Buzzcocks at Black Cat
Still inspiring mosh pits I see. The Buzzcocks sound pretty much the same as they always did: mostly punk though with a bit of a power pop side. I hate to call them "pop punk" though. They aren't. They were always just a bit odd, a little more catchy than most of their contemporaries. Perhaps this is why they had a series of minor hits in Britian, notably the top-20 singles "Ever Fallen in Love" and "Promises". So they were the well-known punk band which was a bit catchier than most. In some ways they were the inspiration for modern "pop punk", but they themselves are definitely just punk.
I was on Steve Diggle's side of the stage the whole time and apparently that was the right place to be. Everyone in the band played hard and Pete Shelly has some serious pipes, but the showman of the band is definitely Diggle. So I guess I got lucky.
Potty Mouth at Rock N Roll Hotel
The problem with writing a review of a band like Potty Mouth is that I can't remember the exact band from my college days (the mid-90s if you must know) that they remind me of. I guess they remind me of a 90s band I wish I remembered. Their sound is definitely of that era: guitar-led music with pop-like catchniness but too many tempo and volume changes to really be pop. That and meaningful lyrics. Pop, at least the most common sort, is about bland consistency. Potty Mouth's music is neither of those things.
I definitely know who Potty Mouth's lead singer reminds me of: the lead singer of Ume. Their set did not feature quite that same level of hair (or guitar) flailing, but enough that something like half of these photos feature hair catching air. Unfortunately this might also be due to the Rock N Roll Hotel's lighting. As usual it seems to be focused entirely on the front center of the stage. You know, most bands do have more than one member...
Posted: 8/31/2014 at 6:00pm Tags: Potty Mouth Rock N Roll Hotel
Dead Gaze at Black Cat
Now here's a band that brings the rock. And only the rock, apparently. Some of the songs on their Bandcamp sounds a little like that disco-punk stuff which is so hip these days, but apparently they will have none of that hipster stuff live. They will however give the crowd shit for not standing closer to the stage, then jump into the crowd and party with 'em.
Posted: 8/25/2014 at 9:00pm Tags: Backstage Black Cat Dead Gaze
X at Black Cat
I'm not sure whether X is the most famous punk band from Los Angeles or just the one most closely associated with the city. Maybe it's the fact that they have a song called "Los Angeles", or perhaps it is because they're the only one left. Still touring with their full original lineup, even! Take that "The Germs"!
Boogarins at The Pinch
They keep changing the lighting at The Pinch for some reason. Maybe they keep blowing fuses or something, I dunno. Anyway, the Boogarins traveled all the way from Brazil to play this particular basement. Gotta respect that, so no more jokes about the venue. Please enjoy these shots of a real garage band playing a real garage show.
