PLANET CHOCKO – art/music/movies/beyond » Memorial Day Punk Show 2016

Memorial Day Punk Show 2016

June 4th, 2016 by chocko

Spike Polite of Sewage NYC at Tompkins Square Park May 29, 2016

Hey ladies and germs! It’s that time of year again and there’s nothing like a free punk show at Tompkins Square Park in The Lower East Side, NYC. I look forward to them every year. This particular edition, The Memorial Day Punk Show was organized by the SHADOW, Time Warp Zine, and Uncle Don Yippie. Chocko arrived late to the party but was still able to catch a couple bands play. First up was the straight outta da prison system and back in da park, Spike Polite and Sewage NYC. Spike’s been away for 10 years and in that time, the NYC landscape has changed drastically…CBGB is closed, Tompkins Square Park has been cleaned up and the Lower East Side and Brooklyn have been gentrified beyond belief. It’s good to hear Spike’s gritty punk anthems in the park again. Welcome back and stay outta trouble! Next up was the band, The Omega Men…decked out in matching black outfits with neon green ties. They played a solid set of psychobilly tunes that got the zombies on Ave. A doing a two step with their caramel lattes. The Omega Men are awesome, I’ve never heard of them before but they happen to be from NYC and playing a bunch of shows this summer including the Johnny Thunders Birthday Bash at Bowery Electric on July 14. If you’re into that rockabilly, surf punk sound then check them out. They’re hard at work on their upcoming record, so all you mutants keep on the lookout for that too.

The Omega Men

Legendary horror punk rockers, The Undead headlined the show with a pummeling mix of classic Undead material, Misfits songs and new stuff off their new album, THE MORGUE THE MERRIER. I always enjoy their Neil Sedaka cover of “I Go Ape” and when bassist Paul Mauled takes over the lead vocals on “I Got Your Number” (not to be confused by the Cock Sparrer song with the same name), swing those elbows and start up the mosh pit! The present lineup features Bobby Steele, his wife Diana Steele on the keys, Paul Mauled on bass and Boris on drums. There were some new faces that popped up during The Undead set at Tompkins: Ethan (Son of Boris) played a bunch of songs with the band and Ryan on the bass when Paul Mauled terrorized on lead vocals. The Undead capped off their set with a 1963 Allan Sherman cover of “Rat Fink”, a song which gained popularity when the Misfits covered the song on the B-Side of their 1979 single “Night Of The Living Dead.” Look, videos below!
The Undead at Tompkins Square Park May 29, 2016