HEADLINES

Punky NY Style of Spike Polite & Sewage

September 26, 2019
Spike Polite’s SeWagE formed on the lower  east side of New York City, in Tompkins Square  park, during the punk rock revival in 1991.  Originally “Humyn Sewage” (1991-1993) the band consisted mainly of street punks and  squatters. Spike, hanging around in the slums of the lower east side, was involved in the 1991  Mayday riot in Tompkins Square park. A full page photo of Spike was featured in NY Newsday  for his involvement fighting in the riot. During the years of 1991-1993, SeWagE, performed at  parties, squats, and various events such as “The Punk Rock Beer Olympics” and “The 1992  NYC Pot Parade” “ABCnoRIO” With Punk legends and other artists including “The Casualties”,  “Public Nuisance”, “2000 Dirty Squatters”, “Banji”, “Cypress Hill”, “Biggie Smalls (Notorious  BIG)” and “Onyx”.

Chad left the band in 1993 and “Spike Polite” took over as frontman of SeWagE. Spikes first fronting performance was in support at the notorious last show of “GG Allin” on Ave B at “The Gas Station”, whereupon, GG died of a herion overdose across the street from the very club which he performed at earlier that day.

In October of 1994 the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame filmed a Punk Rock documentary which featured Spike in front of CBGB’s with a gang of angry punk rockers. Spike explains how punk rock started in New York City and not in the U.K. where so many have imitated the New York style. Spike Polite’s SeWagE performed three songs after which Spike toured the film crew around the streets of the Lower East Side in a film that is still viewable, at the museum, in Cleavland, Ohio.


In 1996, a great year for SeWagE, Ena (Kostabi World Art Gallery) released a 7” of SeWagE’s “Love Song”. “Joey Ramone” had SeWagE perform at the legendary “Continental” for his annual birthday bash and Christmas parties. Spike had an agent sending him to auditions which landed SeWagE a skit as themselves on “The David Letterman Show” on CBS, in 1998. SeWagE also landed a spot in “Debra Harry’s” fashion line photo shoot. “Dee Dee Ramone” showed friendship to the band having SeWagE perform the Ramones reunion shows at CBGB’s and put SeWagE in his fanzine “ Shooting Dope”. SeWage was picked up for the tv commercial advertisement of “Summer of Sam” a “Spike Lee Production” movie in 1998.

In 1999, Spike was placed into the “Jessie Camp & the 8th St Kidz” band, for an MTV video, of the bands “Hollywood Records” song “See you Around”. Which aired every hour on the hour for three months on MTV.

After many changes and long periods of time, Spike Polite’s SeWagE, began to re-form into its current shape. Liz and Karl saw SeWagE many times in the Tompkins Square Park area over the years. In 2015 Liz asked Spike to collaborate on a music-theater production she was directing at Theater for the New City. In 2018 Liz and Karl (who had drummed in many bands, including the Nihilistics) ran into Spike in Tompkins Park. Spike was seeking a drummer, and Karl offered to jump in. At Karl’s first SeWagE gig, Spike mentioned he wanted to add rhythm guitar for a “thick sound,” and Liz volunteered. In late 2018, Spike met Ryan, who booked SeWagE to headline “An Evening of Music: A Benefit for The Joe Strummer Foundation” in late April 2019 at “Arlene’s Grocery” on the Lower East Side. In late May Spike was looking for a bassist to fill in for some gigs and asked Ryan if he’d be willing and the new Spike Polite’s SeWagE formed. Playing tri-state area shows with “Blanks 77” “Nihilistics” “Huge” “Urban Waste” “Chesty Malone & slice em ups” “Ramoms” “ The Nuclears” “Despised NJ” “The Barren Marys” “Full Scale Riot”.. SeWagE performed at the “19th Annual Troma Dance Film Festival” presented by Lloyd Kaufman and “Punk Beach Bash 2019” in Atlantic City. Spike Polite’s SeWagE has a refreshed, driving, fast punk sound filled with New York City attitude, currently working on new material, look out for Spike Polite’s SeWagE coming to a town year you!
Though the group was featured in recently released Lifoti's September 2019 issue 09, you can check it from below link's for your country:

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