No Happy Endings

No Happy Endings

Wherever did people get the idea that life is a happy venture that will end in bliss and puppies and flowers?  That’s bullshit propaganda, folks.  Life sucks, and then you die.  This whole idea that life is a path laden with golden tiles and fertile grass is an unending barrage of lies, and it has contributed to so many social problems in our society- it has truly made life LESS worth living, and not more.  From issues of self-image to a win-at-all-costs mentality, we are suffering from a widespread mental disease that at the end of our path, our contributions will be rewarded, despite our sufferings in this life.  They used this same argument to justify the story of Boxer the horse (in Animal Farm), where the horse put in his life’s work, and then was denied the rest of his life after he was too ill to work anymore.  People promising a future reward should ALWAYS be regarded with skepticism and mild distrust, with correlation to the distance of the reward and relevance given to the amount of work put in.  A future promise of happiness is never an acceptable one- if you want happiness, find it now, with what you have, who have, wherever you are.  If you still lack this happiness, then pursue it, and enjoy it while it lasts.  Make no mistake, believe no delusion- we are here now, and tomorrow is far from guaranteed.  A “horizon promise” becomes less worthwhile the further away it is, especially if you have your happiness now.  Supervisors, ministers, rabbis, imams, senators, representatives, cops, liars, deceivers… they all come bearing these horizon promises, a happy ending in exchange for the miserable now.  This bullshit should have an odor from yards away.  Now, what are the sources of these happy endings?  Oh, they are like weeds- omnipresent and never ending.  How many times does the antidote of reality have to be applied before these weeds do not grow back?

Cinema (at least popular cinema) is a great example of these false promises.  Even off-the-cuff movies like Kick Ass, Zombieland, and Juno end with “the guy gets the girl and they live happily ever after”- how revolting!  An otherwise exemplary and exciting/ interesting film, sullied by a compulsory happy ending.  Our human need for closure is almost unbelievable- why does everything have to be okay in the end?  Why does such a minor thing create such distress in the human mind?  If Michael Cera and Ellen Page had parted ways, what would have been undesirable about that?  The disclosed reality is that people change, move on, or something happens, and it is no longer desirable to be around them- this is part of life’s process, and it is VERY real.  Why do we deny this- would it not be healthier to accept this regular occasion in life and be better conditioned for life, and therefore, more susceptible to happiness?  There is no use in closing one’s eyes and denying what has happened- the embrace of reality comes with a stronger skin and a more robust person in the end.  Escapism will not solve your problems- if they help you cope with loss, so be it, but do not believe for a second that happiness is forever, or just on the horizon; only taking action and solving the puzzle of one’s life will bestow upon you any level of happiness.

The second source of these problems is music- what I shall give to music, though, is that it is usually made in times of distress in order to cope with reality, of which there is nothing wrong.  However, it seems that contemporary popular music is related to live or falling in it (or it is other meaningless bullshit, but that’s a different story).  This is different than cinema, in that music is saturated in society and constantly projects a message behind a song by whatever band is playing.  It is that much more difficult to avoid, and the powers that music has on our psyche are demonstrable, making this happy crap that much more dangerous.  In short, cinema is rarely integrated as a part of life- music often is.  The same barrage of propaganda applies here, the level and efficacy of the message being the only notable variables that change from cinema’s propagandic ways.  In the end, it is a message of happiness on the horizon being involuntarily pushed into our collective brains, the results of which can (and are) often used to change someone’s mind about something.  Happiness has a high tendency to make potential consumers more willing to spend, hence why there is not a cacophonous sound to be heard in any shopping outlet.

This horizon happiness is being used to influence us, and in addition to this deception, the happiness is an outright lie.  There is no happy ending in life- instead, you have the potential to have a happy life.  Of course, it sucks when it ends, but that’s how life works, and is much less bitter a pill to swallow when reality is embraced.  Your happiness is here, now, not on any horizon or over any hill- my happiness comes through music and the days when I do not dwell in the darkest depths of the human mind.  Even a lonely pessimist of gargantuan proportions has his solace- hah!  One can certainly find theirs.

-Aunty Social

House Shows: WTFH (What the Fuck Happened/ Where’s the Fuckin’ Houses?)

How did unpopular bands of kids, young adults, and those of the straight-edge brood get their start?  They sure as hell didn’t start by playing the Royal Oak Music Theater, St. Andrew’s Hall, or the Fillmore.  Some bands had an “in” and were able to play their local bars, such as notable Detroit groups Cinecyde and the Sillies with Bookie’s in the mid-to-late 70s.  However, those that didn’t were out of luck for the longest time.  Finally, someone, somewhere (be it John Brannon in Grosse Pointe or John Lydon in the motherfucking OCEAN) decided that there had to be another way.  Bars, shady promoters, and a general lack of autonomy finally created a real underground, one that had not been touched by the hand of subversion.  There WAS another way:  Abandoned buildings with generators, a closed business with an empty basement and access to legal electricity, a rented community center/ VFW hall, or maybe, given the right people in the right place, a house.

Collectives are not nearly popular or relevant enough to generate a mention, because here in the United States, we are too individualistic and money-minded to successfully run a collective for very long (the ones that do, like ABC No Rio and 924 Gilman St. are the exception, not the rule).  With that being said, a house of composed of a relatively limited number of residents is an ideal place for a local show.  No a band like the American Anthrax, the British Subhumans, or Blood for Blood is not best suited for a house, living room, or a basement.  These bands draw considerable numbers, but only with the assistance of a good local promoter; some fans are not in touch their music scene, and only pay attention and go see their favorite bands if it’s advertised in the local alternative paper; for Detroit, it’s the Metro Times and Real Detroit Weekly.  Old metal-heads and punks who went to shows in their younger days may be preoccupied with the rest of their lives (or just plain LAZY) and only come around for the big-name bands at the well-known bars/ venues, and frequently but get drunk, sing along for a few songs, and go back to their life as though nothing happened.  From an American perspective, I do understand why it is so with them; however, as a contributor and a dogged pursuant of new, fresh music within and separate from the local music scene, I too can condemn this apathy without being hypocritical.  Perhaps it can be nailed down to priorities; many of us, young and old, have jobs that take up our time and energy, sapping s of the ability to find and listen to new music.  Regardless, even with a 40-50 hour work week, there remains plenty of time to invest in local music, an evening to visit a local house show (the information for which needs to be made available as public domain, be it by fanzine or locally-run website) or even a bar show with local bands.  At some point, the problem is NOT door cover, lackluster promotion, or preoccupying circumstances of life.  In the end, some of these patrons, regardless of who they are, simply do not care, at least to get out more than a couple of times a year to throw on a denim jacket and be your fucking metal or punk self.

The problem of powerhouse shows and apathetic fans is intertwined; when a show passes through, a band or two that’s local will play first and possibly second, then the touring group goes on, and those fans go crazy for the touring band(s) they came to see, maybe buy so merch, and go home, ever forgetful of that opening group they sort of liked.

With this, it’s simply more profitable to play a bar, cater to the lazy fans, sell merch, and move on to the next town to it again; after all, bars offer better guarantees, promotion, and sound systems.  However, not only does this not cater to the high-potential, low-profile local scene, it undercuts the underlying point behind music, which is a personal, intimate expression of one’s ideas and thoughts to an audience of people.  Here, a house show is merely a representation of music being played as it should be, and as it is best understood by the fans who enjoy it.  It is a scenario where people are forced to be right up front, to REALLY listen to what is being said, and it breaks down the walls (in the kids’ eyes) set up by big venues, like security, regulations, raised stages, time limits, and content control.  What it does is gets to the heart of everything music is about and sheds the frills that can unnecessarily accompany it.

In addition to this, house shows require some effort to discover and plan out; those who partake in house shows are inherently have-nots, lacking the promotional ability (or money) to touch the fan base of the proles and the know-nots.  It seems as though all the odds are stacked against houses that host shows, at least business-wise.  Considering these points, there still exist benefits that will always trump bar shows, or things that bar shows will never have, and vice-versa:

       I.            No/ fewer rules, more personal contact with the band and venue “management”, fewer guarantees/ hoops to jump through to book a show, and ultimately, let’s face it, it’s just more fucking FUN.

    II.            In contrast, the inconveniences of difficulty in information availability, less readily available parking, smaller capacity, lack of immediate availability of alcohol, and a weaker sound system are things to consider.

However, given all of these pros and cons, ultimately DIY house shows are more inclusive, less restrictive and correspondingly, more FUN.  Sometimes, it doesn’t even matter if it’s my favorite band or some local band that has energy, I will still have ten times the fun than if I’m stuck in some urine-infested, alcohol-infused shithole filled with 70% people I don’t’ like.  Even if it’s just 30-40 people for a house show, it doesn’t matter; those people are new friends whom you can share a mutual memory with in the future and build a community.  When 1000-1200 people show up for a show at the Majestic or the Fillmore or wherever, it’s routine and boring; when it becomes primarily about the earning potential and gets away from the music, it quits being fun.  When it becomes primarily about getting drunk or high and gets away from the music, it stops being fun.  Coke Bust, an awesome D.C. fastcore band, put it best:  Fuck Bar Culture.

-Aunty Social

Straight Mind...Narrow Mind?

In the ever-pervasive wasteland of liquor stores, bars, taverns, pubs, and churches in our city, it seems that there are a number of ways to numb one’s mind to the bleak existence within which we live.  Whether it’s a drugged-up loser stripping property for copper wire or a drunken asshole stumbling around and starting fights, sometimes it seems that everyone’s mind is taken away to an ignorant place, albeit a blissful one.  Instead of withdrawing from our social ties because they’re watered down with whiskey, there must be a way to break from this conformity of ignorant minds.  At least, this was the thought back when straight-edge was formed as a full-fledged movement in the early 1980s, and it is, to an extent, still the thought that steadily persists in any punk scene, resonating with anyone who wants to keep a clear vision and a functioning mind.  At first, this positive approach was fresh and new, it was nonconformity in a drug-saturated social scene.  However, it would be the growingly narrow minds of some of these nonconformists that defined the scene; it was a negative positivity, a conforming nonconformity, a similar characteristic of a new variability.  The archetype of the straight-edge movement, Ian MacKaye and the Minor Threat crew, envisioned a more accepting society of punks, and his vision was taken in the wrong direction by some, and became an equally ignorant subculture, enforcing “rules” in a clique-like and socially isolating way.  This is the vision that has imprinted straight-edge, for better or worse.  Time to set the world straight…

The bad side of the straight-edge movement, a question mark so tall, on steroids, and clad with a varsity jacket that most are afraid to speak up, or speak to other cliques about it.  The straight-edge “scene” has, in times past, been rife with shit-starters and ignorant assholes:  the S.S. Decontrol kids slapped drinks and smokes out of peoples’ hands (as singer David Springa hit his joint backstage); the Chain of Strength kids got into the faces of bands like Social Outcast, trying to create problems because of perceived “wrongs” committed (that were later resolved); Friends Stand Together/ Fuck Shit Up, who are notorious for their Boston-based violence that injured (and sometimes, even killed) those that crossed their path, mainly non-edgers and nonconformists of the FSU lifestyle; and, of course, the Courage Crew, who have chapters throughout the Midwest, and began to build up influence and notoriety for their very apparent presence at hardcore shows.  These are the folks that have been the most noticed in local punk circles, and therefore (unfortunately) have been the ones who define straight-edge as it is understood by outsiders.  Though most of these adherents are easy to poke fun at for their generic jock-disguised-as-punk actions and public presence, I know that this is NOT what’s at the heart of straight-edge; it’s more than stopping people before they voluntarily inebriate their minds, it’s more than even convincing people to voluntarily abstain from the consumption of mind-altering substances.  There is an underlying raison d’être.

What is it that even makes it worth giving up mind-altering drugs, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and/or meat and dairy products?  What is it that even alters one’s mind and body to the point of these substances being considered bad for someone?  It isn’t about using these products, not at all; in fact, most of the crutches that negatively impact humanity are not tangible things, but states of mind submerged in failed truths and victorious lies.  It has to do with the underlying reason one commits to using or not using substances; do you run ahead as a herdsman, as one of the herd, or as a deserter?  This is the question one must answer to understand the REAL reason why an adherent does what they do.  In other words, a straight-edge adherent could be hopelessly addicted, a member of the herd of his/her friends, unable to stray because of their dependency.  Conversely, a lifetime alcoholic could have a far straighter mind than any edge kid; it’s not about sobriety, it’s about autonomy.  If this alcoholic works, pays his/her bills, maintains a family & social life, and contributes to his neighborhood and community, he is of far more value than any reclusive, selfish potential straight-edge adherent.  This mistake of straight-edge is what keeps people at bay, away from embracing the positive-world-change mentality that is the original, ideal reason behind straight-edge.  It is the narrow-minded clique-like ways and the limited spectrum of thoughts, ideas and music that hurts straight-edge as a positive movement, and as a mostly sober, clear-minded person who wants to make a positive impact on the world, it’s painful to see the movement get crushed by the same narrow mindedness that other subcultures have faltered from.

It’s about respect, not ascetic adherence.  It’s about autonomy, not socially enforced sobriety.  It’s about being positive, self-loving, respectful, modest, humble resident of the planet Earth, it’s not about how “edge” you are, who you associate with, and why you “became edge”.

Be a modest human being who respects those who live differently, and in turn, are willing to respect your lifestyle.  Respect begets respect, and disrespect begets disrespect; this is not a new idea, but neither is conflict, and that has persisted for humanity’s lifespan.  If a bon-ripping, vodka-drinking punk rock fan likes your straight-edge band and doesn’t talk shit or pester you to participate in their individual partying actions, show them as much respect as you would your best friend, and if a varsity-jacket wearing, shaved-headed, weight-lifting, tattooed edge guy likes your party punk band, do the same for him.  You want unity in a scene?  There it is.

-Aunty Social

The Grindcore Phenomenon: We Suffer, But Why?

How did this botched abortion of music begin?  Music is primarily based upon melody, rhythm, and euphony in sound (overall).  Punk rock, to an extent, turned this idea on its head, eventually becoming a voice for anger in music, a voice for the discontent to express themselves with.  Even within this, there was a method to the madness; even in the raw anger and cacophony, there still existed some necessary level of order, some small level of routine that remained for the purpose of remaining heterogenic.  Band A has Song One, and that song belongs uniquely to THAT band, THAT artist, and it can be heard and identified as such.  In time, this cacophony grew greater, and one day, one moment in time, this cacophony grew so large that it was no longer music, it was sheer noise.  This movement is commonly known as grindcore, the fusion of death metal and hardcore punk started by British metal-heads Napalm Death and Flint fuckers Repulsion.  Now, the drums were so fast, the guitars so out-of-tune and loud, and the vocals so indiscernible that the essential attributes of music were unable to be met, and thus, grindcore was born.  Even after wearing out its welcome 20+ years ago, the phenomenon persists.  In fact, Michigan is a distinct home for the genre; now, understand this is not a devaluation of this music/ noise- value is always subjective, and it ought to remain that way.  However, it is fundamental to understand that music has qualities that define it, that separate it from mishmashes of noise, and grindcore is close to the latter than the former.

The lobotomized praise of this “music” and creation of this “scene” befuddles me, and it seems those that partake in creating this genre fail to see the inherent ridiculousness of the genre, and the perfectly competitive economy of grind bands that has arisen.  At what point is a band writing music that is both linear and unique, and when is a drummer just beating the fuck out of the drum kit and the singer/ guitarist (because it’s very rare to see a grindcore band with more than two members) playing notes at complete random and re-enacting a fight between a parrot and a pitbull (or an argument between Rob Halford and Dave Haze)?

Let us honestly try this out:  Play five Anal Cunt songs, five Knuckle Sandwich songs, five ACxDC songs, and five songs of your friends drunk at band practice, fucking around with their instruments (with a portable tape recorder, no less).  What’s the difference between those sets of samples?  Because I sure as hell don’t fucking know.  Even substituting grindcore “legends” Napalm Death, Repulsion, Electro Hippies, Bloody Phoenix, and Magrudergrind, I’m willing to bet that it is still so similar that it’s a waste of time to try and discern bands from one another, let alone one song or album from another.

I wonder, what would have happened if grindcore had emerged alongside bands like Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, and Black Sabbath in the late 1960s and early 70s… what would the reaction to the genre have been then?

-Aunty Social

Punk Show Reruns, or Why your band should play less and practice more- by Brian Weisserman

PUNK SHOW RERUNS

or: Why your band should play less and practice more

By- Brian Weisserman

I'll start this off quite simply: there's too many fucking shows going on in this city.  Now let me elaborate on this:  Looking at the calendar on Detroitpunk.org, on August 6th, I see listed seven different shows listed.

On August 11th (A THURSDAY, for fuck's sake), there are five in the Metro Detroit area. The 12th, there are four (if you count Ann Arbor). The 13th, six [seven if you count Dirtfest (though, why you would is beyond me)]. The 26th and the 27th of August have seven combined. And this isn't even counting Grand Rapids, Lansing, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Toledo, or the many other outlying cities in this state.

How this is a problem: a good number of these shows feature ALL LOCAL BANDS. Not only all local bands, but all local bands that play EVERY FUCKING WEEK. Sometimes TWICE a week.  In the case of the shows that DO have an out-of-town band playing, half of them were probably set up AFTER one of the great many events featuring only local bands had already been set up, confirmed, and had flyers distributed (or advertised on Facebook; very few of you seem dedicated enough to actually distribute paper flyers anymore.)

Now, what makes more sense, given the two options:

A)    Set up another show, most likely with MORE bands that everyone saw last week, creating more competition for the other seven fucking shows going on the same day, and guaranteeing another out-of-town band with mediocre attendance at best,

or,

B)    try to put that out-of-town band on an event that's already happening, guaranteeing that not only that particular show will have less competition, but that those already planning on attending will actually have the chance to see someone that haven't already seen a week prior?

It seems like the obvious choice is option B. Unfortunately, most of you seem to be much more content with option A. It's easier. Even more unfortunately, a great many bands out there seem so devoted to playing as often as possible that they DO, feeling it necessary to play with all local bands every week, and, even worse, feeling it necessary to put four or five
or six bands on a show; to me, that doesn't say, "Hey, even MORE reasons to go to this!"; it says, "Oh, shit, I'm going to be stuck here by obligation even LONGER."


Yes, that's right; I'm sick of seeing your band. It becomes horribly boring to see you play for the 30th time this year, especially when you have no new material. You can only watch a rerun of the same South Park episode so many times; after a while, you just turn the TV off within 5 seconds of recognizing which episode it is. The same goes with live music; after a
while, I'd honestly rather just stay at home, drink a few tall cans, and lay on the couch listening to records. I know I'm not the only one with this sentiment, either.

I'm all about supporting local music, but I can only support it to a certain point; my pocket can't afford going to a show every night, my spare time isn't great enough to go to a show every night, and I'm sick and tired of saying "Oh, I was at this OTHER show I ALSO felt
obligated to go to", or "I honestly couldn't handle another fucking show this month, or I was going to end up blowing my fucking brains out after I kicked your drumset to bits and smashed your guitar I'm so sick of drunkenly seeing every other weekend."

Yes, that's right: after a while, YOU STOP BEING RELEVANT. People DO get sick and tired of seeing you every weekend, and they stop coming to your shows. There are plently of bands, most of whom I'm very fond of, that will play five or ten or fifteen shows in a row and I won't go to a single one of them.

Why? Because I know damn well that I can probably see them again in two days if I really feel like it. Your band's show attendance HAS gone down, and this is why.

Not only does that make you, as a band, feel like no one wants to see you anymore (which is the case, especially when you're so busy playing shows that you're too busy to practice), but it makes it harder for people to find new bands. The best way for people to find new bands is seeing them live, and it's awfully goddamn hard for people to find out that they like this
particular artist when they're too apathetic to actually go see whomever they're opening up for.

It's even more difficult when the same bands play with each other for every show; look through your flyer collection, or through the Detroit Punk calender, and you'll notice pretty quickly that a lot of them look exactly the same. You're all just playing with the same bands, over and over and over again. That, once again, guarantees that your show will be not only
incredibly forgettable and unmentionable, but that no new talent will get the opportunity to showcase themselves. It also guarantees that other established bands don't mix their dedicated (or event slightly interested) fan base, which in turn guarantees that less people will be discovering other established bands that they previously didn't think they would like.
This state has such incredible musical talent, and it depresses me to see it going to waste being overplayed. There is an extensive list of artists I would love to see perform with each other, if just for the sake of it not being the seventh rerun of a particular show since April, but I have very high doubts that most of them will not do so anytime soon.

Bands, promoters, booking agents: please, get out there and seek out those local bands you've seen on flyers, but haven't seen/booked/performed with. DO ask that opening band you've never heard of until they blew you away onstage if they want to play again in a month and a half; with practice and time, there's a good chance people will probably end up liking them more than you (sorry, but that will probably end up being the case). Don't keep playing with or booking the same bands over and over again because it's comfortable and easy; that's when it stops being fun and starts being routine. People come see you to be entertained; if they wanted a rerun, they'd stay at home and stare at the TV all night. You're entertainers, do your job. And please, stop doing it so often.