Even while living with the frustratingly finite amount of wall space of a cramped Manhattan apartment (let alone one also occupied by a wife and two children who don’t necessarily share my particular proclivities), I still find myself hungrily seeking out frame-worthy rock ephemera. I frequently cannot resist from procuring vintage photographs of punky luminaries or lovingly preserved posters from gigs from eons past. My front hall closet and basement storage unit are filled with countless cardboard tubes containing innumerable posters from long-since broken up bands like The Plasmatics, Cop Shoot Cop, the Jim Carroll Band (I have a cherished and pristine promo poster for the Catholic Boy album) and droves of others. One of the perks of why I was so damn excited about my new job – beyond the obvious reasons – was that I suddenly had a new expanse of wall space upon which I could hang and display stuff. Yes, I’m that guy.
Most of the time, I’m seeking out posters from shows I actually attended, given that they have an extra level of meaningful association, but there are others that are significant for other reasons. The one above from December of 1981 is one I’ve coveted for a long while. Sadly, I didn’t attend the show in question (being only 14 years old, at the time), but it’s a line-up that’s an almost perfect encapsulation of everything I hold dear. I mean, seriously, you have the viscerally funky and angular Gang of Four at the top, the infectiously arty post-punk of the Bush Tetras (almost representing both No Wave and Mutant Disco in one fell swoop) and kicking off proceedings, the versatile hardcore frenzy of the Bad Brains? I mean, holy shit – what a show!
In retrospect, it seems baffling to me how anyone would dare attempt to follow the Bad Brains onstage. There were actually two little write ups about the show in the New York Times, a place-setter penned by estimably open-minded critic Robert Palmer and a post-mortem that’s a little sniffily dismissive (and vaguely sexist) to the Bush Tetras that doesn’t even mention the Bad Brains (maybe he got there late?) by Stephen Holden.
I’ve looked, but I’ve found no major documentation on the show. No videos, photographs or recordings. I wonder if anyone recorded the whole evening? Anyone? Anyone?
As such, only the poster remains. I don’t have it, but I’m sure to snatch it up should I ever encounter the opportunity.
Here are all three bands from around the same era.
Roseland Ballroom, meanwhile (which I wrote about here), is no more….
Recent Comments