Urban Tribes

In Chapter two of How soccer Explains the World, Franklin Foer explains how Glasgow’s Soccer derby illustrates an example of tribalism in the modern era. He suggests that the derby’s ferocity is a way to channel frustrations, due to existing social tensions, into a twisted, yet entertaining sports rivalry. This model of modern tribalism can also be applied to the violence that was pervasive in the Boston Hardcore Rock scene.

                The structure of the conflict in the Boston hardcore scene is disturbingly similar to that of the conflict in the Glasgow soccer derby. The members of the Boston Hardcore scene claim that the scene has always had a violent culture, similar to how the fans of the Glasgow soccer teams regard the violence toward and hatred of the opposing clubs as common place. While the soccer fans had their two teams, the members of the Boston Hardcore scene had the individual bands that they supported. Beneath this there were the individual supporter’s clubs that would carry out the acts of violence and intimidation, such as the ‘Billy Boys’ (Rangers) and ‘McGory Boys’(Celtic). In hardcore there were different subculture groups that warred with each other over control of the scene. The two major groups were neo-nazi skinheads and a gang called Friends Stand United (FSU) which were pervasive in the Hardcore Rock scene. Both groups were essentially street gangs and extremely dangerous. While both side of the soccer conflict had their secular motivations, the Hardcore music scene’s conflict clearly had its political motivations with the left leaning FSU and right leaning Neo-Nazi skinheads. In How Soccer Explains the World, Foer recalls several occasions that the rivalry has turned fatal, and there are countless instances where violence taking place at Hardcore shows resulted in fatalities.

                The members of the hardcore scene share a sentiment of belonging due to their involvement in their respective groups. They found a community with common ideologies to gather behind. This is similar to how the fans of the Glasgow soccer clubs rally behind the banners of secularism, whether or not they truly hold the ideals of standing up to the knee in ‘the blood of Fenians’ themselves. Having a ‘crew’ that you belong to is the modern ‘tribe’; the fact that anyone that opposes your group’s ideals and goals will be met with violence, is modern tribalism.

Thankfully over the years the violence is starting to be rooted out of the music scene as the political tensions have settled and are being replaced with a growing distaste for the senseless violence. While we as a society haven’t truly erased tribalism yet, hopefully in the future we might.