Harley Flanagan

Last updated

Harley Flanagan
HF2022CroMags 4 (cropped).jpg
Flanagan performing with Cro-Mags in 2022
Background information
Birth nameHarley Francis Flanagan
Born (1967-03-08) March 8, 1967 (age 57)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Origin New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres Hardcore punk, crossover thrash, punk rock
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Bass, vocals
Years active1978–present
Member of Cro-Mags
Formerly of
Website harleyflanagan.com

Harley Francis Flanagan (born March 8, 1967) is an American musician. Harley Flanagan founded the hardcore punk band the Cro-Mags. He is currently the bassist, vocalist, and sole remaining founding member of the band. Flanagan began his musical career at age 11 in 1978, drumming for the New York punk band the Stimulators alongside his aunt Denise Mercedes. By the early 1980s, he was a prominent figure in the developing New York hardcore, helping to found the Cro-Mags in 1981 and Murphy's Law in 1982.

Contents

Early life

Flanagan is the son of Tex Flanagan and Rose "Rosebud" Feliu-Pettet. His father was a petty criminal and his mother was a memoirist, actress and prominent figure in Greenwich Village's bohemian culture, being featured in films such as Piero Heliczer's Dirt (1963) and Harry Everett Smith's Mahagonny (1980). Feliu-Pettet was featured in various works by Andy Warhol and was the muse for a number of the poets in the Beat Generation. [1]

When he was nine years old, Flanagan published a book of poetry and drawings written when he was seven years old, with a foreword written by family friend Allen Ginsberg. [2] At age 11, Flanagan was the drummer for New York punk band the Stimulators. [3]

Solo-ventures

Flanagan's autobiography, Hard-Core: Life of My Own, published by Feral House in 2016, contains an introduction by Steven Blush. Once published, the book spent over six months as the No. 1 seller in martial arts biographies on Amazon. [4] [5]

On May 19, 2018, Flanagan's band was one of four classic punk/hardcore acts to play the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, along with Murphy's Law, Suicidal Tendencies, and the Original Misfits. [6] Flanagan also released two recordings: The Dr. Know EP, proceeds of which benefit the titular Bad Brains member, who has medical expenses; and, released on July 6, 2018, The Original Cro-Mags Demos, 1982/83, which documents Flanagan's work writing the songs, playing all instruments and singing early versions of the songs that are blueprint for the Cro-Mags sound. [7] On June 28, 2019, Flanagan's Cro-Mags released their first new music in twenty years, three new songs "Don't Give In," "Drag You Under" and "No One's Victim." [8] They were the opening act for the original Misfits for four shows in 2019.

Personal life

Flanagan performing live in 2019 Cro-Mags 2019 Maurice Nunez.jpg
Flanagan performing live in 2019

Flanagan is the father of two sons and is married to Laura Lee Flanagan, who is an attorney and serves as Flanagan's business manager and also works as general counsel and CCO to investment advisory firms. [9]

Flanagan is a black-belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and once worked as a professor for Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City. His students included the daughter of Anthony Bourdain, who coincidentally attended NYC Stimulators concerts in the early 1980s, and was a fan of the then preteen drummer. [9]

Flanagan has been a vegetarian since 1982. [10]

Flanagan cited Darryl Jenifer, Geezer Butler, and Lemmy as his biggest bass influences. He also stated that Cronos of Venom, Jaco Pastorius (Flanagan owns one of his basses), and Stanley Clarke inspired him, trying to "bring all that stuff together" in his own music, mixed with hardcore's intensity. [11]

On July 6, 2012, Flanagan was arrested for allegedly stabbing two current members of Cro-Mags, and biting one of them, backstage at the Webster Hall in New York City. Allegedly, Flanagan had been attacked in the dressing room. [12] [13] Flanagan was stabbed in the leg. [14] [15] [16] He stated he drew the knife to defend himself and that the wound to his leg required 30 stitches. [17] Charges were dropped in December 2012, due to a lack of cooperating witnesses. Flanagan was later sued in a civil action over the incident, but this suit was also dropped.

In 2018, Flanagan filed a lawsuit in federal court charging former band members John McGowan and Maxwell Jayson with trademark infringement. Flanagan won the lawsuit in April 2019, giving ownership and exclusive rights to the Cro-Mags band name. [18] In April 2019 Flanagan announced a settlement where he would own exclusive use of the name "Cro-Mags"; simultaneously, Joseph announced his recognition of the settlement, and that he and his band would instead perform as Cro-Mags "JM", beginning in August 2019. [19]

Discography

with the Stimulators

with Cro-Mags

with White Devil

with Harley's War

Harley Flanagan solo work

Related Research Articles

<i>I Against I</i> 1986 studio album by Bad Brains

I Against I is the third studio album by American rock band Bad Brains. It was released on November 21, 1986 through SST Records with the catalog number SST 065. The best-selling album in the band's catalog, I Against I finds the band branching out from their early hardcore punk style to touch on funk, soul, reggae and heavy metal. It is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The title track was a Paul Rachman-directed video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cro-Mags</span> American hardcore punk band

The Cro-Mags are an American hardcore punk band from New York City. The band, which has a strong cult following, has released six studio albums, with the first two considered the most influential. With a Hare Krishna background, they were among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York hardcore</span> Punk music and associated subculture

New York hardcore is both the hardcore punk music created in New York City and the subculture and lifestyle associated with that music. The scene established many aspects that are fixtures of hardcore punk today, including its simplified name "hardcore", its hardcore skinhead and youth crew subcultures, the moshing style hardcore dancing, its association with street gangs and its prominent influence of heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike D'Antonio</span> American bassist

Michael D'Antonio is an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist and founder of the metalcore band Killswitch Engage. He is also the founder and bassist of the bands Overcast and Death Ray Vision.

Todd Schofield, known as Todd Youth, was an American guitarist, best known for his work with Warzone, Murphy's Law and Danzig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murphy's Law (band)</span> American hardcore band

Murphy's Law is an influential American hardcore punk band from New York City, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Drescher remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of numerous musicians who have performed with a diverse selection of musical acts across multiple genres, such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi Rocks, Agnostic Front, Warzone, Cro-Mags, D Generation, New York Dolls, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, The Slackers, Thursday, Skavoovie and the Epitones, White Trash and Glen Campbell.

<i>American Hardcore</i> (film) 2006 film

American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980–1986 is a documentary directed and produced by Paul Rachman and written by Steven Blush. It is based on the 2001 book American Hardcore: A Tribal History also written by Blush. It world premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released on September 22, 2006 on a limited basis by Sony Pictures Classics. The film features some early pioneers of the hardcore punk music scene including Bad Brains, Black Flag, D.O.A., Minor Threat, Minutemen, SSD, and others. It was released on DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on February 20, 2007.

<i>The Age of Quarrel</i> 1986 studio album by Cro-Mags

The Age of Quarrel is the debut studio album by the New York hardcore band Cro-Mags. It was originally released on then-independent Profile Records in September 1986. It was subsequently re-released by Another Planet in 1994, along with the band's 1989 follow-up album, Best Wishes, on the same disc.

<i>Best Wishes</i> (Cro-Mags album) 1989 studio album by Cro-Mags

Best Wishes is the second album by the New York hardcore band Cro-Mags. It was released on April 26, 1989 via Profile Records and was subsequently re-released via Another Planet – along with the band's debut album, The Age of Quarrel, on the same disc.

A7 was a club in New York City that between 1981 and 1984, was a main location of the New York hardcore scene. The tiny space was located on the southeast corner of East 7th Street and Avenue A in Manhattan's East Village. The venue hosted fast punk bands such as The Stimulators and The Violators. Slowly, a hardcore scene of initially about 100 persons formed around the club which spawned bands like Agnostic Front, Antidote, Cro-Mags, Heart Attack, Kraut, The Mob, The Abused and Urban Waste who played the A7 regularly, some of them weekly.

Crossover thrash is a fusion genre of thrash metal and hardcore punk. The genre emerged in the mid–1980s, when hardcore punk bands, such as Suicidal Tendencies, Cryptic Slaughter, Corrosion of Conformity and Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, began to incorporate the influence of thrash metal. At this time, the genre was particularly prominent in the New York hardcore scene, where groups including Agnostic Front, Leeway, Cro-Mags and Stormtroopers of Death were widely influential.

<i>Alpha Omega</i> (Cro-Mags album) 1992 studio album by Cro-Mags

Alpha Omega is the third album by the New York hardcore band Cro-Mags. It was released in 1992 on Century Media Records. In 2013, German record label Demons Run Amok Entertainment re-issued it on vinyl. The album features their former vocalist John Joseph who had been expelled from the band in 1987.

<i>Near Death Experience</i> (Cro-Mags album) 1993 studio album by Cro-Mags

Near Death Experience is the fourth album by New York hardcore band Cro-Mags. It was released in 1993 on Century Media Records. In 2015, German record label Demons Run Amok Entertainment re-issued it on vinyl. It is, to date, the last album to feature vocalist John Joseph. Songs on the album deal with topics such as environmentalism, anti-abortion, and spirituality. After the release of this album, the Cro-Mags had gone on hiatus for some time, experienced more lineup changes, and would not release their next album, Revenge, until seven years later.

<i>Revenge</i> (Cro-Mags album) 2000 studio album by Cro-Mags

Revenge is the fifth studio album by New York hardcore band Cro-Mags. It was released in 2000 on their own label Cro-Mag Recordings and was the band's first studio album in seven years, as well as their first release with guitarist Rocky George and its first without vocalist John Joseph since 1989's Best Wishes. As he did on Best Wishes, bassist Harley Flanagan handled the vocals on this album. Revenge was also the Cro-Mags' last full-length studio album until the release of In the Beginning in 2020.

The Stimulators were an American punk rock band from New York City. Although they have a limited discography, they are notable for being consistently cited as an important transitional band between the late-1970s New York City punk rock scene and New York hardcore, and for being the musical entry point for future Cro-Mags founder Harley Flanagan.

Tough guy hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk with prominent influences from thrash metal. It makes use of groove-driven, palm muted guitar riffs, breakdowns, lyrics discussing hatred, personal struggles, unity, and a vocal style influenced by hip hop and oi!.

Steven Blush is an American author, journalist, record collector and film maker who is best known for his book American Hardcore and the movie of the same name. Blush has written five books, is the founder of Seconds magazine and has written articles for many magazines. Two of his books have been made into movies. Blush's work mainly specializes in hardcore punk music.

<i>In the Beginning</i> (Cro-Mags album) 2020 studio album by Cro-Mags

In the Beginning is the sixth studio album by the New York hardcore band Cro-Mags. It was released on June 19, 2020 and marks the band's first album in two decades.

Parris Mitchell Mayhew, formerly known as Kevin Mayhew, is an American musician, songwriter, director and camera operator. He is best known as a founding member of the New York Hardcore band Cro-Mags, in which he played guitar. He has also played in a number of other bands, including White Devil, the MAD, Sămsära, Psychic Orgy, and currently plays in Aggros.

References

  1. ↑ "Rose "Rosebud" Feliu-Pettet (1946-2015)" (PDF). University of Pennsylvania . Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  2. ↑ "New York City Hardcore Poetry « Vol. 1 Brooklyn". Vol1brooklyn.com. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
  3. ↑ Bishop, Moe (July 12, 2012). "The Sensitive Family | VICE | United States". VICE. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Hard-Core". Feralhouse.com. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  5. ↑ Flanagan, Harley (December 12, 2023). Hard-Core: Life of My Own. Feral House. ISBN   978-1627310338.
  6. ↑ "Harley Flanagan added to Misfits NJ show (and has other tour dates)". Brooklynvegan.com. February 7, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  7. ↑ "HARLEY FLANAGAN To Release 'Cro-Mag Demos' And 'Hard Core Dr. Know' EP". Blabbermouth.net. May 10, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  8. ↑ Rollingstone.com (June 28, 2019). "Hear Hardcore Heroes Cro-Mags Return With First New Songs in 20 Years". www.rollingstone.com. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  9. 1 2 Curkin, Charles (August 31, 2016). "Harley Flanagan, Original New York Punker, Finds His Mellower Side". The New York Times . Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  10. ↑ Hutch (April 19, 2016). "Harley Flanagan Reflects The Grit of His New York Story With New Album 'Cro-Mags'". newnoisemagazine.com. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  11. ↑ Stone, Drew (July 13, 2015). "The New York Hardcore Chronicles 10 Questions w/ Harley Flanagan (The Stimulators / Cro-Mags)" (video). YouTube. Event occurs at 2:58. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Harley Flanagan's Revenge Stabbing". Nymn.com. July 27, 2012. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  13. ↑ Moynihan, Colin (July 7, 2012). "A Stabbing, and a Feud About a Band". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  14. ↑ Lemoine, Ray (July 12, 2012). "Former Cro-Mags Bassist Accused of Stabbing at New York Show". The Local East Village. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  15. ↑ Celona, Larry (July 7, 2012). "Cro-Mags founder accused of stabbing, biting band members at Webster Hall". New York Post. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  16. ↑ Tartar, Andre (July 7, 2012). "A Knife-Wielding Former Band Member Canceled the Cro-Mags' Webster Hall Show". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Former Cro-Mags Bassist Defends Himself Over Webster Hall Fight". Rolling Stone. July 26, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Cro-Mags Lawsuit: Harley Flanagan Wins Band Name". Rolling Stone. April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  19. ↑ Punknews.org (April 22, 2019). "Harley Flanagan and John Joseph settle Cro-Mags lawsuit". www.punknews.org. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.