Ever since I've posted that hold your horses show review I think karma has been kicking my ass. Either that or the people of Leeds are all telekinetic cyborgs sent to bring me down… slowly. Nah I'm just paranoid, I was at Santiagos last weekend to see The Gentlemen's Pistols and got some hostile vibes from a few people, but overall it was a fuckin fun night. A bit of trivia about the band, one of the members is an insane skater called Douggie, seriously he fuckin kills it - one of the only skaters able to pull off wearing flares and long sleeved shirts.. Steeze! That was part of the reason me and Chris were hyped to see them play, and also the fact that there would be a few local skaters going is always a plus; skaters have fun. Unlike some douchebags...
First off, when we're trying to get into the bar the bouncer starts giving me shit about drinking outside (we were having a few beers outside before, hanging out with some friends and whatnot), and the apparent "cheeky grin" I shot him whilst walking past, which was more of an appreciative smile for letting me skate in the mall/walkway. He used these as grounds to not let me in, but after some straight talk he chilled out and let us through. In future it’s best not to make any eye, verbal or physical contact with bouncers. I think they'd prefer it if I took the only remaining humanity out of their jobs and treated them like card reading machines instead.
The first band that came on was called Black Moth, and they were pretty damn good. They seemed like a pretty young group, but that had no effect on their performance whatsoever. The chick on vocals was pretty sexy, and the way she sang and screamed was dark and powerful, it complemented the heavy riffs and fast drum beats perfectly. The mosh which ensued was pretty hectic, I felt like a ragdoll being pushed from side to side, but as long as it got people moving and into the music I didn't mind too much. One dude got really mad at me, I think I reached behind and stroked his girl's hair without realising it, but from Chris's point of view he was simply telling me to stop bumping them so much. I mean, I can understand his frustration, but people need to realise that I'm not doing it on purpose; it’s the music's fault. If you want someone who likes to dance to stop bumping you, you have several options;
- move elsewhere
- leave the room altogether
- unplug the PA system
- suck a dick.
- relax
Really, if you're at a show, a ROCK show in particular, you gotta expect to get bumped around. One of the highlights for me was getting to crowdsurf for the first time! Thats what I mean about skaters having fun, they just kept lifting me up and carrying me around, it was rad! Especially this one dude with long black hair, he was a pioneer. At one point they even carried the guitarist up mid-solo, pretty fun to hold him up, it made me feel like one of the boys... Crowd surfing also led to my encounter with douchebag #2.
I was getting carried towards the back, where the crowd was obviously more intent on socialising and holding drinks than moving, so I ended up falling straight on my back and, judging from the smell of fuckin redbull in my hair, spilled a few drinks in the process. One dude starts giving me shit about how I should stop being such a dickhead, but seriously, if you don't dig the vibe then go home. Im pretty sure he'd be better off in a pub discussing how many millimetres of rainfall have dropped in the past week than listening to these rambunctious youngsters with their rocks and rolls. Maybe in future buy drinks beforehand and down them, not only will it get you drunk but it'll give you all the lad points you could ask for. Fuckin score!
Next up, Gentlemen's Pistols motherfucker!! The hype was reaching overload, more people were jamming the dancefloor and more people with repressed rage were lining up along the peripherals. Except for one big dude with a thick curled moustache, he was cool, like a protective German teddy bear. Their stage presence was mellow but their music was heaavy! It was like 70's rock kinda stuff, but with faster interludes and some really immense breakdowns. I dont remember any of the songs in particular, I just remember the moments when the rough sea of swaying bodies reached a calm, and everyone would start head-banging in unison. My whole body would get into it; it was as if the rise and fall of the guitar and bass was enough for me to smash my head against my toes. Douggie was rad too, I just remember seeing him smile a lot, and thats the best. If you see a band play and they aren't feeling it then there's not really much point in watching them, but if you know theyre having a good time you just wanna feel it too and be a part of it.
So if you want a fuckin fun, exhausting and memorable time, go see the pistols. And if you see any friendly photographers snapping shots at the front of the pit, ruffle up their nicely waxed hair, they'll love it!!!
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