Menu
onethirtyeight.org
  • Idle Gossip
  • Gig Reviews
  • Videodrome
  • Pictures
  • Music Reviews
  • Flyers Archive
  • Gig Calendar
  • Idle Gossip
  • Gig Reviews
  • Videodrome
  • Pictures
  • Music Reviews
  • Flyers Archive
  • Gig Calendar

Oh Cancer - Up Yours!!

4/26/2011

0 Comments

 
Poly Styrene
What are YOU looking at?
Her new album was coming out today, fer Christ's sake... :-(

I first started hearing the news on Monday afternoon. Of course I refused to believe it. Too many Deaths as of late, and it's even harder to accept when it's someone you admired but hardly knew. The only source cited was some Facebook page, with a posting on there from 'a friend of the Family', who was reporting that Poly Styrene, the boisterous, animated lead singer of X-Ray Spex, had slipped into a coma and passed away. The story spread like wildfire, and I was countering everyone's R.I.P. comments by saying that nothing official was said, no one but the O.C. Weekly was confirming it, and I was pulling for a Chuck Biscuits style of Internet rumor mongering. I kept watch on the clock, figuring that at 9 am U.K. time that we would hear the news, for better or for worse and, unfortunately, it turned out to be true. Very fucking true. Poly Styrene, the cutest lead singer in all of Punk Rock, had passed away at the age of 53. The world was no longer day-glo.

I only saw X-Ray Spex once, during a reunion gig in the 90's, at Bogart's (or was it Night Moves) in Long Beach. The turnout was piss poor, and the band was touring behind an album that nobody wanted to hear a thing from. All we wanted to hear was everything from Germ Free Adolescence, and after a bit that's exactly what they gave us. Some songs were better played than others, of course, but there was no mistaking that Poly was dead spot on that night, nailing songs like I'm A Cliche, The Day The World Turned Day-Glo, Obsessed With You and Art-I-Ficial with the greatest of ease, sending the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight up when she barked out the opening line of Oh Bondage, Up Yours! It was a fucking magical night, and hanging out with her and the band afterwords while people were having them sign anything and everything they presented them with, telling them just how much they loved the band, and just seeing the looks of Joy and Appreciation on peoples faces after finally seeing a band play that obviously meant so much to them, was just beautiful. Poly took her time talking to everyone, thanking them over and over again with the utmost sincerity and appreciation - no rockstar bullshit posturing with her. She really meant it, and that's something Ill never forget. "You must get this a lot." I told her, and she said she did, and that she was extremely thankful that something she had been a part of had such an affect on so many people. Just a fucking class act all the way around, and the world is a little less colorful with her passing. This fucking sucks. God's speed Poly Styrene, and get some much needed rest. You deserve and earned it. You will be missed.
Poly Styrene
Photo by Dave Kapnik
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Archives

    November 2022
    September 2022
    January 2022
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    March 2007
    February 2007
    August 2006
    April 2006
    October 2005
    August 2005
    April 2005
    December 2004
    October 2004
    September 2004
    August 2004
    July 2004
    June 2004
    May 2004
    April 2004
    March 2004
    February 2004
    January 2004
    December 2003
    November 2003
    October 2003
    September 2003
    July 2003
    June 2003
    April 2003
    March 2003

1/2 Ast
Wolfhounds Square Logo
The Fat Dukes Of Fuck
Nevermore Productions