4 posts tagged “amebix”
Amebix, Poison Idea, Nux Vomica, and Lebanon at The Hawthorne Theater, Portland, Oregon, 5/24/09
It took a bit longer than usual to drive to this show, but I felt that it was worth the extra traveling time. So did Devon, who came along for the ride. We stayed with Howard, who lives walking distance from the Theater, and who decided to come along to the show as well. Good thing for him it wasn't quite sold out when we arrived. Having friends like Howard in Portland provided the needed extra impetus needed to go through with the trip, so it was nice that he managed to make it into the show with us.
We got there late, missing Lebanon's set and the beginning of Nux Vomica. The Hawthorne is interesting in that the main floor area is divided into an all ages section (near the stage) and a 21 and over section (at the back). Bouncers monitored the flow of traffic between the sections.
Nux Vomica were ripping through some high speed crust punk when we entered, with heavy guitars and shrieking vocals. The singer was also pounding on a floor tom (I think - it was kind of hard to see from our vantage point) and the dual drum attack added a little extra oomph to the music. The songs were dynamic, sometimes shifting gears to include quieter passages, but usually steamrolling along angrily. Their set ended with some half-heard thank yous from the singer, and was followed by a short wait while Poison Idea got situated.
The last time I saw Poison Idea was in the mid eighties, at The Farm in San Francisco. Since then, they've broken up and reformed a few times, their guitarist, Pig Champion, has died, and their drummer, Thee Slayer Hippy, was arrested for a series of pharmacy break-ins. I never really followed the band, and have always been sort of ambivalent about them. Still, I was curious to see them again. Their set, as it turned out, did nothing to change my original opinion. They played competently, although their singer, Jerry A., seemed kind of out of it. Devon opined that he seemed to be on medication, and had perhaps been drinking before the show. I'd have to agree with his assessment of the situation. During the set, he often pointed the microphone at the audience, and to my ears the audience members were doing a better job of singing than he was. Towards the end, a torch appeared in his hands and a large burst of flame momentarily lit the whole venue. I'm not sure if he was fire breathing or what, but it sure got the audience's attention for a moment. Oh well.
We moved forward for Amebix. What followed was every bit as stunning as their set in San Francisco a few months ago. They played nearly all the same songs, with the addition of Nobodys Driving (I don't think they did that one in S.F...). They just seem to have so much more depth than the majority of the bands in this genre. It might be because Amebix has a variety of influences outside the genre, and that their message, if they could be said to have a message, is one of hope. Sure, their songs wear the trappings of apocalypse, and their music conveys an almost palpable anger at times (and an exquisite sense of doom), but I find myself inspired and uplifted when it's all over. The conviction behind the words, and the unwillingness to compromise, makes all the difference.
I noticed more people singing along in Portland than I had in San Francisco. I was one of them, of course, and there was an incredible sense of cameraderie there in front of the stage. People were damn happy to be there.
After the gig, people milled around outside the venue. Some (no doubt the ones who got thrown out for being unmanageably drunk) were cursing the Hawthorne. Others just sat and enthused about the show. One guy, with his clothes falling off and a big smile on his face, talked about what a great week he'd had. "I saw the Meatmen, and (damn, I forget the second band he'd mentioned), and Amebix. And I just huffed a bunch of ether!"
By this time, the local police were getting grumpy and using their loudspeakers to encourage people to move along.
"Because you're loitering, that's why!"
We got the hint and went to the donut shop.
There is something pagan about Amebix. They are rooted and branched, pulling something incredible from sun and soil, distilling it, and blasting it forth with a fury that is so much more real than anything the majority of bands inspired by them could ever hope to muster. They are a core of hope wrapped in darkness, like a golden seed embedded in rotting fruit. They were innovators of a sound that many weren't ready for back in the eighties. After just two 7"s, a 12" ep, and a couple of lps, they disbanded.
Years passed. Like many, they became more popular after their demise.
Now, they are back, thanks in part to a dvd retrospective of their work due for release later this year. Bassist/vocalist Rob and guitarist Stig remain from the old days, with Ray Mayorga (Nausea, Soulfly, Word Made Flesh, etc.) filling
in on drums.
The Great American was sold out in advance, and the sidewalk in front was awash with forlorn, self-proclaimed "crusties" sans tickets. (side note: Amebix have become known as the innovators of the genre now termed "crustcore", which in my opinion is a damn silly name for a musical genre, but what can I do?).
The venue began filling up as Hellshock took the stage, under the distinctive Austin Osman Spare derived "splathead" logo used by Amebix. Hellshock played servicable eighties-influenced crustcore, with heavy riffing and shouted vocals, but really added nothing new to the genre. They didn't stand apart from the vast milieu of similar bands out there. Annihilation Time were up next, and played fast metal-tinged hardcore (or hardcore-tinged metal?). I found myself enjoying them, but being impatient for Amebix to play. I'm sure that was a sentiment shared by many. Lots of my friends were in attendance I had driven up with Justin, and we met Wayne out front. Ray was there (read his review here), as was Umlaut (read his review here). Greg showed up right before Amebix started. I ran into a few other people as well.
Amebix hit the stage with Winter, off their second 7", and the crowd changed. Before, everybody had been relatively subdued. No more. A tidal surge of people swept back and forth across the floor, complete with audience members surfing on top. I don't think I've evers seen as much crowd surfing at a Great American show before. The Splathead leered down through a veil of stage fog, sometimes illuminated by red light, looking for all the world like a demon gazing down on the roiling mass of humanity below. I found the whole experience incredibly moving, and find myself in complete agreement with the sentiments expressed by Umlaut in his review. This was an incredibly empowering, uplifting experience, and definitely a great way to start the year. They played songs from both lps, the "No Sanctuary" 12", and the aforementioned Winter from their second 7" It was strange to think that, here they were in their forties, playing songs that they had written back when they were barely in their twenties (or still in their teens). The amazing thing was that none of it sounded dated in the least. If anything, the songs has acquired additional resonance with the passing of time and the accumulation of experience. I found myself moved almost to tears on several occasions, especially during The Darkest Hour. After all, this is a band who I've seen fit to quote on my other, non-music blog, and I often find lines from their songs running through my head.
Towards the end, Jello Biafra appeared on stage to sing backing vocals for Largactyl. A nice little added bonus. Amebix did a double encore of Coming Home and Arise!, ending the set on an inspiring note (funny story about that - earlier, Rob had mentioned that he had told the audience at one of the previous shows that they were about to play a song (Coming Home) that many people had requested be played at their funerals - this comment inspired some wag in the audience to shout ARISE!).
Speaking of earlier. Greg had set up an interview with Amebix (to be aired later on KALX) over at the Alternative Tentacles offices in Emeryville. Willow and I went up to take part. Willow took the photos while the grownups talked. I'm glad to report that I can add Amebix to the list of musical heroes who also happen to be really great people. Despite the fact that they were exhausted from their travels (2 shows in L.A. in one day, and a show in Austin), we had a nice little conversation, touching on the then and the now of the band, Asterix (of all things), the idea of having roots and identifying with the land, making swords, and more. This was icing on the cake of an incredible show (albeit, before the fact). I wish them a happy remainder of their tour, and hope they'll be back.
Every once in awhile, the radio reports the death of a musician before I can hear it elsewhere. The last time this happened was way back when Wendy O. Williams ended her own life in the woods with a gun. I remember I was out delivering newspapers at the time, and that she wasn't the only musician named Williams to die that year (in fact, it might have been the same month) because Rozz Williams also had died, or was about to die. I could remedy this forgetfulness by doing a little internet research, but ultimately the exact timing doesn't really matter, does it?
Anyway, this ungainly preamble leads me to the latest radio report to catch my ear. Yma Sumac has just died of colon cancer at the age of 86. Yma Sumac (born Amy Camus), was a singer of Peruvian descent who had one of those amazing vocal ranges that drive some people to audio ecstasy and others towards the nearest exit. I was one of the former, but then again I usually am. I guess her music is usually classified as exotica, and it's definitely a bit campy, but damn, she could sing!
R.I.P. Yma Sumac. Thanks for the music. Through it, you will live on.
Strangely enough, within the past week, my friend Leslililala recently introduced me to another South American singer who reminds me a bit of Yma Sumac, minus the camp value. If you want to hear a truly spine-chilling vocal range, check out Bolivian singer Luzmila Carpio. She soars with the condors, mimicking the natural sounds of her surroundings and rising ever higher on the thermal uplifts of her own exhalations. Absolutely beautiful music.
In completely unrelated news, Amebix have confirmed dates for a U.S. tour. Why haven't you bought tickets yet? I can't remember being this excited about an upcoming gig.
There's nothing quite like good Swedish punk, so if you're like me and you like bands such as Asta Kask, Strebers, and their ilk, check out www.swedishpunk.com This site is also helpful if you're like me and can't actually understand Swedish, because it's all in English. Yay! Now if only there would be similar sites for Italian and Japanese punk.
Speaking of punk, I noticed on the Amebix myspace page that they actually got together and re-recorded some of their songs for an upcoming DVD project - this occurring shortly after bassist/vocalist Rob wrote a post explaining why they wouldn't ever play again. Go figure... Amebix are one of my all-time favorite bands, and definitely my favorite band in the whole crust/punk genre, so I'm overjoyed that there is a bit of activity on the Amebix front. I even commented on the post there, breaking my usual myspace silence (yeah, dammit, I have a myspace page, but pretty much only for band bulletins on cd releases and tour dates...), and surprisingly got a comment back from Rob - it turns out he's been here in Los Gatos (of all places). Granted, it was ten years ago, but the comment gave me a music geek moment. He's currently a swordsmith on the Isle of Skye. Punk!
