On March 1. 1986 at the age of 16, I discovered a music club in my hometown called DE MEDIA where I went to see an IVY GREEN/L’ATTANTAT double bill. Both shows were wild and explosive and a new world opened up for me. Because I really loved the place, I became a co-worker and started recommending bands to the club owner. Two years later, THE LEAVING TRAINS from L.A. planned a European tour to promote their third SST long-player “Fuck” and I managed to book a show at the club. Again, it was another raw and exciting rock & roll night and because a good time was had by all, the club owner agreed to my recommendations to book more guitar bands. I can’t tell you how great it felt as a 17-years old kid to jump on his bike and pedal off to wild shows by the likes of SOUL ASYLUM, TAR BABIES, DOUGHBOYS, THE STEPPES, 11TH DREAM DAY, VANILLA CHAINSAWS, ED KUEPPER, THEE HEADCOATS, DEAD MOON, THE WALKABOUTS, THE CYNICS and 22 PISTE PIRKKO!
A couple of months later, I saw THE CELIBATE RIFLES from Australia at some squat in Antwerp called 1,000 Appeltjes (1,000 Little Apples). Half of the band was dressed like they’d spent the afternoon on a surfboard with their swimming shorts and beach sandals! It must have been July 30. 1988 because I remember how I slept on a bench in the city afterwards and took a bus to the Sfinks festival in nearby Boechout early in the next morning where I saw revelatory concerts by Toumani Diabate, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abdel Aziz El Mubarak and Ali Farka Touré. Although I had a very good relationship with my parents since my 3 older sisters had left the house, I really enjoyed being on my own as an adolescent, living on a steady diet of music and little money. The following night, I slept at an outdoors sawmill and after the second festival day, I had to phone my parents to come and get me because I had spent my last money on a Miles Davis record. But I’m wandering off the subject.
As with THE LEAVING TRAINS, THE CELIBATE RIFLES were also promoting their finest platter (“Roman Beach Party”) when I saw them for the first time. Both albums have that same exciting, loose spirit that somehow shaped me as an individual at the time. My carpe diem attitude was energized by both records and that’s probably the reason why I have always considered them as twin albums.
Life without memory is not life at all – to quote Buñuel - and that’s why I not only cherish both records based on their qualities but especially because they remind me of an inspiring time full of discovery & excitement. Nothing wrong with a healthy dose of nostalgia, right?
Here are 3 songs from both “Fuck” and “Roman Beach Party”. I’m sure you will agree that these songs still hold up today:
What Cissy Said – THE LEAVING TRAINS mp3
27 Days – THE LEAVING TRAINS mp3
So Fucked Up – THE LEAVING TRAINS mp3
Jesus on T.V. - THE CELIBATE RIFLES mp3
The more things change – THE CELIBATE RIFLES mp3
Ocean Shore – THE CELIBATE RIFLES mp3
2 comments:
Ik heb beide albums via eBay van een of andere kerel gekocht, die toen een hele resem platen weg deed van eind jaren tachtig/begin jaren negentig, waaronder ook heel wat oude melvins. misschien een kerel die overschakeld is op klassiek? maar dat was jaren nadat die platen verschenen - ik was net wat te jong om dat meegemaakt te hebben. alleszins twee goeie platen! van CR heb ik ook nog "turgid miasma...", "blind ear" en "spaceman in a satin suit". laat zeker weten wat ik nog in huis moet hebben...
wat COME betreft (twitter): zo is dat. laatst "don't ask, don't tell" nog eens opgelegd en dezelfde bedenking gemaakt
Nice!! That Leaving Trains was the first gig I attended in De Media. I had taped "what cissy said" from Belgian radio and had read a piece on them and other SST bands in knack weekend (comparing them to Black Flag...). The club was the other side of the street where I lived and as my parents had seen so many punks, long haired creatures and other weirdos in front of the club, i had to sneek out the house to see that gig. It was a legendary concert with a band enjoying their first Belgian gig a lot (they did another one or two gigs the following years at the Democrazy). btw : singer Falling James was Courtney Love's boyfriend at the time.
I still play FUCK from time to time : 27 days and temporal sluts being my favorite songs.
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