Crap Rattler: Sort of a show review...
by Raymond Epstein
Welcome back you old asshole. Greetings mutual. How we feeling out there post-plague blues? I think we've mostly eaten our way through that worldwide shit-sandwich and if you're reading this nonsense then you're getting on with being a human or whatever you are. Humans like to congregate and up until the tail end of last year have been limited in doing so. Lotsa poor behavior, entitlement and selfishness as a result when too many people felt they did not get their way. I hope most of that is over, but I am sure we will always find new ways to be awful.
Something that isn't awful is getting to see live performances. I commend the tons of artists that kept doing things to keep their audiences engaged throughout and I was particularly entertained by the Two Minutes to Late Night output and Charlie Benante's jams, not to mention the tons of brilliant podcasts that I continue to enjoy.
Now however, we can enjoy the real thing again. Every band and their third cousin is on tour currently. There is pretty much anything you could want from legacy acts to festivals to "newer" (less than fifteen years old) bands getting out for your entertainment. I was thrilled last year getting out to see the Neon Christ reunion show.
An outdoor all ages free show behind Atlanta's legendary Star Bar that was a loud, sweaty, beer-soaked good time. It was the perfect plague ice-breaker. Neon Christ an Atlanta hardcore staple from the early 80's have done these kinds of shows intermittently over the years and this one coincided with the release of their excellent 1984 release for which they did a fun video as well.
Last fall I caught the always great Clutch doing their 30-year anniversary tour. I've always liked their metallic weirdness having first seen them in the early 00's. As usual they sounded great playing stuff from all over their catalog.
Their shows are like a nice jacket you've had forever. Comfortable, just a few scuffs, loose threads, but no surprises, and you always feel good.This is in no way a critique or dismissal of Clutch. Reliability is terrific and it is impressive when bands reach a rarefied state of being able to play and produce music that is wholly their own year after year without chasing the dragon of chart numbers/radio/youtube/spotify airplay. Motorhead, Ramones, AC/DC all did this and there are many others that can make a life/living playing what used to be the "college" circuit (500-1500 capacity venues) every year.
Which brings me deeper into reunion and/or legacy shows. I am NOT a nostalgic person/collector/gatekeeper. What's happening right now is what's happening. Sure, I have a frame of reference through the lens of my experiences, but I endeavor to view any current source of entertainment through what it is right now. Here I am now; entertain me or something like that. I recently listened to a discussion posing the question: "If you could have any band get back together to see who it would be? The response that made the most sense was one that is impossible and that is to have whatever band to play now from the moment they were in their prime, eg. early 90's Fugazi, Bad Brains from '82, Minor Threat from '83, Drive Like Jehu from '91, etc. All of those bands could technically get back together to play a show currently, but it really wouldn't be the same thing. I saw all of the aforementioned bands save Drive Like Jehu in their prime and maybe I'd go see them play now, but I certainly would not expect it to be the same experience three to four decades on nor would I even compare them.
Nevertheless, I recently got to see a band I never did get to see in their prime or even on their early 00's reunion with all the original members. Gang of Four have been among my favorites since first hearing them in 8th grade. They sounded like nothing else then and their songs from "Entertainment" and "Solid Gold" still sound fresh today. They recently toured with their third bass player dating back to '81 Sara Lee and with David Pajo taking care of guitar duties from the recently deceased original guitar player Andy Gill. I had no delusions that I was to be seeing the original band nor that I would have such an experience, but I had wanted to see them basically for the last forty years. Not to mention that David Pajo is a fantastic guitar player so why not? They ruled. Would I have had that opinion in '82? Probably. I was there to enjoy the show and they delivered. They seemed to be having a good time too which I think can be felt by the audience versus a band just phoning it in for a paycheck. That too is not necessarily a bad thing though. To Hell with Poverty...
Last up on my run of shows was the Ministry, Melvins, Corrosion of Conformity Industrial Strength tour.
All of these bands have continued to put out music and play for decades and I'd seen all of them previously. I caught Ministry originally in '92 and the Melvins in '95. I really have not kept up with much of what Ministry has done since that time, but they apparently did not stray too far. Meanwhile, the Melvins have a sound all their own and have routinely continued to put out music as well as tour nonstop. C.O.C. has lived the life of multiple bands with many lineup changes and flavors of their sound over the last thirty years.
Corrosion of Conformity opened the show with their 90's-on line up highlighting albums from that time span and their more recent outing "No Cross No Crown". After the Ramones, C.O.C. is the band I've seen the most, this being my tenth show since '83. They sounded great as usual and extra thick. Front man Pepper and Woody trade licks like the greatest of any rock pairings and make for an entertaining view for my inner guitar nerd.
Speaking of guitar nerdiness, I have to admit that I really dug what one of Ministry's guitarists was up to. Caesar Soto, was not flashy, but played really solid in-the-pocket leads that complimented without overrunning whatever song they were on. Ministry played all the hits, had the full spectacle and delivered nothing really new, but what they did sounded great and the crowd really seemed to dig it with a pretty big pit opening up during their set.
It was the Melvins however, that I was most impressed with. The core players Buzz Osbourne and Dale Crover along with more recent bass god Stephen McDonald (of Redd Kross fame) looked to be having a blast with everyone in the band grinning and laughing throughout their set.
They never stopped playing with no inter song banter and played bangers like Hooch and Civilized Worm spanning decades of their immense catalog. Nearly forty years on they come off as vital as ever.
At this point, there seems like there is a new announcement for someone I'd like to see multiple times a week. I have a few bigger events and some smaller ones on the horizon. I look forward to seeing everyone old and new regardless of anyone's agenda or whether I look cool (I don't) or if I am the old guy in the back (I am) or whatever. I gotta say though it's nice to have that horizon again. See ya out there.
How about a quickie? Or a few? Crap rattling in my playlists of late...
Prayer Group "Michael Dose" A pummeling quartet out of RVA that echoes of the best of Am Rep and Pissed Jeans with maybe a wee bit more hardcore backbone. So basically good time gnar. Get it and think about hurting yourself. Then laugh it off.
Work Party "My Best Days are Behind Me" Chicago's Work Party share similarities with the aforementioned Prayer Group. Same comparisons are in play however WP might be perhaps a bit more self-deprecating and revel in the silly tragedy that is modern life.
Canal Irreal s/t I found this one pretty randomly, but it is the latest from former Los Crudos singer Martin Sorrondeguy. Tbh, I completely missed Los Crudos and only heard of them and their Latino hardcore fury after hearing this. This stuff is more post punk with flanged guitars and pointy time signatures, but the tell tale scream singing in Spanish remains. It's feral and unique.
Nervous SS/Rat Cage "Skopje Vs Sheffield" This stuff for me is like candy corn. Pointless calories, same as it's always been, most are not gonna like it, but it's fun occasionally. There isn't a whole lot of differentiation b/t the two bands here, but who gives af? This is simply high speed D-Beat, that is well produced, tight and fun.
Deaf Club "Productive Disruption" This is hardcore svengali Justin Pearson's latest outfit. I remain a casual fan of his bands like the Slayer meets Devo chaos of The Locust, the all star Head Wound City, Swing Kids, etc. You can hear all of those in Deaf Club especially The Locust, however Deaf Club actually has more slightly straight ahead song structures. It is by no means an easy listen, but it's fun as it provides a nice background to motivate you through anything annoying, strenuous or both.
About Ray: Hello Tidewater and World! I am native of Norfolk/VB, however I now call Alpharetta (topside of Atlanta), Georgia home. I grew up playing guitar (and some singing) in numerous bands from high school on for which a punishing amount of detail can be found somewhere in the archives 'round here. These days I am a dentist, cyclist (mostly mountain biking), half-assed graphic artist and I still occasionally pop up in some hair-brained music outings. I've probably forgotten seeing/playing with more bands than most will ever see and still find my way to shows despite my otherwise domestic milieu. Hit me up with questions, comments, hate mail and dirty pictures.