CALL FOR PHILLY HARDCORE PUNK FOOTAGE

PhilaMOCA is looking to assemble the definitive visual history of Philly DIY/house/punk shows for a film festival program that will be held this coming April.

“Loud! Fast! Philly!” will explore over thirty years of hardcore punk in the city of Philadelphia. While overshadowed by the internationally famous scenes of Washington, DC and New York City, Philly consistently provided not only DIY venues for bands from all over the US and beyond, but also nurtured its own talent. Among enthusiasts of hardcore, bands such as Y-DI, Flag of Democracy (F.O.D.), Ruin, McRad, Pagan Babies, Franklin, Policy of 3, Fracture, Kill the Man Who Questions, R.A.M.B.O., and many others have carved a bloody gouge in a city otherwise known for its historical spots, obesity, and crime rate. Philly is a city of neighborhoods and personalities, and hardcore punk has thrived in the pre-gentrified parts of North, South, and West Philly. The scene has produced some characters as colorful as those out of Dickens. The recently-deceased Mikey Wild was just one of many figures who’ve at times appeared larger than life, but have also revealed their all-too-fragile selves. In a city as rough-hewn as Philly, the ravages of poverty and addiction can find itself hand-in-glove with the nihilism that courses through some veins of punk, or at odds with the positivity of punk’s more forward-thinking proponents. From venues like the Grendel’s Lair, Abe’s Steaks, Love Hall, Club Pizzazz, and JC Dobbs in the ‘80s; through Revival, Upstairs At Nicks, Stalag 13, and the Cabbage Collective’s Calvary and First Unitarian churches in the ‘90s; and into the present with R5 Productions and the sundry warehouses, basements, and arts spaces that host events, DIY punk has found its home wherever it could surface and for as long as it could sidestep the grasping tentacles of L&I. The “Loud! Fast! Philly!” event wishes to celebrate the scene in all its vibrant and fetid facets and to honor the individuals who — motivated by passion and fueled by the DIY ethos —  made and continue to make it happen.

Through both the event at the Cinedelphia Film Festival and some ancillary offshoot events, we hope to put Philly’s punk past and, most importantly, the future of its underground into a perspective that serves to inspire activity and eschew golden-hued nostalgia. We are looking for footage of Philadelphia and area bands playing DIY venues from 1980 – 2013. We’d like to speak to band members, promoters/event organizers, DJs, ‘zine writers, and attendees about their involvement in the scene and how it (and Philly itself) has changed over the years. We wish to present an event that features video performance clips and participants speaking live about their involvement, and that encourages the engagement of the event’s attendees.

Submissions:  All formats are welcome, but all footage will have to ultimately be transferred to a digital format for screening.  PhilaMOCA has the capabilities to make this happen with any master format, please send technical inquiries to the contact below.  And to expedite matters, please pre-select a handful of what you consider to be the best songs/bands/quality footage from you collection.

Deadline for submissions:
March 1, 2013

Contact:
Joseph A. Gervasi, deadstare4life@hotmail.com