The Hope And The Anchor

Blugrrl is all twisted about seeing the multi-huge-stravaganza down Cleveland way this week, but I've got something to do first:

The Mekons, at the Pabst, first time I've seen 'em in five years.

That video up there is possibly my favorite song by this, one of my favorite bands. Too bad the video is shit, all 80's cheapo video gimmicks and woo-woo camera work. The song is late-punk rage and catharsis, a blistering attack on the music industry, which responded in kind and spent the next twenty five years kicking the Mekons to the gutter. True punks, they LIKE it in the gutter, and have finally rolled to rest with Touch And Go Records, in Chicago, a City with legendary gutters.

They've got a new album out, Natural, which is a fine addition to the ouevre; a reinvention by a band that perpetuates itself by reinventing themselves.

Their Myspace page says:

The Mekons are more than a band and more than a bunch of cracking musicians who play in various other bands. Throughout their history they have worked collaboratively and collectively with everything credited to the band, never to individuals. Their mind boggling output consistently blurs the lines between high art and low and has included exhibitions in the UK and US, a deranged musical recorded and staged with Kathy Acker and several books including the unique “Mekons United” surely the best tome ever published by, or about, a band. And, without ever being a comedy act, they are also very very funny to boot.

“Here’s to a band who have it all: tunes, creativity, humour, politics, brains, reliability, sex appeal.... as their musicianship has deepened they have only made the old stuff sound better.” Village Voice.

So, in their history, they have been: shambolic punks, with no knowledge of their instruments; One year's Next Big Thing, the next year's has-beens; underground country punks; critics darlings; blistering alt-punks; guitar electronica doodlers; major label Hot Band; label-merging victims; authors; touring multimedia artists; anarcho-lesbian playwright collaborators; end-of-the-world troubadours; unintentional creators of "the best musical response to 9-11"; non-ironic punk plunderers of their own material; and now, post-apocalyptic campfire singers.

The evening is billed as "A Quiet Night With The Mekons" which I hope is not too quiet (check out that Pabst link; there's an excellent bio there). In the few European shows, they played sitting in a semicircle, mostly acoustic instruments. I'm Sure Sally Timms will bring her treasured shruti box. But they did an acoustic tour in 2000; I hope they don't go all somnolent on us. In any case, I'm going to be right up front going nuts.

I've seen this band one, two three, four... just four times? That seems light, but given the sporadic touring, I guess it's probably right. The primary members of the band are spread out all over the world, and it takes some planning to get them together at the right time to make some music. Maybe it seems like more because of how often Jon Langford is doing something. Even this tour is only happening a handful of times; fortunately for those of you unable to come out, they will be doing a World Cafe later in the tour.

It's the only band I've ever seen that seems not only to refuse, but actually UNABLE to succumb to habit or expectation. If anything ever becomes rote, they summarily eliminate it or change things around. It's not unusual to see them trade instruments on stage, or leave the drummer alone to do a song, or make up new lyrics, or just stop the show to discuss a band member's sexual proclivities. Even as they've become adept at their instruments, they retain a restless, iconoclastic punk aesthetic and appropriate material and sounds from any genre they take an interest in. While they appreciate the past, nothing is sacrosanct, and they'll unabashedly add violin and accordion to a blazing punk anthem, write a song about a comic book character, or do an a cappella chant. An song may have nothing but reading part of a story over some instrumentation. At the same time they are inquisitive and literate; album notes and songs are often sprinkled with quotes from literature, movies, other songs, or traditional lore; most of the band members are also artists, and I've got several woodcuts by obviously different artists, all signed "the Mekons"

In fact, they have never credited anything on their albums to anyone BUT the Mekons. The recording of an album consists of getting together, discussing various ideas and playing music until a theme emerges, then writing material that hews to that theme. And the theme is carried through, even to liner notes. For instance, on the new one, (Natural), the band lists their names as: Organic Lu-cose, Reduced Iron Jon, Sally Timmamine, Infused Ricoflavin, Modified Sarahydrates, Petite Durum, Steve-olina, Susie Honey Extract, Sun Dried Green Tom, Cultured Kennilite, and Added Meiling.

But the band is staunchly egalitarian, and very few songs are written by a single member. even for someone wholly conversant with the members, it is impossible to say that one is a Jon Langford song or this one is Tom's. All contributions are treated equally.

It may seem I go on and on about this band, but never really describe what they sound like. I've tried; and I can't. There are too many exceptions, and the band refuses to be pigeonholed. It probably helps that I think a band should be able to play around with any sound they want to. But The Mekons have traversed more musical ground than any band I've come across. Even Elvis Costello comes a distant second. The only way to make up your mind is to see them play and listen to the albums; but even one show and one album doesn't necessarily suffice, again because of the diversity. Sometimes, it can be hard to believe it's not different bands. That's probably a large part of what I love about them.

Interview magazine says:

The Mekons were born to punk parents from the belly of rock’n’roll 25 albums and 30 long and hard years ago. These twisted folk have laughed more laughs, cried more tears and writ more tunes than you can shake a stick at whilst building a reputation as one of the very best live bands on the planet. Now the sinnin' and prayin' mekons return to their UK roots for 3 very special 30th anniversary concerts. “the mekons have earned a reputation for the best live show around- an out of control party bursting with razor sharp wit and bouncy, rubber band rock. They're the best kept secret in rock’n’roll and you'll love 'em.

So, Zelmo, SilentMike, whoever: Here's the dealio: I want to meet up at Mo's Irish Pub, corner of Water and Plankinton, for some eats and some booze by shortly after 5; I'm hoping to connect with a couple other Mekonistas there, then I want to get to the Theater by quarter after seven so I don't have to hurt anybody for front row seats. I know as a black belt I'm only supposed to use it defensively, but this is a special occasion.

World Cafe. Huh. I hope they don't become a Starbuck's band. But what will be; I wouldn't begrudge these folks any level of success. Even though they wouldn't be the same band if they were huge, they deserve it far more than most bands out there.

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