CINCINNATI — Recently formed punk rock band The Broke Scabs has caught the attention of many within the local scene for their bold lineup choice to feature only men, according to multiple sources.
Jodi Pope, who runs the popular DIY venue Snake Pit near downtown Cincinnati, admitted she was reluctant to book the all-male quartet when they first approached her.
“I thought it was adorable that they thought anyone would take them seriously,” said Pope. “But, hey — a couple of them were cute, so I figured maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let them have an opening spot or something.”
Members of the Broke Scabs are fighting back against the stereotype that men and punk rock do not mix.
“I know a lot of people aren’t used to seeing this. People ask all the time how the band even came together,” said lead vocalist Todd McGuffin, looking effortlessly chic in a blue t-shirt and straight leg jeans. “They assume our moms were in bands, or that our girlfriends were in a band and we wanted to open for them, but the truth is we met in grad school. Danny was getting a masters in classical guitar, and Matt had played drums since junior high. We all loved old-school punk. We’d get together all the time just to listen to records and talk about music.”
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Long-standing members of the punk scene have emphatically written off the band.
“They are such a joke — people only support them so they can look ‘woke’ on Facebook,” said Laura Stockwell, drummer for long-running punk band Paradise Rats. “I heard they only get gigs because they let the promoters give them blow jobs.”
The first Broke Scabs performance was shut down when drummer Matt Martin took off his shirt halfway through their set, prompting an audience member to call the police.
“We don’t put up with indecent exposure in this city,” said Lt. Mark Sullivan of the Cincinnati Police, one of the responders to the call. “It doesn’t matter how hot it was that night, or if the air conditioning wasn’t working — there were impressionable young girls in that audience who had no business seeing a male nipple.”
Photo by Steph Crandall.