The hardcore scene sadly lost a good guy too young. Terry from Product of Waste was hit and killed by a car yesterday night. POW has been around since at least 2004 and put out a lot of great music. Straightforward, pissed hardcore punk with something to say. Terry had a real gift with words -- he wrote good lyrics and he had the rhythm to carry them with power. He made hip hop too but never abandoned the band. He and POW repped Providence but played countless shows in Boston/MA and I am sure they felt at home whenever they played here.
He was a fuck up, that's what they thought/Cuz he never followed their rules/He was a fuck up, that's what they thought/Cuz he didn't do what they wanted him to. Fuck them. |
| POW Camp (Terry in bottom middle) |
I'd met Terry a few times and he was always cool. In summer 2008, Ceremony was playing a show at Club Lido and afterwards there was a house show somewhere in Mission Hill that POW and Ceremony were scheduled to play at. There was an abundance of Miller High Life but no microphone, but it didn't matter, he made his vocal presence known and many singalongs were had, moshing on empty beer bottles in the dusty basement the whole time. Ceremony played next, covered lots of old school punk like Dead Kennedys, and Terry was right there next to me singing along. I was lucky to see POW many times since then and his passing is a real loss to his family, friends, and to our scene. I'm gonna let a view live videos speak for themselves. Rest in Peace.
"We don't need a microphone"
I'm still a bit in shock about this. I've talked with and played a handful of shows with Terry and I'd like to think he felt at home any time he made his way to Jersey as well. That basement show on Mission Hill actually took place in my old apartment. Danny Brooklyn had set it up and told me he would take care of everything, including getting a PA. I showed up to Lido with DB doing the door, stamping everyone's hands with an stamp that had had "Ceremony 9 PM" and my address on it. Of course a ton of people show up before I even got there and immediately start drinking. Ceremony actually decided to play first because they wanted to get their set in before the show got shut down. DB practically disappears and I run to a few places on the Hill trying to borrow mics. I think POW played after them and I know they killed it. I just waited outside to make sure people stayed in my backyard/kept watch for the cops. The Bonus Army played too I think and after a warning from the cops, they shut everything down and I got two tickets that I (had intention to but ultimately) never paid. Sorry for the diversion.
ReplyDeleteTerry was a good guy. A sometimes-odd guy, and I'm positive dabbled in some dubious stuff but never-the-less he was one of us. I can still remember my thoughts watching POW for the first times and just hearing his diction and how you could tell he meant every word. He actually played the first show I had in that basement with a band from Cape Cod called the Search and maybe The Carrier or the Bonus Army. He and Ryan were super cool even though the show sucked and gave me a shirt and their 2005 CD. You'll be remembered, man.
Your comment refreshed my memory Kwame. I mixed up Ceremony playing first and remember running into you and DB on the street towards the end of the show to thank you guys for putting on such an awesome event. I will always remember that show, dudes walking around the backyard with boxes of High Life handing them out willy nilly. The handstamp re: the house show is so awesome. That Lido show was alright but Mission Hill was where it was at.
DeleteFunny you mention Search. That band would eventually morph into the straight edge powerhouse that is now Caught In A Crowd. Thanks for the awesome comment.
That show was so fun, I miss you Kwame! When I found out about Terry dying I had that weird feeling of knowing someone that you were friends with pass away, but also that feeling of not being surprised.
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