Friday March 29th 2024

GBH / Total Chaos / Urban Waste / The Welch Boys

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GBH / Total Chaos / Urban Waste / The Welch Boys
Middle East (Down), Cambridge, MA 6/18/15

 

I arrive in Central Square around 8 p.m., night is just descending. I have a free ticket to the show, courtesy of Viviam Gonzalez, head hell-cat of Vivi’d productions and the promoter of this show.

I had heard something about The Pixies playing somewhere tonight but I didn’t hear where. Turns out it’s next door at T.T. The Bears for only 55 dollars. The soon to be gone club. In recent years they were not too supportive of punk or metal. I could be wrong but I don’t think we ever did a live review from that club.

But Andy and I saw The Pixies many times in the eighties- for about five bucks. Just another good local band that we figured would soon be forgotten, like all the others we saw before them. In fact, I just saw The Titanics a few weeks ago, another popular local band we followed in the eighties; they were at the Midway and drew about thirty people. Yeah, I know- you don’t know them!

Also, I see the drummer from The Faggettes hanging outside the Middle East. Their new name is The Barbazons, giving into political correctness, and they’re playing upstairs. And down the block at the Plough & Stars is one of my favorite locals bands Electric Street Queens.

But I have a job here and I mean to do it.

I get in just as The Welch Boys are playing their first song of the night. This is a great popular local band I might call street punk. All I know is they’re a traditional Boston punk band as their songs mostly concern drinking and city living.

They have the very able Sam Jodrey on drums who’s also a member of Toto and No Tox, the later one of Boston’s best hardcore bands. They play a rousing set that gets the small groups of people, now arriving, moshing and sets the night off to a great start.

Urban Waste is next to take the stage. They’re a New York hardcore band with a long history and them alone would be enough for me to venture out tonight.

One of New York’s finest bands they get the moshing going for real now. I notice Jay and Josh, both x-members of Red Line Rebels, in front of the stage. Jay even gets up to sing a song along with Josh Waste the singer of the band. At one point Mr. Waste goes, “We got some indy/pop for you now.” before launching into another Indy 500 race hardcore speed song that demolishes both the sound barrier and ear one, as well.

Though falling into the New York heavy hardcore style they seem less political, more fun and almost skate punk at times. Towards the end of the set they play a few new songs off their next release and they really sound great. Much like how I would describe the set they just played.

Total Chaos is the next band. A California band that’s been around since 1989. They’re from California but the singer sings in a British accent at times, looks like one The Casualties and his in-between song rap reminds me of the cartoon character, Golan The Insatiable, from the Animation Domination program.

This band has lots of guitar leads and sound more like speed metal to me more than hardcore. I have to admit this band isn’t really doing it for me and the rather tame mosh-pit could reflect my lukewarm reaction.

Anyways, it’s time for GBH!

This is an old English band that almost goes back as far as the beginning of punk. I got into all sorts of disagreement on the internet recently when I referred to them as an Oi band. When somebody said they were “street punk” I said, “Isn’t that the same?”

But I have been corrected and I now realize that street punk is faster and more hardcore sounding than Oi. Okay. But I have to add that after their first song the next word the singer says is “Oi!”

These lads are all quite old and I keep worrying about the singer being knocked down by some stage diver as the mosh-pit is in full force now.

I did see this band last year for the first time, the singer mentions the first time they played Boston was at The Rat in ’83, and I would say they sound even better tonight. This is one of the very few old bands that I see that doesn’t disappoint.

At one point they begin playing the intro to “South Of Heaven” by Slayer, I find that odd as Taxi Driver does cover that song also, but the singer quickly says, “Eh, enough of that shite.” And they rip into another high energy punk number. Also, in between songs, the guitar player strums a few chords to an early Z.Z Top song but they fail to do that one as well.

But they do play a cover of The Stooges “1970” from the amazing Fun House album. Not as good as Iggy and the boys but who can surpass them? I enjoyed hearing them do that much more than Slayer or Z.Z. Top!

Anyways, out of the four shows I could’ve seen tonight I think I was probably at the best one. The Pixies are one of my favorite Boston bands of all time but I’ll keep my own memories of them while trying to find some new ones with bands who are just as fun and exciting now as when that band started decades ago. Bands that are new and fresh and not just trying to cash in on their fame.

And like I said, GBH did not disappoint and cheers to anyone who stills wants to get out there and play for whatever reason. But I got my eyes and my ears out for the future.

 

(Slimedog)

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