So you walk out haggard and saturated by sweat, half of which belongs to a bunch of other people. If you had a really good time, your legs and hips will be black and blue from elbows, position challenges and a few crowd surfers who nearly beheaded you on their way over the top. Did you wear your white Volleys? Did you fight for your life for a drumstick or pick thrown by a roadie? Did this drumstick or pick even touch a band member? You’ve got a few new friends whom you’ll no doubt see at the next show, sharing a passion for front row positions and being so close that you can see Jesse Lacey’s sweat, actually make out what he’s saying and faint if he looks at you. It’s rock and roll.
But when you walk out, haggard and saturated by sweat, more often than not you’ll be assailed by that guy with the long hair from the indie club that everybody goes to, handing out free passes, or the guy with the dreads from that metal club everyone stays away from, also handing out free passes. They’ll be encouraging you to go to their pub and drink so much you’ll forget you even saw the band that you’ve listened to non-stop since year eleven.
These hacks at the door, no they didn’t bleed for their favourite band tonight. They thought it was more important to match their shoes with their belt and you start to wonder did they ever bleed for a favourite band at all? What’s that you say? Take the fashion out of the action and leave me alone to limp away, reliving the newest, greatest night of my life over and over again?
I was thinking that too!
Unfortunately, you and I aren’t the only ones frustrated with the style over substance manner of the punk rock scene these days. The substance is still there, but a lot of us aren’t taking any notice of it. Tom Morello, singer of Rage Against the Machine (RATM) anointed Anti-Flag as the ‘most important emerging band in America’. Tom’s clearly passing the political buck to Anti-Flag to continue the cause, as Anti-Flag have been around for fifteen years and have well and truly emerged. However, none of the Rage fans I know would ever be caught dead listening to punk rock. So it’s up to the punk rockers, who are currently too concerned with doing their hair.
What’s up to the punk rockers?
Well think about it. If you only wanted slamming guitars, you’d listen to metal and be done with it. If you were just after the simplicity of the licks or the lyrics, you wouldn’t be averse to listening to Justin Timberlake or Simple Plan. The “oi oi oi”s, you say? Head down to your local when a footy game is on.
The thing is, we’re not only after a song that we can bounce around to. We’re there for the social commentary, the militant, take no prisoners action of it all. We’re there because when we’re in a group and screaming the words, we know that whatever we’re screaming is the most important thing in the world.
When you head out this Thursday or Friday night, when you jump around to your favourite songs, go one better and find out about the bands behind the songs, and the stories behind the bands.
Did you know, for example, that Brand New sing a song about a drink driver who killed a little girl? What about Anti-Flag raging against the media’s mass discrimination against women?
In fact, pick an issue on ActNow and there’s probably a song that matches it perfectly. A lot of action can happen as a result of music. As long as we’re not looking in front of the mirror when we’re supposed to be listening to it.
If you’re looking for a bunch of people who feel the same as you do and there’s nobody around, then head for the punk rock section of your record store.
