Dovecote

NO ONE JUMPS AROUND LIKE THIS ANYMORE BECAUSE EMO RUINED THE JUMP-KICKPosted by Sam on 02.16.10

A story:

When I was sixteen, I went to see The Sex Pistols. Since I wasn't sixteen in 1976, this obviously wasn't prime-era Pistols. Neigh, it was a reunion tour, with original bassist Glen Matlock replacing the dead-as-a-doornail Sid Vicious. It wasn't anything new, really. They'd done a tour like this in 1996 that took them all over the world, though this one was confined to North America for a few weeks of summer dates in amphitheaters. The one I attended–at D.C.'s 9:30 club–was the smallest in size, and the only one to sell out. I thought this was strange, since I'd clamored to get tickets as soon as they went on sale, the idea of seeing living punk legends seeming wholly thrilling and unmissable. I was, evidently, in a small minority of folks who thought that.

The show itself was okay–they played competantly, maybe even better than they did in the late seventies (I wouldn't know, though)–but the energy was so drab. They looked fat, and they weren't hiding it. Rotten wore a sleeveless t-shirt. He looked like a retarded whale. Steve Jones was permanently bent over with osteoporosis like fucking Mick Mars or something. Glen Matlock looked like someone who'd play golf with my Dad. I was the only one there under the age of 30. Calling it fucking depressing doesn't even begin to explain it. I think it was the day punk finally died for me.

Which is why I find it so weird that I bought tickets to see the Specials in April. Those dudes are old, too! And, fuck, Jerry Dammers isn't playing with them, though thankfully it's not because he's dead. But, I've heard rumors–the Specials still have it, apparently, and if there's one thing ska was good for, it was putting on a good show.

Fuck, I just called the Specials a ska band. There were (ARE!) so much more than that. Evidence below. Your band probably sucks compared to this, eh?