# Vale Chopper Read.



## Dave70 (10/10/13)

Lets face it. 
With his choice of lifestyle, it was long overdue. 

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/mark-brandon-chopper-read-dies-at-age-58-from-liver-cancer-in-melbourne-20131009-2v8b9.html


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## djar007 (10/10/13)

I will. Miss his artwork the most.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (10/10/13)

I see this as a win for craft beer, one less megaswill drinker in the world.


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## Spiesy (10/10/13)

DJ_L3ThAL said:


> I see this as a win for craft beer, one less megaswill drinker in the world.


Pretty ordinary comment.


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## Yob (10/10/13)

He certainly had a lot of funny stories to tell and anyone who spent any time with him knows he was a fairly likable fella..

Ive always liked his comments about not letting the truth get in the way of a good story.

RIP Chop Chop.


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## Bribie G (10/10/13)

Probably wasn't all that likeable if he was breaking the legs of one of your loved ones. Glad there's one less like him on the planet, pity he didn't take six with him.


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## micbrew (10/10/13)

He certainly polarized or pulvarised the community at times , similar to other notoruis criminals ala Ned Kelly

I to was intrigued by him , but not sure why , he was certainly laconic and memorable
so yeah

RIP Chopper


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## DU99 (10/10/13)

How many got a movie made about his life,and he also refused a transplant..


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## punkin (10/10/13)

I grew up with lots of people like him. They make a room an uncomfortable place to be.


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## Yob (10/10/13)

Bribie G said:


> Probably wasn't all that likeable if he was breaking the legs of one of your loved ones. Glad there's one less like him on the planet, pity he didn't take six with him.


wont somebody cry me a river for the poor ******* smack dealers....

Ed: those c*nts never fucked up anybody... Sho' nuff'


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## Black Devil Dog (10/10/13)

No great loss.


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## heyhey (10/10/13)

He was actually a reasonable bloke to chat to. Me and the missus had lunch with him in Albury once. He was chatting to us because we left him alone, but all the bogan crunts kept coming up to him hassling him for autographs, getting him to say a phrase, etc.

I'm indifferent about him, he fcked up a lot, but he is one of those small percentage of crooks that turned their life around. I'm at least thankful for him being less of a drain on my taxpayer money than he could have been.


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## eungaibitter1 (10/10/13)

Apart from anything else, I appreciated some of his humour. That's only going on having read a couple of his books and the live spoken word DVD with jacko, I never met him.


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## Black Devil Dog (10/10/13)

At least he gave  a few ideas for some really funny shit.


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## DJ_L3ThAL (10/10/13)

Spiesy said:


> Pretty ordinary comment.


My apologies if you're a family member.


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## hellbent (10/10/13)

He was a hood!


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## mje1980 (10/10/13)

Don't worry, there's plenty of bikies willing to step in and play the role of glamorised criminal for the masses. Especially in Queensland


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## Dave70 (10/10/13)

Read was a violent psychopath and a cunning manipulator who used murder and torture for financial gain and only made an honest dollar as an unlikely author in later life. He never pretended to be anything else. 
His life reminds me of mob hit man Richard Kuklinski. Kuklinski was assessed with both anti-social / paranoid personality disorders. He also had the right gene for 'fearless' behavior. 
It's pretty well accepted that upbringing of people with such traits plays a key role in the path their lives take. In a nurturing stable family environment, they may go on to be things like soldiers, firefighters, cops and so on. In both Reads and Kuklinski cases, they were brutalized by their parents and their peers and violence was a constant theme in their formative years.
I'm in no way absolving Read of his crimes or saying he was just misunderstood, but there by the grace of god..and all that bullshit..

His boys have lost their dad at a tender age. They're the ones I fee sorry for.


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## pat_00 (10/10/13)

I met him once (very unexpectedly) at a friends house party, he was a nice guy with a good sense of humour. He was pretty quiet though, don't think he really liked crowds too much. I reckon everyone in Melbourne has a chopper story 

I don't really get why he was famous/infamous. Must be that latent criminality seething under the surface of our ex penal society


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## Yob (10/10/13)

Dave70 said:


> Read was a violent psychopath and a cunning manipulator who used murder and torture for financial gain


At least youre not saying he was a bad person 

Personally, I dont think breaking off a few fingers of smack dealers to be a bad thing, its a risk associated with the job. and also... fuk em.

He was a standover man, not a bully, if fact, he hated bullies and would often stand up for the persecuted and those being victimised. Seen it.


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## Dave70 (10/10/13)

pat_00 said:


> I don't really get why he was famous/infamous. Must be that latent criminality seething under the surface of our ex penal society


He's like Ned Kelly without the armor. 





Yob said:


> At least youre not saying he was a bad person :lol:



Mad? Bad? who's to say. 
But I think we all know a psychopath or two. I hear if you're in the corporate sector, its a given.


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## bum (11/10/13)

Yob said:


> He was a standover man, not a bully


Um, what?



Yob said:


> in fact, he hated bullies and would often stand up for the persecuted and those being victimised. Seen it.


I don't suppose this manifestation of selfless defense of another's right to quiet enjoyment of their life took the form of reasoned and logical debate?


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## Yob (11/10/13)

environment based argument.

there is a fair difference between a standover man and a bully.


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## bum (11/10/13)

Only if you take the position that some people "deserve it".


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## Yob (11/10/13)

Never personally held much sympathy for smack dealers nor bullies... so... er..

Mr Joe Public, had little if anything to fear from Mr Chop Chop. 

Fuk em all with the blunt end of a bat, you'll get no tears from me for them nor their bent limbs and deformed forheads.

Dont get me wrong, I dont advocate many of the things he's reputed to have done, but the people to whom these alleged "crimes" were committed were no saints either nor deserving of either sympathy or defending (*here).


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## heyhey (11/10/13)

I'm on Yob's side a bit here. I don't advocate the actions of Chop or his 'victims', but an eye for an eye, karma, whatever you want to call it. If you're a crim, and you get done be a crim, no crime was commited in my eyes. It's cheaper for society. It's only worrying when the public get roped in. I don't mind a bit of vigilantism, even if it is done by a crim.


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## DU99 (11/10/13)

Ned Kelly who was he ..a criminal..yet he get's publicity


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## Dave70 (11/10/13)

DU99 said:


> Ned Kelly who was he ..a criminal..yet he get's publicity


That's so begging for a the autotune treatment..


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## heyhey (11/10/13)

Ned Kelly done over innocent public, he was worse than Chopper


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## JDW81 (11/10/13)

I just think it is a shame that vast amounts of media attention is given to people who make no real contribution to society, and little to no attention is given to those who work tirelessly for decades to improve the lives of others. Seems that we value notoriety more than good deeds.


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## heyhey (11/10/13)

True that.

But like I said before, Chopper could have been a bigger drain on the taxpayer, but he became self-funding. How many people of his criminal calibre can claim to have done that?


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## WarmBeer (11/10/13)

JDW81 said:


> I just think it is a shame that vast amounts of media attention is given to people who make no real contribution to society, and little to no attention is given to those who work tirelessly for decades to improve the lives of others. Seems that we value notoriety more than good deeds.


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## tavas (11/10/13)

Noteriety sells. Selfless service for the greater good doesn't. Mother Theresea is a prime example. 

Back to the OP. Chopper said he never attacked anyone who didn't benefit from the experience. Of course he also said he never let the truth get in the way of a good story.


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## pcmfisher (11/10/13)

tavas said:


> Selfless service for the greater good doesn't. Mother Theresea is a prime example.


Like her receiving money from criminals and worshiping poverty?


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## pat_00 (11/10/13)

And her creepy fetish for suffering.

So Chopper>Mother Teresa amirite?


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## Ducatiboy stu (11/10/13)

Can see him at the pearly gates " HTFU St Peter "


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## JDW81 (11/10/13)

tavas said:


> Noteriety sells. Selfless service for the greater good doesn't.


Agreed, but I reckon it still says a lot about what society values.


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## Feldon (11/10/13)

Anybody know what beer he drank?


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## wide eyed and legless (11/10/13)

If he hadn't had a book, or a film about made from the afore mentioned, this thread would never have been started he is somebody who went down the wrong path, had he joined the forces he would most likely have been a hero, some people genuinely have no fear. Maybe they don't think of consequences I don't know I am no psychiatrist, but there are people out there who are like that and I bet that most people would even know one.
I have a brother in law who is a member of the Bandidos, on his own he is all wind, piss and chicken shit put him with his cronies and he thinks he is "Cock of the walk"
As Yob says there are a lot more people out there worse than Chopper Read.


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## goomboogo (11/10/13)

Yob said:


> environment based argument.
> 
> there is a fair difference between a standover man and a bully.


There is a difference. A standover man receives payment to be a bully.


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## Bribie G (11/10/13)

Being nothing at all to do with brewing, shouldn't this thread be moved to off topic so it doesn't continually pollute the "Current topics" pane?


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## Ducatiboy stu (11/10/13)

Well he did market chopper heavy beer


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## punkin (11/10/13)

Bribie G said:


> Being nothing at all to do with brewing, shouldn't this thread be moved to off topic so it doesn't continually pollute the "Current topics" pane?




The Pub
General Chit-Chat and Brew related questions.

Doesn't seem a big difference.


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## Bribie G (11/10/13)

Why does Kylie Minogue only have six teeth?


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## Cube (11/10/13)

Good riddance to a scum bag whom was and will always be an asshole in history's memory. Poor kids for being his kids. Lucky kids for their asshole father dying and not having to go through having him as a dad growing up with all the associated bullying and threats by him or his enemies etc. Oh wait, isn't that irony?

They will grow up to understand this one day. Truth hurts.


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## GABBA110360 (11/10/13)

at the end of the day he is just another crim who has met his maker


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## slcmorro (11/10/13)

Meh. In my opinion, he was a criminal who made a profit from telling stories of his illegal comings and goings, most likely greatly exaggerated and he's now dead. No great loss to society in general, but love him or hate him, he did appeal to certain elements of society and contributed to Australian culture.


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## Bribie G (11/10/13)

Maybe Robert Fardon will make heaps of money performing a funny laconic stage show if he ever gets released.


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## Yob (11/10/13)

Cube said:


> Good riddance to a scum bag whom was and will always be an asshole in history's memory


I've met, and continue to meet, many many assholes in this life.. I personally don't count him amount them..

If you've met him and are speaking from experience, let's hear it.. Naturally you are entitled to your opinion even if you have an opinion formed purely on media reports...

If you like I can recount a few real life stories that point toward the man not fitting the myth... I don't think this is the correct forum for that though.


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## Ducatiboy stu (11/10/13)

I could imagine that Ivan Milat would have some interesting camping stories


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## punkin (11/10/13)

Bribie G said:


> Why does Kylie Minogue only have six teeth?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



One more than me. Still costs the same for a clean though, the robbing bastards.


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## Kingbrownbrewing (11/10/13)

Funny how all the people who have met him say he seemed like a good bloke and the ones that havent are the ones to bag him.

Met him once at his local in Melbourne where he ran the pool comp.

If you broke the table rules, you had to pay a 'fine' to the 'chop box', which was donated to childrens charity.

Cant speak for his criminal life but he was a funny guy who loved a beer and a yarn.

A pity he didnt kill more drug dealers and scumbag criminals I reckon, if any of his stories are true.


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## bt1 (11/10/13)

If a bloke had to choose company give me the straight shooters like him...not the d*ckheads who pretend.

You can be well F'd over by the smilers/pleasants in this world...reminds me of a HR job spec...

bt1


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## black_labb (11/10/13)

Yob said:


> I've met, and continue to meet, many many assholes in this life.. I personally don't count him amount them..
> 
> If you've met him and are speaking from experience, let's hear it.. Naturally you are entitled to your opinion even if you have an opinion formed purely on media reports...
> 
> If you like I can recount a few real life stories that point toward the man not fitting the myth... I don't think this is the correct forum for that though.


I suspect the people who have had bad experiences with him aren't around to share the story


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## justatad (11/10/13)

I got done for DUI a couple of times over a 10 year period (silly me) I've paid my time off the road + hefty fines + community service. However 11 years later there are still certain jobs I cannot apply for because I can't pass a criminal check.Till the day I die I will be branded a criminal although I didn't kill anybody.I believe chopper did his time and turned his life around, I think it's time to let chopper RIP !!!


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## bum (11/10/13)

Yob said:


> Never personally held much sympathy for smack dealers nor bullies... so... er..
> 
> Mr Joe Public, had little if anything to fear from Mr Chop Chop.
> 
> ...


The word "bully" has a clear and accepted definition. The fact that you liked a bloke (or maybe that you don't know what that definition might be) does not change that definition in the slightest.


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## dicko (11/10/13)

This has nothing to do with Chopper Read but justatad's avatar reminded 
me of something Willie Nelson once said;

He said that" if you are ever going to screw an animal, then make it a horse, because when it is over at least you will have a ride home."



Cheers


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## Pickaxe (11/10/13)

The Ned Kelly reference is lost on me, and the.many that have such is life tatoos often in the same category. Read the jerilderie letter, is about rampant corruption selectively prosecuting based on race that Kelly was rebelling against. The patsy fighting back. In Kelly's time the.English navy, army and governing bodies were corrupt, vicious and advantaged. There's a difference to wanting to form an independent.republic of northern Vic, and standing over a few drug dealers and telling stories.

Or is there...


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## Pickaxe (11/10/13)

Jokes aside, there's an eloquence to.the Kelly family that read did not possess. or was it Jim Byrne? (was that his name?)

There's always a romance of the crim, but chopper.was no Ned kelly, though, great crim story teller he was. If anything, he could spin a yarn. How many want to.disagree and watched underbelly? Even the morans spun.a good story...

To aca.


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## MelbourneDave (12/10/13)

I find it interesting people are saying what he did was ok cause he just did it to drug dealers etc. I personally think the things Chopper did are far far worse than drug dealing. Drug dealers might not be the top rung in society but they are only giving the people what they want. I'm sure most people on here have at some stage bought drugs, I know I have. Dealers have families as well and are also capable of redemption. I saw Chopper and Jackos show and will never forget the young woman in the audience in hysterical tears who came just for the chance to tell him how he had wrecked her familys life. Watching her get dragged out of the room was a reality check on just who this "person" was. I won't be feeling sorry for Chopper leaving this world. Law enforcement is for the courts not thugs who decide whether or not to torture you before they kill you.


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## Pickaxe (12/10/13)

So are we at drug dealers have rights? You choose to live outside the law, don't come crying. I'm no.fascist, i know many people who have lived that life, and it is a choice. Sorry, can cry poor me knowing the choices. Is alternative. Alternative ro government, alternative to normality, of you can't deal with the choice, too bad.


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## Pickaxe (12/10/13)

Is.almost like dealers need legal protection.from.stand over men. Mate. Is all about choice.


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## MelbourneDave (12/10/13)

I wasn't really trying to defend drug dealers just make the point that Read is much worse. Everyone in this country breaks the law in some way, it shouldn't be up to just anyone to decide the punishment. Our legal system is far from perfect but it is better than any old person choosing the punishment. Especially when their punishments might include things such as torture.Give me a drug dealer over a murderer any day of the week.


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## Pickaxe (12/10/13)

Drug dealers don't profit from death and destruction?


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## Pickaxe (12/10/13)

Let's talk about a dealers role in someone overdosing on.an addictive drug?

You enter that world, you live by it. You leave.society and live by another. Law is not so.black.and white. Maybe the comparison to Ned kelly is just?

Do you think drug addiction isn't torture? And how do you defend dealers in.that respect? Not buying some weed for thr weekend, I'm talking serious addiction? Ever been robbed by junkies? Lived near rehab clinics?

We are too black and white.


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## Kudzu (12/10/13)

Drug dealers choose to live outside the law so that means they are deserving of torture and death? Even if that were true it doesn't make the person who chooses of his own volition to administer said torture and death a paragon of virtue does it. It makes him a torturer and a murderer.


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## black_labb (12/10/13)

Pickaxe said:


> Let's talk about a dealers role in someone overdosing on.an addictive drug?
> 
> You enter that world, you live by it. You leave.society and live by another. Law is not so.black.and white. Maybe the comparison to Ned kelly is just?
> 
> ...


would murdering someone in the beer industry be alright because alcohol is a drug with many detrimental effects on society? domestic violence alone related to alcohol completely overwhelms all crimes done by junkies.

He is what he is. Why try and defend what he did?


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## DU99 (12/10/13)

How many bushrangers where made famous over a period of time.


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## manticle (12/10/13)

Pickaxe said:


> Drug dealers don't profit from death and destruction?



Depends a little on the drug and amount I'd suggest. Also the level of their involvement.

One guy selling a kg of pot per month to his mates vs a syndicate bringing in 100kg of heroin and cutting it up with ajax to maximise profits are not one and the same.

I'm under no illusions as to how harmful pot can be either.


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## vittorio (12/10/13)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CHOPPER-READ-HEAVY-BEER-FULL-SLAB-/161124258073?pt=AU_BottlesJarsJugs&hash=item2583c11119

last slab of chopper heavy... $500 ebay lol


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## MelbourneDave (12/10/13)

Pickaxe said:


> Let's talk about a dealers role in someone overdosing on.an addictive drug?
> 
> You enter that world, you live by it. You leave.society and live by another. Law is not so.black.and white. Maybe the comparison to Ned kelly is just?
> 
> ...


Yes serious addiction is torture but it is self inflicted. I've met a lot of dealers and none of them have ever forced me to take something I didn't want. Very different to a murderer who inflicts torture on other people.If your going to try that argument anyway then how about alcohol? It causes more problems in our society than all drugs combined, is it ok for people like Chopper to go and torture the local republican before killing him?

Anyway I'm just trying to make the point that people like Chopper shouldn't be put up on a pedestal. He doesn't deserve any praise and if you think for one second he only fucked up bad people and never harmed an innocent person than your delirious.


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## mje1980 (13/10/13)

Is this thread still going?


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## Muzduk (13/10/13)

MelbourneDave said:


> Yes serious addiction is torture but it is self inflicted. I've met a lot of dealers and none of them have ever forced me to take something I didn't want. Very different to a murderer who inflicts torture on other people.If your going to try that argument anyway then how about alcohol? It causes more problems in our society than all drugs combined, *is it ok for people like Chopper to go and torture the local republican before killing him?*
> 
> Anyway I'm just trying to make the point that people like Chopper shouldn't be put up on a pedestal. He doesn't deserve any praise and if you think for one second he only fucked up bad people and never harmed an innocent person than your delirious.
> 
> ...


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