I used to go to every Mental Abuse rehearsal they had on Wednesday nights in Mike Lucas's basement for at least over one year in 1984-85'. Sometimes I was even there when the other band members didn't show up. I think they were one of the best bands around at that time - Dave's drumming - Sid's shouting - both Mike's basses playing the famous "Sock Woman", Korprate Scum", and "No God"'s intros...Paul's Punk guitar and Andy doing the "No God" lead-guitar solo with his teeth. Dave loved that. Dave once played an entire show with 2X4s as sticks.
Big Joe Kirshner - from Montville - was M.A.'s promoter of sorts at the time of the "Streets..." release. Dave gave him a small cut in booking shows at The Showplace. He is the one who got Tommy from Mayhem to come out to New Jersey. Tommy could play drums like sick-fast - Joe loved him. Mayhem had to change their name later to NY-Mayhem. Dave and Joe were producing the demo tapes at Merlin Studios in Whippany, NJ  - the same place they recorded "Streets of Filth" and the "Message from America - Hardcore Comes of Age" comp.
Joe and I did all the promotions for Mental Abuse. I was with him night and day for at least three years. He was the most intimidating-crazy person, but deep down he was pretty calm and normal. We invested a lot of time in Mental Abuse because we liked them so much. I had a mailroom job at the time, so I would create all the logos and make all the copies there. I also did most of the artwork for Mental Abuse. I created the Mental; Abuse logo (above). I also thought-up and made the Sid Sludge Dollar bills (see M.A. page). We used to give them to Sid, and he'd throw them off stage.Joe and I created that green C.O.C.-Mayhem-Mental Abuse flyer (I did the M.A. and Mayhem logos on it). The Mental Abuse logo was actually a sticker. I also created a huge Mental Abuse stencil that had real large letters (like one foot tall)...and we painted it in two places: one was on Dave's official Mental Abuse tour van, and the other on the Macy's wall at the Rockaway Mall. It was there at least until 1989.
Joe created the Death-Mayhem-Seizure-Mental Abuse flyer. We never did get Death to come up from Florida to do that show. Almost all the guys from ANTHRAX - Scott Ian, the drummer, and at least two of the guitar playes were at the Showplace for the Mental Abuse-Mayhem show because Tommy was friends with Dan Lilker from Nuclear Assault. Dan Lilker, Billy Milano, Scott, and the drummer were all friends and were just forming S.O.D. then. I can still remember the pit-circle, and Scott Ian slamming to "sock Woman"....
Of course there was the DEAD HIPPIE fanzine....the first one was fun. I helped draw the stuff - I did the Hippie hanging from the noose...I remember writing that Agnostic Front should change their name to Mercifull Front or Agnostic Fate because they put out that first Metal sounding LP. The fanzine was a little harsh, a little nasty, and probably a little sexist. We hated that Hardcore was going Metal at that time, and all those lines were crossing, the Rock Hotel was closeing, shows went from 5-8-to-10$...up to $15 at the Ritz.
Then....it all seemed to be over. Mental Abuse broke up. Joe moved to Woodbridge, then Later to Brooklyn. He was pretty good friends with Billy Psycho, and they would book shows at Lance's (drummer for Criminal Instincts) house in Dover. It was called CLUB HELL. We put colored lights up - Criminal Instincts played, Mental Abuse played - Joe got Youth Defense League to come out from New Yory (they were like 14-15 years old)...and because Joe put up flyers in NY, all these punks took the train to Dover and walked to Lance's house. Then, because Joe brought in kegs of beer and Bar-B-Q'd outside, they all got so drunk they'd have to stay over till the next day. It was a blast. Lance totally didn't care.
Joe once put an ad in the Aquarian saying Mental Abuse were looking for girls to dance topless, and he got a bunch of hate mail.
We really thought Mental Abuse wre gonna be huge. They should have never stopped.
Mental Abuse actually had a video for "No God". It's got a scene in the beginning with Sid sitting in a record producer'soffice, smoking a cigar, telling Sid to become a Rock Star...and Sid is saying "No..I don't want to be a Rock Star", then there's the band walking up the street - there's some girls with them - and then the song has some live footage. It got played at the Ritz (at some show) and the crowd was going crazy. It was produced by Johnny Costello - who produced The Records.

Dave Jones (drummer) was in several projects as well. Dave was in Agnostic Front, but before that he was in the Energetiks. They did "Get-Away"...that later Mental Abuse covered. Dave sang on that song in the Energetiks, and also sings the she came over to my house" part in "Sock Woman". After Mental Abuse, Dave went on and formed CLENCHED FIST - STATE OF SURVIVAL - and later an incarnation of Mental Abuse called: MENTAL FLOSS. They played in my basement; they first had a singernamed Brian, and one of the guys from BORN AGAINST. And later, Dave got Sid to do some vocals. Mental Floss played at WFMU, and at one time had "Freddy" Rogers little brother Madball singing for a couple weeks. They played "It's My Life"...and Freddy would go to Dave's father's house in Boonton and rehearse. Later, Madball put that song on their 7".

Dave was a great producer and creator of music.. He would "run the band". Without him, most of the bands couldn't keep it together. He got in a pretty serious car accident in 86' and was bound up in a hospital in Newark for one month. One month later, he regained his strength, asked me to play drums, and he would sing. We formed the band JOYRIDE. It wa Larry Carey (drums), Dave Jones (vocals), Paul Dieter (guitar), and aron Cambell (bass). We rehearsed at Dave's house in Branchville, NJ. Paul and Aaron left after three rehearsals - at Stars in East Hanover - then Dave got Pete Vanderberg (bass), and Anthony (guitar). We rehearsed at Anthony's house.  The whole time Dave wasin recovery, so this was very important for him to do this music. It was an eclectic sound - kinda Rockish - kinda Countryish - kinda Hardcore. Dave wrote all the lyrics, and some of the songs were from Clenched Fist...that we did slower. We did a show outside in PA at Dave's rehabilitation hospital. Dave believed that music was a great healing thing. They took at least 100 patients out on wheelchairs and everything, and assembled them on the lawn on a great sunny day - and we did the show. Dave sang sitting down. It was very special. Later Dave let people play our instruments. He was truely genuine and real. Mental Abuse once did a show at Greystone Park. Dave told me he loved doing Hardcore in front of lunatics.
JOYRIDE did our second and final show at the Showplace. This country Skynard tribute band and some poppy-metal band opened for us. Dave could still just call the guy at the Showplace and get a gig. He had clought. So we did an interesting gig; Dave was in a real heavy sweater and leather pants - Anthony had a small ringing-like-shit amplifier - Pete looked like an intellectual - and I had shorty hair and a Bad Brains tee-shirt. We ended up with a pretty decent tape off the board - every song sounds different. The last song that we did was called "Mike Lucas" - it's a tribute to Mike and another girl (Ana) who died doing drugs. It really felt good to be back at the Showplace after 3-4 years.
Larry Carey - December, 2001
EARWAX RETRO FANZINE - Add-On Page.
The following essay on MENTAL ABUSE was contributed by Larry Carey - friend and promoter of the band for many years. More than just an update, this article says a lot about the culture of the times, an interesting glimpse at the Hardcore lifestyles, and the many faces that came into play through the world created by Mental Abuse. Please visit Larry's site dedicated to Sid Sludge and Mental abuse for more information, stories, and memorbilia. Thanks again Larry!
SID SLUDGE & MENTAL ABUSE site.
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UPDATED INFORMATION provided by Sean Rogers (formerly of The Out Group):
Dean Jones (formerly of the Energetics) has helped put together an OUT GROUP website. This was an early 80's Hardcore band that included Sid Sludge and Dave Jones just prior to Mental Abuse being formed. It provides a lot of interest and more information on the NJHC scene. The website includes a band history, tapeography, and some flyers from this era. Click on the Out Group name above.