In honor of tonight's Alan Six CD release party @The Dive, because it's been a long, long time coming, I decided to post some photos I took of the band when they played @11th Street Records a while back, and you can click here to check those out. The kids dancing along to the music the band was playing that day was priceless. That was a fun gig. Usually I'm all "fuck the kids" but I wasn't this particular Saturday. Go figure. I also posted the pictures I took of Fredward that day as well, a band that I dig the shit out of, and you can click here to check those out. The New Emotives and Melanie And The Midnite Marauders played that day as well, and I'll get their pictures up post haste. Is it spelled 'midnight' or 'midnite'? On the bands Facebook URL it's spelled 'midnite' but on flyers (even the ones the band themselves put out) it's spelled 'midnight', so I dunno. They do a killer cover of the 1971 classic Daddy Was A Preacher But Mama Was A Go-Go Girl and they look real spiffy and pretty while doing so - even Clay! Banana Red MD 20-20. You are a very sick man, you glorious motor boating bastard you.

So yeah, tonight, Alan Six CD release party @The Dive. Just to make it even more crazed they somehow managed to get The Mapes back together after their recently announced breakup to play a reunion set just for the occasion. How fortunate, no? Melanie And The Midnite Marauders are also playing, along with a band called Undercover Monsters from Riverside that have some sort of a connection with The Maxies from Greenland or something, I dunno. It should be a great gig, and make sure to wear something that you don't care if it gets fucked up or stained or whatever. I'm pretty sure it's going to be THAT kind of night...

Then on Saturday night, Downtown Vegas, The Civilians are apparently headlining the First Annual Vegas Hoedown @Triple B's. Don't ask. I'm not sure how it happened, but it did, and it makes me wish that we had practiced more, but oh well. It's Punk Rock. It will be fun. No idea of who the other bands are, except for Chickenhawk, which is Big Daddy Carlos' musical thingy. If you're masochistic you could always go see The Mapes playing their first all ages show in like, a zillion years, @11th Street Records. The thought of The Mapes playing before an impressionable group of innocent children, like the ones who were at the Alan Six / Fredward gig a while back, just terrifies the shit out of me. My first concert that I remember going to was a Johnny Cash gig when I was 5 years old. Can you imagine if your first ever gig was seeing The Mapes? Maybe there is hope for the future then? I dunno. All I want to know is if they're gonna be their usual drunken selves or if they're gonna play nice and sober and profanity free for the kiddies. Should be interesting. 

Oh, you wanna know why the Conflict gig @ LVCS tanked so badly last night?

Well, let's start with the obvious: it wasn't really Conflict on stage, was it? Nope. It was Colin with a bunch of scabs backing him. The real band apparently couldn't make the trip or didn't want to make the trip. Maybe they saw through the girlfriend scam and wanted nothing to do with it. I'd like to think so.

Monday night is a rough night to play, but with the right bands it can be made into a good drawing gig. Too bad the opening bands Conflict played with Mon. night elicited more of a 'Who?' 'Why?' 'What?' kind of response. They looked to be more suited to play a gig @ East Side Joe's, where it's easy to impress a bunch of young dumb Punk kids who don't know any better yet, than the LVCS. Plus they had that shitty Local band with the convicted woman beating piece of shit singer playing the show, which is the best reason to stay away from a gig ever. Yeah, I'm talking about you Harold. Suck it.

The venue? Yeah, I'm with you on that too, but again, the ignorant Punk music scene here in Vegas doesn't seem to care about paying $10 for parking and $9 for a PBR tall can at that place, especially during Punk Rock Posing. I know they definitely don't care about the shitty sound in the place. If they did, this venue would of closed years ago.

Is it safe to come out of hiding yet?
Has everyone got their corporate whore Punk Rock fix for the year in their system? Is it now time to go back to ignoring Local shows and gigs like you always do?

You're dressed up like a clown
Putting on your act
It's the only time all year
You'll ever admit that
          - Dead Kennedys "Halloween"

Every year it's the same BS from people I know:

"Oh, I'm not going to any of the events this year. I'm only going just to hang out with my friends."

"I'm over it. It's jumped the shark. I'm not giving the Stern's any of my money this year. Fuck them."

"The bands line up is the weakest it's ever been. It's just a rehashing of the (insert whatever year here) lineup."

"(Insert "legendary" Punk band here) isn't playing this year? I'm not going! Fuck that"

And yet you all somehow justified it and went, which is just Sad.

Almost as sad as hearing so-called "Punx" complaining about all the fights that went on at shows, and bitching that their PRB hotel exclusive deal didn't include gym fees and Wi-Fi connection fees. Almost as sad as hearing about ticket holders being denied entry to venues because of massive overselling of tickets, which is kind of funny, because it goes on every year, and it it gets worse every year, but it's not as funny as hearing about people getting a rash from the pool parties or bitching about the high price of booze at the events. At least there weren't any of those ghey ass hotel room gigs like there were last year. I don't know what's sadder: me expecting people to quit supporting this farce every year, or me documenting the same ol' complaints about the thing again and again and again to no avail. Nobody keeps their word anymore. Everyone's a hypocrite.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results."
          - Albert Einstein