BigUglyWorld #10 - A Night On The Town (January 13, 2005)
Band:
Oh, life is sooo good. We're recording a CD, we're booked up for gigs for the next five months, and we made our way onto a local punk compilation. It probably gets better, but only when there's hookers...
Me:
Life is actually pretty good on my end. I've been asked to play bass in a friend's rock band, which has been a lot of fun, and today I got asked to lend my vocals to a psychobilly project. That project won't involve playing shows or jams or what have you, just something that we're doing over the 'net. But it's still pretty cool.
The World Outside:
As the world shakes from a huge earthquake that killed millions in southeast Asia, we watch the Americans panic about privatizing their social security system. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Looks like rain.
Meat:
Recently, I've had a lot of conversations revolving around the same basic thing, and that's all the weird-ass metal and punk shows I take in in a month. These conversations largely erupt out of people not understanding how I could feel comfortable in the sorts of places that play this kind of music. Whether it's BandWarz at the Shamrock or a weekend show at the Underground, people simply can't get over their preconceived notions about the venues.
What makes me laugh in all of that is the fact that the people who talk about how nasty the places I lurk are the same people who go to bars like Cowboys or Coyotes for a night out with their friends. So I thought I'd take a look at that and try to open a few minds on the subject.
First off, let me tell you one very important thing. I've never seen a fight at a punk show or a metal show. That doesn't mean there's never any fights at these shows, but I've never seen one. And I go to a lot of shows, so that means it's not that common to have a fight on your hands. Most people take their aggressions out in the mosh pit, and if tempers flare in the pit, the other moshers are usually pretty quick to fix the situation. All in all, the punk and metal scenes do a pretty good job of policing themselves.
Now, when we look at the pretty people bars like Cowboys or Coyotes, I'm not sure that we're seeing the same things. All I hear about from my friends who go to these bars is how there's all these great people doing great things and having great times. Sounds remarkable, really. And hey, maybe you're right. But let me tell you what I see.
I see these whored-up children looking for a nice body to rub and lick for the night. There is a desperation in the air, people seeking that pathetic human contact that you can only seem to get in a bar. It feels like the romantic eyes-locking-across-the-room bullshit story, but when we're honest with ourselves, all it is is just sad old desperation.
I see bloody noses and the ever-present threat of violence. Because there's an abundance of pretty girls, there's an abundance of flexing jock guys trying to attract those girls. They drink a bunch, and then they start getting all punchy. You can see it in their eyes long before it becomes a problem. They start looking at everyone like they're waiting for you to make a wrong move in the wrong girl's direction, and then it's ready to fly.
I see the gang mentality. When one of those drunk jackasses decides he wants to get it on, then immediately it's a matter of all your friends showing up to back you up. The hope is that if you have enough people standing beside you, the situation will naturally dissipate.
I see women drunk to the point of blindness. I always thought the bar had an obligation to not let you get drunk to the point of alcohol poisoning, but based on the fact that you can regularly see some already drunk girl stagger to her table with eight Vodka Slimes all for herself because they're on special, something tells me she's not getting home the easy way tonight. Out on the street she will fall on her ass in the middle of the road trying to flag down a cab. If she's hot enough and drunk enough, she might just find a good samaritan to take her home.
I see canned music played to canned minds in canned clothing. All of these bars seem to play the same music all day and all night. I used to work in a mall, and the most awful time was Christmas, when you were bombarded with Santa and Jesus all day for the first half of winter. After a while, you just want to go on a pills and bullets binge. The music at these bars is amazingly homogenous, designed explicitly with the same beats and in the same key so that it can easily be mixed together.
That's how I see it, anyway.
View the BigUglyWorld Archive for more.