A recent city noise control ordinance in Boston has cops cracking down on roving rock shows that don’t take place in formal venues. So they’re posing as punk rockers online to sniff out concert locations so they shut them down more easily. Only problem is their police work reads like an out of touch parent trying to talk to a teen about that new fangled rock and/or roll.
First of all, punk bands are well acquainted with law enforcement efforts to put the kibosh on their shows. It’s been happening for years via phony emails, Twitter DMs, Facebook posts, and so forth. But the recent instances are particularly hilarious. A St. Louis Band called Spelling Bee posted screen shots of some of the Beantown coppers’ efforts to its Facebook page and to Twitter.
unbelievable real e-mails from a boston police officer posing undercover as a "punk" to try & break up a house show. https://t.co/OzqYszpExF
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) March 24, 2013
They got emails from a “fan” called “Boston Punk Zombie,” which is apparently a play on the name of an infamous Boston hardcore gang. Good choice. But the green mohawked, pierced up profile picture looked like it was taken from Shutterstock. Here’s the full text of those messages:
The show was indeed cancelled and moved to another night. And sure, there’s a chance that these emails came from an actual, grammatically challenged gutter punk. But probably not. It’s more likely they were penned by someone’s dad. Someone’s middle-aged, donut eating, police officer dad. Cue the sad Johnny Ramone trombone riff. [Slate]
