A Caterwaul, Indeed

We came, we played, we kicked ass.

Caterwaul Of Sound played in hipster Williamsburg in Brooklyn USA Wednesday nite.
Our first show. In fact, the first show ever performed by our rhythm guitar player and our singer! As reported before, we were on a bill with a bunch of metal and goth type bands. We, of course, are neither.

But, dare I say we acquitted ourselves nicely. There may have never been a band anywhere that had as much fun playing as we did on Wednesday nite.

People even came to me after the show and told us we were really good! And they weren't even our friends! In fact, our friends even said we were good (and our friends would've definitely told us if we sucked!). And, we had the biggest crowd. It was sorta like a reunion of sorts for a bunch of us folks who have drifted apart. So it was nice to get everyone together again.
Lots of photos taken and a pro (2 camera video) with sound from the board is being mixed and will be ready next week. Maybe I'll even post some up!

There were some very strange "surgically enhanced" gals walking around in bustiers and whatnot, they ended up doing back-up vocals for my friends' band Guns Religion And Money (they were the ones who set up the show).

Unfortunately, we were promised a 55 year old "Betty Page" type stripper; and that failed to materialize.

Highlites included our lead singer falling down and doing a faceplant on the steps leading to the stage, the lead guitar getting kicked in the head, and yours truly tripping over his cord several times.

The setlist:
nervous breakdown (black flag)
surfin bird (ramones)
in and out of grace (mudhoney)
too much junkie business (johnny thunders)
celebrity skin (hole)
the jeffersons theme song - movin on up (dedicated to obama) >
interstellar overdrive (pink floyd) >
highway to hell (the short dudes from australia) >
the ballad of kurt cobain (stormtroopers of death)


Rock n Fucking Roll.
Toonage:
Redd Kross - Star Lust
The Soft Boys - Rock n Roll Toilet (Demo)
Nick Lowe - They Called It Rock
Superdrag - Sucked Out
Mott The Hoople - All The Way From Memphis
Rolling Stones - Star Star (live 1978)
The Hookers - Rock n Roll Motherfucker

Thinking hard and long about Punk Rock (ie- youth) nostalgia of late. Things seemed simpler than. Us versus them. As easy as it is to walk into a Hot Topic these days and buy your image, there was a certain thrill to creating it on your own. Although having to watch your back at all times was no fun either.

Here's a fun game. How many (and what) songs and bands are referenced in the following NOFX tune?

Johnny has a problem
Johnny is out of control
He had a TV party
With the kids in the black hole
Stealing people's mail
And lynching the landlord
Things to do when angry, young and bored

Johnny was only a lad
Johnny hates the scene
First he hit an old man
Then he hit and run Pauline

The record player spinning the best times I never had
So why do my old records make me sad?
Cause they're so bad
And no one seems to understand
The glory of guitar
When out of tune
The off timing
The singers who can't sing
The beauty of flaw

He's a teenage vegetable
This is the last resort
He's got PCP in his veins
He lives inside a quart
Johnny is a punk rocker
Johnny is he queer?
Johnny needed two bags
And a car to commandeer
Johnny wasn't liked much
But he had a lot of friends
Waits on stage
Eating ludes
A mindless brainwashed pig
Johnny was a good man
Till the day that he got shot
He had a jacked up chevy
That could blow you off the spot
Johnny always needs
More than he takes
Forgets a couple chords
Forgets a couple breaks
Johnny says he's bound
By only six strings to this world
Johnny Quest hates sellout bands
And Johnny Punk snorts ritilin
And Johnny is an angry amputee
NOFX - "Jaw, Knee, Music"

Was it really better "back in the day"? It seemed to me, that shit was alot more dogmatic. Those CBGS's Sunday matinees were a perfect example. Everybody looked the same. I had long hair back than and although I knew plenty of skins, I could never be in their little club because I wasn't cutting my hair.

It was nice back when the biggest issue was arguing who was more Punk.

My enemies are all too familiar.

They're the ones who used to call me friend.

I'm coloring outside your guidelines.

I was passing out when you were passing our your rules.

One. Two. Three. Four.

Who's punk what's the score?
Jawbreaker - "Boxcar"

Look at me, I'm in the front lines
I just came to have some fun
I've never seen this band before
I'm not like them, I'm hardcore
Government Issue - "Asshole"

Not gonna glorify the past, it was the same

We felt like the fire couldn't be contained

And it was you and me against the world

But we were already eating out of their hands

Dillinger Four - "How Many Punks Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?"

Toonage:
NOFX - Jaw, Knee, Music
Jawbreaker - Boxcar

Dillinger Four -How Many Punks?

Government Issue - Asshole
The Hookers - Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight (Spinal Tap cover)