Bad Girl

Geez....I guess its not so nice to start out great guns with this blogging thing and drop it like I have. Anyway...lets pick up where I left off. Ok..so in the same week as the Rolling Stones I also attended two shows featuring one of my all time, not to mention local favorites, The Queers. I have some really fond memories of them seeing as my first show was back in 1983 ( I think), and not to mention they would play directly next door to the house I grew up in. So..you see, I really couldn't have missed them. It also happened that I had recently returned from a year of college in London with my mohawk intact and intent on continuing my thus far failed pursuit of starting a band by way of Santa Barbara before that. I did hook up with a couple of local like-minded girls that summer and we did form my first band, Simple Assault. We were lucky enough to enlist Wimpy (The Queers, The Jabbers) as our drummer. I have to say to this day he still recalls the fun we had and is contiually supportive of any of my musical ventures. I may have to think about revisiting that concept.
You know how we all long for aspects of our past experiences whether they be a time, place, food, seasons, people? I wondered after completely removing myself from that scene for so long, I assumed basically, that things would be different in an everchanging world. I was wrong. I even brought my 13 year old daughter with me to the recent shows and at first was a bit apprehensive but knew it couldn't possibly be as chaotic as I know it can get due to the fact that it was all ages admission. Sure the first one had a bar and the place was smoky and dripping with sweat and the other was none of the above. Point being, there were people from literally 5 to 65...all enjoying themselves. The most comforting aspect of all was the fact that anyone that chooses to go truly sees what the whole thing was about to begin with. Its not about how many people you can shove into one place, or how many tickets are sold. This is a rare opportunity these days, this band has been touring around the world for years, and years and remains true to the spirit of what punk rock is all about. You don't have to look like a freak, but you can if you want to, no one is going to judge you for it either way. Punk has become such a huge umbrella term and a vast commercially viable concept that most kids now would not really have a clue as to what is started out as. Yeah you can copy the style, read some books, listen to bands and so on, but if you really want to understand the idea of being your own person, lighten up and take in a Queers show, cause that should put a smile on your face...(oh yeah..punk is supposed to be mean, angry and violent right?)