Show Review: Her Nightmare, Jungle Fever @ Cambridge Hotel (24/5/08)

In the hardcore punk music strand, mixed bills are something that has been missing from contemporary culture due the increase in selective listeners, expansion of the genre, accessibility to a variety of music styles and the unearthing of this once underground culture.

However, recently, Resist Records (the record company that has essentially a straglehold on the Australian punk hardcore music scene) has begun to re-introduce mixed bills, in order to promote variety, expand their listener base and devlop profit. This was provenm when two bands shared the headlining spot at a recent Resist Records endorsed show at the Cambridge Hotel on the 24th May, 2008. The two bands featured were Her Nightmare (from Melbourne) and Jungle Fever (originally from Adelaide, now residing in Sydney). Both bands are considered front-running hardcore bands in Australia, and alhtough share different sounds, are close friends and touring stallwarts.

Jungle Fever are currently playing a string of shows before they disband in July, with the band’s hsitroy spanning 4 years and a quiver of releases on both vinyl and CD. The band source their influence from American youth crew predecessors of the 80’s such as Youth Of Today, Better Than A Thousand, Gorilla Biscuits, Bad Brains and many other Cleveland, Seattle and New York bands. The band has undergone many lineup alterations with Gabe (the lead singer) and Jiggsy (the lead guitarist) the only remainning originals.

Her Nightmare bost one of the more confronting, imposing sounds in Australian hardcore, channelling influences such as Integrity, Earth Crisis, Hatebreed. Her Nightmare bring their largely metallic form of tough guy hardcore to the stage, headed by the 130kg plus power lifter, Luke Baina on vocals. After just completing their 3rd release, “Come Anarchy, Come Ruin”, Her NIghtmare’s sound is thicker, angrier and more intiidating than ever before.

 

The show began solidly, with numbers dwindling through the door, as the support bands, The Abandoment and The Secret Death, got the wheels slowly turning for what was sure to be a show with a happy ending. Jungle Fever took to the stage, with a discheveled Gabe, swinging limb from limb, in a psychotic, sweaty, crowd involved frenzy, as he blurted out sonds such as ‘Babylon’ and ‘Stayin Alive’, in a set that was over before the crowd knew it, leaving the crowd searching for beverages to restore their energy for Her Nightmare.

Her Nightmare stepped up next, with anm intro track that was enough to shake the glasses off the stage, with front man Baina in true form, with a violent assault of power, resilience and disgust as her stood over the small crowd below. Lead guitarist, Chizza was his energetic best, driving the tunes to songs such as ‘Innocent Seven’ and ending with the forever brutal ‘Lock and Load’.

 

All in all a very exciting, fun and breathtaking show by all.

 

Drew.

Looking for live music right here in Newie?

Well Novacastrians worry no longer. Simply refer to the: Newcastle Music Directory

A comprehensive website of the Newcastle music scene including everything from music news, to venue information, band profile pages, music videos, and even a GIG GUIDE for the area (my personal favorite).

The website opens with a black and orange (rough but still warm) setting inviting visitors to explore it’s many facets and heaps of information. The first lines on the site read as “Welcome to the Newcastle Music Directory. This site features thousands of links to music related websites from Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Valley. The Newcastle region is situated on the East coast of Australia about 200km north of Sydney and has a thriving music scene.” Describing to venturers what it’s all about and where to find this magnificent little coastal escape that hosts a variety of live shows on a nightly basis. The Newcastle Music Directory has been “online continuously since 1999 and [is] updated daily.” The website claims to have “over 8000 pages of information about the local music scene.”

As a journalist for live music pertaining to the needs of this blog, this has been my main resource in freelancing where to head off to do my fieldwork.  The two local shows I have attended, Sacred Stereos and Cybercrystal, I have investigated on Newcastle Music Directory prior to my attendance.

I think it this website has a very positive impact on the local live music scene here due to the convenience and simplicity it offers to its users.  Any time, day or night, a resident, or nonresident for that matter, can pop on the site and read up on one of the plethora of bands featured and or plan on gracing some shows with their personal presence.

Without Newcastle Music’s website I think it would be much more difficult for local bands to be seen and heard and to get their voices out there…

Thanks Newcastlemusic.com, for enhancing my live music experience whilst here in Newie!

Rolling Stones Magazine: Internet Forum on live music

Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones Magazine hosts a forum on live music and people post comments accordingly. It is similar to a live version of Musos’ blog question put to the general public. The cite manager/or moderator’s proposed question is: “What was the last great show you saw? What band needs to get a reunion jaunt together post-haste? What festivals will you be attending this summer? Let us know your thoughts about bands on the road.”

The responses span over a variety of music genres. I found it very interesting how after going through a number of responses there was very little repetition in what people enjoyed the most and what they would like to see more of. I guess it just goes to show how vast our music tastes are and that there is something out there for everyone to enjoy.

Also in reading the Forum I drew the conclusion that although there are many claims that live music is on the decline, i believe the general public would beg to differ. In a quick opinion poll I conducted with my friends, every single person responded to the question would you rather see a live show or own a CD with a resounding “LIVE SHOW, no dout!” But that could just be the people I hang out with as well…

In Conclusion, in response the the Rolling Stones Editor’s question, I would say the last great show I attended was Coldplay at the united Center in Chicago, with a close second to Umphrey’s McGhee at a street festival in Chicago as well. Coldplay had the whole United Center, the venue where the Chicago Bull’s (basketball) play during their season, as well as the Chicago Hawks (ice hockey), on their feet and singing along. Umphrey’s comes in next because the show was just a great atmosphere. It was at a street fair in Chicago and Umphrey’s being from Chicago, the band went all out…the police actually ended up breaking up the show due to noise laws late at night. I might also add on the previously blogged about Tiesto show I attended in Sydney, it was the only pure DJ show I’ve ever been too and I think he did an amazing job performing to a packed house, at one point in the show the entire crowd was chanting Ti-es-to! Ti-es-to! to the beat that he mixed. Overall I would say these three things were some pretty powerful live music experiences.

Future Music plans will be Lollapolooza, a 3-day music festival hosted in Grant Park Chicago when I get back to the states, it’s a large gathering with a number of big names right beside lake Michigan. I will surely be there if I don’t spend all my money while I’m in Australia!

Cybercrystal

Cybercrystal’s myspace page.

A Local Newcastle band Review: How the live experience effected my night. Last Friday a group of Friends and I ventured off into the streets of Newcastle looking to engage into some fun festivities for the evening. we happened upon the Hotel Delaney and came across the band Cybercrystal. Cybercrystal, a local band from Newcastle, New South Wales. The group plays almost entirely cover songs of historical rock and roll songs.

“CyberCrystal is a four piece kick arse covers rock band that plays classic rock to the latest rock n’ roll offerings. The boys pride themselves on playing a song the way that it should sound and there is nothing that these guys like doing more than getting on stage and paying homage to the greatest rock bands that have ever existed – and having a shitload of fun along the way.”

In experiencing this group first hand I don’t think I would have it any other way…

I got to jam out with a member of the band and just dance all out and enjoy the party. In this particular instance I do not think any other medium would suffice. The Newcastle music website displays gigs of local and national bands that play in the area every night of the week. I found that a great place to goto when looking to engage first hand with our topic of live music.

The guys played a great show and i would definitely advise checking them out if you would like to listen to some new perspectives on old hits and have a good time with serious rock and rollers. Cybercrystal enjoys playing their instruments, the live experience is what they’re all about.

The Domination of Popular Music in Society

           

As Frith (2004) suggests in the article ‘Towards an Aesthetic of Popular Music’ in the book Popular Music Critical Concepts in Media and Cultural Studies, “different groups possess different sorts of cultural capital, share different cultural expectations and so make music differently. ” So what is it about the cultural capital that pop music producers and top 40 artists occupy and why do they seem to dominate in the music industry.

Frith (2004) offers an answer to this suggesting that, “popular music is popular not because it reflects something or authentically articulates some sort of popular taste  or experience, but because it creates our understanding of what popularity is.” So essentially people like popular music because they are told to like it? This could make sense as we do have top 40 charts telling us what is hot at any one point in time.

But in relation to the live music experience Auslander (1998) suggests that live music conveys connotations of authenticity.  “To hear music is to see it performed on stage with all the trappings.” Some may argue that in a sense pop music does not encapsulate what the live experience is about, as pop music may succomb to all the trappings, for example miming or lip synching. Auslander (1998) also points out that, “rock music is performed live, and that within rock culture such performance is important and demanded.”

Frith (2004) states “Authenticity is, then, what guarantees that rock performances resist or subvert commercial logic, just as rock star quality (whether we are discussing Elvis Presley or David Bowie, the Rolling Stones or the Sex Pistols) descibes the power that enables certain musicians to drive something individually obdurate through the system.” One could argue that popular music does not achieve this?

Frith (1998) as quoted in Wiseman (2004) Writing Rock: A Psychogeography of Pop, states:

“the common sense of rock…is that its meaning is known thoughtlessly: to understand rock is to feel it. Among left-leaning intellectuals the attitude is a generalised disdain for rock’s commercialism and vulgarity coupled with a commitment to an individual artist or song or genre. Hype – the driving force of the rock sales process – is taken to be transparent in its motivation and effects; taste, the reason why people like particular sounds, is taken to be mysterious, inaccessible to reason. “

What do you think?

Post your comments on The Domination of Popular Music in Society.

 

What is ‘Straight Edge’?

What is Straight Edge?

The short answer is that it is a subculture centered around hardcore music. People who are straight edge do not smoke, do drugs or consume alcohol. There are no dietary or religious beliefs tied to straight edge contrary to media coverage. The long answer requires a bit of a history lesson

In the late 1970s and early 1980s a group of bands and kids began something that grew into a movement. It would become a movement that would outlive many of their involvement in the music and the scene. They didn’t know what they were doing. They knew they didn’t like what was going on around them, the self destruction, the self hatred, the pain and suffering caused by the punk mentality. The f*&k you and f@*k the world attitude didn’t make sense to them. They took a symbol that was originally used to identify them as being too young to drink so that the bartenders would know not to serve them and they made it their own. So they started setting themselves apart by wearing X’s on their hands and by singing angry songs proclaiming:

“I’m a person just like you
But I’ve got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don’t even think about speed
That’s something I just don’t need

I’ve got the straight edge”

Minor Threat wrote this song in 1980 and a name was given to what would become a movement. The basic beliefs that drugs and alcohol were not needed and should be rejected. That one should live against the grain of popular society and live by rules and standards from themselves and not the ones dictated by society.

Influenced by Minor Threat and other Washington DC bands like the Teen Idles and SOA, the Boston bands SS Decontrol and DYS took the words to heart and expanded on them and expanding Straight Edge’s presence within the growing hardcore music genre.
SS Decontrol, Forced Down Your Throat from the GET IT AWAY LP

What’s there to do weekends here
Go to a party drink some beer
Everybody’s drinking why shouldn’t you
Be a part of the drinking crew

CHORUS:
That’s real cool you’re a man
Forced down forced can
Forced down your throat
Forced down your throat

Conditions set conditioned to drink
Too much pressure just won’t think
Look what’s next smoking a J
Think for yourself break away

[CHORUS]

Do the hard stuff its real fast
Do it straight the buzz will last
Fuck off you I ain’t no waste
Why drink that when I just can’t stand the taste
The East Coast was not the only place where Straight Edge was starting to take hold. West Coast bands Unity, Uniform Choice and 7 Seconds were each adding their voice to the growing chorus.

Uniform Choice, Straight and Alert from the Screaming for Change LP

Who drinks the barley?
Who drinks the grain?
Who shoots that shit into their veins?
Is there really the need for the use of dope?
Does it solve ones problems
Can it help one cope?

All the above bands were active between 1981 and 1984. Things stalled at this point. It wasn’t until 1985 that a band would come along and change straight edge forever and turn it into the movement that everyone involved today knows and loves. This band was Youth of Today. The record that would change it all was Can’t Close my Eyes. During its existence youth of Today featured pretty much a who’s who of New York Hardcore. Youth of Today shared members with bands that would define the youth crew and straight edge sound for years to come. Bands like Bold, Side By Side, Gorilla Biscuits, Judge, and Project X. These bands together would form the backbone that all modern straight edge bands benefit from. These are best represented by the lyrics of the song that named the era.

Youth of Today, Youth Crew from the Can’t Close my Eyes 7″

Me you youth crew!
If the world was flat I’d grind the edge
To the positive youth my heart I pledge
X on my hand now take the oath
To positive youth to positive growth
To positive minds, to pure clean souls
These will be all my goals
Walk with me and my crew
There is so much shit we can do
And we won’t stop until we’re through

The Youth Crew era lasted through the late 80s and straight edge would never be the same. It was now a movement. It was more than just a set of personal beliefs. It was something more. It was more than words it was a force of change in the world.

The late 1980s and early 1990s found many straight edge bands becoming more and more political and more geographically dispersed. California saw bands like Inside Out, Insted, Chain of Strength, Outspoken, No for an Answer, Carry Nation, Chorus of disapproval and Unbroken. Seattle saw bands like Brotherhood and Undertow. The east coast had Turning Point, Mouthpiece, Flagmen, Crud, Battery, and Lifetime.

Brotherhood, No Tolerance (For Ignorance) from Fuck Racism, No Tolerance EP

So proud of your country, nationalistic pride
So proud of your race, prejudiced mind
If you so love your country why can’t you see
It’s made up of all people, no racial boundaries

We’re dedicated to stop your ignorance
Band together to bring you to your knees
For your actions we have no tolerance
Your blind hate, prejudice, a disease

Beating up kids who don’t share your views
Pull that shit with us and you’ll lose
We may lose some battles
But we’ll win this war
We may have sat complacent once, no more
The mid 1990s saw explosive growth due in large part to the pro animal rights, pro straight edge band Earth Crisis. The more metallic Bands of this era were One King Down, Brother’s Keeper and Strife. Many of these bands and people involved embraced a militant animal rights stance. It was at this time that Straight Edge gained notoriety, incorrectly, for advocating violence and a gang like mentality in places like Salt Lake City Utah. While misconceptions continue to this day, there is no truth or foundation in accusations like these. These stories were isolated and were blown out of proportion and ended many many years ago. During this time a large portion of people involved in Straight Edge were vegan however they were and still are viewed as completely seperate beliefs. Now however veganism is not as popular as it once was nor are any of the prominent bands now militant animal rights supporters.

Firestorm by Earth Crisis was often misinterpreted and pointed to as an example of advocating violence in the name of straight edge. However as with most hardcore the song wasn’t literal, but the mainstream press doesn’t understand subtext.

Firestorm from the Firestorm EP/ The Oath that keeps me Free
Street by street.
Block by block.
Taking it all back.
The youth’s immersed in poison
Turn the tide counterattack.
Violence against violence,
Let the roundups begin.
A firestorm to purify the bane that society drowns in.
During this same time period saw a Youth Crew revival spearheaded by Ten Yard Fight and included bands like In My Eyes, Hands Tied, Atari, Rancor, 97a, and Better than a Thousand.
Far less militant than the “vegan warriors” of the time, these bands were positive and brought crucial and edgemen back into the lexicon.

Courage to Care by In My Eyes from The Difference between

Growing up not slowing down
Time got your best just look around
But I’ve found something that keeps me aware
A whole scene of people with the courage to care
Your youth is behind you
As if you were dead
Those times were good man
My best lies ahead
When I deal with you now
All I get is upset
You keep pushing me away
Something you’ll regret
I know only a few have the will to stay sincere
Seeing different faces every fucking year!
The first half of the 2000’s have seen a lot of ups and downs in both the number of straight edge kids as well as the number of bands. There currently aren’t an overwhelming number of straight edge bands as there once were, but the ones that are around are doing it with all their heart. Recently ending bands A.18 and Over My Dead Body were straight edge super groups made up largely by members from earlier bands and all involving men in their 30s a rarity in hardcore and especially straight edge. Some bands that keeping things alive and spreading the message, With Honor, Casey Jones, Champion, The Answer, and Blue Monday

The Mirror by With Honor from their Self Titled EP

I’ve let tomorrow be a good excuse for
Not changing today
Looking over our lists of to-do’s routines have gotten in the way
Day in, day out it becomes the same
I’m tired of standing for nothing and sleepwalking our time away

Leaving our questions unanswered
Or never asking at all

Could we be something more?
Than we are right now?
Eyes closed, shut tight,
Apathy has us by the throat,
Loosen the ropes and let our dreams take flight!

So often we let our dreams fall away but not this time… let’s go

I feel like I’ve never wanted something so bad as this
Stand up and be something more!

We’ll make a change
STAND UP
No time to waste
RIGHT NOW
STRAIGHT EDGE

 

If you guys are interested here are some helpful links:

• http://www.sxe.com
• http://www.straight-edge.net
• http://www.xsisterhoodx.com
• http://www.straightedgelifestyle.com/

 

Reference; http://www.straightedge.com/whatissxe.html

 

The impact live gigs have on the audience…

I totally agree that live music provides a more personal experience to the individuals listening to them. I went to a live gig on Saturday night at the Enmore theatre in Sydney. The headline act were ‘Kisschasy’ with supporting artists ‘The Getaway Plan’ and ‘The Donnas’. I have previously only heard a few songs from both the Getaway Plan and The Donnas however after Saturday night I was left wanting more!

I got back to Newcastle at about 3am and went straight onto Limewire and downloaded tracks, researched the artiists websites and went completely crazy as I have fallen head over heels in love with these two rock/punk/alternate bands (genres accoding to Limewire music sharing network).  

I think that artists become more popular with live music..live music has more of an impact than recorded. I know that many of the bands that I am interested in today are a result of first seeing them live. I wonder if this is the same for many music lovers? It would be an interesting study to conduct and something that we, the writers and publishers here at The Popular Music Press should consider as a research topic.

Newcastle Music Week 2008

 

 

As Jess mentioned in earlier posts there is a lack of coverage in the media of live music and local bands and popular or mainstream music seems to dominate. I thought that I would take the opportunity to promote Newcastle Music Week which highlights the talents of the students at the NSW TAFE Hunter Institute. It runs from the 26th of October to the 2nd of November.

For more information check out the site at:  http://www.newcastlemusicweek.com.au/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF2vFFUT9sI

Article – Internet is Seizing the Spotlight in the Live Music Business.

I found this article published by the New York Times online, Internet is seizing the spotlight in the live music business:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/03/arts/music/03live.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=3f97a14814826ad5&ex=1312257600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

I thought that this would be a good follow up to the post I presented earlier. This article takes a look at some case studies of bands who have benefitted from going online with their music. For example the band Vic Thrill and the Saturn Missile perform only sporadically so having the ability to promote themselves online where their videos may receive views into the millions is a great benefit. As the article suggests users are also very interested in vintage videos, for example like the one presented below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnl3G1WndD4

I think that the overall argument or the main idea presented through this article can be summed up like this: “The Internet’s reach and instant distribution, coupled with the declining cost of producing video content, mean that fans and live performers have more access to each other than ever.” (Leeds 2006)

However in saying this I still believe that live music is an experience like no other. Auslander (1998) in the article “Seeing is Believing: Live Performance and the Discourse of Authenticity in Rock Culture” in the journal Literature and Psychology suggests that, “to hear music is to see it performed on stage, with all the trappings.” Auslander (1998) in the article also presents the idea that the pleasure of experiencing live music is derived from the interaction with others, “the individual listener has the opportunity to commune with fellow fans and to experience an illusory bond with the performer.”

On the other hand there are those such as Earl (2001) in the article, “Simons Travel Thereom and the Demand for Live Music,” in the Journal of Economic Psychology who feel that there are plenty of down sides to live music performances, such as:

• transport related costs
• child related costs
• poor sound quality and excessive volume
• difficulties in seeing the performers
• undesired supporting artists
• monopolistic suppliers of food and drink

When one considers these downsides it becomes apparent how beneficial the internet can be to promoting up and coming bands and even helping to support top name bands. As Earl (2001) puts forward, “in the case of top ranking artists, a ticket for a concert will cost significantly more than a recording.”

[For more on Simons Travel Thereom and the Demand for Live Music please see an earlier post by c3088775.]

Check out the article and let me know what your opinion is on the topic.

Review of Scholarly Article: Simon’s travel theorem and the demand for live music

Simon’s travel theorem and the demand for live music (Article Link, PDF version available on website as well)

Review:

First off I will define what Simon’s travel theorem is: “Anything that can be learned by a normal American Adult on a trip to a foreign country (of less than one year’s duration) can be learned more quickly, cheaply and easily by visiting San Diego Public Library” (Simon, 1991, p. 306). The paper in question “generalizes the Travel Theorem to the music business: much of the demand for live performances of musical works is similarly mysterious if the enjoyment of live music is framed only in terms of gathering and processing information” (p. 336).

The travel theorem stems directly from a negative outlook on getting out there and doing things. It is geared towards a culture that would rather stay inside then experience things first hand. The author is conflicted on how to frame live music, he suggests the stupidity of it and describes a misunderstanding for why people attend, yet expresses the enjoyment he gets from attending.

The author points out that “Music is a structured flow of information and is readily stored for flexible and convenient use” (p. 335). With this he is questioning why people would spend the extra money to attend live shows when it is seemingly unnecessary. If one is listening to music to gain knowledge of the flow of information it is much cheaper and easier to obtain this through the purchase of CDs or mp3s or other mediums. This opens the doors for the questions of why people go to see live music then, perhaps not just to gain knowledge of the flow of information, but to just enjoy the experience. “Live music performances involve many costs that can be avoided by listening to recorded music, yet a significant market for live music still exists” (p. 335). This point was also expressed by the research for Musos newspaper article, the Vignoli article was cited saying, ““…the patterns in the data suggest that while file-sharing may have eroded profits from CD sales, it also increased the profitability of live performances.”

Overall I enjoy going to see live music and I think that is the reason that most people find in attending. It’s all about the experience.

Other points from the article I thought notable:

“Jazz is a genre that is relatively immune from the Travel Theorem since it is based so strongly around improvization: each performance is intended to be unique” (p. 341).

“A concert ticket typically costs at least as much as a compact disc or video cassette and, unlike the latter, can be neither shared nor used over and over again” (p. 342).

Concerts “allow the opportunites for social behaviour that ma be precluded in a domestic setting” (p. 350).

“The demand for live music should be understood as something other than a demand for the music itself. Moreover, to the extent that consumers bother to attend live performances, their reasons for doing so may be very deeply rooted in their personal histories and/or reflect the social contexts in which they live” (p. 354).

“The one reason I go to see musicians live is that I;ve never seen them before [...] I SAW the guy!” (p. 356).