HARLEY FLANAGAN: WIRED FOR CHAOS
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
MN Premiere
Trylon Cinema
2920 East 33rd Street
Minneapolis, MN
Cost: $15
Doors: 6:30pm // Showtime: 7:00 pm
Co-Presented by Extreme Noise Records
Trailer:
Featuring a post screening Q&A with subject Harley Flanagan.
Founder of the pioneering band Cro-Mags and a legend of the NYC Hardcore scene, Harley Flanagan is a punk rock icon who has battled chaos, defied the odds, and come out the other side. But while his career has been a no-holds-barred ride, Wired for Chaos isn’t just about the music, it’s about a man forged in fire – a survivor of neglect, sexual abuse, drugs, violence and PTSD – who's lived to tell the tale.
Raised by a Warhol Factory “it” girl, Harley was thrown into the Lower East Side’s underground scene in the ’70s. Left to fend for himself, by his teens, he was squatting in Alphabet City, stealing food, dodging gangs, and living in a world that he describes as “some serious Lord of the Flies shit.” But, as his life descended into a hellish day-to-day, he was simultaneously becoming a punk rock legend: at the age of 11, he was drumming at CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City with his aunt’s band, the Stimulators. Sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll weren’t a choice – they were survival.
But Harley was a fighter. Whether on stage, in the streets, or in the Jiu-Jitsu gym with Renzo Gracie, he never backed down. As the ferocious frontman of the Cro-Mags, he pushed NYC Hardcore into uncharted territory. But violence, addiction and a traumatic past left deep scars. The streets made him, but they also nearly destroyed him.
This film dives deep into Harley’s past, but it’s not just war stories. It’s about what happens after. Friends like Flea, Henry Rollins, Roger Miret, Keith Morris, Michael Imperioli, Matt Sera, Jocko Willink, and the late Anthony Bourdain reveal the man behind the legend – confronting demons, raising a family, and sharing the knowledge of his experience to help others.
Harley Flanagan didn’t just live hardcore – he is hardcore. Wired for Chaos is his story – loud, unfiltered, and real as hell.
dir. Rex Miller, 2024, 96 min, USA
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