Rock up, then punk it up in Obz

DEATH or Glory is a punk revival show taking place in Observatory today; that it begins at 4pm is a bonus for anyone who was alive the first time around, because I know they want to be in bed with a cup of tea by 10pm.

Organiser Le Riche Meyer aka Larry Suits says there is still a need for punk rock music within the alternative scene.

“Unfortunately, the live music scene in Cape Town promotes mainstream music, and there is very little happening for really quality bands and musicians who like it a bit rough around the edges,” he says.

“My friends and I (bands and DJs involved) decided to get together and host this show along with Antonio, the owner of Trenchtown Obs, for like-minded individuals. I plan on playing nostalgic ‘ 70s British ska, punk rock, rude boy and oi music like The Ruts, The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Specials, Toots & The Maytels, Sham69 and much more.”

Those bands certainly bring back some fond memories for me; I was a teenager around the tail end of Brit punk’s heyday. In the late 1970s, South Africa was still running a few years behind the rest of the world, but the music did catch up with us.

Also on the decks will be Polly Chalmers and Rockin’ Rael. Polly will be getting the dance floor going with punk classics from the The Clash and The Damned.

“There will be splatterings of obscure punk from the ’70s and early ’ 80s,” she says. Other stuff you can expect from her vault of 45s: Nervous Eaters, The Wipers and Dead Boys.

Rockin’ Rael will be sharing his love of bad taste and good music, blaring some rock ‘ n’ roll classics and B-grade punk Low Meato, The Monsters, Turbo Negra and The Hip Priests. “There’s gonna be hell to pay,” says RR.

Bands in the line-up are Alive At-Midnight, Context Model, Ded End, Mudslinger, and Swatting Bats.

Sounds good to me. Get on your bovver boots and head on down to Trenchtown at 96 Station Road from 4pm. R60 gets you in, which is a bargain for this full line-up.