Down on the Farm

Another late weeknight at notorious craphole the Lion’s Lair…could it be another geezer punk show? Yep, last week I missed out on some sleep and caught the UK Subs. I figured it would be worthwhile, seeing as this time around the band featured ¾ of its “classic” lineup – vocalist Charlie Harper, guitarist Nicky Garratt, and bassist Alvin Gibbs. This was the same lineup I saw about a year ago, so the show was more or less the same as that time. If you’re familiar with the Subs, you know the drill: C.I.D., I Live In a Car, Tomorrow’s Girls, Warhead, Stranglehold, Emotional Blackmail, Organized Crime, Rockers, etc. The only tune that really caught me off guard was Sensitive Boys, which was a nice surprise. I set a new record for leaving late – I think it was 11:25 before I left the house. I timed it just about right, as I only caught about one and a half tunes from the stink city warm-up act. A pretty obnoxious crowd this time around. I got kicked walking to the restroom, and an irritating drunk girl decided to help herself to my beer. Sadly, this is a pretty typical crowd for the Lion’s Lair – I don’t think that many people there even show up for the music, they’re just there to get drunk and try to act “punk.”

After the set, I bought a CD from the band. Charlie Harper (a very friendly guy, I must add) noticed my Fastbacks t-shirt, and asked me how I knew about them. I explained that I used to live in Seattle, and had followed the band closely for many years. Charlie then asked if I knew any of them, and I confirmed that I did. He then said “well, if you ever talk to them, tell them that I still think their tracks are better than ours!” (A few years ago, the Fastbacks recorded some Subs covers that were released on a single put out by Gearhead magazine – fun stuff; track it down if you can.) So, there you have it – straight from the Harper’s mouth!

In a totally different vein, I saw some local pop acts on Saturday evening – the Maybellines, Thank God For Astronauts, and the Breezy Porticos. The Breezies are always a fun time, and would be reason enough to attend. The Maybellines have a sound that reminded me of Stereolab, and TGFA were also very good – much more “rock” than I recall from seeing them a year or so ago, but very enjoyable and impressive nonetheless. It was a solid lineup, and a good time was had by all. I didn’t get kicked on my way to the restroom, nor did anyone steal my beer. Nice!