Thursday: A guy actually apologised for nearly bumping into me when I got off the tube at Oxford Circus, I assumed he mustn't be from London because it is very rare that you will be shown such courtesy in this place. Had a look round HMV then went to Sister Ray and bought a Birthday Party album, then to the megastore formally known as Virgin for a Clash album, also picked up a Gil Evans album on the basis that I'd probably enjoy it and I want to listen to more Jazz as my collection at the moment just consists of a handful of Miles Davis and John Coltrane CDs. Went to Foleys, looked through the Indie comics then popped into Ray's Jazz, had a look through the vinyl and picked up a live album Fela Kuti with Ginger Baker from Cream, I'm not that familiar with Afro-Beat but I'm expecting to have my mind blown. I had a look round Borders but my hunger and boredom getting the best of me I head up to Camden. Get something to eat at the Vegan Thai restaurant then go into the World's End and pick up a ticket for Weedeater next month. Get some Orange and Mango juice in Marks & Spencer's then have a look in Waterstones. Go down to Mornington Crescent station and get the tube to Chalk Farm. I can hear the bands sound checking but there is hardly anyone inside the Barfly so I go waste time in the Morrisons round the corner, when I come back I go inside the Barfly, get a bottle of water and read that shitty free magazine they have lying about trendy Indie venues (you see them at the Tap N Tin too). Eventually they start letting people upstairs to see the bands.
Outcry Collective: I'm not filled with confidence when I see one of them wearing a Norma Jean hoodie. They. Suck. A few songs into their set the guitar head brakes and the singer tells us bad jokes, stories about shitting himself at school playing cricket and the time his Mum caught him masturbating in the living room "this is better than any music" say the guy in front of me, and you know, he's right. After borrowing and guitar head from another band they play three more songs then mercifully fuck off.
The Dresdens: They say that this is a side project from Winnebago Deal but both the members are in this band with the addition of a fat, bearded guitarist, I guess they mean Winnebago Deal is still a separate band when they aren't doing this. They play fast, hook laden early eighties, so-cal Hardcore Punk with the vocals alternating between the Guitarist and Bassist. "Since you've been such a good audience we're going to play a new song we wrote two days ago" says Ben before going into an extra fast cover of Ace Of Spades, I'm so on this bands album when it comes out.
Fucked Up: Let me describe the Fucked Up crowd, you have the young kids who got into them through the song they had on the Revelation comp and guys in their late twenties to early thirties who are very much into US Indie right now, not so much Hardcore anymore but they adore any band that Jade Tree put out, now that I can't deny that I'm in my mid-twenties, I have to admit that I'm in a transitional period between the two, I discovered Fucked Up by randomly downloading MP3s from Jade Tree's site, fuck, I even wore my Avail shirt to the show, all their old albums got re-issued on Jade Tree. Damien has grown a fantastic beard which makes him look like those gay bear guys since the last time I saw them play. They open with a load of songs I know the words to after a solid year of listening to them, I stay up front and get to scream on the mic a few times, get kicked in the head by two stage divers, I don't mind people jumping out my head, the kids who flail their legs around I do but I've perfected a technique of flipping them over my head and into the empty floor space where people are slamming. After two songs Damien's sweat pants and boxers are being tugged on and he's in danger of exposing himself to us. He comments that seeing he can't spend Valentines with his wife he will be "crybaiting, it's when you cry and masturbate at the same time, it's the most pathetic thing you can donext to being in Fucked Up, I beat you to it sirand if I pointed at the wrong sir, I meant so other doosh." One of the three guitarists brakes a string, so they pick that time to bring their friend up onstage and sing Happy Birthday to him, they get him to blow out candles on a chocolate cake "there's enough cake for everybody" says Damien "but" crushing it against his stomach "you have to eat it off me" it doesn't stick to his stomach as well as he wanted to so he just offers the crushed cake to people in the front row and the band, there are a few takers but not that many "you people have bee jumping on each others head but you won't have some? This cake is as clean as the day it was baked" while tasting the smear on his stomach commenting that it tastes like chocolate covered pretzel "sweet and savory at the same time" the guitarist still hasn't had enough time to change the string so Damien puts a candle between his arse cheeks and has someone light it. Towards the end of the set he smears what's left of the cake onto his face, they end with Police which I'd like to sing along to but being Vegan and Lactose Intolerant I don't want to get chocolate cake on me, and I'm right to stay away as Damien starts grabbing the heads of dudes upfront and rubbing his face against theirs. "Don't worrychocolate doesn't stainbut if you bought that shirt off eBay you're fucked!"
I go down to the merch stall and get their album on vinyl. Get the tube to Euston to change to the Victoria line only to discover that they've extended the time they close it after ten to February, go to Embankment for the District line, get some greasy noodles and tofu and get the train to Chatham and a taxi home.
Outcry Collective: I'm not filled with confidence when I see one of them wearing a Norma Jean hoodie. They. Suck. A few songs into their set the guitar head brakes and the singer tells us bad jokes, stories about shitting himself at school playing cricket and the time his Mum caught him masturbating in the living room "this is better than any music" say the guy in front of me, and you know, he's right. After borrowing and guitar head from another band they play three more songs then mercifully fuck off.
The Dresdens: They say that this is a side project from Winnebago Deal but both the members are in this band with the addition of a fat, bearded guitarist, I guess they mean Winnebago Deal is still a separate band when they aren't doing this. They play fast, hook laden early eighties, so-cal Hardcore Punk with the vocals alternating between the Guitarist and Bassist. "Since you've been such a good audience we're going to play a new song we wrote two days ago" says Ben before going into an extra fast cover of Ace Of Spades, I'm so on this bands album when it comes out.
Fucked Up: Let me describe the Fucked Up crowd, you have the young kids who got into them through the song they had on the Revelation comp and guys in their late twenties to early thirties who are very much into US Indie right now, not so much Hardcore anymore but they adore any band that Jade Tree put out, now that I can't deny that I'm in my mid-twenties, I have to admit that I'm in a transitional period between the two, I discovered Fucked Up by randomly downloading MP3s from Jade Tree's site, fuck, I even wore my Avail shirt to the show, all their old albums got re-issued on Jade Tree. Damien has grown a fantastic beard which makes him look like those gay bear guys since the last time I saw them play. They open with a load of songs I know the words to after a solid year of listening to them, I stay up front and get to scream on the mic a few times, get kicked in the head by two stage divers, I don't mind people jumping out my head, the kids who flail their legs around I do but I've perfected a technique of flipping them over my head and into the empty floor space where people are slamming. After two songs Damien's sweat pants and boxers are being tugged on and he's in danger of exposing himself to us. He comments that seeing he can't spend Valentines with his wife he will be "crybaiting, it's when you cry and masturbate at the same time, it's the most pathetic thing you can donext to being in Fucked Up, I beat you to it sirand if I pointed at the wrong sir, I meant so other doosh." One of the three guitarists brakes a string, so they pick that time to bring their friend up onstage and sing Happy Birthday to him, they get him to blow out candles on a chocolate cake "there's enough cake for everybody" says Damien "but" crushing it against his stomach "you have to eat it off me" it doesn't stick to his stomach as well as he wanted to so he just offers the crushed cake to people in the front row and the band, there are a few takers but not that many "you people have bee jumping on each others head but you won't have some? This cake is as clean as the day it was baked" while tasting the smear on his stomach commenting that it tastes like chocolate covered pretzel "sweet and savory at the same time" the guitarist still hasn't had enough time to change the string so Damien puts a candle between his arse cheeks and has someone light it. Towards the end of the set he smears what's left of the cake onto his face, they end with Police which I'd like to sing along to but being Vegan and Lactose Intolerant I don't want to get chocolate cake on me, and I'm right to stay away as Damien starts grabbing the heads of dudes upfront and rubbing his face against theirs. "Don't worrychocolate doesn't stainbut if you bought that shirt off eBay you're fucked!"
I go down to the merch stall and get their album on vinyl. Get the tube to Euston to change to the Victoria line only to discover that they've extended the time they close it after ten to February, go to Embankment for the District line, get some greasy noodles and tofu and get the train to Chatham and a taxi home.