You know that little shoebox you keep under your bed or up in your closet that’s filled with show flyers, setlists, stickers, buttons etc. from some of your favorite gigs? The one packed with mementos that bring back fond memories of wild nights out seeing your favorite bands play shows that may go down as legendary? If you’ve got one of these little treasure chests stowed away somewhere you aren’t alone. As it turns out, some of your favorite hardcore and punk bands saved some things throughout the years too.
Thanks to the outstanding work of musician and historian Brian Gorsegner, a freshly unearthed and wonderfully curated collection of artifacts is available to see for the first time in Ancient Artifax, a beautifully designed and thoughtfully written coffee table book.
Featuring a who’s who of voices from the punk and hardcore scene including John Brannon (NEGATIVE APPROACH), Brian Baker (MINOR THREAT), Tesco Vee (THE MEATMEN) and Roger Miret (AGNOSTIC FRONT) amongst others, this is a super special and super comprehensive look at a boatload of old show flyers, set lists, original handwritten lyrics, merch, photos, and so much more. Featuring notes from the aforementioned legends alongside their featured items gives a rich and detailed history lesson that will keep you captivated for hours. In short, this is essential reading for anyone interested in punk or music history in general.
My personal favorite parts of the book were reading about John Brannon being invited to join the MISFITS and seeing the handwritten MINOR THREAT setlist from their second show. Absolutely iconic stuff and not even a fraction of what’s in store here.
To see these and other mind-blowing pieces of punk history, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of Ancient Artifax, available now (already on it’s second pressing) through Radio Raheem.
