Part of the reason that Ian MacKaye has so vehemently commented upon the fact that he never meant to spark an organized straight edge movement can be figured after only a cursory examination of the Boston punk and hardcore scene of the early ‘80s. And while the cultural as well as musical importance of the bands that would make up thee Boston Crew can’t be negated under any circumstances, some of their actions can be regarded as little more than adolescent nonsense. Of course, if I was in Boston in 1983 and said that, I probably wouldn’t have my teeth. But this pervasive and aggressive attitude can then be figured to have influenced the Dropkick Murphys and legions of dudes with jean jackets and a number one crop from the area.
SSD should be seen as the key figurehead of this movement – an all too violent, but somehow stringent one. But the most singularly important figure in all this was and remains Choke. His name is currently most oft associated with Slaphshot. But before forming that band, Negative FX was an integral part of the Boston scene.
In contrast to the New York or Washington D.C. scene at the time, Boston was focused upon the individual more so than on grand societal ills. MacKaye and Minor Threat sought to use personal politics to affect change sans the overt use of force. And while some of these political ideas – such as the nuclear problem – were present in the work of Negative FX, more pervasive was a sense of one (or your crew) versus everyone else. And while there was a definite sense of community, being ostracized seemed to take precedence over most everything else.
Having performed at only five shows during its all too brief existence, a huge mythology has surrounded this band thanks to band members associations. But one of those five live appearances came at another Boston group’s farewell gig. As lead singer and guitarist Roger Miller found his deteriorating hearing to be a substantial enough reason to dissolve Mission of Burma. But Negative FX were tapped to open the bill. And while the volume and intensity each group played with united them, stylistically, there wasn’t too much common ground. After a few brief moments, the plug was literally pulled on Negative FX, prompting Choke and a few of his crew to lash out at the soundman. The 4,000 in attendance may not have been able to hear a quality set of hardcore tunes, but they got their money’s worth.
Prior to this appearance, though, the band recorded a set of demos – 18 tracks in all – at a studio in Boston. However, the songs weren’t released until 1984 when Taang! got a hold of ‘em. The self titled disc was the labels first full length release and perhaps on of its most enduring.
The sixteen minute recording might sound amateurish and unpolished, but stood next to any work from the formative Boston Hardcore era, it’s really unmatched. As a group SSD, while probably historically more substantial, had a tendency to incorporate a bit of hard rock into its work. There would be none of that for Choke though. And whatever one makes of Slapshot, Negative FX should be perceived as a wholly separate endeavor.