| A SHORT SHARP PORTLAND BRIEF! THE REAL MACKENZIES THE BRIEFS ANTI-WORLD STATCH AND THE RAPES Mount Tabor April 11th 2004 |
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| I’ve been in Portland a couple of days and tonights splendid line-up of punk outfits was a great introduction to punk US style, so I was lickin my lips in anticipation. Mein host, the tartan terror Mish Bondage (Sado-Nation) resplendent in her Rosshire clan kilt with a Sgian Dubh (dagger) tucked in her sock, was also definitely ready for some front row chaos, but more of that later. After showing ID at the door (good job I bought my passport) looks like everyone including granddad punks have to produce ID in the USA! We were eventually let in after some minor guestlist dillemas. As we walked through the long thin entrance past the merchandise tables we were greeted by Mish’s mate Granny Fiendish lead singer outta horrorshow punks Anti-world. Granny’s friendly and looks like a cadavar bride decked out in full black/red matrimonial headwear and matching black rag outfit, rounded off with a nifty pair of German jackboots. She’s clutching a pint glass of black thick treacle, which looked like a headless pint of Guinness. She kindly offered me a swig, but me being the token British lager lout declined and settled for cans of the local brew PBR. After hitting the bar we ordered the first round of drinks. I hit the first of tonights communication problems. The fuckers simply just don’t understand my lingo!!! Now I know how Asylum Seekers and people with speech impediments feel. But luckily for me, Mish was my diplomatic interpreter for the night. By the bar I get a tap on the shoulder. I turn round to be confronted by a grinning Tim Trouble outta the Statch And The Rapes. He greeted me in classic Puddletown mode..."gawd you look uglier in real life"...nice one Tim! I‘ll remember that next time I review you fuckers. We were also joined by lead singer Statch who was donning a bright green barnet but not a midget in sight? Mr Trouble informed me The Rapes had already played their set. So I won’t have tiime to slag him off grrrrrrr. Oh well you’ll just have to make do with their interview elsewhere on this site for now. |
| PDX zombies the ghoulish Anti World were now on stage kicking off their 18 song set with such intriging titles as ‘Bedlam‘, ‘Horror High‘ and ‘EvilDead’. They live up to my expectations. Looks like they drafted in a brand new keyboard player for a few numbers too, which added a certain new wave twist to their guitar based sound. I wasn’t familiar with any of their songs bar the ones that was on a split EP with Statch & The Rapes, but they play some good medium paced quasi punk rock with a theatrical kinda edge that I quite like. They look great and are well worth your perusal even if their set did sound pretty similar in style and speed. Granny Fiendish is a great focal point for the band and her no messin almost robotic vocals adds to the theme. This is a band who drive to gigs in a Hearse and they all look like extras from some low budget hollywood ghoul movie. One thing that does give em an edge over the more po-faced goff rock outfits that they’re gonna be pigeonholed with, is a wicked sensa yuma. Granny stalks the stage glaring at potential victims hissing out her black humoured lyrics of Horror and Graveyard robbery, to a bemused audience, who I spose could’ve shown a bit more enthusiasm for Portlands walking dead. Finally When ‘Portland Zombies’(off the EP) was dispatched with precision It got loud cheers from the crowd and me. They departed the stage to ‘Creatures’ an upbeat instrumental which seen Granny wishing us all a Happy Easter. She produced a violin sized coffin case which was full of yellow Easter cookies daubed in blood red number 7. Number 7 food dye apprarently gives you cancer so a grinning Granny heartily informs us. This spectacle resulted in a giant candy food fight between the band and crowd which was a novel farewell. |
| More trips to the bar ensued before it was time for the Briefs, who exploded onto the stage as tight as the leggings on Anti-Worlds forty five Frank. These speed filled punks look like they just stepped outta the Roxy circa '77. They deliver their comercially vibrant brand of punk rock in regulation dayglo sunglasses, undersized suits and stencilled shirts. Loads of energy emits from the stage at a Briefs gig, and it’s all done in a quirky veneer. They also seemed to pull in a small army of female groupies to the lip of the stage including Portland’s Queen punk scribe Christeen Aebi. (cheers for pint Christeen). Standouts of their set had to be ‘Were Americans’..."god bless the fucked up usa" which nearly got em beat up in Frisco. The pit was really activated by now as one very drunk bird who was staggering into anyone and everyone like a blonde rubber dingy bobbing on a stormy sea of elbows. She did eventually come a real cropper as she careered into into Miss Bondage air space and was duly catapulted like a pinball into the path of the pits outter circle, resulting in an almighty pileup tee hee. This spectacle was equally as good as what was going off on stage. The Briefs in case you didn’t already guess are very good, but don’t they know it. At one point they got a fan up on stage to singalong to one track, then duly pushed her over when the song finished tee hee. They played a whole set of their addictive take on punk with a jerky presence that shows that constant world touring has paid off big time.. In fact they’re almost like "Devo meets the Knack on speed" (thanks for that description Mish). Most of the band took turns on vocals but it was lead guitarist/singer Dan Travanti who has a wilko johnson /paul weller stage presence that really draws your attention. He even jumped off stage and into the aiudience at one stage which i sadly didnt capture with my camera. They’re fast, they’re fun and more importantly they’re Brief! Tnights headliners The Real McKenzies bought skins, punks and assorted misfits up to the stage area. These Canadians who were all born in Nova Scotia made a valiant impression of the real, McCoy. They were the only band on tonights bill I wasn’t familiar with soundwise or on stage. |
| I heard they were the Celtic version of the Dropkick Murphys and pissheads to a man. I must say from what I seen they were very good at what they do for blokes clad in blue dresses. Punky anthems with a bagpipe acomponiment made for boisterous entertainment. These rabble rousing Jimmy's led by what looked like an ex-squaddie seemed to excite the Portland crowd. Lots of arm raising anthems that are well played and executed with enough anti sassanach diatribe to make it sound very real. Some of their anti English speeches may have gotten more trouble than a favoured responce here in Portland but it's all done with a tongue in cheek atmosphere. They did however make the classic mistake of outstaying their welcome like most bands do when they think they can do no wrong! The amplifier blowing up towards the end signalled time for em to call it a day, but \with a long pause and only a bagpipe to entertain the audience they definitely blew the novelty out the water. Good gig but the Briefs stole the show for delivering a primed stylish set. PETER DON'T CARE (PORTLAND) |
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