Early years
The Casualties were formed in 1990, with original members Jorge Herrera (vocals) Hank (guitar), Colin Wolf (vocals), Mark Yoshitomi (bass) and Yureesh Hooker (drums). The members aimed to return to what they viewed as the "golden era" of street punk, embodied by bands such as The Exploited and Charged GBH which they believed had disappeared by 1985.[3] During the early years, the lineup was fluid, with several changes. That first year, Colin stepped out for several months to finish his education while Rachel, TheRivits' singer, took his place.[3]
In 1991, Hank left the band, to be replaced by Fred (last name unknown) on guitar. Colin, Jorge, Yureesh, Hank and Mark put together a demo, titled Political Sin, for the Benefit for Beer compilation.[4] After making this recording, Fred left to go to school and Steve, from Distraught, fills in for a short time, until Fred returns to the band full-time. The 4 song EP, 40 Oz. Casualty was recorded at the end of 1991 and self-released.[3] 1992 saw the band touring and building up a fan base in NYC. In 1993, Mark and Fred left the band and were replaced by Mike (last name unknown) on bass and Jake Kolatis on the guitar, followed by the departure of Yureesh and Colin in 1994, to be replaced on drums by Shawn, while the band went down to a single vocalist.[3][4] 1994 sees the recording of the 4 song EP, Drinking Is Our Way Of Life, however it would not be released. The songs would later appear on the Casualties "early years 1990-1995" CD in 1999.[4] In 1995, the band's second release, the 4 track A Fuckin' Way Of Life E.P. was released on Eyeball Records. After recording A Fuckin' Way of Life, Shawn left the band, and Marc Eggers (nicknamed Meggers) of the Rivits became the regular drummer. The line-up of Jorge, Jake, Mike and Meggers continued until 1997.
In 1996 the Casualties became the first American band to appear at the "Holidays in the Sun" Festival in London. 1997 saw the release of the band's debut album, For the Pun is released on Tribal War Records, and the band embarks on its first American tour with The Varukers. Mike (the bassist) left the band in 1998, to be replaced with Johnny Rosado, from The Krays.[4][5] They released their second LP that year, Underground Army, and begin a world tour. Jon leaves the band during the European leg of the tour, to be temporarily replaced by Dave Punk Core.
Present lineup
After the world tour, Dave would be replaced by Rick Lopez from the band, Manix. The line-up was now solidified for the band and would continue to the present day.[6] The end of the millennium, 1999, saw the band produce a compilation album, Early Years 1990-1995, which included tracks which appeared on earlier ED's, as well as never before released songs, such as the four songs they had recorded on the never released EP Drinking is Our Way of Life back in 1994.
The 2000s have seen the band continue to tour[3][6] and produce albums (an album list can be seen below). They have toured with several other bands, such as The Exploited, GBH, Cockney Rejects, Slaughter & the Dogs,[4] and the English Dogs.[6] In December 2009, The Casualties toured alongside Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain, Crowbar, and Thy Will Be Done as part of the Stillborn Fest.[3] In the summer of 2012, The Casualties co-headlined the Tonight We Unite tour along with Nekromantix, where they played For The Punx in its entirety, the first time they had played the album through since its release in 1997.[3] Later that year, The Casualties released their new album titled Resistance through Season of Mist.[7][8] In 2013, The Casualties played at the largest Punk Rock festival in the world,[9] the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, England, where they shared the stage with The Exploited, Special Duties, Chron Gen and Anti-Establishment, and others
Police Brutality
The Casualties Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All over New York City kick the punx all around
Police Brutality - For you and me
Police Brutality - They're on the streets
Police Brutality - They're all around
Police Brutality - Against the punx
All around St. Mark's
They kick the punx, They knock us down
NYC P.D. Ic all the Them Fucking pigs
You can see them on St. Mark's
Kicking the punx all around
In The Casualties' song Police Brutality, the lyrics vividly describe the brutality and violence that the New York City Police Department (NYC P.D.) inflict upon punks in the city. The song is a furious condemnation of police brutality as it occurs on the streets of New York, specifically St. Mark's Place, where punks gathered and often clashed with police.
The repetition of "Police Brutality" throughout the song serves as a reminder that this issue reaches far beyond the individual experiences of punks and affects any person who is vulnerable to police aggression. The lyrics suggest that this brutality is not just a few bad apples, but rather a systemic issue that needs to be addressed and eradicated. The haunting refrain of "they're all around" highlights the sheer ubiquity of police brutality in New York at the time.
The verses describe the physical violence that police inflict on punks, with lines like "they knock us down" and "kicking the punx all around." The singer even goes so far as to directly address the police officers themselves, calling them "fucking pigs." The lyrics are a powerful reminder of the urgency of this issue and serve as a call to action to demand justice and accountability for victims of police brutality.
Line by Line Meaning
NYC P.D. You can see them on the streets
The New York City Police Department is highly visible on the city's streets.
All over New York City kick the punx all around
The police are using physical force to subdue punk rockers throughout the city.
Police Brutality - For you and me
Police brutality is a problem that affects everyone, not just the punks being targeted.
Police Brutality - They're on the streets
The presence of police and their violent actions are common in public areas.
Police Brutality - They're all around
There is no escaping the threat of police brutality.
Police Brutality - Against the punx
Although police brutality affects everyone, in this case, it is being perpetrated specifically against punk rockers.
NYC P.D. You can see them on the streets
The police force is highly visible on New York City's streets.
All around St. Mark's
The police presence is particularly strong in the area around St. Mark's Place, which is known for its vibrant punk rock scene.
They kick the punx, They knock us down
The use of physical force against punk rockers is prevalent and often involves kicking and knocking them down.
NYC P.D. I call them Fucking pigs
The singer has a strong opinion of the police force, which they refer to as 'fucking pigs.'
You can see them on St. Mark's
The presence of police is highly visible around St. Mark's Place.
Kicking the punx all around
The police are using physical force, including kicking, to subdue punk rockers in the area around St. Mark's Place.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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