While the rest of the city was either still hungover from a bender that began at Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade or were waiting in line to get inside of Doyle’s Cafe last night, the Street Dogs were getting into it on the left coast with some Nazi sympathizers who were dumb enough to come to the Boston punk outfit’s packed show at the Anaheim House of Blues and throw around their dated salute.
O.C. Weekly first reported on the incident earlier today, complete with the video shared below which shows the ensuing melee after rhythm guitarist Lenny Lashley jumped off the stage feet first into the crowd aiming for the offenders.
So what the hell happened? Vanyaland caught up with Lashley for the scoop.
“Well, rough active pit — and that’s not unusual — but at one point five or six shirtless prison tatted [white power] guys started getting aggro, and as we broke into ‘Final Transmission,'” he says of the song, which at Tuesday’s show was dedicated to fallen Marine hero Jordan Stanton of Los Angeles.
“[‘Final Transmission’] is about our brave men and women in the armed services one dude started snapping off Nazi salutes… he came directly up to the front of the stage and snapped off his shit,” Lashley says. “I could tolerate no more so I hopped off the stage and drop kicked him and dealt with it — end of story.”
Despite a nasty gash which came from a disturbingly accurately flung chair from the balcony, Lashley says he is “sore,” but no worse for the wear.
“I broke my wrist — I think — and couple of bumps and cuts, but small price to pay to stand up for what’s right in my honest opinion.”
As to why the small number of audience members decided to start trouble?
“My guess… small dicks,” Lashley says laughing. “Or repressed homosexual tendencies.”
The Street Dogs not surprisingly came out and played a full encore, and Lashley was adamant: “[T]he staff and everyone at House of Blues were terrific.”
Earlier tonight, Street Dogs frontman Mike McColgan — who onstage in Anaheim was repping Boston with a Bruins’ St. Patrick’s Day jersey — took to the band’s official Facebook page and posted a lengthy statement about the events which read in part: “No neo nazis are allowed at our shows. We have always believed in equality and that all people are created equal. We will not suffer or tolerate bigotry in any manifestation.”
The band returns home to Boston tomorrow.
And here’s the aforementioned video…shit gets real around the 4:45 mark.