The music scene in Jersey isn’t what it
used to be considering that a lot of the old
venues have either been shut down or been
bought up by modern day carpet baggers.
It’s a lot harder to see a show now in
Jersey, well maybe not a show, but the
type of show that 20 something-year-old
Garden State natives like Iero, Buddy
Nielson of Senses Fail, or Thursday’s
Geoff Rickly were use to. Ten years
ago, you could go down to the local
VFW or community center on the
weekend, where four or five bands
would chip in and rent the place out for
a-hundred-and-fifty bucks, and see a
great local punk rock show. “It was a lot
easier [to put on a show] when we were
coming up.” Iero pauses, “I mean you
could rent out a VFW hall and put on as
many bands as you wanted, and you never
got hassled by the cops unless it totally got
out of hand.” Iero explains. “People can
yell at me for this, but on top of people
buying up the venues, the kids destroyed it.
The kids took advantage of it, started
fights and destroyed things, which started
the VFW halls not wanting to rent them out
anymore. Then you had to have a cop on
site at all times. If there was a fight we’d
have to have the Fire Marshall come out
and check how many people were in the
building, and all that shit. That’s what
killed the scene, it was us! Kids who stay
home and talk shit on the internet, and
don’t go to shows. If there’s no one there
to support it then it’s not going to work.”
The fights were something that
never made much sense to Iero. There
were also people just people looking for
fights, just hitting someone because they
had the wrong t-shirt on or because they
were a skinhead and there were black kids
at a show. “When I was growing up going
to shows there were problems, there was
elitism, there were skinheads, and there
was racism stuff like that. But I have never
seen more elitism then there is now. When
used to be considering that a lot of the old
venues have either been shut down or been
bought up by modern day carpet baggers.
It’s a lot harder to see a show now in
Jersey, well maybe not a show, but the
type of show that 20 something-year-old
Garden State natives like Iero, Buddy
Nielson of Senses Fail, or Thursday’s
Geoff Rickly were use to. Ten years
ago, you could go down to the local
VFW or community center on the
weekend, where four or five bands
would chip in and rent the place out for
a-hundred-and-fifty bucks, and see a
great local punk rock show. “It was a lot
easier [to put on a show] when we were
coming up.” Iero pauses, “I mean you
could rent out a VFW hall and put on as
many bands as you wanted, and you never
got hassled by the cops unless it totally got
out of hand.” Iero explains. “People can
yell at me for this, but on top of people
buying up the venues, the kids destroyed it.
The kids took advantage of it, started
fights and destroyed things, which started
the VFW halls not wanting to rent them out
anymore. Then you had to have a cop on
site at all times. If there was a fight we’d
have to have the Fire Marshall come out
and check how many people were in the
building, and all that shit. That’s what
killed the scene, it was us! Kids who stay
home and talk shit on the internet, and
don’t go to shows. If there’s no one there
to support it then it’s not going to work.”
The fights were something that
never made much sense to Iero. There
were also people just people looking for
fights, just hitting someone because they
had the wrong t-shirt on or because they
were a skinhead and there were black kids
at a show. “When I was growing up going
to shows there were problems, there was
elitism, there were skinheads, and there
was racism stuff like that. But I have never
seen more elitism then there is now. When
the younger kids are getting into bands and going to
shows and people just hating on them and beating
them up for absolutely no reason. Just because they
just got into it, and to me that makes no sense.
These kids are the future of the scene, or punk rock
in general. If it’s not an accepting place to people,
then what the fuck do we do this for?” Iero
says.
Although Punk Rock may be the closest
thing to Iero’s heart, he was really brought up on
Blues and Dixieland, from his father and grandfather
two very important influential people in his life. “I
pool elements of the stuff that I play from my early,
early influences; there are things that I write that are
influenced by stuff that my dad shoved down my
throat as a kid. Stuff from Buddy Guy to Muddy
Waters and stuff like that.” An influence that runs
rampant through today’s music even if the untrained
listener can’t hear it. If you listen to The White
Stripes, Jet, or Portugal the Man you may not realize
it but you are listening to Led Zeppelin, Howlin’
Wolf, Buddy Guy, and Muddy Waters. “That’s
some of my favorite stuff.” Iero comments on
Robert Johnson and 'Ledbelly.' “I mean that was my
dad’s punk rock! It was recorded in basements. It
was recorded by kids doing it for them selves.” He
excitedly explains. For Frank, punk rock is what it
shows and people just hating on them and beating
them up for absolutely no reason. Just because they
just got into it, and to me that makes no sense.
These kids are the future of the scene, or punk rock
in general. If it’s not an accepting place to people,
then what the fuck do we do this for?” Iero
says.
Although Punk Rock may be the closest
thing to Iero’s heart, he was really brought up on
Blues and Dixieland, from his father and grandfather
two very important influential people in his life. “I
pool elements of the stuff that I play from my early,
early influences; there are things that I write that are
influenced by stuff that my dad shoved down my
throat as a kid. Stuff from Buddy Guy to Muddy
Waters and stuff like that.” An influence that runs
rampant through today’s music even if the untrained
listener can’t hear it. If you listen to The White
Stripes, Jet, or Portugal the Man you may not realize
it but you are listening to Led Zeppelin, Howlin’
Wolf, Buddy Guy, and Muddy Waters. “That’s
some of my favorite stuff.” Iero comments on
Robert Johnson and 'Ledbelly.' “I mean that was my
dad’s punk rock! It was recorded in basements. It
was recorded by kids doing it for them selves.” He
excitedly explains. For Frank, punk rock is what it
all comes down to. It’s
something that Iero instantly
fell in love with. “I just felt
like you had to be a virtuoso
to be a rock star, and I was
just never into the rock star
antics of it.” It’s not all bad,
Iero explains, “I definitely like
some of the theatrics of it all,
like Bowie and Pink Floyd; I
love all of those story lines. I
was just never an arena rock
fan.” He says. Just the idea
that you didn’t need to know
how to play extremely well,
here was music that was for
kids, by kids and it was in his
own back yard, he didn’t
have to go across the bridge
to the big apple, or to the
west coast to find it. “I
remember right before high
school a friend of mine gave
me a CD of a band called The
Scene’s which was a pop
punk band from Jersey, and I
was just like oh wow, there’s
a punk rock scene in Jersey,
who gives a fuck about
Seattle and the west coast? I
mean this is ours.” Iero
explains. “You could learn
four chords, and play as loud
and as sloppy as you wanted,
but the feeling still came
across, and that’s what did it
for me. You could sit there in
a room and scream about
whatever it was that bothered
you, and play a couple of
chords behind it, and get a
band together and just do it!”
Iero says, “It really didn’t
matter if people liked it! It
didn’t matter if people thought
you were an incredible guitar
player, or you were an
incredible band or musician
something that Iero instantly
fell in love with. “I just felt
like you had to be a virtuoso
to be a rock star, and I was
just never into the rock star
antics of it.” It’s not all bad,
Iero explains, “I definitely like
some of the theatrics of it all,
like Bowie and Pink Floyd; I
love all of those story lines. I
was just never an arena rock
fan.” He says. Just the idea
that you didn’t need to know
how to play extremely well,
here was music that was for
kids, by kids and it was in his
own back yard, he didn’t
have to go across the bridge
to the big apple, or to the
west coast to find it. “I
remember right before high
school a friend of mine gave
me a CD of a band called The
Scene’s which was a pop
punk band from Jersey, and I
was just like oh wow, there’s
a punk rock scene in Jersey,
who gives a fuck about
Seattle and the west coast? I
mean this is ours.” Iero
explains. “You could learn
four chords, and play as loud
and as sloppy as you wanted,
but the feeling still came
across, and that’s what did it
for me. You could sit there in
a room and scream about
whatever it was that bothered
you, and play a couple of
chords behind it, and get a
band together and just do it!”
Iero says, “It really didn’t
matter if people liked it! It
didn’t matter if people thought
you were an incredible guitar
player, or you were an
incredible band or musician
