Killer bands from Portland shouldn’t really be much or a newsflash these days, as the ratio of productive punks to normal humans seems to be rather skewed up there, but sometimes even when you are ready for it, you get your face melted. PDX’s BOG PEOPLE just scurried their way down (and up) the West Coast with VIVID SEKT, and the SF show was at the Li Po Lounge in Chinatown (great spot, by the way…all the atmosphere of a Midwest basement show but with $4 beers and an unfortunate 21+ entry policy). New band MERDOSO played their first show (folks from PELIGRO SOCIAL and Eye-Man playing a wall of mid-paced D-beat), then DOPECHARGE did what they do, fast and chaotic with extra guitar leads.  VIVID SEKT set the mood, then came the fog machine, and then came 14 minutes of UK82 worship and flanged guitars and chains and studs and awkward off-kilter songs that made me want to pogo my life away in that shitty basement. See the video, and you’ll start the pogo pit right in front of your computer. Seriously…I dare you.  The show in LA was even more epic (or so I have been told), with venue owners calling off the gig, The Ponx (yes, with an ‘O’) grabbing a generator and relocating to a freeway underpass and the show blazing sans PA into the night before the cops came and the kids scattered…too bad there ain’t a video of that.

Editor’s note: Sorry the first video is not the right one (my fault, not Robert’s), but it felt a shame to take it down because it’s reallyawesome too Anyway, here it is, from the Li Po Lounge, green lighting, fog and all… Apologies to Roseman…

roseman (kevin) | MySpace Video

(photo by Karoline Collins)

Sometimes living in The Bay just rules, and you find yourself in a basement in West Oakland with 20 other people and you’re eating pizza and then these four dudes walk in wearing masks and blood-spattered clothes and they just blow you away with insanely catchy songs played at a deafening volume. MOTHERCOUNTRY MOTHERFUCKERS take the good things about ’90s melodic hardcore and make them better…and then throw in a video show and between song samples that are as much a part of the live show as the band itself. Total mystery act, but if you keep your eyes peeled, you might get lucky (like at Submission for the MRR Presents gig on May 20, for instance).

SUBHUMANS, THE INSTIGATORS, CONVULSIONS — Vaults Bar, Bradford, May 15th, 1983…

On Saturday 14th May, the Subhumans had played a gig at the Palm Cove Club in Bradford with The Instigators also on the bill. During the evening it was announced that there would be a second gig the following evening to help the Subhumans pay for some repair work to their van. As we were in the crowd, we approached the promoter, Nick Toczek, and blagged our way onto the bill, which was now Subhumans, Instigators, and Convulsions. Venue for the gig: The Vaults Bar. Shit!!!!

Bradford was, and still is, home to a motorcycle gang called the Satan’s Slaves. These guys are full patch-wearing 1%er outlaw bikers in the same vein as the Hell’s Angels, Mongols, Bandidos etc. They are an organised club with full members, prospects, hangers on, and all the rest of the outlaw biker trappings, with violence being high on the agenda. Very heavy dudes. The headquarters of the club was… The Vaults Bar!!

You could walk past this place (if you were dumb enough) any night of the week and pass rows of choppers parked on the pavement, with the odd prospect standing guard outside, glaring at anyone who dared look their way. It was a definite no-go area. To attempt to put on a punk gig there was a total no brainer, but fuck it, we were on the same bill as our heroes the Subhumans.

So we arrive at the venue early — around 6:30 to load our gear in before the Satan’s Slaves arrive. First job was to move all the tables and chairs from in front of the stage to make a dance floor for the punks to enjoy the music. Bad move, we found out later, as there is a definite hierarchy within the Slaves. Big cheeses have their own tables in front of the stage. Not tonight fellas. So, we set up the amps and drums; PA guy arrives and sets up. Subhumans and Instigators arrive and wonder why we look nervous. I don’t remember how much we told them, as they weren’t from our town so we probably took the “ignorance is bliss” approach. Around 7:30 the Slaves begin to arrive with their leader at the front. He was a mean looking dude called “Les C” (left out his full name) with a shaved head and a hook where his right hand once was (!—web ed.). I guess the other bands were beginning to realise that these guys weren’t here for the music, and they’re not happy with the rearranged seating. We decide to get up and play, as we were first on the bill. First few songs went down okay with the (very) few punters (fools?) who’d braved the venue, although the Slaves seemed unimpressed as they glared out of the shadows… Tune number five in the set: “System’s Slaves,” with the chorus, “We don’t wanna be systems slaves.” Stan decides to change the chorus to “We don’t wanna be Satan’s Slaves” without telling anyone. I remember giving him a sort of “Oh, fuck” glance and then ducking out of the way of the first of many beer bottles to come flying our way. I think we did pretty well, and none of us actually suffered a direct hit, although we were showered with broken glass. We raced through the rest of the set and jumped off stage to mingle in with the punters. You have to realise that the bikers were all in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. We were all 16, so we can be excused for our non-confrontational (cowardly) behaviour?

Next up: Instigators. Not many upfront of the stage (can’t blame them), followed by Subhumans. Think a few of us braved the pit for the Subhumans (our heroes) set.

Anyway, the end of the night approaches and word goes around that the Slaves are waiting outside and are gonna kick our asses. We decided to go down in style, so about 20 of us who were left got into a bunch and armed with guitars, amps and drums for weapons charged out making a lot of noise straight into an armed gang of… nobody!! The bikers had simply roared off into the night, much to our relief.

We had many run-ins over the years with trendies, football fans, and lesser gangs of bikers, but this was the most memorable. Being a punk in the UK in the ’80s made you Public Enemy Number 1 to all the dickheads in town.

This all happened 27 years ago, so may not be 100% accurate, but it’s how I remember it. Happy days!!

—Phil

Thanks again, Phil! Here are the track he sent in, and you can read and hear more, including Convulsions’ Electro Convulsive Therapy demo, at Terminal Escape.

Convulsions – “Coming Your Way Soon” MP3
Convulsions – “Electro Convulsive Therapy” (v.2)
Convulsions – “Hatred Controls” (v.2) MP3
Convulsions – “You’re Nobody” MP3
Convulsions – “Media Punx” MP3
Convulsions – “In Command” (live) MP3
Convulsions – “Hassled Youth” (live) MP3
Convulsions – “Freedom of Speech” (live) MP3
Convulsions – “Belfast in Bradford” (live) MP3

And the post wouldn’t be complete without…

Convulsions – “System’s Slave” MP3

Descarados (photo by Paul Curran)

Friday night at Thee Parkside, the only night that leaned heavily on out of town bands, was fucking scorching! Full disclosure, my band played as well, but there can be no doubt that LA/Chicago band DESCARADOS brought the house down, while LA bands SEND THE DOGS and RAYOS X and PDX punks ADELITAS blew everyone’s minds! Of course, the Bay Area’s N.N. did not disappoint either. But what did disappoint loads of punks in attendance? LA Raw Ponx TUBERCULOSIS were not able to play the show. As a consolation to those in attendance, and a taste of the night for those not lucky enough to make it to SF last weekend, here’s the TUBERCULOSIS demo for your listening pleasure…and up the punks.

Tuberculosis demo

Civilization’s Dying

and in case you need an image to go along with the performance, this is what she looked like as soon as the track was over:

and moments after that she was passed out next to a bowl of fruit in Logan’s front yard with kiddie pool floaties still on her arms. so yeah, it was a good weekend.

a really good weekend.