Monday, August 29, 2011

INNER LONDON VIOLENCE

History tends to repeat itself, does it not? For the last couple of days it seems that youngsters across UK found it hard to express themselves in just words and initiated a wave of city violence for the sake of political improved measures for the future generation of the English workmanship. These recent violent actions are a manifest for social development considering the future generations. Does this not sound familiar or even repetitive as a déjà vu? Well, it is.
In the early 1980’s a series of skirmishes, riots and violence waves in the English city centers was the purpose of a movement in pursuit for a better authoritarian and police system. This act was associated with the punk movement because the culture was, by then, in its full ascension at that point, contrasting heavily with the English Victorian culture. The riots were focused on the battle for police excessive use of brutality and severe corrective measures. Clearly there was something wrong with the community being developed and people reacted against the not very well accepted authority that was oppressing the social development.
In the year of 1980 the English Ska band Bad Manners (2Tone label) recorded one of their best songs, which was specially related to the city violence scene taking place in several English inner cities. This song is called Inner London Violence from the album Ska’n’B. In a powerful sound richly mixed with several horns and piano solos, Bad Manners found the special lyrics that briefly describe the violence scene occurring in the inner zones of Britain’s capital, London. The reaction against oppression and excessive authority that happened in the early 1980’s were a sign of the fluorescing Ska-Punk culture being developed, a culture that rely heavily on the basis of Evolutionary and Cultural Anarchy.
And today young men and women in the UK have taken another important step towards their future development. They have clearly shown that they are up to date with the political inclination and they will stand a point in showing that they are part of the society and should be treated as it. Surely the English cities have had a taste of the forces of a unite community, because this time, just like in 1980, “Rude Boy went in handsome hats”.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

SUITED PUNK

Quantas vezes temos a oportunidade de ver o punk ser expresso por alguém que veste um fato tipo smoking preto brilhante? Muito poucas vezes. Salvo a rara excepção do Sr. Nick Cave que deu entrada no passado dia 8 de Julho nos palcos do festival Optimus Alive para a actuação do seu projecto alternativo Grinderman. Esta banda tem claramente uma toada mais punk, grunge e alternativa de outros empenhos de Nick Cave. E que bem que fica a sua sonoridade. Digamos que num estilo alternative do século XXI os grinderman seguem quase à risca as palavras do compositor Sid Vicious, “Just pick a chord, go twang and you have got music”. Os acordes são básicos sem uma composição regrada mas a sonoridade é bastante intensa e expressiva. Num tom quase de spoken word, Nick Cave faz os vocals deste conjunto alucinante.
A personalidade desta banda em palco é um ícone à expressão punk visto que todos os membros gozam de uma completa anarquia de comportamento variados sendo que as personalidade de Nick Cave e Warren Ellis as que mais se destacam. São frequentes as descargas repentinas de adrenalina bem como as expressões quase loucas e gesticulação sublime de alguém que vive de forma muito intensa a sua música. Foram varias as investidas do frontman para junto do publico sempre para devaneios musicais com os seus olhos azuis a emanar uma tremenda confiança e segurança que transmite ao publico uma vibração muito boa.
Sempre com um penteado impecavelmente arranjado Nick Cave dá uma expressão enorme com a sua voz á musicalidade do grupo. A excentricidade da música combina bem com os diversos instrumentos utilizados por Warren Ellis, o ritmo de Jim Sclavunos, a profundidade do baixo de Martyn Casey e tudo isto temperado com os solos magistralmente PUNK do Senhor Nick “Phenomenal” Cave.
Definitivamente um concerto bastante mexido, com imensa expressão emocional, excentricidade e uma boa dose de música e atitude Post-punk. Em suma, um concerto excepcionalmente fantástico.