Tuesday, September 14, 2004
ALTERNATIVE TV
25 YEARS OF ATV:
Alternative TV Live at CBGB
Metrodome/Dressed to Kill 2002
Recorded live at CBGB in April 2001 for a Spin Magazine "25 Years of Punk" event, this is original British Punk Rock guys Alternative TV, still bashing it out all those years later.
Punk was never about subtlety, or maturity. So it should come as no shock that this set probably sounds exactly the same, or very close, to one of their gigs from 1977. That either makes it very sad or very admirable, depending upon your point of view. ATV is either "remaining true to the spirit" of the original punk rock (not "selling out" being a very important consideration for a group's vaunted Indie Cred), or are a sad bunch of old men trying to recapture the glories of youth.
Rock and roll increased the danger of artists not being able to grow old gracefully with their art; punk rock upped that danger tenfold. I guess it makes it all the more important to retain audio only recordings of music and concerts: at least we don't have to see the old codgers. Besides, the British all age especially tragically.
We got here a 14 song set of all originals, excepting one Frank Zappa cover (!), not exactly someone that most punks would respect, you'd think. The listener gets just what he should expect here: old-line Punk Rawk. Nothing as compelling as the Pistols or Clash, but maybe somewhere in the range of Sham 69 or the Damned on an off night. There's a bad reggae impression and a Ramones/Television tribute song. Decent stuff, not embarassing, but not life-changing either.
In between songs leader Mark Perry amps up the Cockney-accented punk-rocker schtick, as heard in countless hack comedy routines and annoying TV commercials (ironic, no, considering the band's name?) and throws a few insults at the "ignorant Americans" in the crowd. Naturally, the crowd eats it up. Rating: Bargain Bin Buy.
25 YEARS OF ATV:
Alternative TV Live at CBGB
Metrodome/Dressed to Kill 2002
Recorded live at CBGB in April 2001 for a Spin Magazine "25 Years of Punk" event, this is original British Punk Rock guys Alternative TV, still bashing it out all those years later.
Punk was never about subtlety, or maturity. So it should come as no shock that this set probably sounds exactly the same, or very close, to one of their gigs from 1977. That either makes it very sad or very admirable, depending upon your point of view. ATV is either "remaining true to the spirit" of the original punk rock (not "selling out" being a very important consideration for a group's vaunted Indie Cred), or are a sad bunch of old men trying to recapture the glories of youth.
Rock and roll increased the danger of artists not being able to grow old gracefully with their art; punk rock upped that danger tenfold. I guess it makes it all the more important to retain audio only recordings of music and concerts: at least we don't have to see the old codgers. Besides, the British all age especially tragically.
We got here a 14 song set of all originals, excepting one Frank Zappa cover (!), not exactly someone that most punks would respect, you'd think. The listener gets just what he should expect here: old-line Punk Rawk. Nothing as compelling as the Pistols or Clash, but maybe somewhere in the range of Sham 69 or the Damned on an off night. There's a bad reggae impression and a Ramones/Television tribute song. Decent stuff, not embarassing, but not life-changing either.
In between songs leader Mark Perry amps up the Cockney-accented punk-rocker schtick, as heard in countless hack comedy routines and annoying TV commercials (ironic, no, considering the band's name?) and throws a few insults at the "ignorant Americans" in the crowd. Naturally, the crowd eats it up. Rating: Bargain Bin Buy.
Comments:
Post a Comment
