Tag Archives: DIY

Cookie Puss

Well last night was basically like other nights, but still I write. I took bhikku’s advice and watched American Hardcore and it was better than I expected. There were so many bands from that scene that I had forgotten about. I also forgot that one of the main causes of the hardcore scene was the administration of the Reagan presidency.

It was bad then, but it’s worse now. Where’s the underground response? Where would hardcore be without Ronnie? He was the poster child for most hardcore fliers and adverts. It was a very good documentary, interviews with Keith Morris from Circle Jerks, HR from Bad Brains, Henry Rollins. I forgot about Die Krauzen, I believe they played McSwells at some point. It was a national thing with our Canadian cousins represented by DOA.

As vital as the hardcore scene was, it did eventually succumb to the LCD mentality. One of the talking head was a former roadie for a Boston band called Slapshot. He’s now a Unitarian minister, Reverend Hank Peirce, nee straight edge Hank. He was totally straight edge, and still is apparently. I was straight edge for a few minutes, in the sense of not drinking or doing drugs. Then I started drinking and doing drugs.

Ian MacKaye from Minor Threat was on also, the leader of the straight edge movement, totally earnest with the DIY attitude. I doubt if there are many bands so dedicated to their craft as he was and still is. Don’t know if Fugazi is still operating, but they had the policy of never charging more than $5.00 to their shows. I also found Phil Anselmo has quite a sexy voice. Man he sounded hot. Too bad he was a junkie in Pantera, which isn’t or wasn’t hardcore.

Not much on the Dead Kennedys or Husker Du. They got a mention but no one from those bands were talking, neither were the Beastie Boys who as many people have forgotten, started out as a hardcore band. Henry Rollins, good guy, had some very good things to say, telling his story about leaving a $3.50 an hour job in DC to move to LA and join Black Flag.

Bill came home towards the end and was tired and perplexed by the sounds coming out of the TV. Bunch of white kids jumping off the stage onto each other in the audience, ‘what the fuck’ he must have thought. Luckily, the songs played barely lasted more than a minute and you couldn’t really understand, hence my having the subtitles on. Almost forgot, Brandon Cruz was on. He was in a hardcore band, in fact he replaced Jello Biafra in the Dead Kennedys.

The group I hung out with back in my wild and wooly days gravitated to hardcore, I moved in a different direction. They were listening to the Germs, I was listening to Talking Heads and Run DMC. Eventually we parted ways.

Oh and Moby sang with Flipper for a show or two at some point though the guys in Flipper don’t remember. Oh that Moby. Grrr! And Mike Watt, great guy, he should run for President. No, wait, he’s too cool for that. He’s great and it was good to see him in the video. Everybody loves Mike Watt. I know I do. I heart Mike Watt. Where is today’s hardcore, railing against the system? What? Do I have to do it?

Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about any of the above, like you needed me to tell you that.

Glory Box

Well it was an uneasy night of sleep due to too much drinking and not enough eating basically. I had a mere sandwich before heading out which made things fun last night, but what a price to pay today. I’m better now, thanks for your concern. I’ve eaten and even headed out and interacted with people this afternoon. The sun popped out and I took advantage of it. Other than that, the sky has been the color of milk all day.

Did the usual Saturday routine without much difficulty. Watched a Bob Costas special on HBO this morning. Mainly about blogs, specifically sports blogs. One anti- blogger, Buzz Bissinger was foaming at the mouth, putting down the blog called deadspin by Will Leitch. Buzz came off looking like an idiot. It was reminiscent of when punk and new wave started and all the established artists were putting down. It’s the same but instead of musicians, it’s writers of newspapers who are putting down the blogs.

The establishment putting down anything new and different and in the hands of the masses. Admittedly, some blogs are lame (ahem), and some are fun and informative (don’t look at me, I’m neither) and some make lot’s of money (not me). But the established writers, and I think society as a whole, have problems separating the bloggers from the commenters. The guy Will Leitch, who wrote deadspin had a few comments that were rude, but he didn’t moderate the comments, and why should he? That’s what got Buzz Bissinger all upset.

The concept of DIY, or anyone can do it was troubling. I suppose there are some people that shouldn’t write, but I’m not going to stop them. I just don’t read them. There are some people making lousy music, but I’m not going to go see them. It was tacky to see Buzz Bissinger call Will Leitch ‘a Jimmy Olsen on Percoset’. And what kind of name is Buzz Bissinger anyway?

The only sport I ever participated in was Summer League Baseball when I was growing up. And I didn’t volunteer, I was drafted. My brother Brian’s friend Pete Frega was a coach and needed players and since I wasn’t doing anything I was forced into it. I hated it. No interest whatsoever, and probably laid the groundwork for my not being a team player later in life. I sucked. A fear of the baseball coming at me was sure detriment. I dropped out eventually not even knowing the names of my team mates.

Years later I did start a soft ball team, mainly as a way to get out of my father’s way on Saturday and Sunday mornings. That was actually the only excuse accepted. ‘Can’t clean out the gutters, I have a soft ball game.’ It was a rag tag team, all gathered mainly to have fun and drink beer. I would be up at bat determined to swing for the fences only to see the outfield moving in, sometimes only a few feet from the in field. Hopes were dashed but recovered by a cold beer after grounding out. Eventually my fun team was co-opted by serious players. I was moving beyond soft ball and hanging out in Manhattan by that time anyway.