It’s almost impossible to pin down the most iconic image or photo in nearly 50 years of D.C.’s storied punk scene — a new book provides the backstory behind one absurd moment.
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Upside down punk photo goes viral decades after it happened
It’s almost impossible to pin down the most iconic image or photo in nearly 50 years of D.C.’s storied punk scene — a new book provides the backstory behind one absurd moment.
“Upside Down Punks: The Strange But True Story of That Fugazi Basketball Hoop Show,” by J. Hunter Bennett, a D.C. lawyer, author and musician details a spectacular image, captured by photographer Sean Gustilo, that shows Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, hanging upside down through a basketball hoop, with legs splayed, while singing.
“There was a show at a northeast Philadelphia YWCA in August of 1988, which was before Fugazi even had any records out,” said Bennett. “I was one of the 75 to 80 people in attendance at that show.”
In a sweltering gymnasium, with no acoustic sound baffling, and a brief power failure, the conditions were less than ideal, “but the show took on a life of its own because Guy Picciotto stuffed himself through a basketball hoop.”
Bennett’s book includes discussions with the person who staged the now-legendary show. “My friend, Mickey Lynch was the promoter of the show. It was the only concert he had ever promoted. He was 19 years old at the time — he was idealistic, but naive.”
As he researched the book, Bennett said Lynch didn’t initially think the show was a success — in fact, he thought it was a failure.
“He told me ‘Not enough people came, the sound was awful, it was hot, the stage was whack, and the power went out,” he said, quoting Lynch. “I’m done putting on shows, screw that.”
While the photo had been published in the decades since the show, that was only the beginning. The documentary film, “Instrument,” by Jem Cohen and Fugazi included super-8, 16 mm, and video footage, including the basketball hoop incident.
“Social media was created, and all of a sudden, this photo of Guy hanging upside down on a basketball hoop while singing has been shared, it seems like 10 kabillion times on Facebook,” said Bennett.
In 2025, with ubiquitous cellphone cameras, intriguing images often become meme-worthy, just hours after being captured. Not so, with Gustilo’s photo of Fugazi: “It’s gone viral 30-plus years after the event actually happened,” marveled Bennett.
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