Ratskellar Tribute Continued

Rat Tribute Continued

I am so fucking sick of everyone's bullshit!!! why don't you all grow up...what the fuck happened to having a good times TOGETHER at shows...we need to put our differences aside...if you don't like the rat or the middle east. then you don't (or didn't) have to go. simple as that! and as far as bashing bands for nor being DIY enough...maybe they cant help it...or maybe they just don't want to be. a lot of you need a reality check...yeah...it would be nice if everything was cheap, bands could make enough money for all the recording shit from shows, and people were cool about letting bands play at their churches and halls...but I don't see it happening any time soon, so just deal with it

To all the shinz I send my apology to i made some dumb remarks as a joke and im sorry i have no prob. with you and i hope you forgive me.
el nino

im sick of kidz that say there d.i.y but dont do any thing. And also im sick of you jerks of avery time i do a show you can just fuck it and just walk away and keep us there to clean up the mess. As of now the only place left in boston to do shows is the 1st&2end church, no doubt that these guys wont let us do show, because you are going to end up messing it up and one more time walking away and having us get in the shit so just if you are going to do something dumb to away from the hall. love hds show at church 29 hds unseen etc @ 5:00
rocker of hds

I don't want to get into the whole war but this page is for people to remember the rat, not for useless DIY fucks to make fun of us....go fuck yourselfes you stupid hippies!

To all those going to the Middle East show on June 2nd. Number one I kinda question that but lets get past that. Fukeverything up, break toilets, tables windows, their expensive doors leading to the downstairs, break the friggin barrier in front of the stage, steal all the alcohol, get drunk, tag everything in sight, steal all the crap you can and sell it, so you can make a profit off of THEM, break light bulbs, tear down pictures, clog up the toilets (after breaking them), set fires, bring in pictures of the rich owner and burn them, watch your friends backs, pogo til you puke, make the bands actually sell their shirts for 5$, pass out propaganda, break mirrors, tear down the railings, stand on the stage (stagediving is for pricks, unless you don't way much then I guess its okay), beating up that greaser bouncer from the Rat who liked to beat young kids (he'd do anything for a feel),book a show, have fun, cheers FUkTheClUBscene!!!! DIY OR DIE a//e !
Likes DIy still FYIP@fukyuImpunk.com

notice how its the diy politicaly radicle asshole who are consatly usning the internat as a forum for bashing the rat scene? also there is nothing wrong with having a lot of monet and if i was evr in a band that could do that then fuck yeah you bet id be raking in the dough. i just get soooooo sick of the middle class anarchists talking shit all the time. wake up! at 17 you dont know everything! ..... come to think of it i didnt know they had internet connections in sqats...or is it that you just dress like your poor for punk points?
matt

ok.. im not from Boston, im from Chicago. But reading this.. you damn Boston kids look like a bunch of infighting bastards. Good god.. do ANY of you know the plight of being in a band? Makin 7"s isnt as easy as paying a dollar to print em, you gotta pay for studio time, The printing of the covers and shit.. And then you have to worry about selling them all or your in the hole, which sucks, cuz you put your own HARD EARNED money into it. Here in chicago we stick together, and support the scene. And if the Fireside was to stop puttin on shows, that dont matter cuz we got plenty of kids waiting to put on shows in warehouses and skate parks and churchs and wherever. To think you dont even appreciate that you have bands lke The Bruisers and DKM, who you should be happy for, for having found success. Im glad im part of such a together scene.. we always thin theres a lot of shit here, but from what ive read on here.. its nothing. oh well.. BTW... i was reffered to this by someone wh! o thought i'd be interested or something.. oh well... love, SWAT
Kevin M. Bee IHateSWAT@aol.com

Hmm, how to respond? (not that anyone asked me to) Well, first of all, while the manufacturing of the actual records themselves may be relatively inexpensive, what really kills you is the money spent at the recording studio - and besides, "a few hundred" records times one dollar is a few hundred dollars! That thing about GMM really does suck ass, though. I heard they had a white power band, but I thought, well, maybe they didn't know when they signed 'em. But if it's really true that the the owner's married to the ho', then he obviously knows they're a white power band. That really sucks, especially since I have the Ducky Boys CD. If it turns out that Mark knew GMM had a nazi band and he still signed with them, then I'll just shit. Hopefully, that's not the case. But as far as me saying that the former Rat bands and the DIY kids should lose their attitude being a load of crap because the Trouble had an attitude, what are you talking about? Isn't that half of what I said? And don't tell me that the DIY kids don't have an attitude, too! Anyways, I don't know about other people, but the reason I like bands like Dropkick Murphys is essentially the MUSIC! I would love it if every dollar I ever spent went towards a good cause - but really, we're not talking about actual "rock stars" here who are making millions of dollars off of fans and spending it on mansions and cars. Assholes like Puff Daddy and Marilyn Manson are rock stars. We're talking about a local rock scene where the money, even if it technically goes into the band member's "pockets," is really for expenses. No one outside of New England knows who the Pinkerton Thugs are. Neither do 99.9% of the people in New England now that I think about it. Take one of my all-time favorite bands, H20. They're a full-time, touring band. I GUESS they're "making money." But really, that just means they're making a living by playing music which is what they want to do. They're not ripping people off or taking their "profits" and putting it into real estate so they can rip more people off. They just make enough money so they can continue to tour and record and not have to go back to regular crappy jobs. I would suggest that is exactly what Dropkick Murphys did, and more power to them because of it. That's great that some DIY bands will play for no money, but you can't afford to do that all the time. And besides, have any of them written a song like "Barroom Hero"? Of course, that may be subjective, but I guess what I'm trying to say is: on what do you base your decision as to what bands you listen to? I base it on the music, not how cool they are because no one's ever heard of them or because they only play DIY shows, and not on how "punk" they are. Let's face it: punk rock is too awesome and the number of people who like it too large for there to be any one set of values, etc. that everyone who listens to it has to conform to. Whatever. One final thing I'd like to say is that I hope everyone doesn't act wicked stupid at the "last" all-ages show at the Middle East June 2nd. I can just see people going off and breaking shit, thereby ensuring it will REALLY be the last all-ages show there.
Paddy K. kennedpd@bc.edu

Alright, I wrote the letter about the scumbags who call themselves punks who steal all the money from you kids at shows. Alright, someone made a comment saying ,if DIYers could bring themselves to book bands like the Trouble or the Ducky Boys - and, conversely, if those bands could bring themselves to play a DIY show- so they're not always playing in New Hampshire and Worcester, for God's sake.' Thats a load of crap. I know someone who tryed to book the Trouble and one of the members (I'll say Sam to protect his anonimity) told him to stop calling, that they get enough shows as it is. Total cock rock attitude. Another comment,"It costs a lot of money to make tapes or 7"s, too, and there's no guarantee people will buy 'em so you could conceivably get stuck with a bunch of records and call it a loss." Well, first off, it is extremely costly to make a 7". THey cost roughly a dollar to make, and if you don't know if they're gonna sell, you make a few hundred at a time, and come the time they sell out (no, not like the Dropkick Murphys, I mean run out) you get it repressed. Now, how many of the beloved Boston bands actually released records and CD's on their own? Dropkick Murphys, GMM + SOny distributed Epitaph spawn Hellcat, The Trouble = GMM, Suc, oops, DUcky Boys = GMM, :30 Secs. Over Tokyo = Beer City, etc. Now all you who say 'oh, theres nothing wrong with Epitaph. blah blah blah', please go away. Go make Nike and McDonalds richer (boy do I wish I had Mark Duckys quote about that from December, cock). I'm glad there's kids who actually care and don't support your big rock star 'scene', its a friggin club scene for christs sake, just like raves!!! One last point, I'd like to say something about GMM. GMM rec! ords has a band called Man's Ruin. Man's Ruin is a all-female crap white power band that actually thanks Skrewdriver for inspiration inside their CD. Better yet, the guy who runs GMM is married to a member of the band. So basically I'm saying that if you support GMM you're basically a nazi symp. Alright, all those who want their scene just handed it to them, go away. DIY or DIE, hahahahah club kids SUCK!! so long,
I like DIY hardcore4thekids@notforthefukingsystem.com

Now that I think of it, a lot of people did get in for free there. I got in for free all the time. True, the $7 would have been exorbitant had I ever paid it, but maybe that would have been better than the place going out of business. Anyways, yeah, Tom down there is right. This infighting is really ridiculous when you think about it. But again I reiterate, where the hell are these halls or whatever that hold DIY shows? Hull? Clinton? If it's not on the T (for example the one at Emerson a few weeks ago), then I can't go, and neither can a lot of people, and now w/ the Middle East scared off of having good punk shows, there's a serious dearth of shows you can get to. Maybe if a) whoever the kids who actually have the time to put on these shows (and props to ya) would put up a website or put up more signs at Newbury or something to publicize and b) if a lot of people would lose the attitude - i.e., if DIYers could bring themselves to book bands like the Trouble or the Ducky Boys - and, conversely, if those bands could bring themselves to play a DIY show- so they're not always playing in New Hampshire and Worcester, for God's sake. - that's great for people who live in NH, Worcester and Clinton, etc., but lousy for those who live here. Especially when some of these bands are from Boston! I know the Boys&Girls Club in Charlestown, where the Ducky Boys are from, has let bands play there in the past. And there are plenty of church gyms there, Dorchester, West Roxbury - freakin' everywhere that you can take a T, bus, walk or easily get a ride to. Someone with more gumption than I should try to book shows there. Otherwise, we'll no longer be able to talk about the "Boston" punk scene.
Pat "The Windbag" Kennedy kennedpd@bd.edu

well looks like the rat's demise spreads. lots of clubs have closed since november, and the middle east ending all ages shows forever will be a HUGE blow. i can sympathize with the "rat pack"ers and the DIY kids. but you both need to work together. no fighting. the middle east sucked, but it was a place to have shows. All you club kids, go support DIY/church shows. all you DIY kids, help in the effort to get a new place for shows. together we can make the scene great again.
tom bostonpunk@thegeek.net

Yeah, in a roundabout way, that's what I meant.
-pk

To that person saying the DKM's took all that money from the Rat----Anytime they were garunteed money, they used it to pay fro the other bands they booked. Or they were smart and got paid for performing abd put it in the bank to further support the band. Would they have been cooler if they only asked to be paid in 40s? That would be punk rock. That would make them worthy. Who the f--- are you anyway?? Obviously one of the suckers who actually paid to get in!!!
Amy

DIY KIDS, WE DON'T FUCKIN CARE SO WRITE YOUR SHIT SOMEWHERE ELSE.STOP TRYING TO MAKE THINGS HARDER FOR US.

damn.. i was planning on coming to Boston to see a bunch of shows and go to the Rat..and then i find out it closed. it just fucking sucks
deirdre

:I left my science book there,now I'm $40 in the hole
mike n/a

Hmm, a band getting $500-800 to play a show. Wow, that almost gets you out of the hole you spent yourself into by buying amps and microphones - and instruments in the first place! I've never gotten my shit together to start a band myself, but friends of mine who have been in bands and played the Rat did it for fun and weren't raking in cash. It costs a lot of money to make tapes or 7"s, too, and there's no guarantee people will buy 'em so you could conceivably get stuck with a bunch of records and call it a loss. And let's not forget, it's not as if there were only like ten bands (DKM, Duckys, etc.) who were the only bands who ever played there. Big D and the Kids Table used to play the Rat all the time and they're cool shit. They played at my school last year for no charge because the door proceeds were for the Ignacio Volunteer program, and when Big D's record release at TT's was 18+, they played that for nothing so all their under 18 fans could get in. Don't get me wrong, the concept of DIY is obviously better than a club making money, but I don't fault myself or the many other people who patronized the Rat (right at Kenmore) for not having cars or knowing how the hell to get to such-and-such church hall to see bands of about the same or lesser quality.

Patrick L. Kennedy kennedpd@bc.edu

The first time I went to the Rat, was one of the last shows. I spent most of the time sitting on the ledge next to the stage, getting smoke blow into my face by some chick in fishnets. I can't say I'll miss the Rat itself, but I will miss the all-ages shows
Niani

To all the dumb kids who cannot realize why they shut down the Rat, its because of money. The Rat wasn't even close to being DIY, it was a money making club like the Paradise or Avalon. It cost, from what I've heard, 500$ to put on a show at the Rat. And those who booked the shows (Shall I say Mark Ducky) couldn't help but get somem of the profit. Figure this, a saturday matinee show @ The Rat. 5 bands, 400 people, 7 bucks a head, that brings in roughly 2800$. If the headlining band asks for a guarentee of 500$, they will get it. Too much, unless they are in in it for the money with most of your beloved punk bands are (before their demise, Dropkick Murphys were getting a guarentee of 800$ a show, ha), anyways. The rest of the bands will get maybe a total of 500$ if they're lucky. With the club fee of 500$, that brings us to the extra 1300$ left over. Where does this go? Whoever puts on the show decides this. If they please it'll go into his pocket. If he cared about! anything it'd go to charity, to help ABC NO RIO, etc. So that leaves us with the question, what did Mark Ducky or whoever put on these shows do with the money? On to the last point. The owner of the club obviously sold the place. That man had two (?) sons who could've taken over and run the club. Nope, he wanted to buy a yacht. So much for the legacy of the Rat. Goodbye, and goodday. LONG LIVE DIY!!!! A // E
exposingthescene whatswrongwithkidstoday@giveusafuture.com

A while back my old band Youth Hostile played a show, probably with you guys, where our guitarist got his foot broken. so, we put him in the car, gave him a 40, got him nice and drunk, and then brought him to the hospital. the biggest thing i'll miss about the rat are the crazy parking lot people. they sure loved us that day.
Soren sns2@lehigh.edu

Back in the hayday, I was in high school, I saw Negative FX, SSD, Gang Green and many other hardcore shows at the Rat. Few years ago I went back and saw my old Westwood buddies at Tree and they fuckin rocked. It,s about the times and area your in cause its different but you kids should check out UTILITY from Westwood, MA, they are fuckin great. R.I.P, HOSS
Henry Chiv mincemeat@hotmail.com

Hey i knew it was comming for a while the owner sucks and was useless and he paid cheap $$$ ill miss the rat,but hey life gos on,ill drink else where,the middle east does suck though but hey,i wanna see shows so i go,the rats dead but you must carry on OI!
Jonoskin

I USED TO GO TO SHOWS TWICE A MONTH AT THE RAT AND I SAW THE BEST SHOW EVER WITH WARZONE DROPKICKS AND THE BUSINESS. I'LL NEVER GET USED TO NOT GOING TO THE RAT ON SUNDAYS. I'LL ALWAYS MISS THE RAT. SOB SOB.
PETE (LOKI) CAMPBELL XGODLOKI@HOTMAIL.COM

The Rat's DEAD?!?.......Fuck that shit!!!!!
Leech No address...

To all the kids who are whining, "oh, I wish there was another place for to have shows at", get off your lazy ass and do something!! Put together a show. It isn't that hard. And if you think it is too much work then obviously you could care less about this 'scene'. Wasn't it nice when someone would just take their own time and call up the club or VFW, church, etc. and book the place, call up the bands, make flyers and spend time passing them out so all you kids had something to do rather than just sit around. A scene shouldn't just be handed to you. Everyone should be involved in it if it should thrive. You can't buy the scene. Putting on a show, passing out info/ flyers, and generally keeping a positive attitude and respecting those around you is more of a contribution your money could ever make. Another thing you have to realize how profitable punk is now in Boston. In Boston we basically have a club scene. We need to start to have more DIY shows, its! a disgrace. Punk , not profit.
your mom fusocal77

hell,i live in california,and ive always wanted to go to the rat,and i was planning on going to there for my 98 summert vacation,but its closed ,there really is a great scene in boston,the best in fact,the rat will be missed even though i wasnt there
ozzie hammad shindigOI@aol.com

What can I say ? Those were some great memories !! Even if there was a crappy band playin, you would still go and chill. I've only been there like 7 times, but the closing was the most depressing things off the year. I'm hoping a new Rat will open up. Setup like a new place to go see some cheap punk shows on a sun afternoon.
Jon Marcantonio JMarc15@aol.com

I thought the Rat was nice for shows I will always think of it and miss it : >(`
Luke skin@gis.net

boykotiert die bundestagswahl '98 unser Kanzlerkandidat : Gerhard Lauck Europa f�r weissen - Afrika f�r die Affen! packt die neger auf ein boot und schickt sie auf die reise wenn gott es gewollt h�tte, da� es schwule gibt, h�tte er es adam und steve genannt ian s. Jefferson-davies
funboy ----------

Well I stopped going so much. But I have an excuse - I'm way too old for that shit. It's too bad though, cuz where's my new band gonna play? It was alway our favorite place in my old band. They always treated us well and kept asking us back. The band was Ragweed, who I know no one knows. But that's OK, cuz I don't remember your band either... except facts about Rats, who were great! As they say, all good things must come to an end. Where is the next Rat in Boston? If you find out, don't tell the Lyons brothers. They'll but it and turn it into a fucking fern bar. The Rat will be missed.
Charlie creitzel@mediaone.net

The Rat was one of the first places i ever saw punk shows I guess the first show i ever saw there was the stains from Maine in 1980 Possibly the best sound of any small club in boston...though the bathrooms were always an adventure....Who will fill the void?
Mach 313 Mach313@aol.com

Of course, it closed down the year I was finally allowed to go to shows on my own in Boston. I have never been there, but I know what it did for the scene, and how much we're hurting now for the loss of it.
Steve Mishkin009@aol.com

I went to a couple HC shows at the ole' dirty Rat in my time. It was the place to be, even if it was dirty and disgusting. My greatest memories of hardcore have got to be from there, even if they're not yet distant memories. Like when 25 ta Life was supposed to play and showed up an hour after the show ended. Al the crust punk kids had showed up for the night show with Toxic Narcotics. 25 played in front of like 15 of us, some kids who had stayed from the day show and a few punkers who came down that fabled staircase to see what it was all about. So many good bands...Blood For Blood Dropkick Murphy's, In My Eyes, H20, 25. Whether you were from Boston or not you had to love that place.
By the way, does anyone know who that big albino skinhead guy was?
Patrick kzl3@marist.maristb.edu

Okay, the Rat closed down because the owner was an asshole who mismanaged the place. He gave everyone two days notice and closed it down. Anyone who really belonged there was there till the end on the last night when all the bottles were flying and the furniture going out the door. ( i and countless others have full kitchen sets now) . But I just want to say that there were shows there almost every other day. Its too bad some of you poor sods didn't discover it until it was too late. But most of you only came to shows with big name acts or only danced if you knew all the lyrics to the songs. There were so many times when there was only 40 people would show up. People are claiming we paid too much and the bouncers harassed people or something...The bouncers were awesome skins who took care of their own and I can't remember the last time I paid there. You all are complaining about the scene falling apart...if your idea of a scene is wrapped up in where a band plays, then hang out with your parents next weekend instead of coming out. I have booked shows out here before and it's not easy, but at least us skins try. We are tight always because it goes deeper than a club. The Rat was a home to us, and we're over it and trying to make something new happen. Combine your efforts and perhaps you will find something new to talk about.....

i've been to tons of shows at the Rat and it was my favorite club in Boston. I've got a shit load of memories there. Up tHe PunX !!
Steve Wheeler Swheeler23@aol.com

Damnt, who gives a fuck about the Rat closing, in my opinion, its time to move on to the next fashion trend!! But, I just was recall some memories about the Rat. I always loved paying $7 dollars to socialize, get drunk, and not even pay attention to the bands playing! I also LOVED making the kids who didnt dress right feel uncomfortable! I mean, the morons didnt buy the $60 dollar bondage belts or studs, they cant be punk without those, dont forget spiking your hair!!! I would just look at them and laugh in their face! Well, this scene sucks, i was just in it for the fashion, mainly because it made me feel cool. I dont wanna bother with DIY because Icould give a fuck about the Boston Punk Scene! Well, time to buy all the fashionable clothes and goto that kickin rave Boom up in NH. Oh ya, I also loved pretending I was working class when my daddy is head of a major corporation and has 5 cars!! I guess you can say I couldnt stand up to my true backround, i mean after all, punks can only be working class!! Well, to those that actually care about the scene, good luck!!!
FashionPunker FashionPunk1@aol.com

I live in the suburbs surrounding the Rat, and I remember seeing one of my first shows there. It was really great because I got to met a lot of nice people and just hang out and have fun. This is what punk has always meant to me, and I`ll try not to let go of this in my mind. The show I went to was The Unseen, Tom and the Boot Boys, The Casualties, and some other Japanese Hardcore band. Anyways, I personally think that it sucks that it stopped it`s business, but we need to get more D.I.Y. basement/hall shows anyways, and make our own flyers for a change. (A)PEACE(E)
Tom M. PunkFan14@aol.com

HEY! I have an idea, lets get a Rat Benifit show. have a ton of bands and record them and take the money and make a CD and dedicate it to The Rat. It won't open the rat back up, but it will be fun and give the kids and bands something to do.
Monique GovMoon@aol.com

I got put in a full nelson by THE Iran Sheik at some crappy show back in 1991
matt rowley Matt Rowley@33degree.com

Bruisers, Showcase showdown, U.S. Bombs, LES Stitches, and the Dropkick Murphys would definiately be awesome to see, i regret seeing NONE of these great bands.
Katie

i have heard too little and too much about the Rat...in boston...ooh. as a person still living at home and going to shows that are only close to me, i planned that i'd goto the Rat someday when i got older. but now no. im not that sad, but the same thing happened around where i live, and i think that Boston punk rockers need to have shows somewhere else, or fucking take over the so-called middle east. DIY means do it yourself, nothing is going to be handed to you. things are going to be taken away, such as the Rat, but you have to fucking change the situation. thanx, katie
Katie d3trimentl@aol.com

Boston is the greatest place- The scene here has always been very unified. Now I see that it's falling apart around us! See what I wrote in the guestbook about a new organization S.O.S. Working twards the reunification of Boston Hardcore,punk and OI! We need everyones help!!We're currently tring to book benefit shows, collect bands for a comp., we might put out a zine as well. So, If you care so much about this scene then get off your fat ass and DO something. Thanks to the bands that got back to me- I'll be in touch real soon. With love and Boston Pride, Miss. Mae-o
Miss. Mae-O MaeoNize@aol.com

NoW MORE THEN EVER WE MUST UNITE AND TAKE BACK WHATS OURS!SEE WHAT I WROTE IN THE GUESTBOOK ABOUT S.O.S GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GET INTOUCH. UNITE!UNITE!UNITE!We have the best scene here, LETS NOT LET IT FALL THROUGH OUR FINGERS!
Mae-O MaeoNize@aol.com

he place was like a second home to me! Open it forever
Chris s.

my biggest regret was never going to the famous Rat. smelly, grimy, whatever was said about it, i always wanted to go. and maybe find out who Joe King met there.
dan DNIELJADLIK@aol.com

I never met het at The Rat, but I wis I did. Mike MikeST21@aol.com

I MISS DUNSTON! This sucks now, I wanna go back to New Jersey. Yeah, it's me again. I'm just a pain in the ass I guess. I also remember hanging out with some guy from Toxic Narcotic my first show because they dropped me crowdsurfing and I hit my head, meeting Dave and lugging crates full of Retrogression 'zine out the door, showing up at the One Way System show really really sick and sitting on the stage coughing, the time Dunston had a SuperSoaker 2000 and it was fucking 110 degrees in there, picking up my jacket and being like, "I coulda sworn I had more spikes than this!", protesting outside McDonald's, how my parents wouldn't let me inside after shows 'cuz I smelled so bad, tripping in some kitty litter-beer-cum-sweat-shit concoction on the floor and suddenly having a gray shirt instead of a white one, the two girls with tri-hawks at One Way System who were pogo-ing, the photographers and how I always thought, "I should bring my camera some time..." Punk is kinda stale for me right now. It makes me sad. I'm listening to the Anti-Nowhere League and thinking back to the good old days...I've b! een here for almost a year and now all of a sudden I hate it. Damn.
ratgirl a.k.a. Annie ReXik i_wanna_riot@hotmail.com

I just want everyone to know, I've written this page lots of times, but right now I'm sitting here crying my fucking eyes out.
witheld withheld

WE ALL MISS THE RAT..NOW WHAT, ALL WERE DOIN IS CRYIN ABOUT IT, WELL WE SOULD ALL GET OURSELVES TOGETHER AND STOP ALL THIS NONSENCE AND FUCKING DO SOMETHING!!! ACTIONS ARE LOUDER THAN WORDS SO SHUT UP, AND GET OFF YOUR ASS, UNITE AND SAVE THIS PUNK SCENE THATS FALLING APART UNDER OUR LAZY BUTTS!!!!!THIS CLUB MUST BE TAKEN OVER BY US! NOT BY SOME OTHER PERSON WHO WILL RUN IT FRO US THEN CLOSE DOWN...SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE AND THE RAT MUST BE REBORN AGAIN!!!!!IM JUST A LITTLE PUNK KID, WHAT DO I KNOW?? I KNOW THAT THIS WAS A SYMBOL OF THE FACT THAT THIS SCENE IS GONNA DIE, AND WERE JUST GONNA SIT BACK AND CRY AND LET THEM TAKE CONTROL OF WAS OURS. WELL, WE SHOULD TAKE BACK WHATS OURS, REACH INTO OUTR PUNK HEARTS AND GET THE RAT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YANA POOPUNK@HOTMAIL.COM

WHY DID THEY CLOSE IT DOWN?????
ME POOPUNK@HOTMAIL.COM

i can't believe they closed the RAT, i mean i went to my first show there now i'm gonna have to go to the middle east,that place sucks dick.the RAT was the place to be i mean it was the best scene in boston.i met alot of good friends there and seen alot of kick ass bands.now there turning the place into a fucking jazz club,i'd rather them burn the fucking place.THE BOSTON PUNK SCENE WILL LIVE ON BUT NO OTHER PLACE CAN COMPARE TO THE RAT. R.I.P.
JASON LINEHAN

Hey Hey Hey Hey Hey...
Hi my name is j. and i basicly wanted to say that the closing of the Rat was the end of an era. I spent the best years of my life there. I first started going there when I was 9 and I'm 16 now. Alot of shit happened there especially in the bathroom I just really sorry it closed. Thanks for the space
Jp J. pro Senet@rocketmail.com

Showcase Showdown, The New Bomb Turks, The Lombardies, The very first punk show I have ever seen. I saw it at the Rat. The Rat wasnt just a place to go to shows, It was part of the whole punk scene. Telling us that the Rat has closed down forever is like telling a skinhead he can't ever pick up a beer again. The Rat will live in our hearts forever and no self respecting punk or skin will ever forget how much the Rat ment to them. R.I.P The Rathsleller. Oi! Oi! Oi!
The Suburban Rejects Oioioitsr@aol.com

People can say what they want about the Rat, it was dirty, gross, whatever. People can say that it was just a shitty place where bands played. People can say that there will be more clubs and the scene will go on and everyone should stop crying. Well I am not one to dwell but when I moved to Boston in the Summer of 96 I was pretty lost. I had no roots here and knew no one. Let me tell you that the Rat was the first place here where I could feel at home. The hardcore and punk scenes were the first people to truly welcome me and some of my best and closest friends are people I met at the Rat. I had a lot of good times at the Rat. A lot of people wouldn't go- (too dirty, too many troublemakers, etc.) so the people who did hang out had a sort of brotherhood that will be hard to replace elsewhere. The scene has not been the same since. So all of you assholes who don't get it can go to hell because it wasn't your place anyways!
Lisa Hirsch lhirsch@lynx.neu.edu

I was there the closing day and remeber vividly Boiling Man telling the crowd to burn the place down. I also remember almost crawling out of the mosh pit almost complete passed out because of the lake of venalation inside the place. Yeah I think back to it and those were the days.
matt pornojimmy@hotmail.com

You fucking pricks. Your club sucks. I was at the last show there and it was great. You really fucked up now that you closed it down. FUCK OFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JIMMY JONES pornojimmy@hotmail.com

It's all very sad the rat closed. I loved da place, but enough of the emotional SHIT! IT's TIME FOR US SKINS TO TAKE ACTION. SO THE RAT CLOSED DOWN, LETS SCHEDULE SHOWS, START BANDS! THE BOSTON OI COMMUNITY IS FUCKING WEAK RIGHT KNOW! WE MUST SAVE OUR MUTHERFUCKIN' MUSIC BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS! GET OFF YOUR ASS AND SKINS UNITE!!!!!
Jack "OI!" Turnbull

There so much to say about the rat I couldn't possibly tell it all in one paragraph...I'll sum it up really quickly. THE MIDDLE EAST SUCKS COCK!
Jack Turnbull

I can sum up the Rat scene in three words, Drink, Fuck, Fight. I'm ashamed to say I learned that by being a part of it. Looking back on those days now, I realize I could have had the same experience going to a keg party with the football players and cheerleaders from my highschool. Many of the people who went to shows at the Rat never even bothered to go inside to hear the bands, they just sat outside drinking and looking cool. I'm offended that that's all punk rock means to you people. Maybe instead of going to the Rat you should have read a book, I know I should have.
Jaime Katy.Alsup@reed.edu

the rats gone so what h.d.s rules and you suck, love to all from el nino from h.d.s. by the way show at th espresso bar april 5from 3 to 7 doors at 2:30 the bristles h.d.s toxic and more all come $7 dont sit home with a finger up your but!
el nino

I went to the Rat once in a while to see a band that had the misfortune of playing there. But for the most part while the majority of the Boston "scene" paid too much, got harassed by bouncers, and saw the same bands over and over again, a few of us decided to make our own scene where bands and audience were treated like human beings, where door costs were low, where violence was minimal, and where counterculture was more important than fashion. The Rat was shithole, but there were always alternatives. It's a shame that the "scene" only looks for them when someone pulls the rug out from under them. DIY means making your own scene not having it handed to you.
St@n/Krema-1 svysotsk@lynx.neu.edu

it was the best damn place for punk. I never seen it or anything, but being a place where bands could preform, i think thats cool. it gave bands a place to start out at. like the Dropkick murpyhs and what not. i wish it never closed. i was so on my way to see the , rat! rip!
Patrick Murphy77s

Hey Matt, you're really the living end! I just happened to brush by this page and right at the top you're going on and on about little 'ol me! Well, I flushed a deep crimson with embarrasment! I'm guessing that you're the person who thought I was serious in my little "rat" post until I explained to you the concept of sarcasm (your keen grammar suggests this level of intelligence). So by calling me a fag I assume that you mean to say I'm a wimp through connotation and not that I literally enjoy sex with men (or am a bundle of sticks)? Actually none of these things are true, not that I wouldn't mind trying them. I'm "too much of a pussy not to be intimidated by the people in streetpunk...[I] constantly bashes the boston scene on his old web page"? This wins points not only for being devoid of logic, but for not even qualifying as English (I mean, your tenses are screwed)! You racists really should learn your own language before you knock everyone else! First off,! I never "bashed" the Ducky Boys, Trouble, or any other stupid Boston "punk" bands until they started talking shit about me behind my back and sending me hate mail, and then I only said that they should get over the ego trip because I could care less about them. As for the Paxton Boys, why would I have to hear the msuic to justify my comments, which were in direct reaction to the statements they made on their webpage and in letters to me, which praised White Power music. I know you skinhead geniuses can't understand how praising Nazis is Nazi sympathy, but we won't pick on you for your genetic flaws. As for your accusations Matt, I may be a fag-lover, feminist, and even a PC shit stabber (!!), but I have enjoyed myself at the Rat a few times (we all know that Skinhead is traditionally one of the most homoerotic subcultures), and though I may be sensitive, chances are that I'd make you run home crying to your mommy if you ever had to back up your shit talking. I never moved! to NJ either, and I'll be living in Boston on and off in the future, so maybe I'll run over you some time. Until then, brush up on your spelling and consider getting a clue (or a hobby). Oh yeah, if I'm the pussy, then how come I always leave a return adress and you didn't? Hmmmmmm...
Asshole Feminist Guy (of the < a href=http://pw2.netcom.com/~star5780/VCV.html>AFG boot crew) jewalker@mail.slc.edu

Fuck Je.Walker this kid is the bigest homo just because he is too much of a pussy not to be intimidatad by the people involved in street punk he constantly bashes the boston street punk scene on his old web page he talked shit about the trouble, the ducky boys and others he also made his utimate display of stupidity in accusing the paxton boys of being nazi symps.(he addmited to never hearing the paxton boys) THE KID SUCKS! HE IS SUCH A FAG!i also find it ammusing that he only chose to voice his opinion AFTER he moved to new jersy. he thinks that he is sooo smart when all he is is a insucure, panywaist, middle class anarchist, hippy, fagg loving, asshole femanist guy, pc shit stabber!!!! the rat ruled it was a good place to go and see shows, it had history just because you were too much of a sensitive pussy to enjoy it you shouldnt put it down!
matt

I never got to go, :c( but i heard some great stories. I'll miss it.
Ginn WicKedOi@aol.com

Well, I can't say the Rat was the nicest or cleanest place in the world nor were the people always friendly but it did house many great shows that I enjoyed. It will be sadly missed by all who attended.
Tamara tmello@lynx.neu.edu

I LIVE IN CHICAGO, SO I'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE RAT. IF IT HADN'T CLOSED DOWN I'D BE ABLE TO GO THIS SUMMER,BUT NO. SINCE I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY BOUT IT I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT NOT ALL "PUNKS" WEAR $75 DOG PILES AND ARE FUNDED BY THEIR PARENTS. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT BOSTON, BUT IN CHICAGO THERE ARE A LOT OF TRUE OI! PUNKS AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE US THEN FUCK OFF BECAUSE WE AREN'T MOVING. OI.

Thank you city of Boston for fucking us over and taking away the Rat. Why do you think taking us out of the neighborhood will lessen problems? When punks and skins can't go to shows we fall to our only natural recourse, drinking beer and starting shit! Real smart assholes.P.S. The Middle East sucks balls in comparison.
Collins frcfg35@stumail.frc.mass.edu

I don't want to burst any bubbles, but the Rat was in trouble for a long time and in my mind euthenasia doesn't "suck". This kind of thing is inevitable when booking crappy bands is the norm and quality shows are few and far between.
kevin t

I am at tears that ias were I saw my 1st punk show

having been to only a few shows there, I don't have much to say about it...though I feel a conXion to it: I play bass in a Philadelphia-based band called Rathskeller, who would have made it up to play at its namesake this spring. Oh well.
Beth W. bwarshaw@sophia.smith.edu

Now that you punks know something about how much it sucks to have a space close down maybe you'll think twice before doing something that will close down one one of the DIY space like you closed down community church of boston.

Back in the day, when Mark from the Unseen and Mark from the Ducky Boys were convincing everyone that they were hot shit, making money off of our scene and having the nerve to call themselves "DIY" (because they spent it all on drugs and beer and therefore, in their minds, made no profit). Back in the day, when the same bands would play the same songs to the same kids every fucking week and the main objective was for the bands to find impressionable teenage girls with fresh-dyed hair to fuck like the jock pigs most of them were. Back in the day when middle class kids could get up and sing about life on the streets just because they never had anything better to do than go drink by the river. Back in the day when second-rate three chord punk bands could act like rock stars to pre teens in bondage pants dreaming of drinking a whole beer. The glory days of the Rat were over long before these nuevo punks took over...if they ever existed at all.
Joey Joe Joe Jr. Shaveneu Nipple

It's really sad that The Rat closed. Entrophy never got to play there, and all the bands that did are now forced to go elsewhere (i.e. The Middle East, Blah). I remember one of the best shows I saw there, with The Showcase Showdown and The Blanks 77. That was the first time I met Mike Blank... Oh well, at least the scene is still alive...
Roach McKrackin jackyl@HempSeed.com

Too bad the rat closed. They had too many shitty punk bands anyway. fuck the world boston sucks, punks and skins go get fucked. give me some hate mail. OInk! OInk! OInk! go to my page for info on boston punk, the rat, etc. http://www.oocities.org/SunsetStrip/venue/2224/
ME FROM MAINE organgrinder@usa.net

That place kicked ass :o( The Unseen and Showcase Showdown played there all the time. It was like a second home. I was there all the time. This sucks. Now I'm gonna have to go to the Middle East. That place sucks.
Jesse Kim OiJesseOi@aol.com

This letter is a bit dated 'cause the Rat closed a while back. I was pretty pissed that the closing party was 21+. Since I'm 20, I couldn't fuckin' get in. This pissed me off since i was a loyal patron for a number of years. The next night (MON) i went back to grab some pics for my newspaper and there was another fuckin' party going on in there and they wouldn't let me in. SHIT! I thought that the punk scene was going to suffer from the loss of the Rat, but bands like THe Dropkik Murphys, THe Ducky Boys, The Thugs, THe Trouble ... are seeing that this doesn't happen. Thank Christ.
Jay Hale jayhale@hotmail.com

I was supposed to go and interview Anti-Flag when they played at the Rat for my zine but I never got to go. It really fucking sucks that the Rat closed down. Actually that show with Anti-Flag was in October right before it closed down . It stinks that I never got to go and now it's closed.WHAT THE FUK. Anyways, the Boston punk scene still kicks so much fucking ass. DROPKICK MURPHYS Are the best fucking band (just got their full-length,it fucking rocks and kicks so much ass)
Justin Shit kohlham@ibm

well the closing of the rat fucking sucks espcially cause there was such short notice. but what the fuck can you do ? there were awesome shows coming up too. but even if the rat is gone it is forever in our hearts and no one can take that away from of us. but we need to keep the scene alive even if we lost a vital part.but we should still unite and keep the scene around. also keep the anarchist thoughts coming see ya rat love from all.
mike staticbuzz@aol.com

i'd like to say that i'll miss the rat but well, i'm not from boston...i'm from the stinkin south where everything SUCKS except in dallas occasionally and every now and again things can be cool in new orleans!!!Still sucks though!!! in new orleans.... there is no scene where i live Argh.....
ggallinkat@hotmail.com

ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS HOW MUCH THE MIDDLE EAST SUCKS. OI!
Mike

I think it sucks that the rat closed. my friend Vito was going to play there and there was going to be alot of good shows and fun times.
Tim shorten and Joe D'acci punk57@hotmail.com

Melvins, Cop Shoot Cop, Swans, Helios Creed, the Mentors, Sonic Youth, the list go's on and on... What ever happened to Kenmore square... I don't miss Boston as much now that the Rat's a memory. The Police played there, fer christ sake!!
an Ambulance Driver from Allston lf@proof-services.com

To the best of my knowledge, the Nothings haven't said a thing... I'm not in the Nothings, I'm just a friend. Why do you assume that the Nothings are "talking XXXX"?
Also, why do you assume that the "scene" (which says it all right there) hates them? Because they don't sound exactly like every other cookie-cutter Boston punk band?
Bert Victem carroll1@wit.edu

1997 Boston Pride show w/Ducky Boys and Dropkick Murphys me and 3 other dudes that are in bands at the studio I practice at (Studio 15---Rockland,ma)leaned against the bar down stairs and filled a empty bottle with free beer all night, the taps had been left on
Oi,Oi,Oi In our hearts forever Boston Pride S.F.K. oioioitsr@aol.com

Yeah the Rat was a great place i won't argue. But you people have to stop you bitching and moaning. The Rats Fucking GONE. Deal with it....
KG You don't need to know

So where IS Mr. Butch gonna live now ????
Death of the Rat = Gentrification = Yuppie Scum and Beautiful People.
And a big Fuck You to the scene suckers and one week "Punk" brats who helped make The Rat such a miserable place to watch a band or swill a drink in the last year or so of it's existence... you know who you are..
Ol' Wino Bastard TheGutters@Don.Law.is.a.fucking.wanker

haha! the bouncers were assholes and they beat me up and they overcharge for crap shows.viva DIY! love,jonconformist and the rest of HDS HDS RULES! shout outs to class action and all the other bands that got kicked out of the east coast panic show.
jonconformist

the rat bouncers kicked my ass. Im glad its closed. long live DIY shows!
jonconformist

The Nothings can fuk off, just because the scene hates them, doesn't mean they have to talk XXXX, just go away your mom77 nothingssuck@fu.com

hi i'm a punk from northglenn, colorado and this state sucks much dick cause i'm from california the punk place of the usa, venice i wish there would be alot more punk music here but most of it is to soft. i miss the hard core punk like exploited my favorite punk band shit my teacher wants me to leave here so i'm leaving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh the rat sucks.
p.f.

I miss the Rat cause i always saw the Afflicted there and i could laugh at Zac, their singer. Seriously though, i had fun there even though it smelled like rotten yogurt sometimes.
B-Fly

uh...i live in new york.
er!n Mart!an

I miss the rat because it was the first place we played outside of CT. I sing for the Afflicted and we played two shows there one which was the last.
Zac Pettini

the rat for me has been a home away from home, a place where people like me and my friends could go and not have to deal with asshole parents, cops, teachers, etc. its sad to see it go, and i will mis it graetly

i've heard about this place in a dropkick murphys song but i'm just a kid from michigan too bad it's gone
andy addictiv25

BOSTON PUNK IS DEAD, HURRAH!!!!! WEYMOUTH ROCK FOREVER!
Bert Victem carroll1@wit.edu

The Rat's closed, blah blah blah. Where are the Unscene going to play now? Whine, piss, moan. I am a punk rocker, can't you tell... I spend all my money on plaid pants with lots of zippers on them! The scene's dead, sob wail. Seriously, people, get over it... how many good shows were really at the Rat? You sound like a bunch of fucking poseurs! Besides, you can still drink behind the fucking place... I do. Also, get a command of the English language, sounding intelligent doesn't make you any less "punk"... just less susceptible to being taken advantage of by the government which you pretend to want to overthrow.
Norwell Bob chicken_man@hotmail.com

i am moving to boston... and im really upset that this place has closed down.... what id like to know is where do people go to see shows now????????//
and why havnt the owners opened a new one???
sabrina Glitfairyz@aol.com

I have never been to the Rat and I guess now I never will. Well i have two words for whoever shut down the Rat...FUCK YOU! It's a shame that kids in my generation will never get to go to the Rat and get drunk or piss in the urinals or get splinters from the edge of the stage. I'm sorry, really sorry. R.I.P.
Trevor Workittoni@aol.com

onelaw can suck a dick
fgtyhj pou$$$

Look I don't live anywhere near boston because I live in St. Louis,but i pay alot of attention to the boston punk scene. i am really intomost of the Boston bands and they really need to come to St. Louis more often like in the near future. And whats up with that guy down there that spelled oi wrong. chris kim23@primary.net

hey, since The Rat closed I've noticed that there still have been alot of shows going on, i mean there are like 3 different shows going on today (that i know of). This just proves that "the scene" will never die cos there are hard working kids out there booking shows and getting bands for you. and if you look around in your town, maybe you'll find some clubs that will lets us have shows. i mean, you never know unless you try. Monique GovMoon@aol.com

BOSTON SKINHEADS ARE THE BEST AND NO SCENE WILL EVER BE BETTER SO DONT THINK OUR SCENE IS GONNA DIE JUST BECAUSE OUR MAIN SHOW PLACE IS
MIKE

It may be sad to all of you that the rat's gone, but i find it even sadder the way a lot of you kids are acting like your lives are over... ("OH NO! Now where can we go?") Don't panic. I'm sure you'll all find some other "hip" place that will bring you "memories" the way this thing did. There are plenty of other places to go to shows, to drink, to start fights over your little punk rock soap operas, and to make "friends" because you own the same $50 shirt. It's unfortunate to see the Rat go rather than the whiny, overdramatic "punk" brats who went there so often.
Kat in CT (that must be why I don't have the "pride", right?)OneLaw4Me@aol.com

i gonna rob a bank and open the rat back up. so don't worry. iI'm serious
mags

It's sad that a shit hole like the RAT has to close up. It was a shit hole but it was our shit hole. I remember the first time I was in the RAT, it was '88 and I got to see GBH. It was so packed downstairs, I thought the place was really small but the sound was great!It beats 1st. Ave in Minneapolis! I had the pleasure of playing a the RAT a few time, including the very last night, and it always had the best crowd. Cheers to the RAT.
p.s. My band-Top Dead Center also died he night the Rat died.It was about time
Nat Peplinski ciderhead@prodigy.net

I save you the obligatory "sob story" or the "...pride and unity will pull us through" line. Plain and simple, whether it was seing the Business or the Showcase Showdown for the 50th time, no venue will ever replace the Rat.
skate skunk

It saddens me. fuck em. we should do something
Dee dbuzz@hotmail.com

I've signed this thing before but I was coming back from the Middle East with my friends on the T, and it stopped at Kenmore. And we were like, "Let's get off here just for old time's sake." So we ended up sitting in the back parking lot staring at the skeleton of the Rat. It was beyond deserted-it was dead. Wicked depressing, but necessary. I snitched a whiskey bottle from the gutter by the door to remember. It was sad.
ratgirl i_wanna_riot@hotmail.com

I've been going there for a long time and will always remember the smell and the humidity downstairs, playing jukebox tunes and getting loaded in the bar, all the fights, all the shows, all the girls I tried to pick up (tried), all the beer (and all the cops that took all the beer), the friendly faces, the great restrooms, the puke... Kenmore square is dead.
Oh well.

I've only been to the Rat twice, I'm just glad that I had a chance to go and see what it was all about.
Brad

the first day i walked into the rat a freshcut, not knowing a single person or band--within 2 hours the boston mob was asking me to walk the line and take a beatdown...Iknew i found a home. over the years its always been a place i could go. when i was still in school i took a bus 14 hours to see warzone because needed a release, never got to cause fsu did a dance on my head...but i still felt better after the show. the rat was always there for me too bad we took it for granted...NO MORE OF THIS FEELING SORRY SHIT-- WE FUCKED UP-- TAKE BOSTON BACK! NO ONE EVEN SHOWS UP AT THE PIT ANYMORE WE NEED TO GET OFF OUR ASSES AND UNITE OI!
SKINHEAD

I went to boston once and Jenn showed me the rat. i didnt even go in, and i miss it. I just feel bad for you boston kids. sorry.
Chris SpkyPogo77

I'll never forget the time the Lordz of Brooklyn played there and before they went on one of the guys started to go into the ladies' room before he realized what he was doing - the Rat was one of the few places in the world the concept of gender equality applied to the bathrooms - they were both shitty.

I must say... The Rat was a swell little joint. I spent one week in Boston and most of that time was spent at the Rat. It reminded me of my shit hole here in San Diego. Unfortunatly I only saw one show there, the rest of the time was spent getting drunk and playin pool with some boston punks. The best thing about the Rat...Pabst on tap. On this journy through my memory of my expierances at the Rat I have to say one last thing, THANK GOD IT DIDNT HAPPEN TO MY PISSIN' GROUND! (the VELVET, check it out when in San Diego)
RadChad YouSuckTo@aol.com

It's been only a couple weeks since the Rat closed and i still miss it. I remember my first show when I was 13 in April, 1996. I remember sitting up on the ledge with one of my friends watching tons of bands. I remember sitting next to the bar and having people trip over my feet cuz it was so dark. The sweat stains on white shirts after a show, the crazy skinhead and the spikey hair which occasionally stabbed me in the eye. Getting smacked on the stage and having cuts and bruises on my knee. The one time I did fuck up my knee and missed a month of swimming. I rember all the many people I met there. Buying shirts, patches, and pins that you couldn't find anywhere else. The band, the bouncers, the bar. Dragging my hippie friend to shows. I'll miss it forever. RIP
Ben Coffey DecafC2@aol.com

When the Rat died, it was like losing an older brother, or a cousin, I mean, I wept for three days, I stopped eating or sleeping, going to the bathroom, EVEN spiking my hair into a multi-colored tri-hawk! I just sat in my darkened room (in a penthouse on beacon hill), rotting in my own feces, weeping in front of my giant wall of ducky boys photos. I listened to the great songs I heard their on my CD player, yelling "Oy Oy Oy" as I twirled about my room doing the skinhead dance that used to be the sXe hardcore dance. I pretended my dog was the bouncer and I had him bite me and knock me down into the trash of my room. I rubbed all my clothes in kitty litter so Icould smell that Rat smell. I went around outside, giving $7 to every beefy, bald fat man I saw, just to feel like the Rat was still there. I got my life-size blow-up doll, which I had given a cute skinhead chick haircut, and made out with her while Idrank a forty. Then, unable to deny it any longer, ! I called my maid Consuela and told her to "Clean this mess up, I'm going to find a new place for shows!" She smiled at me with her unknowing charm, and I stalked off into the Boston night (clutching my pepper spray) to see Scream 2. VIVA BOSTON PUNK!
punk is fashion! jewalker@mail.slc.edu

wow...its been like 3 months, and i still get sad when i think about the Rat, all the good times that were had there...my first show there was the Skaloween show, 4 or 5 years ago...hell half the bands that played that show are broken up now i think.my first punk show was 7 seconds and shades apart. i never thought a scummy little hole in the wall would mean so much to me! ive had so many good times there, and met so many cool people. the memories are fuckin endless..seein pete the punk make out with 2 girls at the same time out back, mike mccarthy wearing a dress, sitting on a toilet on stage that we brought down, the St Paddys day show last year which was the BEST FUCKIN SHOW EVER!!! all the cute punk and skin chicks... sheeeit, the middle east is an ok place, but theres really no where to drink outside, other than that crappy little alley...maybe its time to get some spray paint and make it feel more like home.... ok, thats my two cents..im sure some new place will emerge, but it wil never be the same...i say we firebomb whatever business moves in to where the Rat was!!! just kidding...kinda
BigMike macheson@student.umass.edu

The Rat for me was a home away from home. I worked there for almost 2 years. I moved to Western mass in june so I didn't even here about the club closing. Its very sad, but hey it had to happen sometime. Boston, BU and every other college that sent kids into the big city were forever trying to close us down. Now that the Rat has gone there is nothing else left in Boston for the local scene and to give great bands a start like the Dropkicks. All I gotts say is Fuck the Middle East, Fuck the Lyons Brothers and Landownse Street, Fuck BU for the endless attacks on the bars liquor liscense. Fuck all the faggot ass Red sox fans that invaded the club every season. I think its a sad day when a great punk rock club is forced to close. To all my friends in Boston, I will be back, someday!
Brandon Stevens bstevens1@foma.wsc.mass.edu

I wept openly when I heard the Rat closed. I saw the greatest show of my life there - U.S. Bomsb, Dropkick Murphys, and Swingin' Utters. It's a shame.
Matt mattcote@usa.net

I am very sorry to see the Rat close! As a teen I went there and am now almost 50. Now , my son.. who is 19 on New Years day.. (Kevin Howard) has also found fun , friends and good times there. It is so very sad that places like this close... Boston has not done justice to so many places that hold a culture for upcoming youth to live and learn... Harvard Square went to the Rich and Kenmore Square is following suit....Maybe the future is in Rhode Island,,, its not here!
Donna Howard Dhoward@aol.com

Oh,man. What to say about the Rat. I moved to Boston from New York about two years ago. The New York punk and hardcore scenes were dying down and there were a lot of problems. I went to my first show at the Rat by myself cause none of the people I knew wanted to go. I found a home there, like a lot of people. The Boston punk scene is great, there's a real sense of pride and unity here, as much as we have our factions, it's the best scene I've ever been involved in. The scene won't die, I'm sure of that, but that's another topic... memories of the Rat... seeing the Dropkicks for the first time, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th time... sitting on the stage at the Anti-Flag show, gettin' shitfaced and seein' the Bruisers, the Pinkerton Thugs, Showcase, U.S. Bombs, Unseen, L.E.S. Stitches, the list is endless I must've seen 80 bands there and loved every minute of it. Seeing the Big Bad Bollocks around one in the morning - there were only 10 of us left, we were drunk, they were drunk, it was beautiful. The Rat gave me some of the best times of these two years, but it wasn't just the venue, it was the bands, the kids... Standing in the rain in the back alley, the T filled with sweaty punks after a show, skins rushing the stage, the splinters in my knees from the edge of the stage, how if I sat under the bar it was so dark, people would trip over my feet... the stench. I booked my first show at the Rat with the Bollocks and 2 other bands. It was supposed to happen three days after it shut down. I was upset about losing the show, but more about losing the Rat. Truth is, it was a business. Running a club isn't cheap and we can all agree that punk shows are one of the best things in life next to sex and narcotics, but they don't make any money. That's why the Rat shut down - bad business, little profit, a whole lot of bills - there's other reasons, but that's how business works. Banks don't care who Aus Rotten is and how much we want to see them. So it's gone, but we keep it in our hearts and our memories and I'll try not to cringe every time I pass that faded spot where the sign used to hang. I miss the rat more than i thought I would - I need that release - but life trudges on...
somepunkchick

...."well, we don't go there anymore, it's boarded up, the doors are closed, we remember those weekend nights, when everything was alright...." I don't know who wrote this, or if it is accurate, I heard it a long time ago when I lived in Connecticut. It seems to fit. I felt the same when Club Anthrax in Norwalk closed down. My friend's band played there, and my friends were there when some headbanger put my ass on the floor. ...Circle Jerks, Murphy's Law, Dag Nasty, Uniform Choice, Dickies, Underdog, Toxic Reasons, Ed Gein's Car, Forced Reality, DOA, ....will never play there again.
Martin DOA76@aol.com

I once got beat up by boneheads at the Rat.
C.N. Pants crackspazz@aol.com

At the Rat I had the pleasure of drinking myself stupid in the back alley and the bar and falling off the stage while trying to play bass for Shitfit for a grand total of 3 people. We were late getting there because our drummer got arrested and held for a few hours because they caught him with a roach. I've also seen some really good shows there, but the best time was still the Shitfit show and it's pit of one.
Jared jthelord@aol.com

My band will never play at the rat. that is disappointing. never gonna cut myself on the edge of the stage any more. never relax next to that big fan...never gonna piss in the rat's urinal. being 17...no car...living in the burbs. Getting on the T to hit a sunday afternoon punk show. Sweat off 10 pounds go over to Store 24 around the corner, get a Big Sip...wonder what the HELL was on your shoes. No one knows what all that black crap was do they? welp. we're all sad/angry that the place closed but- now its time to take action. Apathy and punk rawk don't mix. Set up shows. Go to other people's shows. In time...beAntown punk will have a new home...Do Stuff. RIP Rat
[xKevinx] driscoll@kersur.net

Someday I'm going to make a shitload of money writing novels. When this inevitably happens, my first order of business will be to buy whatever gets put in where the Rat was and to re-open it as the Rat and make it as authentic as possible. I am dead serious.
Patrick L. Kennedy kennedpd@bc.edu

I read an article in the Boston Phoenix yesterday about the closing of the Rat. It pissed me off because the writer didn't seem to realize that the Rat was more than just a club. It was an integral part of the Boston punk resurgence, a meeting place oif friends and punks, and a place that we lived our lives. If it wasn't for the Rat, band slike :30 Seconds Over Tokyo and The Trouble might never have become known, never even have gotten the chance to play outside of rented halls. The same for more established badns even; The Unseen, The Ducky Boys, The Dropkick Murphy's. So sure, it may have been a dark, small, smelly little shit-hole, but it was our small, dark, smelly little shit-hole, and nothing will ever replace the Rat in our memories or our hearts.
Christian

shit fuck the rat CLOSED!!! I moved away in august...been out of touch... so many pivotal moments of my life happened in the alley behind the rat. what will the boston punks do now??? well, probably go to some place in cambridge. the rat is gone!!! Oh man, I have scars from shows there... I will be totally bummed out for awhile now.
punkgrrl punkgrrl@unm.edu

Hello from Tampa Bay. Sorry Boston on the loss of one of the most famous clubs ever. My friend Nick Happy used to tell me about it and I have two words for him, Fuck You. See you in dec. dickweed.
Biscuit/Larry come@gte.com

i'm a lazy litte turd.. i've been to the rat twice. i never got out to the shows and i regret it completely. "why the fuck am i so stupid?" is what i can say. being 15 with no ride half the time IS NO EXCUSE. why the hell did i just sit at home and wonder what the hell next? but for the young kids, its a damn shame that they can't play their first shows there, or go to their first show.. but we gotta do something.. we gotta get up shows in other places and keep this from getting us down. well that was a load of shit.. but its what i think..
zoArd tyeklAr socialgarbage@hotmail.com

My first Rat show was the first Disorderly Conduct show in Nov. 95 with Unseen (Minus Bighead), Pist (?), and I don't remember who else. At least two of those bands are gone, and now the club too. I remember being on stage a few times (on other people's sets) with Violent Few, and now I'll never see another show there or play one. I guess everyone can move to halls and VFWs and do just fine, but I'll still miss the Rat.
Steve Smith salsmith@ma.ultranet.com

I lost my brain and idont know where, somewhere down in Kenmore sq. Look mom and dad i think this ones a babe,shes a punk rocker and what can I say, so lets get movin, this girls so groovy, oh yeah, she really knows where its aaaat. I met her at The Rat.
by: The Queers

i was lucky enough to be at the Aus-Rotten, Stratford Mercinaries, Unseen show on 11/15 I was the end of an era in Boston which will never be replecated. The only way some good can come out of this is if the kids in the scene realize their gonna need to get off their asses and start working to set up shows. We can't rely on the Middle East, they are not intrested in providing a haven for the punk scene in Boston. THey are intrested in PROFIT$. Let's unite and keep the scene going. DIY can sustain us!
mustardgas mustardgas@hotmail.com

well guys and girls first off i would like to say that even though the Rat is closed down for good It will always be part of the Boston punk scene in my mind because it has given me so many great times and next I would like to say that now we all have to join together and keep the scene alive so the scene that the Rat created doesn't die we have already lost one great thing lets not make it two So lets get going and keep our community alive
Jake Goodridge jgoodridge@hotmail.com

shit.that's all i can think of.
cape cod crew sherman@capecod.net

As a member of one of boston's many punk bands (i was the bassist of 7%) i was lucky enough to be both the performer and the audience in the Rat. It is a sad day in the punk scene now that the Rat is closed because the Rat was more than just a stage. It was a community, a place for us to gather, take a refuge from the world of school, work, and other problems. We could go there, with a forty of cheap beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other, and just relax. We heard many a good band and had many a good conversation in the back alley, behind the McDonalds. Everyone: the punks, the skins, the straightedge hardcore kids, would put aside their social and cultural divisions, and enjoy the great shows. The Rat was the only club associated with punk in Boston. Sure other clubs would host a punk show once in a while, but they weren't like the Rat. The Rat had a sense of community, a sense of belonging, a feeling that despite spikes or shaved heads, we could all get along, t! ake care of one another, and really get actively involved in life instead of just watching it go by. I have many fond memories of the Rat, and nothing could compare to the experiences and the moments that i've had there. The punk scene will greatly suffer because of the closing of the Rat, but it will always have a fond place in my heart, and i will always remember it as being host to some of the best times in my life. Goodbye Rat, Rest In Peace.
Igor Helman 7%@Brown.edu

The closing of the Rat is one of the things that has greatly affected my life. Another would be going to shows there. I met a lot of people at the shows and saw a lot of incredible bands there. THe Rat was one of the few place people like us fit in. I cannot believe they shut it down.\ It has so much history behind it. We the punks and skins need to set aside our differences and factions that my have arisen and get together and do soemthing. We must find another club. Nothing will replace the Rat in my book however. I wish that someone would tell the truth as to why it closed, since there are so many things being said about it. This will still not replace the Rat, but will a least close this chapter of the scene. I wish I could say that this didn't make me want to cry, but it does.
Tom Rakip trakip@lacademy

FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah i got stories but you were with me for most of the shows there but remember........... OXYMORON!--------swillin jim beam and 40's------me getting kicked out-------suckers crotch in our face the punk olympics 1,2, and 3!!----seeing the casualties for the 1st time---then seeing sooooooo many good nyc bands----swillin JB and 40's BLACK LABEL 40's!!! JIM BEAM!!!!!!!! hanging in the alley me puking up flourescent green bile!!!!!!!!! ONE WAY SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well that really blows i hope it doesnt hurt the scene there too much--talk to ya later(sob, sob,sob)
tara in tempe

My first show at the Rat was the Blanks 77, Dropkick Murphys, Ducky Boys, Scapegoats, MU330 Back around 11/96. That show completely changed my life. I fell in love with Rat, its amazing energy and history. It will be a great loss now that it is closed. RIP
Brian Kersanske cycodevil@hotmail.com

I moved to the Boston area about 8-9 months ago. I came from a hick town where there was nothing like this, but I sure as hell had heard about it. So my first show, I gave 'em my five bucks and they gave me more than anything else I can think of. It smelled like piss and beer and smoke and sweat...I couldn't hear a fucking thing or see, except for the flashing rat's eyes, but I was instantly taken in. While crowdsuring, I could only think, "this is the only place where I feel safe, where I feel accepted, where I feel like I can be myself without having to make an excuse." Flashback to last weekend. I come home from a sleepover in which I got 10 minutes of sleep and my mom hands me the paper and says, "They're closing the Rat." I thought she was joking, then I realized she was serious. I ripped the article out and threw my Dropkick Murphys CD on my stereo and sat surrounded by my punk flyers and cried. I saw everything we had ever raised our fists for, disintegrating. For me, it meant in school I had to sit there-I could no longer close my eyes and think about the next show. It meant walking through my preppy town that is filled to the top with losers and jocks and having no place to go. It meant the end of an era. Even so, the Rat gave me something I can't put into words that I think will help me survive. OI!
Annie Rexik i_wanna_riot@hotmail.com

I've been going there since 1978...so many memories: An out of control Plasmatics gig in '79, GG Allin spraying the audience with beer. Great shows by a dizzying array of bands: Big Black, Sonic Youth, Scratch Acid, Husker Du, GBH, DOA, the Effigies, Naked Raygun, Megadeth (yeah, Megadeth) and all the great local bands: Mission Of Burma, Unnatural Axe right up through today's heroes like the Unseen, Duckies, Showcase, etc... It was a dump, there were problems over the years but it'll leave a hole, for sure. A crazy, memorable cast of characters--Mitch, the long-time doorman (RIP) who was a jazz sax player in his younger years, before his traceotomy forced him to use one of those voice synthesizers he had to hold up to his neck. Always impeccably dressed in a three-piece suit and rumored to be packing heat! Phil, a not-so-nice doorman who was also a WWF wrestler! I could fill this web-site with a lot more but you get the idea. Seedy? Yes! And I don't want to know what ! I might have tracked into my house from that place...But I'll miss it!
AL alellen@shore.net

The Rat was the place i saw my favorite band, Guttermouth. It was also my first encounter with public transportation. all in all..i had a blast..thanks rat..youll be missed
matt netgod3@aol.com

I will admit I only was there a short time because my interest in punk is new but out of all the shows there I loved them all. Seeing my favorite bands like The Casualties and Aus Rotten. Meeting new friends I will truley miss The Rat
Toad toddvana122aol.com

i always loved the rat it's been my second home ever since i first experienced that musky club with the bad smells and dirty floors. No club in Boston will ever replace it, but only the future holds what's next for the Boston Punk Scene. But until that happens... never ever forget the Rat and dont you ever loose faith.. peace out!
Matt Pezking9@aol.com

i had a lot of good times at the rat, its too bad. but everyone is bitching about how they cant see shows anymore, but does anyone realize that some people actually worked there? If anyone is dumb enough to say the scene is dead, i guess you dont understand a thing. I think this could be better than a lot of people realize, even though i will miss a good club...
Kevin skinkev@aol.com

The RAT was the SHIT For all the shit that was wrong with it (smeels, security, etc) It was home for quite a few shows. Not the least being the Boston Pride show Which was prob one of the best that I ever went to. We will miss it but now we have to find a new home. So long Rat It has been a joy to have known you!!
Matt Jones stimy_79@hotmail.com

the rat was truly a club that could not be duplicated it is the history of boston punk, alot of great times where had there by all who attended any show there. it will be greatly missed and i'm sure we'll find a new alternative for shows soon! also a big fuck off to anyway who just whines about the 'rat scene' i respect the d.i.y. thing, so respect the rat thing
tom bostonpunk@bostonpunk.thegeek.net

It was a sad day, the day The Rat closed their doors for good. It's true, The Rat was dirty and old but people still loved it. Now that it's gone people will realize what we had was great. It's good to know that at least we got through the Boston Pride show. It is so weird to think The Rat closed only one week after the Boston Pride show. The show was meant to show how strong the Boston Scene was and now, no one is sure of what's going to happen.
Kerri dirty_punk@yahoo.com

it seems to me that the fat cat capitalist are just trying to get rid of another culter that they do not want round. OUR CULTER!!!!!!!! for a lot of people the rat was like a home. the only place they could go and feel a part of something. i have seen many shows at the rat some i wish i stayed home but others i will never froget. the first time i say the Pinkerton thugs was at the rat i made the 3 and a half hour trip south. i think we need to do a little bit more then just sit here and bitch about it i think we need to take action on this. our silnce is there fuel and right now it is burning strong. (F) (U) (E) (P) let our angery voices be heard once again on the streets and also in the rat. dont give in fight back!!!!!!!!!!!
Jonny 2 step soc unrest@aol.com

Its sad to see a place that so many people love basically die. The Rat is where i met most of my friends and where we hung out. now we have nothing. its so wierd being at a show and never even knowing it was your last one at The Rat. so where we gonna go from here???
GovMoon@aol.com

um i never really went inside..i heard it smelled...but i stood outside in the rain and posed for many a picture on my weekend venture in boston.. i met many an aoler there and its kinda funny being introduced as a screen name.. i must say..i know what its like to lose a club..we lost this really shitty one but it was the best place in the world.. :::sigh:::: those were the days.
Jackie SkadFoLife@aol.com

yah so it was scummy and gross and nasty but i met so many ppl there.
its sad to see it go. so what are we suppsed to do now?? where will all the shows be?
Rachel rudemod@aol.com

The Rat Ruled O.K... No more drinkin beer in the scummy,graffiti
covered,oh-so punk alley,before shows! And what the hell..whats gonna happen with The
Bruisers/Anti-Heroes/Patriot show that was gonna happen in Jan.?!
The Rat was a home to many of us and now its gone,but the memory will carry on 4-eva.
Summer NHskingirl@aol.com

I for one will greatly miss the Rat. The many great shows I've seen there, the times hanging out and getting drunk in the alley before the shows. It will be missed!!!
Jenn Sucker77@aol.com