On St. Patrick’s Day 2010, I took the crazy train to Brooklyn and ended up at The Trash Bar, where I experienced one of the best parties I’ve ever been to. Now, I’ve been to some killer parties, but this one had a few special ingredients: Murphy’s Law, the New York Hard Core crew, the legendary Jimmy Gestapo, and a packed house! What went down was history in the making. I had been told so many times by my friends Chris and Greasy that I should go see a Murphy’s Law show, because they are an amazing band and they party like no other. So I was very pleased that all those rumors proved true.
I had a chance to steal Jimmy Gestapo and Raven from Murphy’s Law away from the center of the party and here is what went down.
HU: What’s up New York? What’s up the whole world?
Jimmy Gestapo: Chaos tonight!
HU: Yeah! We are at The Trash Bar. I am here with two of the members of Murphy’s Law. I got to be honest with you; it is the first time I’ve seen Murphy’s Law live, believe it or not. But all my friends where always like: “Yo, you got to go see them!”
Jimmy: Tonight?! Oh man! Dude! Fuck!
HU: Tonight, was my first night.
Jimmy: The cops here tonight, the cops love me... Firemen were here…
Roadie: What’s up? What are these?
Jimmy: Those are my le, le, le, le, lady, le, le… Nah, that is just the way a Murphy’s Law show goes. Just family!
HU: Amazing! Honestly, all my friends where always selling it to me but this was the proof of it. Dude! In case you are wondering who this is. It is Jimmy Gestapo. I mean you do not need an introduction… New York Hard Core legend, punk legend… And I liked what you said before, because it’s something similar to what I am going for. You joined the hard core and Punk scenes with Black N Blue Productions, and also by doing different things.
Jimmy: It changed from what it was. The crew that was started out when we where kids, it’s a different thing. Now with Black N Blue Productions we put out shows, we do security for shows, we stop problems at shows. But that is what that is.
HU: And of course Murphy’s Law is nothing new. You said almost 30 years? When is the anniversary?
Jimmy: 25? On New Years Eve! 25, yeah? 26 years?
Raven: Yeah.
Jimmy: Raven has been with me in the band the whole time.
Raven: The funny thing about it was that Jimmy saw me playing with another band called The Stimulators. And Harley Flanagan (co-founder of the Cro Mags), you know who Harley is, was playing drums and at the time he was like fourteen. Jimmy saw this; I was completely jazzed by the idea of having a band. That’s how we hooked up all those years ago.
Jimmy: Raven played in a band called the The Stimulators and it was like the first punk rock hard core band. And then him and I became friends. And we have been on tour together as friends and family forever man.
Raven: Yeah.
Jimmy: He is an amazing horn player. I chose to have horns in the band from like X Ray Spex and stuff like that. Punk rock bands are like metal based. But my band and my friends’ band is based on punk rock, ska, hard core… punk rock! Really. (Laughter.)
HU: It is a great jam. I mean, honestly.
Jimmy: Nothing to do with metal though.
HU: One thing that is amazing about you guys is that you persevered for so long and you have never compromised your music. You have been doing your own style, you created your own thing. And that is something that whoever does not appreciate that, does not know anything about fucking music.
Jimmy: As you saw with the cops rolling on me about some guy… street shit still happens and kids still take my back. I am big, very big. And that is why I said tonight, I was like: “Do I need a gun?” And everyone raised their hands and said no! And that is what I told the cop. I was like: “I do not need a gun.” I laughed at the cop. I was like: “Do you understand that if I have a problem here everybody has my back?” He is like: “There’s a lot of kids here.” I was like: “Yeah, all those kids are all my bullets. They are my family. They are my friends.” And the only reason they take my back is if somebody… like the creep that called them, calls them. It was really kind of weird but it was enlightening for the cops and for myself tonight. What’s so cool is that it still happens though. Street shit.
HU: Exactly dude. That is how it has been since you have been around.
Jimmy: Yeah.
HU: Tell me Jimmy. What did you grow up listening to?
Jimmy: Sex Pistols, Stimulators, SVT Jack Casady, The Heartbreakers, Iggy and the Stooges… I grew up with punk rock. The Saints. You know? But now a lot of bands are very generic.
HU: And dude, when you started getting involved in the New York Hard Core scene, it was such a small thing.
Jimmy: We started the New York Hard Core scene! (Laughter). There was no hard core scene; there was a punk rock scene.
HU: And look what it is now. And I mean you are one of the ambassadors.
Jimmy: It is an international thing. It is crazy!
HU: It is amazing.
Jimmy: It is crazy, but it is cool man! (Laughter.)
HU: It is awesome when you see fucking hard core in Japan, in Australia…
Jimmy: That is where hard core is. Hard core is in Brazil, in Puerto Rico, in Cuba and Colombia where I am going. Its working class kids, kids that work… may be punk rock or hard core. Its still working class, just like all the kids that listen to what we listen to... even if they do not like hard core, punk rock, whatever… I am 44, they all work man. Its all working class kids, all kids that struggle. It is not a rich kids thing, its not like disco. It is not like Gaga! Like Lady Gaga.
HU: (Laughter). Everybody keeps mentioning Lady Gaga.
Jimmy: Lady Gaga is awesome! She used to be a punk rock girl.
HU: Yeah, she is doing her own thing. You know what I am saying?
Jimmy: Ahhh, she is punk rock!
(Roadie hands a bottle of Jagermeister to Jimmy)
HU: There you go! Cheers! Ohhh what?! He gives you an empty bottle?
Jimmy: Yeah, we use it as a cowbell usually.
HU: Dude, I was thinking… I never have seen a band drink like this on stage since Pantera man.
Jimmy: Pantera?
HU: Since fucking Pantera!
Jimmy: Pantera? No we are not talking about that…
HU: No, raging the way you guys do. It is like fucking mayhem, the booze was everywhere!
Jimmy: Pantera. Phil does his own thing man. COC, Down… those are my people man! But Pantera, they do not do it like hard core and punk rock man. They never supported a band like that. There are other bands that try to get down with our family now. Too late man… Too late!
HU: Right. The foundations are laid down.
Jimmy: Yeah. The relation is already laid down. Too late man, you know?
HU: And you mentioned you are going to Colombia. I am personally from Colombia.
Jimmy: Cool!
HU: One of the things that brought me to New York was hard core. I was listening to Madball, Sick of It All…
Jimmy: It is an honor to me but I am not in Madball. Madball has got a label, Madball is… Freddy is my brother but Madball is huge man! The people from Colombia reached out to me to play and I was like: “Wow! Holy shit!” Real cool!
HU: When is that happening?
Jimmy: July 4th! (Laughter).
HU: (Laugher).
Jimmy: Independence Day in America, Independence Day for Jimmy Gestapo in Colombia.
HU: Amazing! And have you been to Colombia before?
Jimmy: No! I cannot wait to try the coffee… (Laughter).
HU: The coffee, the women bro…
Jimmy: (Laughter). I cannot wait to just go to Colombia man. You know? Murphy’s Law never had a label or anything. I played Japan. I played Japan like 32 shows, not 9 shows. So its my friends, I cannot believe what my life has become. But I still work every day. I do carpentry and stuff with a bunch of punk rock guys. You know, my life is a two way street.
HU: Right, you are promoting shows with Black N Blue constantly.
Jimmy: Working class motherfucker. Working class right to the police.
HU: I mean you never stop... You guys have been doing Black N Blue productions for how long already?
Jimmy: Black N Blue? I have been in Black N Blue for 20 years.
Roadie: We had a really great night tonight and nobody is cooler than Jimmy!
HU: (Laughter). There he goes.
Roadie: So fuck yourself!
Jimmy: Thank you man!
HU: Hellyeah man!
Jimmy: Thank you bro!
Those where the true words of a man who cares about his family and his friends, beyond it all, which ultimately is the whole concept behind the New York Hard Core crew. Many misunderstand it, many are jealous of the camaraderie that exists within the crew. Regardless of where you stand, the music that Jimmy Gestapo has created with his band Murphy’s Law is timeless and do not even think they are going to finish their extensive career anytime soon.
It was announced by Cuz Joe from Black N Blue Productions that the band is working on a brand new record! According to Jimmy, the album (which will be released by I Scream Records) is in the works, with no release date yet.
After seeing Murphy’s Law take over The Trash Bar in Brooklyn and proving that New York Hard core is alive and well, all I can say is that whoever questions the musical power that has existed in New York for such a long time, does not know anything about art of music.
Here is a live clip of Murphy's Law doing their classic "Panty Raid" on St. Patrick's Day!
Related links:
Murphy's Law Official Site
Murphy's Law on MySpace
New York Hard Core Tattoo
Black N Blue Productions Official Site
Black N Blue Productions on My Space
By: JoSchuftan
