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The BGN News Archive
Blowfish went to the Middle East UP on Thursday to catch some new groups but it was sold out: I moved on to O' Brien's which had a Canadian group from Montreal called Oh My Snare who seemed interesting from looking at them online. They had weird song titles like If Krillin Came Back From The Dead Like 3 Times, I Think We Can Do It Once and Hearken Unto My Behest, Biatch, For Thou Has Boobies. That last one has feminist lyrics and they talk about growing old in I'm Not Robocop Material Anymore :'(. These songs are on their Bandcamp page. They lived up to my expectations and more live. They were very talky on stage and had the most appealing French accent. They sang the first song in French, then switched to English and then sang one in Norwegian. Vocals were often at the top of their lungs loud and they coupled that with aggressive playing that went into a nice groove a few times. They had real fire originating from a busy drummer. They don't rely on power chords but play complete chords which gave them a fuller sound and gave more interesting overtones than a plain slap dash drone.
I talked to Lily the bass player just a bit. They
are on tour and were down as far as Virginia. They were then going to Lowell
and Dover NH, then back to Montreal. I was just imagining what the life on the
road must be like. So many groups slog through it and we reap the benefits.
Next up was The Radicals who I had heard do one song at the
Thrash
n' Bang Christmas party, Six Foot Serenade,and it made an impression on us.
That was also the highlight of their set on this night. I thought the mix was
a bit messed up but they were pounding it out well enough that it didn't matter.
They are very basic punk with a little pop punk in the vocals, it seems to me
also. Again the small crowd was upfront and vocal for the band who was talking
with familiarity to them.
I'm always looking at the afternoon shows on the weekends and Saturday had the Boston Hassle Grass Stains Fest show outside at Ringer Playground. At 1 pm there was some people sitting on the ground and Andy California setting up. This is the third week in a row that I've seen Andy McBain, I'm feeling like a stalker but it was just a matter of timing, I swear.
I wondered what Andy might do to this unsuspecting crowd. He was sitting down doing the blues thing with a drum pedal hitting a suitcase for a drum sound. It sounded rough and authentic in the outside setting. Even in these shorter blues tunes Andy's voice captured the melodic hook. It was all pretty calm until the last song Heart of Stone by the Rolling Stones. He stood up and faced the PA speakers which promptly squealed with feedback. He then walked toward the speakers thereby increasing the squeals and just stood there for a while. People were holding on to their ears. Then he walked toward a guy sitting on the ground and walked up to him to the point where his crotch was in the guys face. The guy then rolled back to the ground and Andy walked over him. Everyone was laughing. The set ends and he got a good response.
Playing next was another group I've seen a lot this last month - Bent Shapes.
There's no sound check really just sort of plug in and play with small amps
and a small PA, yet the sound was very good. I could finally hear the vocals
and the guitar interplay was working gangbusters. I'm seeing the benefits of
the outside show, something I was never big on. They go through the now familiar
set. I loved it. I didn't stay beyond that set but it was going until 6pm.
Miss Lyn went to New York City for the weekend and to catch Growing Up in the New York Underground Paul Zone's photography exhibit featuring his photos in his book by the same name. (which you will be happy you bought, and will enjoy for a long time, believe me!!):
The Fast were a great early punk band from NYC who played in Boston often. I became good friends with them, especially Paul and we would always hang out pre-gig and the next day until it was time for them to move on. I remember bringing them to Buzzy's Roast Beef once but I was as appalled as they were because it was in the middle of the day and I had never eaten that food sober!! Anyway the guys in the Fast were super nice and lots of fun. Paul was killer gorgeous, and still is I should add. They wore black leather and vinyl outfits and crazy kabuki make up sometimes, used hilarious props like their giant pencils. They sounded really great too sort of pop punk more than straight ahead punk. it was always so much fun to see them. So I knew I wanted to see this show, Paul started hanging out at places like CBGBs when he was 14 and was somehow smart enough to lug a camera with him to document it all. Good for him and even better for us as we can now see all those fab photos in his book.
We arrived at the Leslie + Lohman Prince Street Project Art Gallery around 7 and there was a HUGE crowd outside on the street waiting to be let in! Two doormen would let two or three in at a time when others were leaving. We were let in pretty quickly, they must have known we were from the BGN! We walked down a long thin hallway lined with tons of gig flyers and pages from newspapers and magazine from the old days...mid to late 70's...as well as all the gazillion records that Paul continued to record after the Fast ended. As I walked down that hallway it got warmer and warmer and hotter and hotter and more humid...this place now had its own weather system brought about by the very warm and humid NYC day and the residual body heat coming from all the people packed into the smallish basement gallery space!
Wow, it was like a trip through time looking at all the great photos from back then! Stiv, Cheetah Chrome, David Jo, Johnny Thunders, Divine, Lance Loud, Debbie Harry (who showed up to the show...after I left) Jane County, DeeDee, Joey, Lenny Kay, Patti Smith. I did get to talk to Paul, we reminisced a bit but of course he was being bombarded by well wishers and did I mention it was hot hot hot and steamy in there?? And geesh, people in NYC are so cool and SO friendly, very refreshing!! it was a great time.
Believe me you want the book...you can get it on Amazon easily. Just click here and go for it my friend. And congrats to you Paul Zone on taking all those pics and finally getting them out in this book and having such a great show and opening!!
 Found Objects |
June 4 (Thursday)
Motobunny, The Charms, Watts and Greg Allen's Fringe Religion
are at TT's. Enjoy the TT's shows while you can!!
June 18 (Thurs
day) Vivi'D Presents : GBH along with Total Chaos,
The Welch Boys and Urban Waste at The Middle East down. GBH
ruled when they played the ME Down last year!!! (Check out our review b)
June 20 (Saturday)
The Knock Ups, Thalia Zedek Band, plume and Andrew Scandal are
at The Midway (a night show)
July 10 (Friday) Mr. Airplane Man are
back in town with The Monsieurs and Party Pigs are at Cuisine
en Locale (
July 26 (Sunday) Screeching Weasel,
plus The Queers and The Mr. T. Experience are at The Royale.
You can
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He roves and then rants.... Kenne Highland at Large
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