n shit. The first time I saw this I wasn't even that into the cro mags but god this made me instantly love em. Love this dude mad respect for harley

I'm a couple of years older than Harley, but man everything he is saying about NTC in the early 80s, the scene, everything Harley is saying is absolute truth, as I was there too. Harley is also right about what he says about the effect of the internet, and although I'm glad I got to see this video here, I miss the days of when technology was a phone on the wall with a wheel you spun.... !!

Finally an honest answer to the "Is Hardcore Dead?" question. Everyone else drops the pablum of "Hardcore will never die" bullshit but nobody realizes the social or communal reality that was so integral to hardcore. The gathering of individuals spit out onto the street every day because where they lived was a tiny hell hole, so people would need places to gather like CB's matinees or St Marks, Ave A, Thompkins, etc. it was in those social gatherings and interactions where the essence of hardcore grew. Now those communities have moved on line and are virtual and also because NYC has turned to a playground for the rich that deprives everyone of those communal experiences. Shows still exist but it's what happened when the music wasn't blasting that gave Hardcore it's real foundations and that is gone.

Best one I've seen so far.

Hey Harley, I don't know if you'll see this but I'm throwing it out to you nonetheless. First of all, I love your quote, " You cannot talk about peace while eating a steak. You have to remember that that animal died in agonizing pain." I feel the exact same way. I've been vegan since 1989. Some years ago I wrote a book, under the pen name of Andrew London. The book's title is A Man Out Of Season, which chronicled the disgusting poaching industry in Africa. I was hoping to get it made into a major Hollywood motion picture; I was wanting it to do to the poaching industry what Blood Diamond did to the conflict diamond industry. But something happened. About a month after the book was published my publisher took it out of print and dropped me from their roster. I love your music (I'm a Cro Mags fan from way back, as well as having been a Vaishnava as well; at 52 years old, I still consider myself straightedge, although I don't have anything to do with religion these days). Maybe you could get the book back in print and get a film made? I don't care about the money end of things. I just want the message out there. We gotta end the killing!

I agree that the internet took the mystery out of HC. A lot of the times when I saw bands I really liked, I had no idea what they looked like or what their live show was about. Another thing is when I argue that HC as we knew it is dead. No one outside of California remembers those mega shows at Fenders where like 12 big name bands would play for $8 and there were over a thousand people there, I'm in Detroit, but I'm pretty sure those don't happen anymore. Lastly, Bad fuckin Brains, one of the best things to happen to MUSIC in general.

this man rules.

He made a good point about how tattoos are nothing but a hip accessory nowadays.

The greatest music to ever be played

Dang.. what he said about the internet is so dead on. Harley's mind is sharp as a tack

This is what i call interview, very interesting info

Been writing and deleting. It all comes to an end. Harley is real. The kind of man who understood what’s important. His humility is something we need to imitate. On a side a note: sorry for my grammar. English is not my native language.

Drew, these videos are coming out great! Thanks

Everyone used to mistake me for Harley, I never saw the resemblance back then, but looking at my old pictures, and his from back in the day, I get it now.

Great interview!

no Harley no cro mags

I love Harley Flanagan he is a nice guy I read his book

I saw you ,cro mags, at ruthies inn, with g.b.h. you blew them out of the water when age of quarrel was touring

enjoyed this interview

Drew Great interview

Legend!!!

This guy!😎 cool interview!

Harley is hard core! He’s likes Lemmy, he’s ultra cool! ♠️💪🤘

Excellent!

the real cro mag

Going to CBGBs in 1973, who the hell else can say that?

Damn, those were good times, I loved to see them live!!

Yes punk rock is our root

Reading his book at the mo, a great read so far, he's had some life

I was part of the Old School D.C. Skinhead hardcore scene back in the days. Now living in the lower Maryland Eastern Shore since 2005 there isnt no scene here at all. Sure wished I was still living in the city again. I do and always will luv the Cro-Mags for life. Harley is a Hardcore God. )O(

the true hardcore OG

Coolest interview so far

As a young fuckin' kid Harley, Bloodclot and Roger Miret were the ones that blew my mind, still do. Nobody was even close at that time to being that fucking raw. I got into Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return To Forever, Miles Davis etc. through Bad Brains, love the fusion and the freedoms that it offers, akin to hardcore in its own way.

mike d beasties boys would be a good one

I think the first hardcore show I saw was at CBGB in late 84. It opened my eyes. I can't remember the opening bands, I think Armed Citizens were one, but Murphy's Law were the headliners. Jimmy Gestapo was already an amazing front man. Harley was on drums and he seemed like a kid possessed! The atmosphere was pure chaos and pure joy.

Hardcore Legend.

Yes the Bad Brains were that good. Even better. The greatest live rock band?

Interesting guy. I first heard them on MTV sports and bought the Album the next day. He talks about the 70s and still looks young. :)

Hardcore is the blues of a the white-80's-industrial-complex!

Great guy.

edwin and hector danced harder than minus, and they were in the same crew, but edwin and hector was tuffer than minus, they hit like tyson, they were very strong!

what a fucking decent, genuine lad! all my respect to You, Herr Flanagan!

Una leyenda y pionero del Hardcore,

He's actually pretty coherent and healthy-looking, despite decades of living such a hardcore lifestyle. Good for him!

brilliant

This is why I like this guy - Vat Rat & NYC hardcore dude that gives props to Venom. That’s a real mutherfer right there. Legit.

Hahahah. Well said. Perfect ending to the interview. What a legend. John Joseph in my opinion is still a better singer but doesn’t matter. I’m 20 years old and respect all the legends. Cro-Mags are also the band that got me into punk/metal/hardcore/anything that’s heavy or fast. Should have asked him what he thinks of Power Trip!

the riff of all riffs. reminds me of metal church. I think this came after.

Harley is the real deal. No bullshit coming from this guy

Down but not out. Man the memory's , I was across the street at vaselkas most of the time. Hey frenchie get off the bench . RIP memory lane .

Always keeping it real..

Totally agree that the Internet is fucking killing music. And not only music.

I was in the scene back then met Harley and hung out when they played here (we had a mutual friend) I saw Bad Brains a few times they were GREAT live ! he's right about outsiders at the shows. saw MANY Jock /frat guy show up being dumb at a show and FOAF lol he's also 100 about being able to walk around looking different. especially in the south. I was jumped many times by cowboys, Frat Jocks, bikers, black guys,etc. my GF and I got jumped by some cowboys once because they though she was a boy. I had been carrying a blade by then. it didn't go as they planned lol

Legend

Anyone who was hardcover lived the life pf Harley, I was there in the 80's when we squatted the old beer vats in San Francisco, we had to survive if you wanted to play punk.

Cool !!!

Fucking Harley Flanagan!! HELL YEAH!! I saw the Cro Mags for the best wishes tour.. fuckin AWESOME! Got to talk to Pete Hines (cool dude) He & Harley sighed my ticket stub. Didn't really get to talk to Harley though. If memory serves me right someone had tried or actually did steal one of his bass guitars.. So he wasn't really in a chatty mood (understandably so) He STILL took a second to shake my hand, thanked me for coming to the show. Cool dude as far as I'm concerned!!

"Good times"

Cro-mags rule!

saw the bad brains a dozen times...have seen over 200 or more (probably way more) hardcore bands and no one even remotely came close to the energy that band delivered.

man would have loved to be there in the pit for the early hardcore shows...just seen gorilla biscuits first time live killa

Harley looks like one of the monsters from that Scooby-Doo movie where they are on the island.

a stick of Brazilian jiu jitsu on his Bass COOL.

Fuck yes finally Cronos!! I mean...Come on....Venom!!

Good Lad

The real deal

Wasn't there a dispute btw him and Danny Diablo?

Harley you know the best slam dancer of all time was Danze who came from PA on rumspringa and stayed way to long. With his graphitied vans, but most importantly, mix of mixed martial arts and true aerodynamics, he was by far the best, he could spring from one side to the other and hold himself up with only a few points of contact, yet was rarely violent, although he could hold his own.

Love an interview with Adrock and mike d

This guy is cool

true to his words - he's into hardcore - 100% 05:16

I really wish he did the interview w/an upright bass instead. Ya can't have it all I guess.

Harvey Flanagan is funny

harley is a grand daddy of hardcore punk..fuckin legend....

❤