‘Can’t Stop Us (Mexico/Japan)’
(Side One Dummy)
If there’s one thing that ‘Can’t Stop Us’ proves, it’s that punk rock is truly a global phenomenon; uniting like-minded people in areas where you might least expect the genre’s influence to exist. This DVD is essentially a two-part documentary, featuring plenty of live Casualties footage, which follows the band on extensive tours of Mexico and Japan.The band play strictly old-school street punk in an Exploited/GBH vein, and unsurprisingly incite moshpit chaos at every show. It all sounds pretty repetitive after a while, though, and the quality of sound is varied, at best. The band/crowd interaction is far more interesting; especially in Mexico, where vocalist Jorge – a son of Hispanic immigrants – is able to sing and speak to the band’s fans in their native tongue. Don’t worry, folks, there are English subtitles included.
Elsewhere, there’s plenty of amusing tour bus footage; rioting fans in Mexico City; interviews with excited Mexican and Japanese punks; and a particularly touching scene where Casualties bassist Rick rescues a kitten trapped on a high roof. Aw, bless.
‘Can’t Stop Us’ is only truly essential for Casualties fans, but it’s well worth a look if you generally like UK82 style punk, or if you’re simply curious about how punk culture manifests itself in Hispanic or Asian territories.
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