September 24, 2006

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© 2006 Team Goon / Big Wheel Media

Hooligan High show #2
with: NARCOLEPTIC YOUTH  - PISTOL GRIP - THE SCUFFS - BAD ANTICS
September 24, 2006 at Safari Sam’s  Hollywood, CA
By Marcus Solomon


You kids should know by now that when you ditch school, you miss out on things you need to know and you fall further behind. The turnout at this second show was nowhere near the level it should have been, but that did not stop all these great bands from giving everything they had for the lucky few in attendance. I remember when shows during the daytime were very common—hell, I remember when public telephones were common and only cost a dime to make a call. It would be great if the matinee punk show were once again a normal thing, but this is going to take a while. People are conditioned to expect shows in the evening.

I apologize to Bad Antics for missing this band’s set http://www.myspace.com/badantics. Who would have thought the freeway traffic would be so bad in the middle of the day? When my girl and I finally made it to Safari Sam’s and went inside, we could hear The Scuffs loudly jamming away before our eyes adjusted to the darkness of the club. What we heard was really good. Four dudes rocking out in a real old skool, late ‘70s kind of way with distinct tip of the mohawk toward Rancid and early English punk. In fact, I read somewhere that The Scuffs is opening for Rancid somewhere; cool. There were only two things I can complain about, and it’s certainly not the music. One was the tendency to overdo the “Woah-woah” backup thing, and the other was the singer’s pants sagging below his butthole. Other than that, The Scuffs is one hell of a band with a very bright future. Oh yeah, sorry about spelling the band’s name incorrectly in that other punk magazine. The website is: www.myspace.com/thescuffs.

In between each band’s performance, there are a lot of free prizes to give away. Some kid won the complete skateboard set-up courtesy of TEAM GOON, and throughout the show, more lucky people got stuff simply for being there (get the hint?) I wish I could have gotten one of those cool goodie bags filled with punk rock school supplies courtesy of ROCK SCISSORS PENCILS. Oh well...

The next band really blew me away. I had no idea Pistol Grip was so phenomenal. I had heard this band before, but I was in an adjoining room at The Galaxy watching the band perform on a video screen while I dangled my head upside down at the edge of a couch. It was not exactly optimal for proper band evaluation. The name Pistol Grip implies a “bro band” and conjures images of big, drunken palookas. No…this is not the case. Pistol Grip is a six member band that plays strong, diverse and absolutely astounding punk rock that is driving, intelligent, and tight. You can look at one person at a time and get completely absorbed in that person’s talent until you decide to focus on one of the other musicians…and you will become entranced by that person too. Somehow, people appeared from nowhere to shout Pistol Grip’s lyrics enthusiastically with many a pumping fist. Seriously now, if you haven’t yet, check out this band and ask yourself this question: “Why isn’t this band even more popular?” The bass lines remind me of a charging horse. The overall sound is strong and manly without becoming Neanderthal, and the “Woah-oahs” are in exactly the right place. Dig it at: www.myspace.com/pistolgrip or at: www.pistolgrip.net.

Apparently, everybody left with Pistol Grip, because I counted exactly 20 people in front of the stage while Narcoleptic Youth played its set. Ever see a slam pit consisting of three skinny junior-high kids? Too bad for all of you who played hooky on this day. You missed professor Joey Bondage give his loud and very important lecture on punk rock and excessive fun. “We’ve played to less!” Joey smiled just before taking the stage. Maybe so, but the band did not give less. Our five favorite goofballs from the I.E. jammed just like they did when they opened for Dead Kennedys at the House of Blues in Anaheim; BIG, LOUD, FAST, and FUNNY. At that time, the House of Mouse was filled from front to back with people who knew and appreciated Narcoleptic Youth. I saw so many people singing along, I was surprised and impressed. Oh well, your loss was our gain. Narc is one of my girlfriend’s favorite bands so we both enjoyed this semi-private show with much appreciation and glee. We sang and jumped and bounced around while laughing to “Dear John”, “86 the Crap”, “Practicing for Suicide” and a whole bunch more. My personal favorite from this band is usually its cover of The Damned’s “Ignite”. It was my favorite on this fine day as well. The up-to-date Website is: www.myspace.com/narcolepticyouthincognito, and maybe someday the band will update its other Web presence at: www.narcolepticyouth.com.

At the time of this writing, the next Hooligan High show is scheduled for 5:00 PM on Sunday, October 29, with old school Brits VICE SQUAD as the headliner. Don’t be absent for this mandatory assignment. Keep informed here at www.teamgoon.com for all recommended shows and you can check the monthly listings for all Hooligan High shows at: www.myspace.com/hooliganhigh.

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