The FU’s / The Lost Riots / The Humanoids / Punk Band
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 3/11/18
The first band to play today is a punk band. No, I mean it’s THE PUNK BAND. Or maybe, they used to be called Bob Cenci’s Punk Band but he sued himself over the name. And now, they must be called Punk Band.
Bob Cenci is one of the original members of one of the original Boston hardcore bands, Jerry’s Kids. They’re on that album “This Is Boston, Not L.A.” along with the headlining band.
This is a punk trio with lots of eighties punk influence on the music and lots of English punk inflections on the voice. And they do carry that sort of eighties post-punk vibe.
Their first song just explodes the club alive- with a looping, grooving blast of a song positioned somewhere between great, garage rock and pulsating, enthused punk. I find out from Bob it’s from a band he used to play in called The Chubbs but there’s plenty of more good songs to come.
Like “Hey Scumbag,” which, I assume, was written with me in mind, and “I’m Offended,” about facebook infractions. “You got blocked,” Bob yells at the end of that song.
The first band is a true punk band, rightly deserves it’s name and plays a great punk set.
The Humanoids are next and I’ve seen them a few times before. They play metal music that is totally informed by classical metal bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden.
If you’re looking for grindcore, death metal vocals, d-beat music- well, you won’t find it here.
And though I know resident headbanger, Andy Bang, would disapprove of their retro ways- I can’t help but get caught up in their infectious, fun music.
The lead singer, Johnny Machine, often goes up into a high operatic screech as the music pauses and the guitars come in to slaughter and slay, while the drums lay out a beat that is tribal and thunderous.
Maybe not my type of music or even my type of band, but I can honestly say, they played a great, fun set today.
The Lost Riots may be my favorite band that we cover, or at least, I think they’ve paid me the most to say they are. But when I hear about their upcoming collaborations with Damn Broads and Cry Havoc, two other great Connecticut bands- then I know they run with some of the very best bands we cover.
They made my favorite recording of 2016 but I’ve only seen them once, on my birthday last May. And look!- they’re playing my 22nd birthday party right here!- on Sunday May 20th, along with Kermit’s Finger, Revilers, Uncle Spudd, Time Out Timmy, Linnea Svedka and ten large pizzas- consider this a shameless plug!
The Lost Riots are a punk band that captures the spirit of the New York punk scene of 1977. They have a yelping, high-register singer in Jeffrey Thunders, who sounds like as if Bon Scott had joined Black Flag instead of AC/DC.
They start with their great song “About You,”- “Everyday I sit and think about you, and every day I sit and drink about you.” But then the bass amp kicks out, there’s an acrid aroma in the air and festivities are grounded to a halt.
But soon again, the music starts up, they’re playing my favorite song by them “Dead Boys,” and I’m in front of the stage, perhaps fueled by the Jameson I’ve been drinking. (I specifically asked Mike, the bartender, for Dr. Pepper but he must of misheard.)
They play a great, punkin’, rockin’ set that includes a cover of Fear’s “Living In The City.” A great band to cover, one that people might be hesitant to do so in our overly PC world but they really shouldn’t feel hindered.
Me, I’m just thankful to not be mowed down in the pit. So excuse me, while I move back to my rightful place in the elderly section.
The FU’s are the last band to play and I’m pleased as punch to see that Steve, one of their original members, is here to play guitar. He’s joined by other original members- Bob on drums, doing double time as he played earlier with Punk Band and, of course, John Sox, on vocals who with his strong, high register vocals could’ve sung for Iron Maiden.
This band I’ve seen numerous times, but whenever they have two guitars seems the best to me.
And today is no exception causing stage divers and the moshing to really ignite.
And I find myself in front of the stage again for “Young, Fast Iranians” but their cover of Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re An American Band” is the high light of their set for me.
Great set, great show, fun time.
The only year I played original music was in the early eighties. We played places like The Rat and practiced in the heart of Kenmore Square, that big building on the corner now called The Buckminister, I believe.
My band decided to record a demo and we heard there was a new recording studio in the basement. We figured- what the hell? We might as well take the elevator down to record.
We found out from the engineers that we were the first band to record with them that wasn’t hardcore. Who had they recorded? Why, it was the bands that recorded on “This Is Boston Not L.A.”
My band disappeared but those bands continued on or at least, had a strong, long lasting influence on music to come- and as I like to say- History doesn’t just tell you who won wars but also, what was the best art and music of its time- and it’s usually not the most popular, but ends up being the most influential and exists long past it’s original existance.
And some of that music was played here today.
(Slimedog)
