Suburban Mucus isn’t merely a companion piece and precursor to the book xXx Fanzine (1983-88) Hardcore & Punk in the Eighties. It’s a three-issue snapshot of the shape of punk to come: turning the dial all the way to the left and discovering a new musical revolution at the dawn of the 1980’s. Co-conceived in 1982 by xXx writer and editor, Mike Gitter, Suburban Mucus was an early vehicle for its high school aged editors to connect with Boston’s burgeoning hardcore sect and stake their claim in the D.I.Y. revolution that forever shifted punk’s paradigm and still echoes loudly today.
In addition to reprinting the fledgling zine’s entire three-issue run, this 64-page book reprints many classic era Boston flyers from hardcore’s early era of inspiration as well as showcasing the photography of Massachusetts native, Claire Sutherland, who shot many key gigs at V.F.W. Halls, church basements and early Boston clubs like The Gallery East and The Channel. With musical cues ranging from then on-the-edge new wavers like Bow Wow Wow and Adam Ant to the explosion of anger that drove the likes of SS Decontrol, Suburban Mucus is testament to the idea of energy-in-motion and becoming a participant rather than a mere spectator.
This 64 page collection includes all three issues of Suburban Mucus, which focused on the Boston hardcore punk scene from the fall of 1982 through the spring of 1983, and features interviews with The Freeze, The FU'S as well as reviews of now classic shows and albums of that era.
