21cpunx live: Mo Solid Gold (plus Corporation
Blend) at the 100 Club 08-001 (also Gertrude
etc waffle)
It's 25 years after the Sex Pistols played
the 100 Club and the punk way of life is part of modern culture. Music
lovers spun into a parallel dimension when music changed their lives, never to return.
Nowadays hippies, mods, rastas and rockers live their alternative lives mostly in harmony.
Creative. Self opinonated. Politically motivated. Lifelong children at heart. Obsessed
with the music world life and able - on the most part - to get along with each other
and nearly every other human that will let them. They declare peace instead of war.
In an age where the norm describes music in colour, every
genre of music has fused, just as humans have over time. With modern technology's
communicatioin, reliance on the establishment theory and opinion isn't necessary. The
dance music collectives and club circuit have this down to a tee. Fashion and celebrity
are a big part of establishment life, but in the parallel dimension is a huge crop of
really good songs, entertaining bands and true stars in the small venues of LaLaLand.
They share contacts, gigs and fans - the jungle
telegraph makes many shows a social occasion. Flyers, fanzines, websites, texting and
mailing lists keep the buzz in the air. This is one of those nights.
It's August 7 001 and you can't kill the
spirit. The doors of Oxford Street's 100 Club haven't been open long and
the first band take to the stage. The venue is already fast filling up and is half full
when they do.
 Corporation Blend have the spirit in them. Ace tunes and
musicianship, spiky with more than three chords. Cheeky manic pups who aren't backward of
explicitly voicing their opinion of where the current fashionmusic darlings could go -
exciting and entertaining, it's no wonder they're in the vanguard of what's going on.
Hence so many people being here already, many of them who
follow other 21st century punks. Some of the King Adora posse and Mansun
family are in the house. The audience is a spectrum of music fans with a love of
mindfuckingly brilliant live gigs.
Three completely different bands will all go down to a loud
cheer to the humid crush in this legendary venue. They certainly love Corporation
Blend whose singer looks a bit like the bastard offspring of Paul Draper
and Johnny Rotten... They leave the stage with some new fans.
Then Relish, take to the stage they appear
to be MTV foddeer stars making a guest appearance. They're touring the UK with Mo
Solid Gold and also received a huge appreciative roar at the end of their set but
lacked C:B's fire and Mo S.G's presence.
By then the sold-out venue (around a hundred people were
turned away) is steamy and sweaty.
When you are hot, swashed and gasping for air it's not easy
to yell applause but Mo Solid Gold had the crush clapping, squealing and
even singing vocal parts as they showed why their live performances are so revered, so
often by so many., Peeeoooaaar fucking class. The future of rock'n'roll was born positive,
when it fused with dance music. Mo Solid Gold have an obsessive love of
music. The entire night was totally inspiring.
On the way out of the 100 Club, 21cpunx network is in full
effect. Barnet is handing out flyers for his new club, London Callin,
started two months earlier and already a great place to hang out.
A few days later, it's off to the Bull & Gate
to see Gertrude blast the house with "Frock Rock" as they say.
They were supported by the Girl Scouts (missed them - the tube broke
down) then Red Hot Secret (a raw Brooklyn duo that Gertrude
befriended when they were in USA.) and then The Duvals who the House
Of Rock family were out in force for too. Gertrude - highly
recommended live, rounded things off splendidly and raucously like best of Friday nights
which of course continued on to a party where some of the house of rock were still
partying when the sun came up.
Let the good times roll. Minxy x |
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