Sonic Youth at Brixton

i saw them in 1991, supported by pavement. they don't do gigs like that anymore etc etc.

i bought sonic nurse and am somewhat underwhelmed after one listen.

still, the new squarepusher twelve cheered me up no end.

Sonic Youth played here the other night and if it wasn't for it being the night of my best friend's funeral and my last softball game of the season, I would have been there.

Sonic Nurse is my favorite album by Sonic Youth. In many ways it is easily their best. What I have always liked about the band is the way they take simple melodies or riffs and by "layering" turn it into an intriguing and hard to follow song. A thinking man's punk-rock.

I saw them last week on late-night TV and they sounded and looked superb.

The day of the show, they appeared on a local radio station which has recently made "live" acts sound worse than CD. Yet, Sonic Youth, with a full-band performance, created the best illusion of a live rock band through my hi-fi that I've ever heard! Even though their music at first listen may seem dischordant or random, it is obvious they are well rehearsed and tight.

I have seen the group many times over the years and they are but a few of the bands out there that get better with age.

Ron The Mon,
Needle-Freak

So. How were the Stooges Ron?

We never did get an update on when the lights when out that time.

I felt for ya then.

No fooling.

P

I saw them in Denver two weeks ago. The show was terrific, not counting the opening act ("Wolf Eyes"), which was terrible.

I've seen SY many times starting in the late '80s, and it's nonsense to say that they aren't as good as they were. For a man nearing 50, Thurston Moore is unbelievable -- his energy puts many a 20-year-old punker to shame, and his playing is at its peak. The band was very tight and obviously has their shit together.

They played about four songs from the Evol/Sister/Daydream Nation days. Most of the rest was from Murray Street and Sonic Nurse.

After SY on Monday, Gomez played in Denver on Tues, followed by the Hives on Wed. and Clutch on Friday (Modest Mouse also played that week). Denver does have its surprises, for a cowtown....

Hi,

I haven't seen Sonic Youth since 1995 when they did a gig at MIT for the anual "dance". It was more of a cerebral gig, kind of dry and technical. Prior to that I saw them in LA in 92 with Pavement. THAT WAS GREAT. But good to hear that they are doing well. In the detroit area last week we had a choice between modest mouse and Sonic Youth. I chose Modest Mouse, having never seen them before.

But I must say, I have this tiny problem with sonic youth. Here it is:

1) Richard Kern is not cool (cover of Evol). In fact he is a complete sociopath. Hardcore Collection is such deplorable trash that even me, a fan of Kenneth Anger, feels like a sicko creep even watching it. Mike Kelly, on the other hand, is a sincere artist (Dirty), but sells marble collections in LA for 50K. Why does Sonic Youth always have to try so hard to be hip?

2) Kim Gordon is not a part of Gen X, so why "X-Girl" her line of clothes?

3) In downtown LA there is a new row of galleries in Japan town for young artists because it is hard for Cal arts and art center grads to show in the more established galleries. One weekend I was disgusted to find out that Sonic Youth had a show in one of these Galleries of their album covers. This was two years ago. Why is Sonic Youth taking gallery space away from young vital artists who need it and don't make 50 million a year on album sales?

Having said that, I feel that Daydream nation is one of the great rock albums of all time. It took me about ten years to realize this (previously my favorites were Early Sonic Live and Evol), but the energy, invention and maturity are so AMAZING. If sonic youth would concentrate on music and stop trying to act cool then I would respect them more.

Dave

P,
The night the Stooges actually played here, Iggy was on the radio for an interview. He said they were on stage doing a sound check when the power went out. Iggy said he seriously thought they caused it because since it was the hometown crowd, he wanted everything on "ten" and a moment later the power went out. It wasn't until several hours later they discovered the whole Great Lakes region went out.

The show was short and they were missing an original band member. However, when your set-list is the first two stooges albums, how can you go wrong? I was not disappointed.

(BTW, if you weren't aware, The Stooges were recently touring with Sonic Youth. That would have been the show to see! Both bands on stage together doing "I Wanna Be Your Dog"!)


David,
Got a bit of artist envy? I've met Sonic Youth twice, seen them live six or seven times, seen them on TV, read interviews, and the word I'd most use to describe them is "unpretentious".

The reason they look cool is simply because they are cool! They don't have to act!! Seeing them live with Lollypalloza really reinforced that. Sonic Youth just went on stage and jammed. Every other band was trying to be Sonic Youth.

Over the years, I've gotten sick of bands with monstrous light shows, costumes, jumbo-trons, and the like. Sonic Youth are about one thing at their concerts; the music.

I do not like Sonic Youth's politics. In fact, some of their political lyrics repulse me, especially on Sonic Nurse. This doesn't at all detract from what they're doing on record or stage though, does it? They were a ground-breaking band, and still are.

Ron The Mon,
Needle-Freak

Ron,

You're ahead of me in that regard. I have never met sonic youth at all. The closest I got to them personally was seriously dating a woman who studied and collaborated with Mike Kelly (the guy on the inner sleeve of Dirty and ex of Kim Gordon). I was invited to a party at his house but didn't go. So, that's not too close, I guess.

I'm sure they are decent people and all, but I just think they try way too hard to be associated with the America Avant Garde art scene in a way that comes across to me as pretentious. But Kim Gordon did study at Cal Arts, so maybe I'm full of it and they are only helping to promote their friend's work.

But then...who would speak out against exploitation of women in their music and then promote Richard Kern, whose films are nothing more than hard core porn mixed with B-movie violence? A friend of mine who leaps with joy whenever Nick Cave's "Birthday Party" is played, was so shocked at richard kern's movies he threw the video in the trash. That's how bad it is.

But hey! This is all politics...I have all of Sonic Youth's albums and think you are right...they are true innovators.

dave

....BUT IS ANYONE HERE GOING TO THE GIG?

*apologies for the shouting*

it's tonight and i am reet up fer it.

Leaving work early, getting the bus, going to Brixton with my son!! I love the fact that most / all of SY are older than me, that I've been listening to them since before Jake was born, that he's coming to see them with me and that they are still so good. No nostalgia trip, this one, just an essential band playing their best stuff for a decade.

Enjoy, Kid S.

Kevin

WOW

What did you think Kid S? The sound wasn't great but the noise!! And that version of Teenage Riot!! And that version of Expressway to Yr Skull!!! Did you join those walking out or did you hang in for the sheer visceral beauty of it?

Kevin

Wish I'd gone now, had a chance at a free ticket but didn't bother because I haven't really followed SY things for years (I think the last SY record I bought was Daydream Nation, and the bits I've heard of their later stuff have been a bit hit and miss, some good, some slightly formulaic).

What's the new album like? I may give it a go.

-- Ian

I think the new record is their best for some while. It's more melodic and intricate than the grunge period stuff - a little like Sister but with tighter songs. The live set was much rawer and expansive: long 10 minute sessions of free noise and the final 30 minute assault. Like you I'd dropped out af SY a bit until Murray Hill, which is also worth having. Around Goo and Dirty I felt they lost the spark and became too rock for my liking - although these records are still shot through with good moments.

Kevin

You've convinced me, I'll give the new one a go.

-- Ian

Well, I bought it. Nice quiet vinyl. Pretty good on first listen, gentler than I was expecting, but I suppose they must be about 100 years old by now, so not surprising.

I do wish Kim Gordon would stop attempting to sing, mind you.

-- Ian

i thought they were ok.

a 6/10 gig.

when i saw them in barcelona a couple of years ago they were better, but they were playing musique concrete.

i left early (ha ha). i saw them do the 30 minute feedback thing in brixton in '92 and got the idea that time.

did you catch the first "band" ? oh my god.