FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE STRAIGHT EDGE BOOK: Dave Smalley

Paid subscribers to Sandpaper Lullaby are now enjoying the uncut interview I conducted with Dave Smalley for my third book, Straight Edge: A Clear-Headed Hardcore Punk History. Don’t you want to get an eyeful of what one of the architects of American Hardcore had to say about the early days of the Boston Crew? Here’s a taste…

So the folklore of the physicality of the early Boston Hardcore scene is all true? Boston pits were known to be really hard and aggressive. I can’t count the number of elbows I caught in my eye and started seeing stars. Again, I’m not trying to glorify this. It’s just to describe how honest it was. 

I remember The English Beat coming to The Channel and we formed a pit at the show. In the next issue of The Boston Phoenix, there was a review about how the Boston Hardcore kids ruined the show. It was written by an older person who didn’t like us. There was certainly an element that was frowning upon what we were doing, but we didn’t care…

Read the rest of the 3,000-word interview by subscribing! $6 a month or $60 for the whole year! Wudda bargain! Wudda bargain for you!