So talking to super phun tyme yesterday I thought of posting a topic for live show reviews since he was headed to the 100 band Punk Island show in New York. So this is it, talk about what you saw, who you liked, who disappointed you, what you had to go through to get there... or anything else associated with attending live performances....
well, not really a review because the show was 14 years ago... but i saw DRI at the showcase theater in corona, ca, and they were easily the best band performance i ever saw live. too bad all the opening bands were shitty local metal nbands (and i am not a metal fan even remotely...) But DRI was so amazing they totally made up for it. :
Yeah Felix is just rediculous, you know he's badass when Lombardo from Slayer worships his drumming...
GBH, Rats Eyes, Outernational at The Casbah, San Diego, California June 23, 2010 I got there early on Wed. night in order to let Frank 'Los Borrachos' in to the club. There was excitement surrounding the club with a good 75 people standing in line chattering to each other, an equal mix of punks and 'scenesters' with a smattering of local skins and Tijuana skins. Vinnie Fono was with me and it was so funny seeing people that haven't been to a punk show in years fawn and fuss over him. In truth it was like a big reunion of the who's who in San Diego punk. Because the venue is 21+ and GBH are now senior statesmen of British Hardcore it was a magnet for old punks from as far away as Northern Cal and LA and Mexico and many old friends were re-found, I spent half the night hugging long lost friends, girlfriends, sometimes teary eyed at the thought of time and friends who have died along the way.....my ex-wife even showed up and we had a great time. First up to play was Rats Eyes, headed up by the snarling vocals of Gabe 'DIRTY RAT' Serbian (The Locust), Rats Eyes features a sordid cast of vermin including Jason 'RAT BASTARD' Blackmore (Sirhan Sirhan) on guitar, Jimmy 'RAT POISON' Armbrust (The Bloodflowers, Louis XIV) on bass and John 'RAT TRAP' Cota (Hostile Comb-Over, Twenty-First Century Lepers) on drums. This was my first encounter with them after reading about them for the last few months and I was pleasantly surprised by their sonic output. Taking the best from Black Flag and Blast and other SST bands and refining it with crack musicianship. Their brand of hardcore begged for dancing but the Casbah frowns on it, so big burly bouncers put a quick end to any over-enthusiasm. Their short set was more than enough to leave me wanting to see more... Next up was Outernational, who are touring with GBH and were wearing some goofy clash-like outfits with matching arm bands that read: FUTURE ROCK. This band's sole job was to give everyone a break to use restrooms and go refresh drinks and beers and catch up with old friends out in the patio and in the back in the pool table room. They were bland, artsy, and utterly forgettable and it quickly dawned on me that GBH's label had probably saddled them with these guys. None the less this worked to GBH's benefit as the crowd was more than primed for their style of aggression. Finally GBH quickly took the stage to a now packed to the gills club, I made my way to the front and Colin was the last to step up just as the band ripped into their first song. All hell broke loose as they tore into a set dominated by songs off of 'City Baby's Revenge' me and Vinnie both got in on the microphone action and sang backups with Colin on several songs. The band sounded incredible, like a well trained pack of rabid mercenaries in a hostile land they didn't skip a beat as they transitioned into playing the older songs off of 'City Baby Attacked by Rats' but at a much more breakneck speed than the original recordings. At this point the crowd was in a ravenous frenzy and I stayed up front for about 15 to 20 songs until I was completely drenched in sweat and dehydrated. But the band played on determined to make up for the ridiculous $18 cover charge. A sweaty great time was had by all and only a couple of knuckleheads got out of control and were ejected (including someone who lost a lot of blood out front) A great show that I was glad I decided to go to at the last minute even though I usually never attend to anything over $10 Ajua y arriba los punks radicales cabrones!
