The Proletariat
“People are always telling us to smile onstage,” said Peter Bevilacqua, bassist for the Proletariat. “But we’re serious. We believe so much in what we’re doing.” Why smile when it’s more fun to sneer? Dogmatic lyrics, belligerent vocals, shadowy, guitar-dominated soundscapes, a heavy de-emphasis on image—Fall River (MA)’s the Proletariat occupied that exhilarating, cramped space between punk and post-punk. Deranged with frustration and uncertainty, yet always pointed and intelligent, the Proletariat’s music—as well as its, according to a 1982 Boston Rock article, “no outfits or haircuts or slogans” aesthetic—struck a chord with fans of the Boston hardcore scene in the…
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