Despite 2016 claiming a plethora of legendary musicians and artists, most notably the likes of David Bowie and Prince, there have also been a bunch of stellar reunions. This year alone, the Boston music scene has been graced with the return of indie rock acts Belly, Blake Babies, and Letters To Cleo, all taking the stage after years of dormancy.
But ’90s indie rock isn’t the only Boston sound experiencing a rebirth, as the autumn season has welcomed back Fall River’s the Proletariat whose edgy brand of post-punk brought intelligence and political leanings not only to legendary 1982 compilation This Is Boston Not L.A., but the entire New England hardcore and punk scenes of the early- and mid-’80s.
Back after a three-decade hiatus, the Proletariat are currently in the middle of a series of reunion shows in celebration of the reissue of 1983 debut Soma Holiday via S-S Records. They already played Cafe Nine in New Haven this past weekend, and Thursday (November 3) will tear open the ceiling at ONCE Ballroom in Somerville. On Friday they hit the Met in Pawtucket, and the mini tour concludes at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn on Saturday for an afternoon matinée.
Vanyaland had a chat with the current incarnation of the Proletariat — featuring vocalist Richard Brown, bassist Peter Bevilacqua, drummer Tom Macknight and guitarist Don Sanders — about what sparked the reissue and reunion, the band’s beginnings in south of Boston, what’s been happening recently both here and in Providence, and whether or not these upcoming shows will be the band’s last hurrah.
Rob Duguay: This reunion marks the first time The Proletariat has taken the stage in 30 years. What initially sparked the idea of the band getting back together?
Richard Brown: It was probably when we started the reissue, when we heard about that. Then me, Peter and Frank Michaels, the original guitarist, talked and we tried to convince Frank to do it but he really wasn’t interested. Through a series of friends we found Don and Tommy agreed right off the bat because he could fly over from the West Coast to do these shows.
How have the practices been going so far? Was there any rust when you guys started playing these songs again for the first time in decades?
Richard Brown: Only Tommy.
Tom Macknight: [laughs]
Richard Brown: Tommy was the only one that was rusty at first, the rest of us were ready since day one. Tommy was playing like a 78-year-old man for the first part of it since the last time we practiced but he’s up to speed now.
Before the reunion, what were you guys doing with your time? Were any of you working on any other musical projects? Or even recording bands and running a studio?
Richard Brown: Peter and I weren’t doing anything, Tommy was…
Tom Macknight: I play with some people. We’re not on the map or anything, we just practice every Sunday and we’re looking for a singer. I’ve been pretty much playing the whole time, I took a couple of years off in the early-2000s but for the most part I’ve been playing still.
Don Sanders: I’ve been playing in bands all along and running a recording studio. I play with the Masons, the Followers, and Medicine Ball.
You guys do stuff with Mark MacDougall and the folks at 75orLess Records right?
Don Sanders: Yep. The Masons and the Followers have put out releases through them and maybe the Proletariat will put out something with them in the future.
That would be really cool. Fall River and New Bedford have always had a steady amount of bands coming out of both places. With that happening, a problem is that neither city has a venue where local bands can play on a consistent basis. These bands usually have to start out in either Providence or Boston. When the Proletariat was starting out in the early ’80s, how difficult was it to get a show? Were there a lot of basement gigs going on?
Richard Brown: We were very fortunate, we really lucked out. We just hit it at the right time. We played a show at Roger Williams Park that turned into a riot. It seemed like it would be a bad idea and we would get bad press but at the time any press was good press. The next thing we know, the phone didn’t stop ringing. In the first few months that we were actually out gigging, we wound up opening for Black Flag, The Circle Jerks and the Dead Boys. It was really, really fast the way it took off.
Peter Bevilacqua: We did play steadily. The first show we played in Boston there was 11 people that went. We were all really excited to play Boston and the sound man was from the Neats.
Richard Brown: Yep.
Peter Bevilacqua: He liked us and he helped us out a lot after that show. It was a Monday night, there was 11 people there. I don’t remember who was exactly there but…
Richard Brown: I counted the band too [laughs]. There was 11 people including the band and the bartenders probably.
Both Boston and Providence have been getting a lot of attention lately in the musical sense. Every few months there seems to be at least one major publication writing about a local band. Also, the landscape in both cities is constantly changing with the opening and closing of venues. For example in Boston with both T.T. The Bear’s and Johnny D’s shutting their doors. What’s your opinion on what’s happening in both cities? Are there any venues that the Proletariat used to play at a lot that you guys really miss?
Richard Brown: It’s been so long since we’ve been out and playing that there’s really only a handful of places that are still open. The Met have been in their third location since we stopped, Lupo’s is in their third location as well.
Peter Bevilacqua: There are places that we loved to play that aren’t there anymore. For me, the Channel.
Richard Brown: Nearly every place we used to play in Boston is gone, like Storyville.
Tom Macknight: Maverick’s.
Richard Brown: Chet’s Last Call.
Tom Macknight: A lot of good places.
Richard Brown: The Paradise is still there.
I don’t know if it’s hypothetical but Don hinted earlier about the Proletariat putting out a release in the future. After this run of shows do you guys have any plans set to release an EP or an album or will this be the last hurrah of The Proletariat?
Richard Brown: Hopefully it’s not the last hurrah. We’ve all discussed it and if things go well and we get the opportunity to record we’d certainly like to. Also if things go well perhaps we’ll do more shows coming up in a few months. We’ll have to work our schedules out so Tommy can come back and forth.
THE PROLETARIAT + ANCIENT FILTH + THE PRAGMATICS :: Thursday, November 3 at ONCE Ballroom, 156 Highland Ave. in Somerville, MA :: 7:30 p.m., all ages, $14 in advance and $17 at the door :: Advance tickets :: Facebook event page :: For additional show information, scan the flyers below
