in some ways, lightyear aren't just a band...

Jul 23, 2006 13:04

...they are representative of a whole music scene, a period, and - to me - part of how i spent (and, to some extent, how i continue to spend) my teenage years and beyond. for those unacquainted, lightyear are an amazing skacore band from derby who split up about two years ago. they were so much better than almost every other skacore band you've ever heard because they were so distinctive. the songwriting was often deceptively complex and the lyrics often brilliant. they were also an absolute riot live, naked bald northern men running all over the stage and doing the kinds of legitmately imaginative and crazy shit that has left other bands just aspiring to be them. back in the day, they used to tour all the time, and i think i must've seen them about ten or so times. it was a period when the uk punk scene was really taking off - household name records were putting out consistently brilliant albums, and all the gigs were great. you'd go to a gig in london (at the underworld, verge or peel) and there would be exactly the same faces there time after time, often people you'd acknowledge but never actually talk to. i was (relatively) young when it was all kicking off so i was never really a part of the scene, but used to go to those gigs all the time, always rushing off to get the last 11.30pm train from charing cross to folkestone west afterwards. once i saw capdown, big d & the kids table, five knuckle and lightyear on one gig at the underworld, and it was amazing. genuinely outstanding.

and lightyear are back now for one reunion tour. we went to see them last night in birmingham and it was awesome. they played all the hits from both albums, as well as a couple of songs from their earlier e.p's (angry james and myself finger pointed 'kid dynamite' to death, although we're mostly too old to keep anything but an ironic distance from the fun of punk rock proceedings). it was just a pissabout - they kept on fucking up songs, chas kept losing the microphone by leaping into the crowd, people from all the support bands kept running out of the backroom naked, and the band's entire family seemed to be there, having every other song dedicated to them. but it was so much fun. we sang along to every song and - although probably not partying like it was 1999 - it was a good kick as to how much fun it all was. it also struck me that they are legitamately bonkers - chas stole a walkie-talkie from one of the security guards and was saying all kinds of weird shit into it "1-2 flapjack this is apple turnover, we've got a horse in the building. repeat, we've got a horse in the building". it was cool, and has left me wondering whether there are still big fuck-off alldayers at the underworld that we can get involved in.

the support bands were pretty averagey. i was looking forward to seeing grown at home because they're playing ska-punk in a scene where not many other people are these days. but it was a little bit dull really - the singer had an annoying whiney american voice, the songs were too simple and the words seemed really cliched. they've got some good stuff going for them and hopefully it'll pick up soon. at least they're better than pickled dick, who just plain suck. rubbish pop-punk with horrific harmonies and a really 'funny' (read: obnoxious and annoying) stage presence. they're no five knuckle - that's for certain.

in other news - i'm still working on my dissertation, things with anneke are lots of fun if perpetually uncertain and i'm reading in cold blood by truman capote whilst listening to alright, still by lily allen (and time out of mind by bob dylan).
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