I feel I must comment on the Wire concert last night at Galatos.
First of all, let me tell you that I am a fan.A big fan.The first time I heard "lowdown" blasting from
my flatmates bedroom(mid 90's) it renewed my dwindling faith in guitar music.I immediately went out in
search of their music.I purchased a second hand copy of "154" and played it 'til the grooves had worn
out......Interesting!!!I had discovered the missing musical link that had obviously influenced NZ artists
such as Chris Matthews and Peter Jefferies(dead pan morose 'evil dude' vocals)and Bailter Space(play one chord for an hour until it becomes really interesting)Cool...it all made sense...nothing happens in a vacuum...I'm with the programme... and so on....
So it is with great regret I must let you know,dear readers, that Wire were completely underwhelming....
It all started with an annoying guitar tech who looked like the 'alt' version of that blonde geezer from "zoolander".....Re-Re-tuning the guitar with such studied poise, I wanted to smash it over his head.......After what seemed like an eternity of "arty"white noise blasting from the P.A. at dag-rattling volume,the singer emerged to pogo about to some "dance" music.What I can only presume was an attempt at being contemporary ,actually sounded more like something his nephew had cooked up back stage on his Playstation...I was waiting for the "lager...lager...lager...." refrain to kick in....Not a good start.....
Wire went on to play a set totally devoid of what makes them special....melody...dynamics.....(melo)dramatic tension......sparseness.....sheets of noise.....chord changes that jar yet make perfect sense....
The sad thing was that it looked like the band knew it as well...actually....the only people having fun were the "first-fifteen types" slamming down the front like it was '77 all over again...
The group disappeared after a 30 minute set,no doubt staying true to the punk ethos of short'n sharp...
This punk ethos didn't manage to carry over to the ticket prices,however....hmmmm...
Graham Reid talked of how Wire were 'worshipped from afar' in this country...It's a shame they didn't pay attention to their own press and just let the legend lie...
This was depressing and undignified stuff folks....
"Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"
Last night I watched my friend’s band play at the Ambassador in Point Chev(Auckland)…After the band had set up, tuned their guitars and were just about to start, a bar person came up and told them they couldn’t play…it was time to close….No warning…No “you have only got X minutes left” No “sorry but could you just play a couple of songs…”I looked around and saw the pub packed with friends and acquaintances spending up over the bar . I saw the disrespectful way the band was being treated…and I got to thinking, dear readers…
Musicians have an obligation to a venue to be professional and to bring in the punters to spend money at the bar….but what about a venue’s obligations???? … Even when a band fulfils their part of the bargain, why is it that some pub owners and bar staff treat bands like shit?...Why do people in bands bend over and take it???? What is all this ‘I’m so grateful to have a gig’ bullshit??
Musicians…Wake Up…You make money for these pubs…would anyone (except the overflow from the public lounge) actually go and drink at the Kings Arms(for example) if there were never any bands playing there???Come on…let’s face it…the place is actually a shithole (not the people…the place...)……I have been told that both the Kings Arms and the Dogs Bollix are now charging bands for the use of the P.A. system….Why hasn’t there been an uproar from musicians??Why hasn’t anyone told them to get fucked??...Are you going to pay a pub just so you can get all your mates in there drinking their overpriced piss???
Think about who gets paid during a show…The pub owner(s) through alcohol sales…the bar staff…the sound engineers….who is last in the payment food chain?......The musicians….Why are people even there in the first place???.....The musicians…Who are a bunch of mugs???.......yep…The musicians…..WHY???
I fear it’s some kind of “paying your dues “mentality on the part of the musicians. They think that although things are a bit shitty now, soon they’re gonna ‘make it’….Bollocks.This is all part of the Capitalist illusion perpetuated by the media….”There’s room on top for you..You’ve just got to work hard and be competitive…you’re gonna be a star”…Sorry folks,but this is exactly the mentality
that keeps the working class divided and in a state of suspended animation.You may have a really cool band and a hip haircut, But this means you too…..
Music is not about getting your video on C4,it’s not about getting a ‘really good’ review in Real Groovy,it’s not about competing with other bands and it’s definitely not about taking shit from sleazy bars/barmen(Ambassador) that you are bringing in the dollars for….
It’s about human communication…the sooner we all realise this the better it will be for everyone…
Peace.
P.S. I’d like to suggest that all venues treating bands like shit and/or charging bands for the use of their P.A.s are blacklisted by musicians until they change their attitude/ policy.