August 15, 2007

A while ago I was enjoying the Bloc Party show at Festy Hall when a friend leaned over and said rather succinctly, “It’s ‘Feel The Bass in My Pants, Shag Me in the Corner’ rocknroll”. After safely establishing that this wasn’t an awkward invitation I realised she was pointing out a new sub-genre of music that she had invented. Smutty? Yes. Scarce? I would imagine not. After a couple drinks it was refreshing to see someone finally had something positive to say about Festival Hall’s sound system and I doubt she was the only one reveling in this new genre and enjoying the gig on a erm… whole new level.

I thought about some other new ‘sub-genres’ that I have become familiar with, like “Assessing Probability of Being Mercilessly Mocked If I Let Rip and Dance Like a Tool” rock…You know, like those fanciful poems that suggest you dance like nobody’s watching? Even Chuck Ragan swears by the saying (new album out now, look into it!) and as appealing as it is coming from Mr Hot Water Music himself, there aint no way I have ever truly given into my footloose urges at a show despite the number of times I’ve been inspired by rock so amazingly hooky it desperately inspires me to do so. Mostly because this dancing would involve a flailing of limbs so unbridled I’m pretty sure it would terrify all and sundry.

Then there’s “Preoccupied With Plotting Various Methods of Escape” rocknroll which is a genre of live music so painfully dull that you cant help but wonder whether your time might be better spent returning home and tackling that stubborn beer stain in the carpet. When a live show is good it can be oh so amazing as you pray quietly that each song is not the last. When bad, it drags on like a season of Lost, as your back gives out, your legs ache and one song blends seamlessly into the next like one long self-involved jam session.

Pleased to say I enjoyed the former last Friday night at Blueline Medic and Mere Theory’s show at the East Brunswick.