Burger Records shuts over rampant culture of teenage grooming

[rutabowa]

San Francisco based record label (but also they organised a national/international newtork of touring bands of the "watered down commercial garage punk" variety that has been popular this millenium) has come under MULTIPLE (ie LOADS) of accusations that both the label and lots of the bands on it were (at the very least) sleazy AF. Wohhh I though they were meant to be cool stoners. Indie Label Burger Records Shuts Down Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
Bands facing accusations: SWMRS, the Buttertones, the Growlers, Love Cop, Cosmonauts, the Frights, the Aquadolls, the Black Lips, Part Time, Gap Dream, Audacity, Dead Ghosts, the Abigails, Magic Jake, and others

This account collates accusations: LURED BY BURGER RECORDS (@lured_by_burger_records) • Instagram photos and videos

It sounds v plausible tbh. Rock and roll fetishising teenage youth culture, but the guys in the bands are all over 30. I wonder how many more scenes could have similar exposes? V depressing.

 

[editor]

San Francisco based record label (but also they organised a national/international newtork of touring bands of the "watered down commercial garage punk" variety that has been popular this millenium) has come under MULTIPLE (ie LOADS) of accusations that both the label and lots of the bands on it were (at the very least) sleazy AF. Wohhh I though they were meant to be cool stoners. Indie Label Burger Records Shuts Down Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
Bands facing accusations: SWMRS, the Buttertones, the Growlers, Love Cop, Cosmonauts, the Frights, the Aquadolls, the Black Lips, Part Time, Gap Dream, Audacity, Dead Ghosts, the Abigails, Magic Jake, and others

This account collates accusations: LURED BY BURGER RECORDS (@lured_by_burger_records) • Instagram photos and videos

It sounds v plausible tbh. Rock and roll fetishising teenage youth culture, but the guys in the bands are all over 30. I wonder how many more scenes could have similar exposes? V depressing.

Sleazy and horrible.

 

[rutabowa]

yep.

Of course "sleazy" has traditionally been used as a positive adjective when describing "rock and roll"... Im def rethinking that one.

Seems like the most guilty bands are presenting a more hippy dippy stoner psych image though, rather than being like say GG Allin.

 

[killer b]

I wonder how many more scenes could have similar exposes?

Nothing on this scale, but the guy who runs one of the key Glasgow venues has been exposed as a creep in the last few weeks, as has the guy who runs Liverpool's most powerful music blog. There's loads of this stuff about though, and I'm expecting a load more to land over the coming months.

 

[rutabowa]

I wonder what uk bands are gonna turn out to be creeps? (I'm trying not to follow it like a soap opera because it shouldn't be about that but it is hard not to)

 

[killer b]

I wonder what uk bands are gonna turn out to be creeps? (I'm trying not to follow it like a soap opera because it shouldn't be about that but it is hard not to)

they're everywhere aren't they? if you think hard you can probably name a few, plenty of it's done more or less in the open.

 

[rutabowa]

they're everywhere aren't they? if you think hard you can probably name a few, plenty of it's done more or less in the open.

Yes I could probably name a few without really thinking all that hard tbh

 

[editor]

Yes I could probably name a few without really thinking all that hard tbh

Young impressionable fans + older 'heroes' + drugs/booze = recipe for abuse.

 

[rutabowa]

Baa Nobunny too. I actually really liked his stuff and would totally have said he was a nice guy out of all of them. I was wrong.

At least he sort of did a "guilty" public statement and has shut up shop, unlike all the other bands... I'm clutching at straws there though.

If anything/anyone/any scene seems too nice and cool then it's probably rotten, or on the way to being rotten... that is my current feeling about it.

Less nihilistically... I guess the lesson is Everyone has to take responsibility for scenes they are involved in?

 

[Buddy Bradley]

Isn't one of SWMRS the son of one of Green Day?

Edit: Yes, and it's him that is accused of pressuring teenage girls into sex.

 

[rutabowa]

Isn't one of SWMRS the son of one of Green Day?

Apparently. I'd never heard of most of the bands in the OP

 

[Miss-Shelf]

If you're on a music scene you'll likely have seen people being exploitative and probably abusive you just didn't want to view it that way [yet]

 

[editor]

If you're on a music scene you'll likely have seen people being exploitative and probably abusive you just didn't want to view it that way [yet]

I can't say I've witnessed it anywhere on my travels since I got back into touring, but the my band are, well, old and not very famous at all.
I've no doubt it exists though and I'm glad that the scumbags are getting outed.

 

[8ball]

If you're on a music scene you'll likely have seen people being exploitative and probably abusive you just didn't want to view it that way [yet]

Wouldn't surprise me if fancy restaurants come up soon on the radar re: assorted abuses of staff.

 

[rutabowa]

If you're on a music scene you'll likely have seen people being exploitative and probably abusive you just didn't want to view it that way [yet]

Unfortunately I probably agree.... at least, i think it is safest to assume that in any given scene there are most probably going to be predators at work... taking advantage of no rules/codes of conduct etc

 

[Miss-Shelf]

Unfortunately I probably agree.... at least, i think it is safest to assume that in any given scene there are most probably going to be predators at work.

you know it

 

[8ball]

I can't say I've witnessed it anywhere on my travels since I got back into touring, but the my band are, well, old and not very famous at all.
I've no doubt it exists though and I'm glad that the scumbags are getting outed.

I always saw a lot more sleazeballery in clubs in general than when I played in a band. Then again we were a small punk band in a small punk scene and were friendly with a few all-female quite political punk bands, so that might have affected the dynamic.

 

[rutabowa]

For me 1 thing to come out of this is that you shouldn't assume your own scene (or whatever) is fine just because you haven't witnessed anything.

 

[8ball]

For me 1 thing to come out of this is that you shouldn't assume your own scene (or whatever) is fine just because you haven't witnessed anything.

Sure thing, I just meant that taking certain liberties wasn't an open and tolerated part of the culture in the way that has sometimes happened.

 

[rutabowa]

I think a male's experience of a scene/a person will be Radically different to that of a younger woman/girl, for one thing.

 

[rutabowa]

Sure thing, I just meant that taking certain liberties wasn't an open and tolerated part of the culture in the way that has sometimes happened.

For sure that kind of DIY punk collective organisation is probably one of the safest I guess... they often have zero tolerance policies etc

 

[purves grundy]

rather than being like say GG Allin.

Oh no, don't tell me allegations have surfaced about him since he died?

 

[rutabowa]

Oh no, don't tell me allegations have surfaced about him since he died?

Say what you like about him, at least he wasn't a hypocrite

 

[8ball]

For sure that kind of DIY punk collective organisation is probably one of the safest I guess... they often have zero tolerance policies etc

Possibly it. There was no stated policy, but it was very supportive of anyone who wanted to ‘give it a go’. Most were late 20’s and older and settled with partners.
The vibe was a little different when I played bass later in a metal band, but that didn’t go far enough for me to get a good sense of it.

I do agree that it can be easy to be completely oblivious to goings on, though.

 

[rutabowa]

Unfortunately "late 20s and older with partners" is exactly what most of the burger predators were!

I remembered this organisation which seems v active in creating safe nightlife... probably a good resource for any promoters: https://www.facebook.com/goodnightoutcampaign/