Second Life is a fusion of cultures all sharing one grid.
That is what makes this virtual world so unique. Within those cultures are
subcultures which operate under the radar and avoid exposure from media. The SL
Enquirer was recently approached by someone from within the (MC) motorcycle
clubs who voiced an opinion about shedding some light on their culture. He
asked to remain anonymous but was able to provide some very useful information
as to where I can find the ones in charge of various chapters.
I know that there are some who avoid media like we are
out to get them but I was able to cross those lines and find out more about
what Motorcycle clubs do and what good they bring to the Second Life community.
If you are unfamiliar with Motorcycle clubs in Second
Life, there are over 100 chapters making it one of the largest subculture in
the virtual world.
For those that have heard of this subculture, there are
some misconceptions I would like to clear up with anyone who thinks the MCs of
Second Life are a bunch of violent and insensitive virtual criminals riding
around the grid causing havoc. Those misconceptions are wrong. I’m not saying
things don’t go down between rivals, but usually that is between them and kept
out of the public eye.
In fact they are
just like a family and when issues arise, they get handled in their own way.
They protect their own with honor and respect. The positives override the
negatives and for the most part MCs are a group of like-minded individuals who
spend time with each other, get involved
with charitable causes and invite non members to take part in their various
activities and rides.
I had the pleasure
of meeting the presidents and vice president of two MC chapters. They were welcoming and polite. I enjoyed the
time I spent with them. These MCs are a great group of people who share some things
in common. Riding and contributing to the Second Life community.
Let’s meet a couple of them
 |
| Big Quil and Lanai |
Interview
with Biq Quil, President of the Hells Angels Wales Chapter
Lanai: Who are the leaders of Hells Angels Wales Chapter?
Big Quil: I am the President of our
organization and our vice president is a man named Austin WarDark (dajuggalo.azalee)
Lanai: When was your chapter founded and what is your creed that
all members must abide by?
Big Quil: Our chapter was originally
founded in Secondlife in 2009 under the chapter bottom rocker Berdoo, that was
later changed in 2010 to HAMC Sin City Crew , some complicated Occurrences
later then made us change our bottom rocker once more and that is where
we have stayed , HELLS ANGELS MC WALES SECONDLIFE CHAPTER. Our “Creed” Is
the simplest of rules , Brotherhood “ I am my brothers keeper” be loyal and willing
to do anything for the patch on your back or a brother wearing it. Honor &
Respect
Lanai: I know honor and respect are two main components in the
Motorcycle club of Second Life. What happens to members who break this creed?
Big Quil: You see alot of people will
say that people get hacked and Greifed and sims get crashed , whoever tells you
this is lying The HA Motorcycle Club in SL do not Take part in any Activities
that Break The rules set Forth in the TOS. The member would be stripped of his
patch and all affiliations to the Club would be cut, And he would never be able
to be a member again.
Lanai: How many MC members do you currently have?
Big Quil: I Do not wish to disclose that
information on my Chapter , but What i can say is we have multiple chapters
consisting of members from all over the world , ranging from Scotland To
Germany to The United States of America.
Lanai: No problem. I respect that. It sounds like you have a
strong membership.
Every MC has their own
dress code, patches, Jackets and custom bikes. What is required in your
organization?
Big Quil: You are Required to hang
around for a period of 4-5 days to get to know us at that point you will be
given a Denim Vest with a flash bar saying hang around on the front, if we like
you you will become a Prospect and be given a bottom rocker to put on the back
of your Vest stating the area in which we reside “WALES” and a flash bar on the
front stating your rank as a prospect, IF you eventually patch in, You will
become a Fully Patched Hells Angels Member Which is when your prospect Flash
bar will be replaced with a flash saying Hells angels , and you gain your top
rocker and the Sacred Death Head Patch in the middle, at this point you can
progress to an officer but bear the same rights as ANY fully patched member of
the MC
 |
| Hells Angels Patch Collection |
Lanai: Who is the creator of your apparel and bikes?
Big Quil: 187 Custom Motorcycles
Lanai: How often does your MC go on rides? What other types of
activities do you offer your members?
Big Quil: We do a lot of activities in
SL , and show up at a lot of charity Events to show our support for example ,
The Recent Toys For Tots Expo 2014 . We also ride on a regular basis. In fact,
weekly.
Lanai: In Second Life, just as in the real world, problems and
situations can erupt between MCs leading to violence. In SL, MC wars happen
too. How does your organization handle these types of matters?
Big Quil: We Handle it with the utmost
care and try to resolve the situation to not erupt into conflict as I stated
before, a lot of people think that MC’s in SL Resort to violence, sim crashing
, griefing , account hacking and so on, These are all common misconceptions The
HELLS ANGELS MC In SL are a Motorcycle Club filled with MotorCycle Lovers and
Fueled by their love of brotherhood and for motorcycles
 |
| Killbot, Lanai and Big Quil |
Lanai: On a lighter note, which other MCs do you get along most
with?
Big Quil: BASTARDS & BITCHES MC,
FREE RIDERS MC, THE PYTHONS Along with other HAMC Chapters , Like HELLS
ANGELS MC SCOTLAND AND HELLS ANGELS MC TEXAS
Lanai: Is your organization involved in charitable activities in
Second Life? If so, which do you contribute to?
Big Quil: Toys for Tots without fail
every single chapter of the club in SL are supporters of the charity and
contribute every year .
Lanai: I find that to be very admirable of your MC.
To join your chapter, what type of credentials must one have?
Big Quil: You must be over the age of 18
, at least 1 Year old in SL and have no Previous Connections to any other Club
other than The HELLS ANGELS MC
Lanai: Is there anything else you would like to share with our
readers about your MC organization?
Big Quil: MY Final Comment goes as
follows, A lot of people have common misconceptions about us , we are not scary
, and terrifying , we are genuine people that share the common ideals of
Brotherhood and Honor, Respect and Loyalty On a higher Level , if you have any
intrest in being part of that brotherhood , my advice is contact your Local
Chapter of the HELLS ANGELS MC SECONDLIFE.
Lanai: Well said Big Quil. You are right many have misconceptions
about MCs of Second Life. I appreciate that you have shed some light on your
organization and the positive things it contributes to Second Life.
 |
| Nico Shillings and Della Anton |
Interview
with Neco Shillings Vice President of Seventh Legion
Lanai: Hi Nico, Who are the leaders of your Seventh Legion?
Neco: Grid Domination
(Mother Chapter), Della Anton (Keg
Mixemup) – President and I am Vice President. In the USA Chapter Kessryll Stormcrow
is President . DJDave Voom is Vice President.
When was your MC chapter founded and what is
your creed that all members must abide by?
Neco: We were founded in
August 2009.
The Legion's Creed
When my brother is down,
I will lift him up.
When my brother is lost,
I will hold the torch.
When my brother need to
speak,
I will be the ear to hear
him.
When my brother needs
guidance,
I will be the voice to
advise him.
When my brother is
endanger,
I will be the shield to
protect him.
When my brother attacks,
I will be the weapon at his
side.
For;
I am the keeper of my
brother,
I am the steel of his armor
and his sword,
I am the cornerstone of the
house,
I am the thread of the
patch,
I am Legion and,
We are many,
We are one.
Lanai: Thank you for sharing your creed. It is
powerful. I know honor and respect are
two main components in the Motorcycle clubs of Second Life. What happens to
members who break this creed?
Neco: It is investigated
then, that member is brought before the membership, as with all club matters we
act as one. They are given a chance to explain their actions. A vote is then
taken and may range from a simple fine to removal from the MC. In extreme cases
their name may be "chiseled off the wall" banished so to speak, and
existence in the club removed.
Lanai: That sounds like a fair trial. How many MC
members do you currently have?
Neco: Sometimes these
questions are best left unanswered. We do not discuss member details with
outsiders, but we have more than enough.
Lanai: Fair enough. Every MC has a dress code,.
What is required in your organization?
Neco: Vest and patches are
earned and provided by the MC. As for dress code, human form is required, as
well as being male. We are an all male
MC. Not to be disrespectful to females, but we strive to be as close to RL Motorcycle
Clubs and possible.
Lanai:
That’s OK there is an all ladies MC in SL too. So, Who is
the creator of your apparel and bikes?
Neco: Our patches, and
vests are made in house. We are self sustained and do not rely on outside help.
Most of our members build high quality bikes, such as One Way Custom Choppers,
Venom Custom Choppers, SK CC, and CDC.
Lanai: How often does your MC go on rides?
Neco: We schedule
rides periodically depending on events
that month (other club rides, events ect.) However members can be found riding
daily.
In Second Life, just as in the real world,
problems and situations can erupt between MCs leading to violence. How does
your organization handle these types of matters?
Neco: Dominate clubs have a
vested interest in ensuring undue attention is not focused upon the biker world
and they do not have "restrictions" on waiting until after the felony
has been committed by some group of bozos to take action. MC members whose
world is the biker culture end up answering for the behavior of all these fly
by the night MC's that are always popping up in SL and they seldom feel the
need to advertise how "bad" they are ... just my observation that
those who "think" they are "bad" eventually encounter
someone with a bigger fist, bigger knife, or bigger gun. The typical second
life citizen does not give a damn "who" causes these problems, it was
simply bikers with a patch. It causes undue oversight and great damage for the
MC's that have worked hard for many years to create a good name so this is our
push for grid domination its not to pick on smaller innocent clubs.
We're not the type to
advertise what we do, or can do. Suffice it to say if we were to rez all the
vests we have taken over the years, we would run out of prims. Many of our
members wear campaign patches on their vests, and no two vests are the same.
Lanai: Reputation is everything so creating a
good name is important. Which other MCs do you get along most with?
Neco: Satan's Gold MC
Redemption (our sister club, an all female MC) ,Cobra's MC, Centurions
Worldwide MC, Banshee MC
Lanai: Is your organization involved in
charitable activities in Second Life?
Neco: Relay For Live, Toys for Tots, Wounded Warrior Project (Closed in
SL). Autism Awareness B.A.C.A.(Bikers against child abuse), and in the past
have helped those close to us in need. In the past we had a member in financial
need, in just over 20 minutes the club raised $300 USD. In another case a
member suffering sudden financial hardship became homeless and was taken in by
another member till he got back on his feet. In 2012 we were part of a team
that raised just over L$500,000 for Queensland flood relief. There are other
events in which the club was presented certificates that now hang in our Club
Houses.
We had a Toys for Tots
Poker Run Dec 13 at 3PM all were welcome to come ride.
Lanai: Wow that’s impressive. I think it is
great that your organization gets involved with these well known charities.
To join your chapter, what type of credentials
must one have?
Neco: Be in human form; be
male (in real life and SL); a sense of humor; good team skills; willingness to
learn and teach; a set of balls, not afraid to step outside of the box, and a
desire to be part of something bigger than themselves. We invite those we believe
have potential.
Lanai: Being human seems to be a popular trait
for membership qualifications lol. Is there anything else you would like to
share with our readers about your MC organization?
Neco: A serious MC club commands
respect for one reason. Those who are correctly informed recognize the deep
level of personal commitment and self discipline that a man has to demonstrate
and sustain in order to wear a patch. They realize that a club's
"Colors" are closely guarded and the membership process is long and
difficult. Other factors notwithstanding, they respect Patch holders for what
they have accomplished by being able to earn and keep the patch they wear. This
is respect born out of recognition of dedication and accomplishment. SLMC
strives for respect for this reason. This is especially true as it pertains to
those persons outside of the motorcycle community. This segment of society is
by far the larger, and therefore represents a larger market for any fund
raising activities that the group undertakes. It stands to reason that
cultivating a relationship with these people is important, and to be perceived
by them as "Biker Scum" would not be advantageous to the group. They
will therefore conduct themselves as upstanding citizens in every way...
"Good neighbors" so to speak. The goal is to be admired and respected
by the general public of second life rather than feared. Seventh Legion
Motorcycle Club, and all of its members and guests, will always conduct
themselves publicly in a highly professional manner.
So pretty much give Respect
get Respect.
Lanai:
Neco, thank you for giving our readers an inside look at Seventh Legion.
Motorcycle Clubs of Second Life have hundreds of members,
each of them contributing something to the SL community in their own way. I
only interviewed 2 leaders which barely scratches the surface of just how many are
involved across the grid. Both leaders shared some insight into what MCs are
all about and I am thankful that they took the time to chat with me. I hope to
interview more Motorcycle Clubs in the future.
Which Motorcycle Clubs would you like me to interview
next? Leave a suggestion in the comment box below.
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