Nirvana’s Nevermind is, of course, 20 years old.
Indirectly, seems like many more are marking it with Pearl Jam’s movie. Or pulling in a show.
If you are a fan or scalp, I’m sure you were on top of the live action. Even Chris Cornell is pulling indirect heat from it.
I was 19 when it came out. Felt old them. Felt the shows were passing me by.
Now it is doubling that up and I feel younger. Most rocking the shows now are squares. No perspective from the endless, nameless millenials and the real action is on the electronic music side. I believe that. After a solid 5 days of rocking MFNW 2011, there really is no doubt.
Digress.
Nevermind had just as big an influence on the live side. Not discussed about much. But the shadow is large and present at every “indie” show I go to. Burying the hit 3 songs in the set? Where did that nod to legitimacy come from? Punk? Sure…..that old dog isn’t going to hunt. No pyro? No lasers? No stage banner? No production? Lyrics have to mean something? This is art and passion, baby. All about the music and not the flash? Again. Where’s the genesis? The 60′s? The Sex Pistols? Cool, but, I’m not buying.
Sad thing is. That attitude is so tired and boring the flash is actually novel in rock. Some dilweed torches a roman candle on stage? Probably end up getting gang raped out of excitement at this point. Burn the stage at a festival and it is a religious experience.
I remember in 1996, taking my then girlfriend to see the KISS tour in all makeup.
What a human shitshow.
I still remember this older woman quizzing me on the tracklist from the Destroyer album. Shut her ass down. “You’re too young to be a REAL KISS fan”.
Should have told her if the human flea circus around me was any indication, then she was right.
But, my pride was injured so I started singing “Cold Gin” to her.
Regardless. As usual. The show started with “you wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the land…KISS!” Fireworks. Mayhem.
3 minutes in, I look to my girl and she is doubled over laughing. She cut her teeth on underground shows. Flash was the anti-cool.
“I though they were kidding! They are actually serious!”
“Cool it, or these people are going to kick my ass”.
20 years. Good times. I’m ready for flash personally. There’s enough pain and emotion on the streets and real life for me.
