Saturday, August 9, 2008

The Germs Return - NYC


Blender Theatre on 23rd St. NYC was fairly packed last night as the Germs Return to NYC with a new young vocalist, Shane West, with actor looks but credible pipes.

LES STITCHES:
The event opened with Lower East Side (LES) Stitches playing to maybe a hundred folks spread throughout the Blender. I liked the Stitches and so did a group of young, punks / friends who made it their mission to not the low numbers or early hour disway them from keeping the pit a mosh of elbows and high step strut.

You can check out some video of their performance here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtquNVm0qoI

MURPHY'S LAW:





Had never gotten a chance to see these guys and honestly, they were the highlight of the evening for me. NY Hardcore, also repping the lower East Side, vocalist Jimmy G. came out driking Yagermeister, shared generously with the crowd and then proceeded to smoke a joint, throw cans of bud to the crowd and taunt the observers in the back by referring to them as "meter maids" who he fucking hates!

The crowd onstage was almost bigger than the crowd offstage as their posse consisted of mostly 250lb tattooed bruisers and good old NYC blue collar punks. I like it. This is what Punk is about. NYC's answer to the LA Punk Scene is NY Hard Core. In the tradition of Agnostic Front and similar to Metal heads Madball.. but different, unique.. They have their own sound and they could care less about rules. It was raucous. how somebody didn't get their head split open with a budweiser beer can I'll never know.. they were flying all over the place. The pit floor was soaked, people were falling.. elbows were flying.. punks were punking OUT! It was a convention of misfits that would have made any true punker proud.. except there were just too few of them.. the crowd was there for the Germs.. but Murphy's Law stole the show. I'll check these guys out again.. and wear my worst punk gear.. cause your gonna get soaked AND INSULTED. Your also gonna hear some great guitar (Felpe I think?)

Check out the insults first hand here:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDdi_F69ys

THE GERMS RETURN:
Mixing old with the young is The Germs. Pat Smear came out smoking his guitar and hasn't lost a beat. not a lot of energy from the guy but he can play. The music was fast, furious and the stage set was much slicker than Murphy's Law.. I mean they are legends, so I guess they deserve some trappings of success. The crowd was into them and it was a mix of young and old there as well. Shane West is the new lead singer and he looks too damn pretty to be a punk singer but its encouraging.. you don't HAVE to be a MESS to be into punk. It helps, but you don't have to be.

Check out some of their performance right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XG7VLOvYLI

All in all, a good night for Punk Music in NYC.. do I smell a comeback?

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