h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hmpf, and getting old, I forget to ask things...

Greta, you're italian, aren't you? Do you remember the name of an italian bank doing a record "Tutti pazzi!"?

Did I say bank??? Band!!!

"Tutti pazzi"?
Must do some research on that.

I'm excited - there's a gig on Saturday and I'm going with my mates. Wheeeee!

I've gotta try and convince my mates band to do another gig, they rocked last time.

I'm back.

Hey,Ho, let's go!!

Let's go!

But no too fast, I'm afraid.
Got the flu , a bad one...

How's things anyway?

More trip-hop than punk, but it's fine.

Saturday will be punk, to be sure

hey, count me in!
whats so wrong with spikey green? i'm the only person i've seen with green hair down here, must be more common everywhere else

Welcome.

Nothing wrong with green spiky hair, very nice indeed. It's just not compulsory.

Going back a bit, I thought I would try a reply to the following (which I've kindly copied to save everyone going through the backlog

Greta - Does anyone else think that electronica is the new punk? *prepares to be pelted with rotten eggs for suggesting it*


Big Mad -If it's the sort that is created and distributed from peoples' bedrooms, then maybe.


Chan/Mick - Electronica being the new punk? You guys made a few points with which I would be tempted to agree but I find there is (apart from the music itself) still an element that makes a huge difference: Don't you think that the electronic lot seriously lacks the agressivity that punk conveys by nature: provo, teenage riot, anarchy, anger, foul language. I'm not convinced that a muscic style associated with happy faces, love signs and laughing pills has got so much to do with the spirit of punk. Too many s around! I'm aware that some specific trends within the electronic circle are a bit more offensive than the rest but I fear it's far from being enough to stand the comparison. I don't think it's necessary to try and find a new punk in each musical style that arised afterwards (I heard the same argument with rap years ago) but punk rock lives through the impact it's had on various bands who don't claim the label and as far as I'm concerned, that's perfect.


Greta & Big Mad ....... I think the DIY aspect can be compared to Punk (famous quote from Sniffin' Glue fanzine in '77.... "Here's a picture of a guitar chord, here's another, now form a band!) .. in so far as kids can buy cheap samplers, synths, turntables and can make their own tunes with little or no musical knowlage, burn some CDs and give to mates. When baby sdm grows up, I would much rather her do this as opposed to wanting to be one of these glorified kareoke singers so popular at the moment.

Chan-Mick ........ Some dance bands might have *punk* attitude, The Prodigy and Atatari Teen Riot spring to mind but I would never class them as Punk (there may be some bands I don't know who qualify), but on the whole I agree with what you say.

I'm 42, grey-haired and thick waisted and by no means look *punk* but when I play with my band, all this agression, anger and poison comes spewing out of my mouth and I find myself playing in an empty rehearsal room as furiously as if it was a gig!

Am I to old to be a punk? Probably!
Do I care? Nope!

I term my music as *punk* because I sing and write about things I care about or that can affect everyday life that pisses me off and I do not think this applys to most dance music ...... or to a lot a bands in general.

+ it's good fun to play loud and fast!

Here endeth the sermon!!

Amen!

If everything goes well, I'm having a mini-meeting with the people from my local punk message board at the gig on Saturday. When I said I'd be going a couple of them popped up and said they'd be there too, including a student of Italian Literature who interviewed me for her thesis a while ago (major ego boost!) I said I'll be the tall one in the middle of the dancefloor...

I'll be glad if anybody turns up and we manage to recognize each other

@ superdogmonkey: You can't be too old for punk... doesn't it count what's in your head instead what's on your head? And being older than... Sssshhhhh! To be serious, I never got the clue of feeling adult (and this will break my neck at my job, but who gives a f**k?)...

Amen as well Superdog (and I rather like the Prodigy by the way).

When it comes to the age thingy, I've always thought the whole thing's a joke anyway... And not only when talking about punk.

I don't go for the "as long as your mind is young" cr*p, personaly. I only think that the concept of younger=cooler (or better or whatever) is based on shallow principles.

Trying to be a teenager in one's 40's could only lead to feeling miserable and looking ridiculous. But being oneself at any age, enjoy it and f*ck those who don't like it seems very sound to me.

Punk for an hour, punk forever!

I have spoken.

An hour? More like three minutes, then you slam the guitar, spit at the audience and storm off!

And you're a punk for eternity

Yup but "an hour" sounds good.
In French, I say "a day" (Punk un jour, punk toujours!).

The French language is so un-punk A lot like Italian, I say... For some reason, I keep associating French with the rather marvellous Edith Piaf (I love her voice) and art-rock bands, like Noir Désir (who were good way before Manu Chao played on their album and made them international stars.)

Any good French punk bands around? The French are rather prolific, musically. I used to watch MCM on satellite years ago and it was the best music channel of all. It was like a 24/7 version of MTV's late-night programming.

I don't find that any language is punk or un-punk as such but what I find, on the other hand, is that no language fits rock music better than English. That's why I think that if you're to sing in your own lingo (and it's not English), you're better off playing another style. It's not a crime not to do so but it's a bit like singing flamenco in German!

Bands in France? Yeah, plenty... Too many to be listed and to obscure for me to know most of them. In general, they tend to be more like descendants of the melodic hardcore/grunge scene who usually refer to themselves as punks. I'll have look around and give you more info one of these days.

There's a good local band here called the HEADCASES (timer records) but I doubt you can get their stuff in Italy.

Otherwise THE French band I would recommand to anyone into punk sounds split just a couple of years ago after over 15 years of earnest underground touring worldwide: LES THUGS!!!
Great, great band...

Old school/early days: In the late 70's and early nineties we had plenty of good bands. I remember Métal Urbain, Lucrate Milk, Les Gloires Locales, Les Olivenstein, Oberkampf, Single Track, La Souris Déglinguée (LSD)...

Rock alternatif: Troughout the 80's some kind of specific punk rock came out in France and oddly labelled itself as "Rock alternatif". Usually the music is very basic (sometimes using cheap drumming machines) and more or less political words are shouted on top using French. Bands: Les Béruriers Noirs, Parabellum, Les Wampas...

Of course, this is all a bit simplified but it would require a whole book to be more exact...

Don't ask me why I'm talking about that: Plastic Bertrand was Belgian and entirely made up as a spoof by record company sharks. The song's great though... Ca plane pour moi!

Noir Désir are a superb band as well as an exemple of musical and ethical integrity.

In the 80's I remember seing an Italian band in my hometown called La Strada. Not bad at all for the standards ot the times but I suspect it didn't age too well...

Is your wonderful Celentano (Adriano!) still alive?

Ciao bella.

La Strada have left no trace whatsoever in musical history...

Celentano is alive and kicking! He's not very old, either (in his fifties or sixties, but he's aging well) and still putting out records. Don't like his music very much, it's very conventional, but he keeps the older generation happy.

I'll keep saying this till I'm blue in the face, but I really would like the rest of the world to listen to Subsonica, they're the best Italian band ever. Although people on this particular thread would probably enjoy either Punkreas or Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti a lot more (I know TARM, they're nice people as well as an excellent band.)

I'll post something on the other message board to see if anyone's heard of the Headcases. They're all into indie stuff, so it may be the case.

Au revoir,

M.lle G