random
Posting Freak
Posts: 2293
Registered: 7-30-2006
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East Coast Oi Fest so far...
Well, it's the only report you'll get from me, since I got bored and drove home after last night's show ended. It's a long read... hopefully
entertaining.
First off, CraigDowntown runs a pretty tight ship, and it sucks that others go and fuck up a good thing. It was pretty weird walking in the door and
having to hold my ID beside my face so that the security camera could take a photo.
My only real complaint (and why I didn't feel sticking around for day two) is that there's no re-entry. There's a front bar and a pizza joint
attached to the club, and those were both open last year to attendees. Given that the shows run 8-10 hours straight, it's nice to be able to take a
break from the stuffy venue, get some relatively fresh air, and grab a slice of pizza. Those were closed this year, so you were stuck inside the club
the entire time. And I don't care what any club owner thinks... soft pretzels, hot dogs, and nachos do not constitute "food" or a "meal" when you're
stuck inside with no re-entry for 8-10 hours. Utter bullshit. And I was sober the entire time... I can only imagine what a mess it is drinking the
entire time on an empty stomach (and given the crowd, probably drinking before the show, too).
Bottom line is that with a show that long, I need a break at some point... preferably when a shitty band is playing, cause having to stand through
that crap only makes the whole situation seem even worse.
The bands (at least the ones I caught and remember)...
Stormwatch played pretty early and played one of the tightest sets of the day. I was pleasantly surprised, given that the albums sound like shit.
(Don't get me wrong, I like the songs, but the recording sounds awful.)
Hub City Stompers played a clean set, but Iwasn't much in the mood for ska. Only seems strange because they were one of the highlights for me last
year.
Flatfoot 56 played somewhere in here and were really good. I still have no desire to buy Christian music of any kind, but they always put on a good
show. Easily the tightest set music-wise of the day.
Wretched Ones were great, even if it does feel like watching my dad play punk rock... actually, that might make it even better!
East End Badoes ended up being third from last on the schedule (notice I didn't say they were third from last... more on that later). Gotta be
honest, I've never heard of this band aside from this show. I wasn't impressed, and by that, I mean they sucked. And they played the worst
Cocksparrer cover I've heard, and I've heard a lot of shitty Cocksparrer covers. The only reason I can think of for them playing so late is that it
cost a lot of money to buy their plane tickets. Maybe Craig was trying to make up for last year, when Haggis (and I think Bakers Dozen) played at the
very beginning of the show... many people were pissed about missing them.
Oxblood had some bad intro music that sounded like clanking bottles play for way too long while the lights were turned off. I've never been a fan of
bans using intro music, but this was much worse. Anyway, Oxblood sounded like shit, and that's one of the bands I wanted to see and expected more
from. Somehow I was standing beside a bunch of nazis, and they started yelling between songs that Oxblood sucked. Then Oxblood played a Skrewdriver
cover (Streetfight... and for those familiar with both versions, it was the later one). Then the nazis sang along, loved Oxblood, and started
sieg-heiling at the end of the song.
I think Oxblood got to finish their set before the storm happened. I wasn't paying much attention at that point since they weren't all that good
(though the cover was nicely played, it was definitely a bad choice and probably started the chain of events that followed).
NOTE: Here's why venues should not hand bottles to patrons at shows like this.
I have no idea how the fight started. I heard a trashcan spill over and tons of bottles hitting the floor. Crowd basically split into three
groups... nazis (maybe 5-10% of the crowd, max), some other group of skinheads (obviously not white power, probably the same size), and everyone else.
First two groups were chucking bottles at each other. Big mess of shit. The base of a table goes flying at some point. Some guy runs towards the
nazis and starts getting punched by a bunch of guys. I should mention that most of the people involved in this were probably 30-40 years old... it
wasn't retarded drunk kids.
Around this time, what I can only imagine is most of the Allentown Police Department comes in from the side, the first phase with riot gear. They
basically just stepped into the big open space between the two groups throwing bottles at each other. That was the end of the fighting.
Cops stayed in place. Craig was on stage trying to cool the situation down so that the 4 Skins could play. Eventually shit calmed down, but it took
a long ass time. 4 Skins didn't play. Supposedly they're playing today. If they're playing last today, I'd probably expect a repeat of last night.
Overall, the show was pretty boring. I caught a few good sets. Got stuck watching plenty that I had no interest in. Was ready to drive home 4 hours
before it was over, but thought it would be dumb to skip three bands I wanted to see (didn't know East End Badoes were playing last night on the main
stage in between those three bands).
Gained a lot of respect for the Allentown Police Department, who could have easily made that situation much, much worse. But they kept control of
things and were calm throughout the entire thing. (I made a joke to someone that nobody should mention what "ACAB" on all the shirts meant.)
For a group of people that like to complain about being "crucified" for shit that other people do, there were a hell of a lot of dumb ass people last
night earning whatever bad reputation skinheads have. No wonder I feel too old for this shit.
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random
Posting Freak
Posts: 2293
Registered: 7-30-2006
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Two things of interest to the Thorp boards...
1) Remember the thread about "Alcohol" being a great cover song? Stormwatch apparently agrees. It was a good cover.
2) Interesting Slapshot tattoo... goalie mask on a guy's elbow, right above a white power tat (if you're curious, it was above the Vinlanders logo)
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Discipline
* DRUNKEN MONKEY *
Posts: 11900
Registered: 9-8-2004
Location: Over here
Member Is Offline
Mood: The Alley Dukes
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I really wanted to go to this.
‘Do you know what a love letter is? It’s a bullet from a fucking gun. Straight through your heart.’
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necrobutcher
Senior Member
Posts: 785
Registered: 12-30-2006
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I'd say I'm surprised but I'm not. It's a goddamned shame that 4-Skins got pushed back today, especially since I can only guess how many people
travelled to this show just to see them.
Be that as it may, Craig Downtown loves to straddle the fence so he can try to make as much money as possible. I was seriously considering going to
this but I can't bring myself to support Downtown (especially after the bullshit with the Anti-Nowhere League show a month ago) or the Crocodile Rock
since they fucked Wisdom In Chains last year (as the story I've heard goes).
Maybe it's because I have been drinking all day and I'm annoyed but PA has a big enough problem with Nazis without someone promoting shows to them so
he can cash in.
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Voodoobillyman
The Artist Formerly Known As...
Posts: 4247
Registered: 8-12-2005
Location: Eastern Seaboard of the United States
Member Is Offline
Mood: my daughters beautiful curiousity
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The whole thing is a big joke, and a complete waste of time. I am glad I grew old and wise enough to figure out I had no need for bullshit like this
any longer. Shows are overated these days and it would take one hell of a line up to get my ass off my couch and out the door to one.
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