[kj] An Olive Branch for Olive-r

Alex Smith vassifer at earthlink.net
Tue Feb 27 14:41:16 EST 2007



Fair enough, Oliver -- I have been being needlessly nitpicky with you lately, and I apologize. I'm under a bit of presure these days (lots of layoffs where I work), and that's manifesting itself by making me needlessly argumentative.

I know you didn't invent the term "hair metal" (or "crust" or "punk" or "hardcore" or "thrash" or "goth" or "shoegazer" or "DC hardcore" or "NYHC" or "Britpop" or "Darkwave" or "post-Punk" etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum), but I bristle at the abuse of these terms (seek ye "This Is Pop!" from XTC's first album, WHITE MUSIC).

Sure, this band or that band may have a lot of hair and wear it in silly ways (on their face, even!) -- but I don't know about you, I can't seem to hear their hair when I'm listening to the music. I know the tonsorial/sartorial trappings of certain genres of music act as cultural identifiers, but they're just appetizer. The music and the messages contained therein are the real meat of the matter (or, to bludgeon this culinary analogy into the ground, "the entree").

But I can't say I'm totally above this stuff. I wear a leather jacket. I've owned more pairs of Chuck Taylors and Doc Martens than anyone should condone. In high school, I briefly attempted to let my bangs grow into devil locks (you should see my passport picture from back then -- wearing a Bauhaus t-shirt at the same time, no less). I have far too many t-shirts, not least Killing Joke ones. When I see someone wearing a shirt emblazoned with a favorite band, I immediately feel a vague sort've kinship with them (and am more prone to approach them, presuming they're a kindred spirit). So, OF COURSE the clothes/hairstyles of the Punk community and its many offshoots set it apart from the norm, but I just think too much concentration on that stuff starts to miss the point of the movement's core. It wasn't supposed to be a fashion show. The gang metality aspect lends it the very sort've exclusionary elitism rampant in the frat schmuck and jock community, when it SHOULD be a haven AWAY from all that sort've hive-minded, super-conformist mentality.

But anyway, getting back to my apology -- while I single you out for you for waxing rhapsodic about the arguable Punk scene of today, it should be noted that you do seem to really know your stuff, and much of my needling of your posts probably stems from the old man syndrome (i.e. "you kids get off my lawn!"). But things aren't always as cut and dry as you spell that out to be, which makes me want to jump in and opine.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Punk Rock around `79 or so. I'd heard the Ramones and the `Pistols, but my real first proper taste came via a box of records my father sent my sister and I from England. There was a ton of crap in it, but also the first album by the Clash and PURE MANIA by the Vibrators. Later that summer, I ended going to this ridiculous camp in Maine, and one of the counselors was this dude name Andy Romeo. Andy was huge into Punk Rock and always carried with him this massive case of cassettes (and a boombox), introducing we impressionable, snot-nosed twerps to all these great other bands like Devo, Generation X, 999, the New York Dolls, the Stiff Little Fingers, the Jim Carroll Band, the Jam, the Stranglers, etc. etc. He was a real catalyst. I remember him being somewhat blown away by the fact that I knew who the Vibrators were. In any case, he gradually got bored with the whole thing. About twenty years later, he was managing a since-closed diner on Broadway and 56th street. I remember running into him and regailing him about all these new bands and whatnot, and he was just all bitter and disillusioned and dismissive and -- frankly -- a real bring-down. I would never want to come across like that.

In any case, we should be united by our mutual love of Killing Joke (even if you love HOSANNAS and I know it to be a deplorably undercooked plate of crap).

Anyway, carry on....

And since you might've missed it the first time around, herewith two pages of pics from the Anniversary show that turned into XXV GATHERING, featuring too many pictures of your fellow Gatherers. Warning -- lots of facial hair awaits.


http://homepage.mac.com/alexinnyc/2005/PhotoAlbum119.html

and

http://homepage.mac.com/alexinnyc/2005/PhotoAlbum120.html

If possible, enjoy


Cheers,
Alex in NYC





-----Original Message-----

>From: "B. Oliver Sheppard" <bigblackhair at sbcglobal.net>

>Sent: Feb 27, 2007 12:39 PM

>To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)" <gathering at misera.net>

>Subject: Re: [kj] Pantera (WAS: 1000 SUNS Outside Gate and PHANTASMAGORIA)

>

>Alex,

>

>You paid close attention when I said Decline 2 sucked ("BUT YOU SAID

>YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT OLIVER!" - zing!) so I am surprised you didn't pay

>such laserlike attention to my earlier posts where I've said I LIKE

>metal a la Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Motorhead, a lot of NWOBHM stuff,

>early Venom, etc. Remember, I even compared some stuff on Hosannas

>favorably to Motorhead and the bassline on the title song of Hosannas to

>the bass line on Venoms song "Sons of Satan." I love very early Metallica.

>

>I just don't like Pantera.

>

>I'm not in the hair salon as much as the people you've posted pics of on

>your blog. And making fun of hair is fun. FYI: I didn't invent the

>description "hair metal," someone else did.

>

>The mourning I saw of Dimebag was along these lines:

>http://www.bmezine.com/tattoo/A60919/high/bmepb357260.jpg

>

>Especially here in Dallas where he lived. It was pretty nauseating.

>

>-Oliver

>

>

>

>

>Alexander Smith wrote:

>> Pantera -- despite Phil Anselmo being a giant-sized asshole -- made

>> great music.

>>

>> Stop worrying about whether they're "punk" or "metal" or whatever.

>> Get out of the hair salon!!!!

>>

>> And the mourning for Dimebag is fairly genuine and justified. By all

>> accounts, he was a good man, an innovator on his instrument, and

>> killed in a senseless way.

>>

>> Alex in NYC

>>

>

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