Band of (punk) brothers

Boston Herald ^ | 06/17/09 | Jessica Fargen

[raccoonradio]

A South Shore preteen band named after a Dropkick Murphys song about a drunken bruiser is getting support from their punk rock heroes as they fight for the right to perform in bars.

Ken Casey, a Dropkick Murphys founding member, told the 9, 10, 11 and 12-year-old members of Barroom Heroes yesterday: We survived and so can you.

“Most of the good punk songs out there are about the man keeping you down. You are not a true punk band until you’ve been shut down,” Casey said yesterday in a Herald interview before he invited members of the pint-sized band to join him backstage at the sold-out Aerosmith Dropkick show in Mansfield.

In the past week, Barroom Heroes shows at two South Shore bars have been nixed.

The band, Nick and Jake Bell, ages 10 and 11, Sam Wells, 9, of Weymouth, and Sam Attridge, 12, of Hingham, were “crushed” when last week’s Basta Bar show in Weymouth was cut hours before showtime, their parents said. Yesterday, a show scheduled for tonight at Quincy bar Kilroy’s was canceled.

“It was kind of unfair,” said Jake.

Added Nick Bell: “I’m bummed out about it. I like performing in front of crowds.”

Lisa Wells, mom of drummer Sam, said cops had a “knee-jerk reaction” when they pulled the plug on the family-friendly Weymouth show.

“This isn’t what on the surface it looks like it is. It’s not a crowded bar scene,” she said. “It was parents. It was kids.”

Added Carrie Bell, mom of guitarists Nick and Jake: “It’s coke, pizza and chicken fingers.”

Her sons were born to rock, she said. “This is a passion for them. This is what they want to do,” she said.

The Heroes had played two shows at Basta Bar before police shut things down, said Bill Egan, 48, the band’s music teacher who runs CD Workshop in Weymouth. He books the band at bars because it’s free, there’s a stage and a sound system.

“I like to take them out and have them perform like musicians do. Clubs are a nice place for them to play. It’s what musicians do,” Egan said. “I don’t think it’s hurting them.”

Police disagree. Weymouth cops acknowledge that the Basta Bar did nothing illegal when it allowed the band to play but called it inappropriate. “We just don’t think preteens should be in adult barrooms,” said Weymouth Police Capt. James Mullin. “Things happen in bars that young ears shouldn’t hear.”

Yesterday, Quincy licensing officials gave Kilroy’s owners a one-day suspension for serving a minor during an unrelated sting operation in May but it was suspended for a year pending no further incidents.

Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan said Kilroy’s decision to cancel the band’s show was unrelated to their violation.

“I don’t think it’s a proper venue for children that age,” Keenan said. “It’s clearly a night club or bar atmosphere. It’s not like a family restaurant.”

[raccoonradio]

I remember there was a punk band of pre-teens in the 80s, Old Skull (sons of musicians) who did a couple albums. One song, "Homeless", had one young'un screeching "I hate you Ronald Reagan!" at the end.

More recently in the Boston area there was and is the Mystery Tramps, who were 13-16 yrs old when they put out an EP produced by Greg Hawkes of the Cars..it helped that one of their dads knew Greg. The kids played an all ages gig at a bar and grille in Salem. All went well. Over the years "all ages" gigs have given young punk/rock fans a chance to see music (but not necessarily in bars...maybe a Legion Hall...).

Buy those kids a...root...beer!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Kids not playing music in bars? Gee, the next thing you know they are going to say kids shouldn’t be having sex with their teachers......

[raccoonradio]

>>are about the man keeping you down

This next song’s called My Dad Sent Me To My Room Without
Dinner!

[raccoonradio]

Book them into a Chuck E Cheese...?

[This_far]

Dropkick Murphys had ‘Tessie’.

It won’t be better than ‘Charlie on the MTA’.

[GeronL]

Morons raising morons

[SIDENET]

Book them into a Chuck E Cheese...?

Too violent.

Chuck E. Cheese's is strictly for large, rival illegal alien families to brawl at their kids' birthday parties.

[wastedyears]

“Most of the good punk songs out there are about the man keeping you down. You are not a true punk band until you’ve been shut down,”

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Haha then “I hate homework”

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Hey now, Tanya Tucker was singing in bars when she was just a teen and we know how well she turned out..... ;^)

[GeronL]

right.

[max americana]

How bout McDonald’s Playland? They can play their new song “Ronald McDonald has issues”.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Rampant promiscuity and alcoholism aside... lol

[GeronL]

emotionally and mentally retarded?

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Cigarette smoke and alcohol, late night hours, drunks - how could that be detrimental to a 9 or 10 year old? lol

[Uriah_lost]

Holy crap! You’ve heard of Old Skull? Are you the other guy that bought their album?

[raccoonradio]

ha—no I’ve just worked at a college radio station since 1981... :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_skull

[GeronL]

Not real conducive to a proper upbringing, ya think?

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Unless you are hoping for the next Lindsay Lohan or Robert Downey Jr. ;^)