45 Adapters / Blood Stained Brindle / The Damn Garrison / Quiggs
Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA 3/25/17
When Andy and I started being involved in the local music scene again. And this was after we saw thousands of shows in the eighties, disappeared for the nineties and returned- scarred and broken men in the aughts- we were not only surprised that there was still a thriving hardcore/punk scene, but that some bands described themselves as being influenced by Oi.
Andy was more surprised than me because he had never heard the term “Oi” before. But I don’t blame him. Oi was strictly a style in England during the eighties and a style that seemed to have little effect on the music scene in America.
But I’ve now come to love Oi with it’s strong connection to early English punk. And I believe today will be a great show with a good turnout.
Quiggs is the first band and I know Ian, Swid and Sabado from other bands. And I know I saw this band before but it’s been awhile. And I remember liking them before but today they absolutely knock the walls down.
They’re probably the least Oi band in the lineup but the most punk. This is very high-energy, kick ass music where the most frequent word used in the lyrics is “fuck.” And guts and passion are the prime lubricant for stuffing some awesome, aural, audio ammunition of punk nuggets into your brain.
This is a terrifuck start of the show and what hopefully, portends will be a great day.
The Damn Garrison are next and they’re from New Hampshire and happen to be my favorite Oi band.
They have a tremendous front man who leads an able, down to earth rockin’ band. Their song “Pride And Honor” sticks out to me during their great set along with a tune about fighting “The Real Enemy.”
These songs have lyrics about working class concerns and anthems for working class folks to cheer and drink along with. This is pure, uncut Oi and in New England, at least, I don’t think you will find another band that will better fit this description.
Blood Stained Brindle is the next band onboard. They are an Oi band that I did see live once before , but it was at the Cambridge Elks which I find is not the best place to see or hear a band. And very recently, I reviewed them on a four-way split cd along with Stray Bullets, The Warning Shots and Duck & Cover.
In fact, the song I picked to write about in that review is the song they lead off with today, “Red Shield,” which I described as an “exhilarating Oi/punk tune with a great, melodic guitar lick.” But that’s just the start of a bunch of rousing, anthem like songs.
When their excellent singer uses his high range, he recalls Noddy Holder of Slade to me. Slade, a great band from the seventies, is lumped in with the glitter/glam bands of the time in England like The Sweet and T.Rex, but I consider them the first Oi band- or proto-Oi if you wanna get picky. I guess many others agree with me, what with there working class image and shouted anthem like songs.
For such a big crowd today, (the club sells out during their set) they finish leaving everybody happy.
I talk to their vocalist, Bill, after the set, and mention the Slade comparison. Not only does he think it’s right, he takes it as a compliment, too! Which now makes me question his credibility if he’s agreeing with the likes of me. But I became a big fan of this band today.
A Brooklyn New York band, 45 Adapters, is the last to take the stage and I’m expecting more Oi! Oi! Oi!
And though, on their bandcamp, they profess an allegiance with Oi, I’d describe them more as an early punk/ska influenced band with touches of eighties new wave.
So what we get is an engaging front man, a super tight rhythm section and a great, but subtle guitarist. And songs that would’ve fit perfectly in any hip bar in the US/UK in the eighties.
And maybe today, too! Because they do have some great timeless songs and play them wonderfully and really connect with the crowd. “Let’s Get Loaded” sticks out to me, but as that wonderful death metal band The Eagles once sang, “I’m already there.”
I usually take it easy at these afternoon affairs but today I’m caught up in the excitement and Jameson whiskey.
I’m drunk, not just on the alcohol, but on the music and the crowd that it brought out today. And I’m drunk on the music from bands that mean something, that play something real and the real fans that support them. And I’m drunk with the sounds of Oi and punk and passion and feeling and camaraderie.
It’s overwhelming and I wonder- how can I put into words to describe all of this? How can I describe the emotion and energy and excitement of these shows?
How can I do it justice?
I can’t.
And I know I can’t, but I still like to try.
(Slimedog)
