The third annual HARD in the ‘Head concert – featuring bands Bedtime Magic, Black Helicopter, Consumer Culture and Cuidado – will be back at the Gerry 5 May 24.
Marblehead resident and Black Helicopter band member Matt Nicholas said the concert “focuses on bringing original rock/punk/alternative music to our town, a tradition going back to the early ‘80s punk scene.”
“It doesn’t really make a difference whether you’re in one category or not,” he said. “I just want to get louder music playing in Marblehead because you can go to any number of places in Marblehead and get cover bands or get guys playing acoustically, but just to get younger kids out to see some loud rock and roll in Marblehead was kind of the whole point.”
Nicholas added that these annual HARD in the ‘Head concerts have come to be in part because “Boston is a very small city geographically, but there’s also very few clubs in Boston where they invite original rock music, and they were dwindling over the years… so what’s happening is they’ve all been pushed out to the suburbs.”
“Having lived in Marblehead for 20 years now, I got to know a lot of local musicians and people that are in bands, and I’m always talking to people about the heyday of Marblehead,” Nicholas said. “I used to have punk rock shows in the church basement and random halls and people’s houses.
“Basically, what it is is it’s about me kind of bringing that back to Marblehead and honestly giving an opportunity for bands like this to play shows because there’s so few opportunities to get shows like this in Boston that aren’t DIY shows.”
He added that the event always has bands with a Marblehead connection. Both Black Helicopter and Cuidado have local connections, while Bedtime Magic is based in Boston and Consumer Culture is based in Baltimore, MD.
Nicholas said the positive feedback he has received from community members over the years is “what keeps me going.”
The concert will begin at 8 p.m., but doors will open at 7 p.m. The event is 18+, and IDs will be checked at the door and by bartenders inside. Nicholas emphasized that everyone is welcome at the show; it is not required to be a member of Gerry 5. To buy tickets, go to tinyurl.com/hard-in-the-head.
