The Fort

25/10/2023

Good Intent

Not sure what messages
You’ve recieved since awakening
But I was told by the swaying trees
The forever sun, the laughing breeze
The curious squirrel, a winking bird’s song
That love is here, and has been all along

Editor’s note: stop the poem there.

The newspapers blow down the street
Like tumbleweeds through a town of ghosts
Someone bought control over what you see
We all pay for what’s been lost

The fentanylization of social media
The notification of so-called information
Satellites of Musk, acolytes of mistrust
Goblins and trolls exulting demonisation

Editor’s note: I warned you, it sucks now!

Forgive me for using the dread “tion” rhyme
I just awoke and am only five minutes online
I meant well, and I offer all apologies
For turning on the phone, instead of a tree

Editor’s note: A decent save, but what does turning on a tree even mean!?!

©️2023 Lach www.worldoflach.com

20/10/2023

My latest single, "Knowingly, I Go Into The Unknown", just dropped into the collections of fans in my Bandcamp Club!

About every two weeks or so, members of my Bandcamp Fan Club get an exclusive single and cartoon dropped into their collection to stream or download. In addition, they have access to over 100 Lach recordings, my BBC Radio Series, and a lot more... all for less than 50p a week! Join now and get yours at: www.lach.bandcamp.com

Thanks to all of my fan club members, you guys keep me going!

Lach x

13/10/2023

We saw Antifolk as more punk than punk because it was about the songs, art, poetry as well as truth and a stand against hypocrisy and mediocrity, which punk was when it first started, and why it inspired us. When I opened The Fort on Rivington Street in the early 80’s, Punk had already devolved into dope, coke, fame, posing. Sure, there were still good shows and bands (read: The Bad Brains) and we’d still get new sparks like “Psychocandy”, but overall it had been bought, packaged and regurgitated.
Antifolk brought it back to the atomic nucleus of no trappings, no gimmicks, no hiding behind drums, amps, or sneers. If the song didn’t crack yr skull in three minutes using only six strings on a piece of wood, then you could dance at yr White Wedding or twirl about in yr Hong Kong Garden all you want, it didn’t matter. And it wasn’t just the songs, or other performances, it was the fact that we were gathered in an illegal club on what The Daily News called “The most dangerous block in NYC” at 2am to LISTEN, to be free, and to do it all without any of the trappings of “cool”. We weren’t trying to impress the world, we were exiled misfits gathered around a campfire trying to reach each other.

But it’s all the ethereal wisdom of a burnt match now. The military-industrial-entertainment complex won. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the artist hagiography market, and Spotify won. Good. Let them stand tall over the charred battlefield, over Woodstock lll, over the Netflix Pistols. Please, take it, it’s yours, you can have it.

Me? I’m just looking for a kiss.

12/10/2023

Ten Albums that were confirming for us Antifolk (first thought/best thought no edit)

The Violent Femmes

Nebraska

Phil Ochs (none of his albums were well-produced but he was central to us!)

Yip Jump Music

The Clash

Any Hank Williams

Blue

O, Superman

Heart of Saturday Night

Catholic Boy

19/08/2023

Ten Possible Titles For My Possible Antifolk Book (first thought/best thought style, no edit):

Where The Bodies Are Buried

The History of Antifolk: Part One

Fortitudes

Either Y’know or Y’don’t

It Wasn’t Me

Six Strings and a Piece of Wood

Don’t Meet Me In The Bathroom

What Number Are You On?

The Waitress, The Walls, And The Weirdos

Our Band Could Be Your Wife

16/07/2023

Just waking up in NYC. Need copious amounts of coffee before I can fill ya in on the last few daze but wanted to announce this way cool thing as quickly as I could…
A song swap and rocknroll storytelling conversation between me and the truly magical songwriter Chris Barron of The Moldy Peaches (and The Spin Doctors). Hunh, he was in The Moldies? Hellz yeah, learn more about that and what it’s like to sell 25 million records while wearing a funky hat! There’ll also be a Q/A!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/669634915057

This is a FREE event but you MUST register using the link as it’s limited seating. Go ahead and get your seat now, click link to reserve a seat. It’s gonna be a terrific event in NYC on Monday July 17!

Listen to Lach and Chris Barron of The Spin Doctors chat and play tunes together at Moxy East Village.

13/07/2023

My first official music video premieres… now! https://youtu.be/7lZqh6taAn8

Enjoy, share and come see the song performed live on July 15 at my concert at Baker Falls (101 Ave A) plus Highly Effective People, Little Cobweb, Natalie Asport.

Get tickets and more info here: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/lach-in-concert-plus-knitting-factory-at-baker-falls-tickets/13395488

Measure of a Man
Song produced by Watkins
Words and Music by Lach
Video by Nathan Allison
Video Direction by Lach & Allison

As Lach is the founder of the Antifolk music/arts scene, it's no surprise he's never officially made a music video until now. How Antifolk!Measure Of A Man i...

10/07/2023

Lach In Concert!
W/ Highly Effective People, Little Cobweb, Natalie Asport!
GRAND OPENING! July 15 8pm Baker Falls 101 Ave A

07/07/2023

Antifolk
Not
Anti-folk
Either y’know or y’don’t!

07/07/2023

NyC Ticket reveal today to members of www. lach.bandcamp.com Revealed to gen pop tomorrow. Membership rocks!

Instantly get everything Lach makes, and then some. Get all the new music I release, plus 65 items from my back-catalog, supporter-only specials, and exclusive access to my fan community.

30/06/2023

So, What Attracted You?

All the stuff around rock’n’roll
The hair
The raybans
The cars
The clothes
The s*x
The drugs
The crowds
The worship
The money
Being cool
Touring
The collectibles
The awards
The best of lists
The rivalries
The politics
Guitar fetishists
Scenes
Make-up
Tattoos
Boots
Fishnet stockings
Hair spray
Hair coloring
Fashion

never meant anything to me.

It was always the songs.

That’s it, just

the songs.

©️Lach 2023

29/06/2023

Lach & Friends
July 15 2023
NYC East Village
Avenue A
Announcement Imminent
Save. The. Date.

13/06/2023

The Tao of Antifolk 1

Antifolk that can be Googled is not Antifolk

Antifolk creates genres but is not a genre

Antifolk is always ancient and newly born

Ever creative yet not productive

Antifolk is not song, poetry, performance, art, dance, comedy, or a scene

And yet it is all these things

A door of light

©️Lach 2023

29/04/2023

Involved in something brought on by external forces that has me turning the bitter lemons of theft, disrespect, and historical revisionism into the sweet, sweet, lemonade of documented history, I've been watching Antihoots taped at The Fort, and this week I've had the pleasure of seeing incredible performances by:
Sam Camus
Bongo Moses
Matt Sherwood
Muckaferguson
Jen's Revenge
Brook Bartlett
Paula Carino
Gene & Mimi
Mr. Scarecrow
Lenny Molotov
Tomasso
George Moore
The Humans
Todd Deal
The Novellas
Baby Monroe
Junior Miss
Danny Scherr
Danny Fastfingers
Gregg Swan
Dan Emery
Rick and Stomp
Animal Head
Dave Rave and Lauren Agnelli
Psychic Penguin
and Alberto!
And that's just the old VHS tapes of my 1994 TV show, "Lach's Antihoot" as it was first aired on Manhattan Cable TV. Still have boxes of mini-dv tapes to scour through that includes several of the festivals, interviews with folks on the scene and a whole lot more. The truth is out there.
Stay Tooned for further developments on this project...

28/04/2023

Remember Antihoot TV on Manhattan Cable, Saturdays at 11:30pm?

Stayed tooned…

20/02/2023

Should The Fort return?
If so, where?