No Sugarcoating & No Bullshit: March
Written by Jo Hayes
Sunday, 31 March 2013 03:40
It’s that time again, your once a month dose of rambling nonsense. If like me you live in a part of the country which isn’t covered in feet of snow, you’ll be sick of hearing about how a small island in Scotland has had no power for ten days, so I’ll change the record.
A conversation with my Fourteen year old sister and another conversation with my Dad inspired this blog. My younger sister has started to show her rock ‘n’ roll roots, and is now listening to music which is heavier, with guitars and drums – rather than the Black Eyed Peas, Rizzle Kicks and Lady Ga Ga.
Although the music she listens to does have an Emo or Pop-Punk tinge to it, it’s a good start. (The likes of All Time Low, Sleeping With Sirens, Bring Me The Horizon and Pierce The Veil.)
It got me thinking about the influences of these bands and the ones before them, and how people forget what inspired the bands they love and listen to. My Dad and I were speaking about this, and it got me thinking.
The bands my sister listens to, were probably inspired by Pop-Punk and Emo circa 2001 and the noughties. Bands such as Blink-182, New Found Glory and Sum 41 inspired the Pop Punk ilk around today, while some of their fans may have heard of the 2001 era, I doubt they would go back and be in to Screeching Weasel, and then their main inspiration, the Ramones.
Of course they would probably be listening to Green Day, but this would be the modern day version of the band, with their triple album, and before that 21st Century Breakdown – which to me isn’t the same band they were in the ’90s.
I’ll make no bones of the fact Green Day were the first band I loved, from the age of six I’ve been listening to ‘Dookie’, which I still think is an excellent Punk-Rock abum. When my sister said she was a fan, I was thinking “finally!”, but then realised that she liked the theatrical version.
Screeching Weasel’s ‘Anthem For A New Tomorrow’, Rancid’s ‘And Out Come The Wolves’, and The Queers’ ‘Grow Up’ are also on my list for excellent Punk-Rock (or original Punk-Pop) albums, and in my opinion, beat the 2001 and current day bands by a mile.
After starting off in the Nineties, I went to the noughties, then back again, listening to Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Mudhoney, L7 and Stereophonics (circa ‘Performance and Cocktails’), and went back to find their influences.
So then I ended up with AC/DC, Motorhead, Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Ramones. Which then lead me on to other bands from the Seventies, and I ended up finding New York Dolls, and Johnny Thunders (I didn’t have to look far, as these were all in my parents’ record collection).
Going forward to the Eighties, Social Distorion and Hanoi Rocks were my next rock ‘n’ roll stop. Which of course took me back to the Nineties, but with Glam-Punk in my sights, with Backyard Babies, Buckcherry, and not glam but just rock ‘n’ roll and awesome, The Wildhearts.
To me all of these bands are connected in some strange way, and I could go as far back to the Fifties (Eddie Cohran and Johnny Cash), but I think you get the gist.
I just think of my friends who would go as far back as The Offspring or maybe the Ramones, and let it end there, and sometimes be ignorant of what other music there is out there. Obviously everyone has one album which got them into music, but when someone calls The Offspring’s ‘Americana’ the best Punk album ever, you do need to question their music taste.
Anyway Uber Rockers, happy four day weekend to you. Until next time…
Jo
