Category: Music

Wurlitzer Ballroom, Madrid
11.10.07

I’ll admit, I wasn’t too keyed up on The Rip Offs but some of my learned brother-in-arms advised that this San Francisco quartet is ‘legendary’ live. A bit of background research beforehand revealed that, after all amount of trials, tribulations and infighting, this is the bands first trip back to Europe with their original line-up in about 12years. I figured I better hot rail it down to the Wurlitzer, and see what the deal was.

And the deal was this; after a couple of so-so support bands, The Rip Offs stormed on to the stage and laid in to 60+ minutes of filthy and raw stripped to the bone Punk RocknRoll, as tight as it was chaotic, with relentless taunting and baiting of the rammed frenzied crowd… (“ya fuckin’ Mexicans” proving to be a popular refrain) It was the day before a long weekend in Madrid and the punters were up for it big style, with the insults flying thick and fast from either side. Tension and adrenaline was at a premium. At one point guitarist Shane White is dragged off the stage, there’s an altercation, and he furiously swings his guitar above his head, preparing to take someone out… in a flash bassist/frontman Greg Lowry steps in to calm things down before we get a blood soaked re-enactment of Sid Vicious at Randy’s Rodeo, San Antonio.

And talking of Greg Lowry, the sometime Zodiac Killer, a man who clearly has a ‘thing’ for serial murderers, does have something of the night about him too, looks about as creepy as a guy dressed in black wearing a stocking mask over his head can do. On the far side of the stage from where I’m checking out the action is guitarist Jon Von, still going hard at it. I’ve not seen him play since Mr T Experience played at The George Robey, London Town back in the 1900’s. And holding it down at the rear, the grinning Shane White beats the “worst drum kit he’s ever played” to a pulp.

Equipment is broken, bottles are smashed, much beer is spat, spilt ‘n swallowed… and after 2 encores The Rip Offs finally depart having well and truly destroyed Madrid. It was a total blast. So, yeah, go on then… Legendary!

Pete Craven

Astoria – London
17.10.07

The last time HR graced us with his presence in London, i was just getting into hardcore at 17 and discovering that a new scene was there for me that would last a lifetime. This is the effect that Bad Brains had on me as a teenager, they knocked me for six when i least expected it.

As the years went by HR never returned and instead we had to watch people like Chuck Mosely fill HR’s boots in 1990 on the mic, but it never worked, i mean how can you replace such an individual? Despite this, Dr Know and Darryl Jennifer were not going to leave their childhood fun and carried on without the great man.

Tonight though, HR is back in the spotlight, his presence made the crowd roar as he shuffled onto the stage carrying what seemed like his life in shopping bags, dressed like E.T with a shaul over his face and sporting white sunnies!

They kicked off with classics such as I Against I and The Regulator to get the place rocking, followed by the supercharged Sailin’ On, Right Brigade and Attitude from their first 2 albums but these lethal tracks seemed to have some bite taken out of them at this show but no one seemed to really care.

Before the show, people hoping that they would not play too many songs from the brand new Adam Yauch produced record Build a Nation and they were not let down. The rastafarian vibes of Jah Love filled the Astoria with HR’s reverbed voice hitting each wall, this was followed by Universal Peace and were the only new tracks before a barrage of classics like I and I Survive, I Love Jah, Banned in DC, F.V.K, At The Movies and Re-Ignition got the place moving.

It’s true to say that the once explosive energy that this band used to generate has been slightly lost and mainly from HR’s presence. As they came back for the encore, people expected more than just Pay To Cum and some left the Astoria feeling that’s exactly what they did do. Moaning Brits aside, HR is in his 50’s and is not the ball of fire that he once was, but that doesn’t really matter. At least they made an effort to come back to the UK fullfilling most people’s dreams of seeing the OG line up rather than a circus band.

Jah Love to Bad Brains for that alone.

Zac