Punk of the Month: The Idiot Who Started MAPA
Punk of the month started in 1988 in a Zine called Crash and Burn. The article featured a local punk who was somehow involved in the Providence scene. Sometimes the person was interviewed, sometimes that punk was the subject of roasting, and sometimes a random person was chosen, and an article of satire was generated to have a bit of fun. Back then people loved it, let’s see how it goes today.
Punk of the month is designed to feature some punk in a local scene who is trying to do something to make America Punk Again. Maybe someone in a band, organizing local shows, making a zine, or punk merch. This could be you; this month it’s me. Yes, I realize I own the website. No, I didn't consider that a conflict of interest.
The Punk: Ronnie Rocker (AKA Ron Black)
Age: 56
Hometown: Providence
Current Scene: Lebanon, Connecticut
Scene: Providence / Eastern CT / Boston / NYC
Years in Punk: about 45
Role in the Scene: Musician / Promoter / Photographer / Fan / Artist / General Nuisance
Past Bands/Projects: Missing Link (85-86) / Pontius Pilate and The Nail Drivers (88-90) / Da Ballz (91)
First Punk Record: Sex Pistols, Never Mind The Bullocks
First Punk Show: Billy Idol with Gen X (not the real Gen X)
Favorite Punk Band: Circle Jerks
Most Underrated Band: The Freeze
Favorite Venue: The Livingroom / The Rocket (PVD)
DIY Skill: I make my own clothes
Punk Pet Peeve: Where do I Start?Still Owns: Leather Jacket from 1985
“People say they found punk. I say punk found me.”
– Ronnie Rocker
Bio: Ronnie Rocker is a lifelong punk rocker from Providence, Rhode Island. He first heard the Sex Pistols on college radio while flipping through the stations just listing to anything. He was hooked. However he did not really find his way into the punk rock scene until the early 1980s, but once he did he was totally hooked. He started going to shows in 1981-82 seeing bands such as Black Flag, Circle Jerks, The Weirdos, The Ramones, and countless local bands such as Rash of Stabbings, Neutral Nation and Boneyard. He quickly became a fixture on the punk/hardcore scene at The Livingroom, The Rocket, Lupoe’s, and the local night clubs. In the 1980ss, he spent his time hanging out on Thayer Street in Providence with other punks, skinheads, and hardcore kids. As well as on the streets of New Port, Rhode Island.
Ronnie was in several bands over the decades as the frontman, including Missing Link, Pontius Pilate and the Nail Drivers, and Da Ballz. Several of these bands played a few shows but never amounted to very much. Despite changing a bit over the years, he has always remained a punk rocker. Now living in eastern central Connecticut he’s trying to make America punk again. With this zine, a website, and plans to book small local show.
Q&A
What Does Punk Mean to You?
Punk rock is an attitude, a way of thinking, a way of living. It is something you can’t shake off like those people who say, “I was into this, but I grew up.”. That’s bullshit. Punks don’t grow up and out of punk, we are just punks. It is in our DNA. Here’s the thing, punk isn’t all about music. Music is part of it. The music, especially live music, brings us together. That the scene. The scene is family. We may not all know each other, but we are there together for the same reason. The scene is what makes punk great, whether it’s at a show or just hanging out. It’s the exchange of ideas and the unity we find in a common cause, I guess.
I have to talk about fashion. A lot of people in the scene like to say punk is not about fashion. That a load of shit. Um, ever heard of Vivienne Westwood?? She designed the fashion for punk. The thing is that back in the day when you walked down the street and saw ripped jeans, spiky jackets and colored hair, you knew that person was a punk. It was a look and that is a fact. The one think punk changed in America is that grandma can have a blue mohawk and a nose ring now. We made the punk look socially acceptable. In 1985 with a mohawk it was almost impossible to get a job, and sometimes a seat at restaurant. That’s just how it was. Today people compliment me on the blue mohawk and say they love my look. In the 80s I got “hey faggot” and rock thrown at me.
What Does Your Scene Need?
Well, I’m from Providence. Twelve years ago I moved to rural Connecticut. Why? Well, I had young kids that needed better education, less gun violence, and a safe place to grow up. You could say I bought the farm. Yeah, even antiestablishment punks fall for the idea of he house with picket fence. We grew up having the idea of school, work, marriage, house, kids, and a dog, the fucking American dream. So, I live in the fucking woods. That doesn’t mean no punk. There are a few young kids with a punk rock style to them. What is mossing is a show that does not require a two-hour ride and a hotel. The scene needs a kick in the ass, jumper cables, and a new battery. That’s the whole point of what I am trying to do. If I can bring in the bands, the punks will follow.
You've been around punk for more than 40 years. What does punk mean to you now that it didn't mean when you were 17?
Well, my dad says I’ll be 17 till the day I die. Part of me still thinks like a 17-year-old. When I go to a show I am transported back to 1987, even if my knee and back disagree. Over my lifetime I had to sort of conform to get a job and pay the bills. In the 1980s and early 1990s I fought that, hard. So, yeah I put on a tie and just had short hair to make a living. This is America where capitalism rules. For 35 years I worked in corporate IT. Then after the last outsourcing I realized that the whole thing was bullshit. So, hello blue mohawk. Basically, I have come full circle. I refuse to compromise my punk style for your society. The difference is that today the punks have one and its socially acceptable to look this way.
What pisses you off about punk?
Assholes who think slam dancing is about fighting and hurting people for one. But, last few shows I went to a bunch of ass hats brought little kids, I’m talking like 5-year-olds. They stand at the front and get pissed if anyone tries to dance. That and no one slam dances half the time. It’s a bunch of long-hairs tapping their feet and bobbing their heads! Go see the Dead assholes, this is punk rock! They say old punks strand at the back, not I! I jump off the stage.
Contribution to Punk: Tell us about MAPA
Well, over the decades I was just there. I was the poster boy for punk. Yeah, I was in a few shitty bands and played a few shows. Big deal. I kinda promoted punk by just being over the top punk. I did have the zine Crash and Burn. Later in we had a punk political newspaper, These Are Revolutionary Times or TART. This was a newspaper with actual contributors, we had a team of people on it. TART covered political, social, and punk issues. The thing went worldwide. The problem was we did not make any money to support the thing and the government seemed to not like us either. We were being watched and people got scared so the whole thing went bust. Oher than that I did book some bands here and there. But with the 1990s punk sort of dried up or just changed. There was grunge and pop-punk becoming popular so the whole thing changed. So like, with Nirvana and Green Day they got popular and on major labels. What that meant was stadiums and inflated ticket prices. Sorry guys, not fucking punk.
So, after years of just existing as Mr. Punk Rock, I said to myself, “If I want to see decent punk shows, meet punks, and have a scene I have to make one. Hence MAPA. Punk in America really came out of the suburbs, not so much the cities. What made people scared was that little Timmy from buttfuck was sporting spiky hair and leather jacket. So, Now I live in buttfuck, doesn’t mean there are not punks of all ages here, they are just hard to find. So, Shows will bring them out. Shows will make the scene. That’s the whole point. Punk couldn’t be mor relevant today given the political climate in this country. We have a fascist, self-serving, capitalist pig for a president. He has his gestapo running about the country abducting anyone who isn’t white. Not to mention terrorizing and killing Americans. We rocked against Reagan, why not this asshat?
Rapid Fire!
Sex Pistols or The Clash? – Sex Pistols
Black Flag or Minor Threat? – Black Flag
7-inch or LP? – LP, but I just fucking use Spotify now.
Vinyl or streaming? – Vinyl is heavy, Streaming isn’t.
Mohawk or shaved head? -Mohawk! Skinheads aren’t allowed in Mohawk Town.
Leather or denim? – I’m cool with both, but I mostly wear jeans.
Club or VFW hall? – Either is good. I don’t like anything that resembles a stadium. Small clubs and venues are the way.
Friday night or Sunday matinee? – I’m 56, Sunday matinee so I can be in bed early
Three great bands or six mediocre bands? - Circle Jerks, Descendents, Social Distortion
$10 show or $40 show with a bigger band? – 5 bands, 5 bucks.
Make the shirt or buy the shirt? – I do both
Most overrated punk band? – Bad Religion
Band everybody should hear? - Defiance
One record you'd save from a fire? – none, don’t really care it’s a thing
Punk is dead: yes or bullshit? - Bullshit. Punk is out there, more underground and smaller. It’s 1984. Also, depends on where you live.
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