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Subscribers weigh in.

This week I’m presenting a few recollections (used by permission and edited for clarity) from subscribers. If you have anything to share, post a comment or send a message (below).

First time I ever heard/of the band was on Pat Duncan’s show of WFMU. He played stuff live off the board and it blew me away. I was 13. I got the LP first. It was a few weeks after I heard the broadcast and maybe a week after my cousin saw the band play at CBGB. The album was dark shit to me. Certain bands just spooked me at that age. The Cold War era doom was strong with that album. My first show at CBGB wasn’t until December 1984. It was a Flipper show and the Nihilistics did not play. I did see Mike from the Nihilistics fighting someone though and have a memory of him bleeding from his arm. I knew it was him because he looked as threatening and intense as he did in the pictures from the album. That guy straight up scared me! If that was New York hardcore I was happy to be from the goofy New Jersey scene haha! I never met anyone from the band outright, but did listen to your show on WFMU for many years and sold some records via eBay to Ron. I got the 7” in 1986 or something and it was sadly stolen in 1989. I found a 13th anniversary reissue when I lived in Berkeley California at Amoeba. It was $5 or something like that. I don’t know why Nihilistics were sort of downgraded out of NYHC. I suppose it’s because no other band was like them. They were not a “mosh” band and not lower east side enough maybe? When I started going to New York shows everyone was mosh this and mosh that. It got old really fast for me. Then the whole youth crew crowd basically pushed me to other bands and scenes.

Todd

Thanks, Todd!

John is next, responding to recently posed NIHILISTIC questions:

• How & when did you first learn of the band?

• Did you buy the first EP or LP?

• Did you see Nihilistics live prior to 1984? Where & when? What do you remember about the show?

• Did you get to know any band members? Can you share details?

• What did you think of the band? One of NYHC’s shining lights or…?

Hi Chris,

You had asked from your readers their thoughts on the original lineup of the Nihilistics. Not that this may mean a whole lot coming from some anonymous knob from Long Island but, I’ll answer the questions you had asked in the order laid out. I was a late comer to the scene (late ’86) so that was my first time hearing the lp. A friend’s older brother had it and put it on cassette for me. I bought the lp at a later date. Nihilistics was one of the first hardcore bands I had heard along with Black Flag and others I don’t immediately recall. So yes, the third question is answered by the first. I never saw the band play live. Hearing a recording of the band playing live in ‘84 at CBGB’s (YouTube) REEEEEAAALLY stresses me out thinking, I wish to fucking hell I was aware of and able to see the original lineup play live!! Actually, never got to see later versions of the band’s shows either. There was always some reason, obligations or lack of awareness the band was actually doing a show etc. As for band members, I knew Mike. I didn’t know him as well as I would’ve liked but, what did know of him, I loved. I used to see and hang out with him at some of the clubs on the island back then, Paris, Spize, Batcave etc. Being fairly new to the scene, he was among the first to reach out and be friendly and welcoming I would say. For me, he had this older brother kind of thing I appreciated very much. I always felt like he was looking out for me. Always gave me a big bear hug whenever we saw each other. We just kind of clicked. A couple of ghouls it seemed haha. Always a knowing nod, grin, eye roll, when someone would be talking shit or doing something we thought was off the mark. I really wish I could remember more specifics of our conversations or what exactly was going on around us at the time. We were always drunk or well on our way to being as such whenever we saw each other. I never asked questions about the band for fear of coming off like a fanboy or ignoramus but I do recall him saying at one point, they were looking for a drummer. I remember thinking, FUCK! If I knew how to play, I could be in the band! That’d be fucking mint! Now, this was around ‘87ish.. pretty sure at least. I had no idea you were no longer in the band, no idea that he could’ve possibly meant a drummer for the band that I understood later that he was in around this time, Burden of Proof. So it’s very possible that’s what he was talking about finding a drummer for that band??? I didn’t have much knowledge in the moment as to what exactly was happening with the band that I can recall unfortunately. I lost contact with Mike fairly soon thereafter. Why exactly I don’t recall.. there was no falling out or any kind of negative happening of any kind. Just life taking you all over or something along those lines. Ya lose contact with people for no real reason. I always thought, it’d be great to hang out with him again, I miss that guy! One of the last times I would’ve seen Mike was at Paris, New York in Huntington. I went with a buddy, I assumed he’d be there but alas, he had already come and gone. Apparently, he had gotten into it with some dude and charged at him, the guy dodged the charge and Mike went head first into the wall. He left right after. He must’ve hurt himself good or maybe felt embarrassed? Maybe both? Don’t know but we just missed it by less than a half hour. About 16 or so years ago I was in a record store in Rocky Point, owned by a guy was in the scene at some point and familiar with the people and happenings thereof, told me he had heard Mike was avoiding the scene, people in the scene, changing his phone number so as to not be contacted by scene people etc. I really don’t know if this was in fact true at all. It’s only what I was told. I’m not putting that rumor on the record store guy really. He seemed pretty cool/genuine and such. Just stating what he had heard I suppose. I don’t have to tell you, people come up with all kinds of stupid shit, calling it fact, for no legitimate reason at all other than that they’re demented fucks! They should be beaten mercilessly… my opinion at least. Then, after the fact, I had heard he passed away… damn. So yeah, some fond memories and some regret. That’s just my little experience with Mike. Your’s obviously and needless to say, much more involved. As to what I thought of the band? FANBOY ALERT!! Fucking LOVED and STILL LOVE the 1.0 version of Nihilistics!! The lp, the ep, the vibe given off, everything! I think it resonates with me more now than ever! Maybe that’s a bit scary? I still consider it (the lp) one of the best albums I’ve ever heard and was ever made! So unique! I think about the time frame as to when it was made and think, fucking pioneers! For me, definitely a shining light of NYHC! I also have to say, the band was always regarded by anyone I spoke to on the scene with great reverence! Like, it was just a matter of fact that the Nihilistics were fucking legendary old school awesome! Well, that’s all I can really say at present, other than I do look forward to your recollections of the band, a forthcoming book on the band, all that good shit! Keep going! Thanks for your time in reading this babble from some random knob from Long Island.

Best wishes,

John

Thanks, John!

Mike rounds it out with a Mike (Nicolosi) story. Mike initially wrote to share a recording he made during the previously mentioned My Father’s Place show (where Nihilistics were videotaped for perhaps the only time). I’m currently working on the audio to clean it up a bit and hope to present it here soon.

So my short Mike story...

Back around 83-85 my buddy Jon and I would trek from our North Shore LI neighborhood (Sea Cliff) to see as many hardcore shows as we could. Due to a lack of transportation, our best chance at seeing a show was to catch the LIRR into Penn Station and make our way downtown to catch whomever was playing. On one of those trips into the city, we were walking down the long hallway that leads out of Penn Station into midtown, when who do we spot walking towards us from the opposite direction? No other than Mike and I'm guessing his girlfriend. I don't remember exactly when, but I'm guessing summer of 84 (or somewhere in that time range) Just so happens that I am also wearing my Nihilistics t-shirt (true, really), he spots the shirt and without missing a beat calls out "We're playing CB's this weekend, ya going?" We mumble some shit, yeah, yeah, sure we're going. In reality we weren't, me and my friend both worked every weekend, no matinees for us. But that's not all. They pass us by and maybe 10–15 feet behind us was an older homeless man walking in the same direction as Jon and I. Again, without missing a beat, Mike just up and yells at the guy, "You piece of human filth!" then spits at him, then they were gone. I swear we just kept walking and were like WTF did we just witness, total shock, frozen. Whole thing felt Sid Vicious-esqe in the worst possible way, 

Still have that Nihilistics shirt btw, pretty ratty, but whatever, memories.

Best,

Mike

Thanks, Mike! And thanks for sneaking your recording Walkman into that My Father’s Place show!

If you’d like to share any Nihilistics recollections, comment below or email me at chris@thenihilistics.com.