It seems everyday I’m deciding to notice, more and more, how old I’m getting. Foolishly, there is a self imposed doom I’m dreading that, being a musician, once I creep into my 30s I’ll be out of my prime and on the landslide to lame-ville with my creative output. It’s not an idea I put into my own head but something someone (don’t remember who or why) said to me in passing years back and for some reason I haven’t been able to shake it. I know it doesn’t make much sense but you know peoples and they gots hang-ups.
That is until the You-Tube garden sprouts some ass-stomping, gut-inspiring madness from some bearded old-as-time-man/dudes and my fears get snuffed out by the un-fuck-with-able mayhem of GRINDERMAN.
For those who aren’t familiar, Nick Cave (of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and The Birthday Party) took with him a slimmed down version of The Bad Seeds (most notably Warren Ellis also of the Dirty Three) to form another band with the intention of having a more raw/rock/dudes-in-a-room/hammer-that-shit-out kind of feel. And he succeeded.
I’ve only recently (maybe 2 years ago?) started getting into Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds with Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus (2004) and the classic Let Love In (1994) which is as much as my wallet has let me so far. But I did happen upon the Grinderman album a year back when it first came out and It has not disappointed. The recording, although powerful and impressive, doesn’t convey what these three live Treacle Sessions videos do. Now, I liked the album a LOT but i had NO idea what I was missing.
There is and energy and passion here that I can only hope accomplish at their age. These dudes rip like naturally possessed uber-”cool” demons and It felt reeaaallly good to watch these given the bullshit I often drag my brain through. I hope this gets any of you as pumped for tomorrow or 20 years from now as i am.
At 4am this shit was like an all at once 2 liter shot of Jolt Cola right into my soul.
Feast.
When My Love Comes Down
Depth Charge Ethel
Honey Bee (Let’s Fly To Mars)
