7 Second/Circle Jerks - Black cat 7/12
Both bands were in somewhat heavy rotation at the half pipe I used to hang out as a teen. I genuinely liked 7 Seconds, but they were a little more of a periphery band, I always felt they owed a lot of debt to Minor Threat in the sound and message, but that unity crap sometimes just got on my nerves and was contrary to the Nihilist-teen-hatch image I was attempting to go for (but other times, I really dug that part of the scene, so contradictions a plenty)
Now the jerks, they were everywhere. Thrasher, bones brigade vids, Repo man cameo and soundtrack, The Decline of Western Civilization and countless punk compilations.
I remember hearing Question Authority on the NYU radio station program call Crucial Chaos (just saw it's still going!)…100 miles away in suburban long island and can honestly say it changed me. I was into the Clash and the Pistols by that point, but that music didn't have the same urgency and connection of the American hardcore scene. That show I would tape and study those recording like an archeologist at a dig site. Sadly I saw very few live shows of this genre in that era and they were all happening just a train ride away in NYC
Will never forgive my teen self for that transgression.
The crowd…well as you can imagine, it was a lot of 50+ year old white dudes, but there was a fair amount of female representation as well and I saw quite a few teens mucking it up in the mosh pit. First thing was the t-shirts worn by the audience were a vintage T-shirt lovers wet dream. Bands from that era: bad brains, Dead Kennedys, DRI, Misfits, Cro-Mags, Black Flag, Anthrax and even a few baseball caps with the turned up rim with Suicidal on them. I got there shortly before 7 Seconds started. Was a fun set and I knew a few of the tunes and the crowd just ate it up and sang along just about to everyone, quite a little furious mosh pit going…with BC staff policing, but mostly so people didn't get hurt or attempt to stage dive. The closed with their seminal cover of 99 red balloons
When keith and co took the stage the crowd was ready for it. Greg and Zander were there, but Lucky was not on the kit, instead they had with Queens of the Stone Age drummer Joey Castillo, who was fantastic. It's crazy this show was supposed to happen over 2 years ago and multiple reschedules due to covid. This was originally supposed to be the 40th anniversary of the Group Sex album (clocking in at 15 mins total!) but because all the delays, it was actually now the 40th anny of Wild In The Streets (when they got signed to EMI) Keith did explain that they were going to play 30+ songs, but since they were now senior citizens, they were going to 4-5 song 'blocks' and then in between they would catch their breath and be a lot of banter. He also stated many times he was NOT going to play wonderful (which is good as that was when the shitty recordings started) but we did end up getting a few from that album and VI Kinda wish Keith had a few more good stories in his pocket, because most of the banter was "we were going to cut this song from this block, but X said we gotta keep it" and that kinda got old. He also said early on, we are not playing any of that metal cross over shit we did, that stuff is crap an I'm embarrassed (that goodness)I'm sure he had a boatloads of stories he could have shared rather than that.
So many 'hits' and was so glad to catch them do a decent job belting out songs that were made to be played by and for teens. Was fun to watch some of these clearly very old dudes having a blast in the pit along with kids who very much could have been the grandchildren of the original fans. Have always wanted to catch them live, so was nice to finally hear Question Authority, Wild in the Streets, When Shit hits the Fan (although I really wanted to hear the acoustic version from Repo Man), Coup d'Etat, I Wanna Destroy You, Wasted, I don't care and Live Fast Die Young (little ironic at this point)
Dropped some cash at the merch table and I left a tip and the guy gave me a cool gig poster!
Would surely catch the jerks again
