Thursday the 4th of November was a very exciting day for me. I was going to Oxford with four of my best boys to see Less Than Jake and Zebrahead. This was going to be my first ever gig. I couldn't wait.
We left for Oxford early that day planning on bumming round Oxford for a bit before getting the venue early to make sure we were up the front. The support bands that day were This Contrast Kills and We Are The Union, they warmed the crowd up pleasantly enough but when Zebrahead took to the stage and opened with Hell Yeah they had the crowd in the palm of their hands instantly. I'd never felt such a collective amount of energy and love for one single thing before, until Less Than Jake took the stage of course. The crowd when absolutely bananas for them, the whole room was singing, dancing, skanking and moshing the night away with them. There was so much love for the band from the crowd and so much love for the crowd from the band. I was absolutely in love with this night. This was in fact the best feeling I'd ever had from a night out. Why had it taken me so long to go to a gig?
Since that day I've been to 23 gigs and I have 15 more booked up before Christmas. It's fair to say I've become a little addicted. Today is my 16th day without going to gigs and I am starting to really get a craving for my next one. With this blog I'm aiming to work out why I love it and why it’s become such a big part of my life.
One of my favourite things about live music is the energy you get from the bands. As much as bands try it’s almost impossible to portray the energy you get from seeing a band live on a CD. It's great to see the passion and conviction being shown by the likes of Frank Turner or Justin Sane (Anti-Flag). It adds a whole extra dimension to the songs and shows they really believe what they are singing. There isn't much better than seeing a band who have been playing the same songs for years still putting as much effort and energy into the songs as they did when they first wrote them.
Something else you don't get from a CD but do at a gig is the interaction between the bands and the crowd. I've witnessed Less Than Jake get two men in morph suits get up on stage for a drinking contest, I've seen Fat Mike (NOFX) pay a kid £50 to let him cut his hair of on stage. One particular highlight from a band I've seen was when Pat Thetic, the drummer from Anti-Flag setting up his kit in the middle of a circle pit whilst for the bands final song (Power To The Peaceful) during their headline set at AntiFest earlier this year. At the last gig I went to I saw Jimmy Stadt (Polar Bear Club) pull someone on stage to help play one of their closing songs. He said it was the first time they'd ever done it. It was truly an "I was there when" moment.
You also get to some great showmanship from the bands that help add that something special to a show. Whether it’s an in-sync jump between the bands or a big drum solo it all adds to the show. There are also the gags that are added between songs. My personal favourite was at a Lightyear gig this summer. They had just finished their main set and rather than leave the stage before the encore they brought out a table and chairs and sat and had a cup of tea and read the paper. I thought it was genius.
Another thing I really enjoy at gigs is the crowd itself. Earlier today I was watching Frank Turner's live at Wembley DVD. During his final song he introduced his band and thanked the most important member's of his band, the crowd. He did a small speech about how if the crowd didn't show up then he wouldn't be able to play his songs for people. Frank hit the nail on the head with that speech. At the end of the day a crowd can make or break a gig. I've always found if the crowd are getting behind the band the bands seems to put on a better show than when a crowd doesn't. I've been lucky enough where there have been minimal times where there has been a bad crowd.
I think you will find three different types of people at a gig. Firstly you get the people who like to get right to the front and get as close to the band as they possibly can. Then you get the people who like to get wild and crazy in the pit and lastly you get the people who like to keep out of the action and just get watch the show from a safe distance. All of these positions have their pros and con's. For instance if you’re at the front you get a great view but you do get crushed against a steel barrier for a couple of hours. If you’re in the pit you generally have a great night dancing the night away but often feel like you've been in a fight when you're done. If you’re at the back you avoid the rambunctiousness of the pit and being at the front but you struggle to get as good of a view.
I've had some amazing nights at many gigs in all of those positions but if I'm being honest I've always had the best nights when I've been in the pit. I find a mosh pit to be a weird and wonderful place. In everyday life if you push and shove in a big crowd you are public enemy number one. At a gig you are accepted. It is strange. I've had many amazing nights where I've ended up being half naked, covered in other peoples sweat as well as my own, bouncing around with guys twice my size. Anywhere else this would not be accepted but here it is considered the norm and expected. It may sound daunting, but despite the craziness everyone is looking out for one another. There is an unwritten law where if you see someone fall pick them up and make sure they are ok.
I really do love the people you meet at gigs. Especially at a punk gig. Everyone is there with the common goal of having a great time seeing a band that they love. This makes it very easy to quickly become great mates with a complete stranger from a completely different walk of life.
The first gig I ever went to alone was NOFX and Less Than Jake at the O2 Academy in Shepherds Bush. I was a bit apprehensive about going at first but as soon as I found the place (my plan of follow the NOFX shirts worked perfectly) I soon felt fine. During that gig I managed to have great conversation with a father and son who'd come as a father’s day gig. The father was definitely an old original punk and was a complete hero. I spoke with some lads from Norwich who turned out to be in a band supporting one of my favourite UK bands ever, 4ft Fingers and a German girl who if I'm being completely honest turned out to be one of the coolest people I've ever met.
Fans of punk rock seem to be the some of the friendliest people alive. In the summer my boys all had gone on a lad’s holiday. Hot weather and getting mindlessly drunk, definitely not a holiday for me. During the time they were away Less Than Jake were on a UK tour. The date that fell on my day off was in Brighton. I thought to myself "fudge it, it will be a great adventure even if I am by myself, I always make friends at gigs." So with that theory I booked a hotel and caught a train down to Brighton. I got to my hotel which upon arrival gave the impression I'd booked myself into a brothel. The receptionist took me to my room and explained that my room had been upgraded. She showed me my room and told me the toilet is down two floors. If my upgraded room didn't have a toilet in it I dread to think what my original room was like. This adventure was pretty poo so far but I decided to make the best of it and go explore and find the gig venue.
Anybody who knows me will tell you how bad my sense of direction is so finding the venue obviously didn't go smoothly. It went so bad in fact that I managed to accidently walk down some sort of gay hang out and get harassed by an old man called Bob for a blowjob. I'm far from close minded or homophobic but this incident really shook me up. This paired with how crap my hotel room was made me want to go home but again I decided to make the best of it.
I'm so glad I didn't. Not long after getting into the venue and getting a good spot two girls came and started talking to me due to the fact I was wearing my Big D &The Kids Table t-shirt. Turns out they are big fans to. They made me feel so much better. Eventually the gig got going and they disappeared but I was feeling so much more comfortable. The warm up bands finished and I was waiting patiently for Less Than Jake and I started talking to some fella. He was a cool bloke and thought it was brilliant that I'd come so far for the show. He introduced me to his friends and we all got on like a house on fire. I explained how bad my day had been (worryingly one of them thinks they have met the same gay harasser that I had) and they made me feel right at home. They even offered me a place to stay for the night and if I ever came back to Brighton. This to me was the epitome of human kindness and I loved them for it.
I love a punk crowd.
That is why I love gigs so much. I get to meet so many different and interesting people. They are all friendly and kind and accept you despite the way you look or who you are. It gives me a great feeling of belonging. These are my people. I've been to eight gigs by myself now and it amazes every time how comfortable I am here than I have been times when I've been dragged to a Saturday night in town going to pubs and bars. I hate those nights.
Ultimately I love gigs for all of those reason but mostly because it gives someone who has never fit in with the cool kid crowd somewhere to fit in.
BRAP!
Song I'm Listening To Now: Before They Make Me Run by Supersuckers
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