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CHRIST, THE BAND. (or Me and Steve Ignorant vs. The Punk World Of Punk!) 4.23.2011.Bottom Lounge>Chicago, IL. That is yours truly, with Steve Ignorant of the legendary Punk band, Crass! It was an extraordinary show! I don't care if it was "just Steve and band doing Crass songs:1977-1984", that was the closest to seeing Crass I'll ever get in my lifetime of; being inspired by the words, music and actions of that amazing band of individuals. People have been bitching about "Steve's only cashing in..." and "He's blaspheming the sacred memory of the last remaining influential band that never "sold-out" to the "Big Punk Rock Music Industry." and "The other members are against all this "re-hashing Crass", so it's all just a "Feeding Of The 5 Knuckle-shuffle", "the sacred texts of St. Rimbaud and co. are being defiled!!! Wah! Wah!" Fucking incredible! Crass is damned if they do and damned if they don't!! Either they should suffer for their words & actions like some kind of "Punk Christs", or they just "sell-out" by doing projects (that YOU don't HAVE TO support!!!!), with their belief in their past music and message! (I know, the others had a big role in Crass, too... But, if we're going to get technical, it was a 2-piece (Steve and Penny) band to begin with, and the others have decided to not have a part in any of it. (except for Gee..) That's THEIR choice.) ***OF COURSE ALL OF THIS IS IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, BASED ON MY DECADES OF INTEREST AND BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE BAND. SO IF YOU WANT TO COMPLAIN, TELL YOUR PILLOW...*** (NONE of this matters compared what the world is dealing with today, so don't worry, don't panic!!! My opinion is mine and mine only.) #1: Crass was a BAND of artists, activists and thinkers. Not a Religion. #2: They were winging it! There was no grand plan, no illusions, the # 21984 countdown was not meant as an "end date". It was a countdown to Orwell's literary "1984". Their guitarist quit the band in 1984, so they all decided to stop. #3: The "Anarchy" symbol was used as a statement to Left and Right Political groups that were trying to drag Crass into their "boring fucking politics", so they decided to be neither. #4: People who don't, won't, or can't understand what message Crass were trying to convey (because there had been NOTHING like them before, and arguably, ever after...) they have been unfairly branded as "A bunch of well-off Hippies" who are NOT REAL PUNK ROCK because of their decency, selflessness and generosity toward people, and a seemingly strict code of "morals and ethics" (i.e. political correctness..) that can never be broken, and they would be betraying some made up Punk Rules if they did what they did next... So, when Steve and Penny (the 2 co-founding members of the band!) attempt to spark some interest in their (criminally!! in my opinion) forgotten (by the Punk Industry Media, and the big "Punk Stars") message and spirit, by re-releasing the old albums, re-mastered to today's standards, (with all new, beautiful artwork/packaging by Gee Vaucher), and Steve decides to to do a last tour to reach out to all the people who have been inspired by Crass and want to have one last "hurrah", which unfortunately, by today's realities, COSTS MONEY TO TOUR AROUND THE WORLD!!!!, especially if you haven't sold your soul to the so-called "independent" Punk Rock Big Business, and have no huge backing by some mega-corporation and an "ex-punker" who got lucky with their crappy little DIY record label/Punk fanzine (which, ironically, Crass inspired the WHOLE "D.I.Y" record label/zine idea, that everyone and their granny has now...) But, unfortunately (but completely expected), the New Punk Rock Elite community has decided to rail against Steve (and Penny) for "selling-out" or "defiling the (un)Holy Book Of Crass". all the time these so-called Punk Bands and "big-indie" labels are FULLY supporting and being fed by the Big Industry Machine they pretend they are against... In closing; JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP, AND WORRY ABOUT SOME REAL PROBLEMS FOR A CHANGE!!!!! Don't worry, Steve will be done with his tour, the albums will disappear off the shelves, and you can go back to complaining about why there are no real punk bands anymore.... And we'll all grow old, you'll eventually regret not going to the shows or getting the albums when you were too busy bitching about Crass, but I'll always have my fond memories of meeting people who inspired my outlook, actions, and gave me some credible reasons to keep on living and being who I have become, since first being blown away but that mysterious, incredibly harsh, but strangely beautiful, incredibly angry, but wearing their hearts on their black sleeves, brutally honest and brutally urgent "love songs", over 25 years ago. And that's about all I can ask for in this sick, sad, but strangely beautiful world. THERE'S STILL NO AUTHORITY BUT YOURSELF. -----Your preachy pal, Larry H. Christ, jr. (4/26/2011 11:40pm) Here are Crass lyrics that precisely sum up their message (at least for me, anyway..): Be exactly who you want to be Do what you want to do I am he and she is she But, you're the only you No one else has got your eyes Can see the things you see It's up to you to change your life, and my life's up to me The problems that you suffer from are the problems that you make The shit we have to climb through is the shit we choose to take If you don't like the life you live, change it now, it's yours Nothing has effect if you don't recognize the cause If the program's not the one you want get up, turn off the set it's only you that can decide what life you're gonna get If you don't like religion you can be "the Anti-Christ" If you're tired of politics you can be an "Anarcurst" But no one ever changed the church by pulling down a steeple And you'll never change the system by bombing #10 Systems just aren't made of bricks, They're mostly made of people You may send them into hiding but they'll be back again If you don't like the rules they make, refuse to play their game If you don't want to be a number, don't give them your name If you don't want to be caught out, refuse to hear their question Silence is a virtue, use it for your own protection They'll try to make you play their game, refuse to show your face If you don't want to be beaten down, refuse to join their race Be exactly what you want to be, do what you want to do I am he and she is she, but you're the only you. (Big A Little a - Crass - 1980) AN EPITAPH FOR A DREAM(er) (or, the end is now.) 05.04.2010 AN EPITAPH FOR A DREAM(er) (or, the end is now.) Yes, that’s right, Punk is dead
And, It can’t be saved It’s now a cheap plastic headstone For Joe Strummer’s grave Velcro Mohawks and postcard sneers It’s the same old shit we’ve put up with for years But now the shit pile’s full And it’s gone past rotten All the teachers have been bribed And the lessons have been forgotten Yes that’s right, Punk is dead And the corpse has turned green The media vultures ripped at it’s guts And vomited up a slick product scene A quaint bunch of rebels The slaves to corporate greed An easily led herd of sheep Bleating the corporate screed “You know D.I.Y. couldn’t last Cuz, we all got monkeys to feed” The spirit has been broken But the cartoon never leaves A sick, cruel farce of what could have been Yes that’s right, Punk Is Dead and it’s been decaying for years. ---Larry Christ, jr. 2009 (and some lines obviously taken from "Punk Is Dead" by Crass) Ohhhhh...That one is a ripper! (that was very Austrailian sounding!...
I'm not Austrailian!!... not that I'm implying there is anything wrong with being from Austrailia...) but I digress.. I wrote that one a while ago when I was going through one of my "fuck it all, no one gives a good goddamn about "DIY spirit" or "non-conformity" or "thinking for yourself"blah blah blah old crusty punk shit... and I don't mean "Crusty Punk"(...not that there is anything wrong with "crusty punks"...damn! I'm doing it again!) I mean the old ideals of a long forgotten era...when the cold war winds blew and the dark spectre of Reagan haunted our shadows....the mid-80's... ..well, for me at least. Where was I? oh yeah! the "fed up with the DIY punk scene" "mood" thingy.. I'm better now.. It comes and it goes, like night and day, like crude oil on the tide, like all revolutions past, after 26 years of doing this "Punk Rock Shit" you'd think I would know better. Until next time, dear reader, "Don't believe the hype". --------LHCjr. 5/5/2010 It's Been A Long, Lonely, Lonely, Lonely, Lonely Time..
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LARRY "H." CHRIST jr's VERBAL HEMATOMA  That's my brand new Hematoma (or whatever the hell you call it..)! I got early last week. Do you like it? Well, since that pic, it's grown into a massive purple and black mess. My whole upper arm is swollen. It looks like The Blob took a piss on my left arm.. Had to go BACK to that pit of human suffering and despair; The Emergency Room. (The first time was a couple months ago when I had a heart-attack. Wow, did that suck... Not the fear of imminent death, the obnoxious pain in the chest and, metaphorically, ass. NEVER stay in a hospital! The bed was a big plastik air mattress that makes you sweat buckets all night long. AND the nitroglycerine patches they consistently put on your shoulder....HELLO, MASSIVE HEADACHE THAT DOESN"T GO AWAY FOR A COUPLE HOURS!!! Besides that kind of crap, a heart attack isn't all that painful... ) I'm falling apart, dear readers, physically and mentally....HELP! Just kidding. (or am I? that's part of the mystery, isn't it.. heh-heh-heh!  )Oh well, walk it off, tomorrow's another dumb waste of time, and.. -------------------  I built that shelf in Dial House all by my little ol' self. I be speshul. I'm a master-shelfsman. My next Shelving-Masterpiece-Projekt (S.M.P.tm pending....) will be for the Pope. A MIGHTY shelf, so he can store his vast collection of pre-Christianity S&M bondage equipment and his set of bobble-head Saints on. Huzzah! --------------------------  I love this picture! A part of Dial House gardens, summer 2009. ahhhh. soothing. ------------------------ MY LATEST LISTENS:(or bands I'm listening to) >WARNING: Read, only if you give a fuck....< 1. The Pink Mountaintops 2. the NEW Jay Reatard album! 3. The Thermals 4. Butthole Surfers (I'm gonna see their REUNION show in Chicago in Oct.!!! YESSS!) 5. The Oh Sees 6. The Velvet Underground (yes, for the millionth time...) 7. The Silver Apples (from 1968!) 8. Suicide (live album) 9. early Brian Eno 10.The Jesus & Marychain box set (The 4th disc is EXCELLENT all the way through.) 11. THE HORRORS (AMAZING newest CD, Primary Colours!!) --------------------------- MOVIES & TV: 1. The Mighty Boosh! 2. The I.T. Crowd 3. The Last House On The Left (remake, but still pretty good...The original is still way creepier, for some reason) 4. Fri. The 13th (remake, yeah...I liked it..sue me!) 5. The Watchmen 6. Johnny Got His Gun (1971) (THE BEST Anti-War movie ever made!!! FINALLY out on DVD!) 7. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia 8. The Monks: Trans-Atlantic Feedback (great documentary about a great noise/punk/industrial/psycho-delic rock pioneering band from the early 60's!! It's Monk-Time!) 9. Coraline 10. again, all MST3k, Rifftrax, & Cinematic Titanic DVD's (I just can't get enough.) Oh big-goddamn-deal what I think... Are you out there? Who are you? Yes, you. Read the book HARDCORE ZEN by Brad Warner, it's PunkRock Zen. Not that I'm for ANY Organized Religion, but it's very inspirational. My arm fucking hurts, now. See the movie, JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN, it's a timeless war-time nightmare. -------------------- Oh, how the fortunate dance! upon the graves of their slaves. ---------------------- Terminally blank. Terminally old. Timeless, Futureless. Am I repeating myself? Am I repeating myself? Alzheimer's? Brain-cell fry? Or, just not that interested anymore. I can't remember yesterday, because it no longer matters. I don't think of the future, a new crap-strewn path of; disappointments, frustrations, numbing, never ending time-streams of mediocre illusions based upon past paltry victorys and failing dreams. I love those who I love with honor, respect and loyalty that I will fight to the death for, and I hate those who I hate with a screaming, seetheing, blistering rage of vengeance that burns in my heart, mind and soul and that inspires me to write meaningless rants like this. HA! ------------------------------------ Nighty-night dear friends, I'm going to go pass out on my swollen arm and howl in pain like a wounded badger for a couple hours..... Or watch a movie, I haven't decided yet. ----------yours truly (or falsely. let's be realistic...) Larry X. Christmas the younger H-Elgin, Hellinois, USAAAAAAyyyy.. 08.21.2009A.D.D.   8.06.2009: Hello again, hello. it's so nice to say--- I'm stuck. I'm at a dead end. Ideas, that used to flow fast and freely, now barely trickle out. So, what's new with you? Nothing? Again? I thought so. Fucking frustrating. Have I lost the will? the fire, the fury? Am I too comfortable? Am I not enough? Am I too old? Is this death? So. This is life. Big flipping deal. I've had more enjoyable suicide attempts. ---LHCjr. 8.2009 --------------------------------------------- See? Misery and confusion can be fun! (and, in the case of most rich rock stars, very profitable!) I just finished mixing a new song called (tentatively), SURVIVING (day by day). I like it. That's what's important...right?!?...c'mon tell me!!!....only my opinion matters, right?!?! HA! I soooo funny! You know, in Russia, sandwiches EAT YOU! HAHAHAHAaah... That was my Yakov Smirnoff impression... THANK YOU! THANK YOU! No, no, please sit down....come on, now...hold your applause for the end of the blag... Okay, I guess I'll go out on that joke.. Uhhhh....Bye for now, folks! Don't forget to hug your local policeman! He'll thank you for it.....with his club! PEACE! OUT! --------------Larry Hussein Christ junior, PhD. 8/06/2009  7.19.2009: DIAL HOUSE FIELDS FOREVER. (or 'WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION')
Hello again. Been back from the UK for a couple of days now, and I STILL can't adjust! I'm sleeping WAY too much. Wow. Simply, WOW! A.(my wife), & I stayed at Dial House for a week!! Dial House is the 70's UK "Anarchist"Punk Rock band CRASS-'s house, in the Essex countryside, outside of London, UK. I've been inspired by the band CRASS ever since I "found" their records in 1985, a year AFTER they had finished their 8 year "mission" to make "The Punk Rock Movement" mean more than just another plastik, bubblegum-rock, teeny-bopper trend. It could mean that your life is YOURS. You can live D.I.Y.- "DO. IT. YOURSELF." Your own thought, expression, attitude. Basically, an outlook on how to live a decent life in an insane world. I'm probably talking a lot of shit with my interpretation of what Crass is/was....So if you want to know more about CRASS,-- GOOGLE: CRASS!!!! There's ALOT about them... Yes, that's a pic of yours truly, in the garden at Dial House, a 15th or 16th Century cottage, an "Artistic-Open House"-type place, in the middle of the Essex farm-lands. So, I'm back and rested-up, (sort of...don't fly British Airways..)) and ready to tackle the massive amount of recordings that THE END IS NOW. has amassed over the weeks. Our new CD will be out AND FOR FREE DOWNLOAD, soon??????? It's called 'IN THE GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES'. it's a Freak-a-delic-noise-nightmare!! ENJOY! for now, Larry Christ, jr.   12/05/2008: Another Friday night. 11:43pm. Freezing outside. Freezing inside. Cold. Brrrr... Got new music. The Mae-Shi. The Plot To Blow Up The Eiffel Tower. Neon Blonde.
Why am I writing like this?. I should stop. I feel like Stephen Hawking. By The LHCbot2.0 God, I'm bored. Hello? Anybody there? You. Yeah, you, reading this right now. What ya doin'? (BESIDES fucking around on the computer, when you should be PRAYING TO JESUS...It's his b-day soon, you know...) Dammit! I've drawn a blank... 12:04am- Oh yeah, I'm bored. Whatcha doin'? Cool. Me? I'm just praying to Jesus... Nah. Just kidding... Just doin' some late-night Cyber-Blaspheming. It's fun! Give it a try! It's the new cyber-trend! God is dead. See? That f-ing ROCKED!! Jesus was a Right-wing, un-wed mother beating, gun-nut, with a sick fascination with war, greed, and suffering, and a burning hatred of anyone NOT white! Wow! WAS that Blasphemy? Sounds like Evangelical Christian Church doctrine! LOL!  To be fair, Mohammed was a HUGE douchebag! Moses "liked" sheep a little TOO much! Buddah was addicted to the 'tang! And to all the other prophets and Demi-Gods; you guys SUCK SO HARD!!!! ...Goin' 'round, talkin' an' filosifizin' all over tha place... Who do you think you ARE?! Man, I've gone waaay off track.. 12:34am - Oh yeah, What are you doing reading this?!? Pervert. You are sick! My lame 1st attempt at a TOP 10 BANDS I'm listening to (at the moment..It changes alot..) LIST: 10. Fiery Furnaces 9. Times New Viking 8. No Age 7. Saul Williams 6. Neon Blonde 5. The Kills 4. Jay Reatard 3. The Mae-Shi 2. Japanther 1. Mindless Self-Indulgence WOW! Wasn't that fucking fascinating...? Are you enlightened now? God, I'm bored. TOP 10 sorta/sorta not NEW MOVIES (actually, DVD's..) FOR RECOMENDATION: 10. WHAT WE DO IS SECRET 9. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE 8. X-MAS ON MARS (flaming lips) 7. MST3K 20th ANNIV. BOX SET 6. TROPIC THUNDER 5. STEPHEN COLBERT X-MAS DVD 4. HELLBOY 2 3. ALL the FILM CREW/RIFFTRACKS DVD'S 2. ALL the CINEMATIC TITANIC DVD's 1. NEW DOCTOR WHO SEASON 4 Good night and good luck... LHC 2 HELL-gin, IL. 12/whatever/2008. 1:13am |
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  **LARRY CHRIST jr.'s IMPOSSIBLE, INCREDIBLE, 180degree TURNABOUT ON HIS OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE?!**hopefully...pun intended. Thursday, November 13th, 2008: Who would EVER have guessed it?! MORE THAN HALF OF THIS INSANE, FEAR-BASED, BIGOTED, VIOLENCE-CRAZY COUNTRY VOTED FOR BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA FOR THE MOST POWERFUL PERSON IN THE WORLD!!! Is this a new start? Have we grown up and evolved into the 21st Century?! I STILL have a hard time believeing it! Like tomorrow, Obama will be speaking on TV, and he'll reach up to his face and tear off a mask and it will be DICK CHENEY!!! ...And it will come to pass, that He, Himself, the White-Devil, the Great Deceiver, The Master Of Eternity (He goes by many a name...)will rule over all the civilisations of the world in darkness and anguish for a thousand years, until the Earth is a scorched cinder and He hath finished feasting on all the bones and souls of ev'ry human-slave left after Rove and his GOP are finished raping their children and defecating in-... ...Um, Yeah, something like that... But, I digress.. I think I wrote that last freak-out, because I don't/can't remember how to write/feel good about a possible future, and not just thinking like a hardened, cynical bastard who wouldn't bring a kid into this messed-up, fear-based, de-evolving, possibly doomed world if you paid me a million dollars. (well, maybe a million...) And now I don't know WHAT to think!? Am I being waaay too over-optimistic about a President Of These Divided States? I mean they have ALL basically failed to do what they said they were going to do, (except for a few..) AND the general public usually just goes with the; "I'm pretending to be a down-home-just-like-you-a-dumb-hick-who-is-scared-of-his/her-own-shadow-and-our-neighbors-so-buy-a-gun-and-blow-their-goddamn-head-off-in-the-name(s)-of-some-invisible-Master-in-the-sky." kind of people/con-artists, who are BLATANTLY lying straight to our faces....Whew! That was a RANT! But, when I was standing on that Grant Park field in Chicago, Tuesday, November 4th, 2008, after standing in line for 2 and a half hours, now surrounded by 200,000+ other beaten-down, over the edge pessimistic/optimists (after 8 years of mental torture, THAT weird description makes perfect sense!) like (and unlike) myself, a feeling of a strange unity and (dare I say...Hope?)was in the air and, then it was called. Obama is the President-Elect.... My first thought was,"Wait, did that just happen?!" Then the place went crazy. It was a deafening roar of relief and HOPE. Hope that someone new (and different from the usual political pig...) in the the most powerful position in the world will make the right, decent, and fair decisions...for once!!! We'll see....... But until then, I have HOPE?!?! I hope. HA! ---to be continued.. ...cuz, I'm tired and I wanna pass out. Write me sometime! Your "hope" (or shit..) filled pal, LARRY H.C. jr. 11/13/2008 (year .010 A.B.) ...to a fuzzy, warm, cuddly, happy future! awwww... picture of a Dick Cheney-odile recently feeding. (the hand used to belong to Joe Biden) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LARRY CHRIST JR.'s: INCOMPREHENSIBLE RANTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BY LARRY CHRIST JR. dictated not written. lazy asshole. HEY! JERK, JUST WRITE! Look, you just made me write that, idiot... by Matt Plastik. written under protest. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.11.08: Well, it's one minute to midnight. (or two minutes, you Maiden fans! UP THE IRONS! YEAAHHH!! what?) I'm currently intoxicated. See! It's already 12:02am, 10.12.08, and I've hardly written anything! Don't drink and rant, kids. I know it works for all your favorite writers, rock stars, politicians, evangelical preachers, and port-o-potty cleaners, but that doesn't mean... Again, did THAT make ANY sense?! I don't think so. Gosh, this is fun! (for me. Probably not for you, dear reader...well, read the banner headline of this rant.... IT"S MY RANT!!! I'M THE GOD! I'M THE GOD!! You will bow down before me, son of Jorel, and...) 12:10am: I'm currently rocking out to JAPANTHER. (have been for a while. I've got 4 albums that I'm playing over and over, over and over, like some crazy addiction.. Recently, it's been: MINDLESS SELF-INDULGENCE, JAY REATARD, THE SCREAMERS, THE BRIEFS and now JAPANTHER..) As you can probably tell I'm NOT a pro writer... I got my own thang. Just winging it. And if you are reading this, then, it's at your own risk. I got no form, no plan, usually I try to make SOME interesting point or comment. Or I just end ideas right in the middle of expla- Hey, I dig this song! Summer Hills! Where was I? And, who are you? Really? Wow. Deep. Have more Vodka. 12:23am: Another cigarette. Yeah, I smoke! What of it?! These days, is there any future for the world to look forward to, that would make me want to give it up??? Live fast, die fast and enjoy the ride, cuz, there's no future and there's no turning back... YEEEEEHAAAWWWWW!!!! We're on the Highway to Hell! (an Iron Maiden AND an AC/DC reference in the same rant! Man, I'm HIP!) Broken hip. (that's an age joke. I'm 37.) I'm wasting my time writing this, when I should be trying to patch and edit and write some lyrics to the many recordings TEIN has done over the last few months, but, dear reader, after 25 years of writing lyrics for songs, I'm blank... Nothing good. Oh well, writers block.... Or is it? Am I too old? Have I used up any decent idea I've ever had? Is this what REALLY happens when you get older?!? You just give up trying? No more urge to scream and spit rage at an unsuspecting crowd? Do you just give in to the "System", because after a couple decades you get so worn down and disillusioned with trying to figure out why Civilization is nowhere near being "Civilized", and that the majority of people think evolution is over that THIS is the best we can do, so let's exploit everything and everyone until we all DE-evolve to the point of complete babbling morons, and then there really would be a legitimate reason to blow it all up, then.... Wha? Huh? Can the balloon juice, Gramps, and get this over with....That one TV show that I like is on... Ok. Whatever. You and your "television" and "hula-hoops" and your "secret Punk-Rock handshakes"....You wouldn't let me join, would you?! you bastards, and... I'm done. Wha? Oh, yeah. Bye, til next time. where's the Vodka....? LHC, jr. / 12:54am / Oct. 12th, Y2k8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LARRY CHRIST JR.'S WHIMSICAL CAROUSEL OF VERBAL NONSENSE.... 1ST EDITION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DVD, etc... REVIEWS Yeah, I'm a DVD-aholic. I admit it. Just like I am a CD/LP/EP-aholic, a book-aholic, etc, etc,... Whew! That took a lot of guts to admit, But I feel better for letting it out in the open...Ahhhhh. Sooooo, I'm going to give you, dear reader, my oh-so-worthwhile-and-important OPINION! on the media that crosses my path. RATINGS: *****-find it NOW!!, ****-excellent, ***-pretty damn good, **-below average, *-crap on plastic, 0-you wasted my time. I want it back!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Sorry it took so long to do another review...I'm a lazy sod...) reviewed 9/13/08: 924 Gilman St.: Let's Talk About Tact & Timing... documentary DVD (2008) >>>LHC jr.'s rating: ****1/2 >>>>>YES! THIS IS WHAT I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE PUNK MOVEMENT WAS ALL ABOUT! Seriously! Gilman Street and MRR had such and effect on yours truly, that everything I've tried to do in the DIY/Punk "scene" since 1988, has been defined by the ideas (not just the ideals) and inspiration behind Maximum RocknRoll and The Gilman Street Project, Berkeley, Ca. I became a 1 time/1 visit member of Gilman St. when I first went there in 1988. This old, little, grafitti-ed warehouse in the middle of a regular, boring sub-urban landscape, helped me realize there could be so much more to the "Punk Scene" than just being a rebel and an outsider with strange clothes and an FTW attitude. This shit could actually mean something more than just an outlet of rage and disillusionment. We could put together a community of bands, zines, support, and friendships, completely outside of our hometown's boring, worthless, and utterly useless "so-called" communities. GILMAN St. is the blueprint to form that DIY community. All politics aside, this documentary is very important to ANYONE who is interested in the creation of an ALL-AGES true DIY Underground Movement center in their town. In 1989, I tried to start a "Gilman membership-inspired" place in my hometown of Elgin, IL. (We had ONE GREAT show with: Screeching Weasel, No Empathy, Stuff Treatment, my old band Contracide, and Spazz Maggots at The Masonic Temple (now Wonderland. or some dumb name like that....). Later, we were told by the Fire Dept. that The Masonic Temple had no working fire exit doors and we couldn't do any more shows.DAMMMIT!!!!! so the project ended.) This documentary does have some faults though. The people in that scene who were extremely influential, (some are shown in the film) are not introduced very well (or at times, not at all...) The over-all info in the film is only really meaningful to people in the Berkeley/SF Ca. scene, or to some of us who followed the progress of Gilman St. during the early days (mid-to-late 80's & 90's) of the project. People who watch this DVD in the future (or are not familiar with Gilman St. or MRR...you know, "non-HC Punk insiders") are not going to get the FULL story/info on such an important/influential cultural phenomenon. But still, this Documentary is a CRUCIAL start. FINAL THOUGHT: In spite of it's lack of information, (not really THAT MUCH is missing...) you definitely get the spirit/good intentions/seriously fun/important message of 924 GILMAN ST. DO IT YOUSELF. GET YOUR FRIENDS INVOLVED. CREATE YOUR OWN "HOME-MADE REVOLUTION". Get this DVD before you get PUNKS NOT DEAD. Understand WHY Punk Rock is so important to so many, and NOT just another cheap product for the comsumers' head, NOT bubblegum rock backed up by big time promoters, (to quote 'Punk Is Dead") it's a way of life. OTHER RECOMMENDED PUNK ROCK/H.C. DVD's: >DAY THE COUNTRY DIED (history of UK Anarcho-Punk) >PUNK: ATTITUDE > LOUDER, FASTER, SHORTER (1977 short film w/ UXA, The Dils, The Sleepers, The Mutants, The Avengers...) > MINOR THREAT Live > CONFLICT in London > CONFLICT in England > MC5: A True Testimonial > IGGY & THE STOOGES Live in Detroit > CRASS: There's No Authority But Yourself (on-line only) > TOY DOLLS Idle Gossip > MINDLESS SELF-INDULGENCE Our Pain Is Your Gain > DEAD BOYS Live @ CBGB 1977 > SEX PISTOLS Live @ The Longhorn, TX. > RAMONES End Of The Century. The Story of.. > DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION #1 > DEAD KENNEDYS Live > DRI Live @ CBGB > BAD BRAINS Live @ CBGB > SUBHUMANS Live > NAKED RAYGUN What Poor Gods We Do Make > AMERICAN HARDCORE ......There's too many great DVD's out there to name all of them...... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- reviewed 8/2/08: PUNKS NOT DEAD documentary DVD (2007) ------->>>>>LHC jr.'s rating: *** Man, this documentary on the "hallowed" subject of Punk Rock was a rough, engaging, frustrating, and nostalgic watch, for no other reason than, for your humble reviewer, being involved in "the Scene" for so long, helped and supported the D.I.Y. Punk Movement(? for lack of better words) and seeing it get raped and mugged by the Mainstream Morons, ever since the "Rise and Fall of Nirvana"(Early 90's) then pervert it into this corporate charade of "Non-Conformity" to make $$ and inflate egos and.... ...but I digress.. I always considered the Punk and Underground Scene to be an insane, loose-knit, D.I.Y. community of; outcasts, outsiders, geeks, misfits,"anti-"hippies, borderline-suicidals, and too smart-for-their-own-good Rock n Roll Rebels, who for whatever reason, hated/loved (yeah, I went there!! Just admit it already...)this sheep-like world around them so intensely that they needed group "Primal Scream Therapy" to cope with and fight through the; rage/depression/disgust/isolation/prejudices/ head/heart-aches their "Civilized" Societies had dumped on them from Day 1--- ---before they go completely insane and.... well, you fill in the "blank___________ " (GENERATION!! HA! Got you with a "pun-quote"tm... That's a clever "quote" from a "punk" song. neat! ) Where was I? Oh yeah.... PUNK SNOT DEAD(sic, cuz it's funny...) is a good documentary on the past, present(?), and future(?) of, that wacky and kooky and frustratingly brilliant "Fuck You!" of all the "Fuck You!" youth movements, Punk Rock!YeeeeHawwww!*** ***BUT! I think it's a disrespectful slap-in-the-face, ONCE AGAIN! to COMPLETELY EXCLUDE the impact that the band CRASS had on the 2nd wave of (U.K. only? All of...?)Punk, AND ESPECIALLY HARDCORE PUNK (Just like in MOST so-called Official or Definitive "Punk/H.C Histories"... It's like some weird, psycho-denial of their contribution/existence...personally, I think it's THE MAN distorting and deleting the TRUTH yet AGAIN!) If anything, CRASS immensely inspired and cultivated the TRUE D.I.Y./personal political ethics that supported Punk/HC through it's bleakest of times, (mid to late 80's and beyond...) that it STILL COULD really mean something, to take a stand and fight for a better... >sniffle< sorry... >sniffle< ...got something in my eye... ..>ahem<... Okay. Whatever. It's YOUR film, you can SCREW with HISTORY just like THE RICH, WHITE MAN did with the fate of THE INDIANS! ! JUST GLOSS IT OVER AND.... ...just giving you a hard time. (duuuhhmmmmb...) BOTTOM LINE: If you like Punk Rock documentaries and docs. that ACTUALLY discuss the positive/negative impact, the purpose and meaning of "Punk Rock", then you'll like this.** **(oh yeah, what about other influential Punk/H.C. bands like; DRI, MDC, Conflict, or even Screeching Weasel! or the crazy stuff like; Butthole Surfers, Melvins, Scratch Acid.... I know, I know, you've only got 2 hours....) Well, I think my first review went well...A bit whiny and ranty, but hey, I gotta write about SOMETHING! or this blog-thingy will get pretty dull...... Til next time superfans, L. to the H. to the C. numba 2, OUT! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/5/2008: Hey. Whud up? Nothin'. Yeah, me too. Well, see ya later. Bye. Dammit. I hate it when we have nothing to say. What do I have to say? I forgot. You? The same ol', same ol'... Terrible weather. What? Terrible weather. Oh. Yeah. Terrible. Do you think the Human Race is de-evolving? Who cares. We all die someday. What of the future you's? What of them? Don't you want them to enjoy the fruits of our labor? Screw 'em. Let them suffer like we have to. Don't you feel any attachment to those around you? Family? Friends? Well, them and... The "World"? Yeah. Nah. Let 'em eat shit. We are our own worst enemy. No, you are mine. ....(applause)THANK YOU!(more applause) THANK YOU!(hoots and whistles)NO, YOU'RE TOO KIND! THANK YOU!(screams of adulation) Yes, I just wrote that. I went there! HA! Take THAT "Society"!!! (it's 9pm on a disturbingly humid Tues. H-Elgin summer night.....and as you can tell I'm bored.) Until next time dear reader, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!!! hugs, Larry H. C. II DON'T BELIEVE "THEIR" BULLSHIT. "They" are out there... YOU might be one and not even know it... Then, who am I? ---paranoia-uber-alles 2008A.D. LHCjr.'s blag |
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hold me tight...
