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Podcast and punk rock: Harley Flanagan hits the airwaves – Metro US

Podcast and punk rock: Harley Flanagan hits the airwaves

Podcast and punk rock: Harley Flanagan hits the airwaves

When Harley Flanagan debuts his new podcast on Monday, fans of New York City’s gritty ’80s punk rock scene will get a firsthand history from one of the rock pioneers of that era. Plus a little more. 

“I tell a lot of old New York stories,” Flanagan says.

Punk rock purists this week took offense to retail giant Target’s stab at nostalgic creativity when it unveiled a storefront logo bearing resemblance to one of Flanagan’s old stomping grounds — the  iconic CBGB. In the past, this move would have at one time been sacrilegious, but today Flanagan says it’s just more of the same.

“There was a time this would have really bothered me, ’cause I grew up at CBGB and on the Lower East Side,” said Flanagan, who began his music career at age 12 as the drummer for punk rock’s the Stimulators and went on to become the founding member of ‘80s groundbreaking hardcore band the Cro-Mags. “When John Varvatos replaced CBGB that was when it hurt the most. Now it’s just more of the same. Almost everything that made New York cool has been priced out and so have most of the people that contributed to the vibe and made New York what it was. Now you just have these little fake tributes to what New York was. It’s sad but change is inevitable. Life goes on.”

What to expect from Harley Flanagan’s podcast

Harley Flanagan's next mission: a podcast.

The podcast is just the latest career evolution for Flanagan, the basist, best-selling authorjiujitsu instructor, and will nail all things New York City hardcore with the ferocity of any number of his riffs from the Cro-Mag’s iconic album “Age of Quarrel.”

Flanagan though, won’t just keep the topics to music. The jiujitsu black belt will also touch on other topics such as MMA: “I believe Neiman Gracie can win the Bellator welterweight title,” Flanagan says. “He can and he will.” 

He adds: I can tell you, I do more than just storytelling. I also do a lot of Q&A with my fans via Instagram and other social media. I’ll also talk about random stuff, like taking personal responsibilities, owning your f—ups.”

How about a possible Cro-Mags reunion? “You’ll have to tune in to the podcast.”

You can check out the show at HarleyFlanagan.com and at Facebook.