Ho-hum, another couple of tired old punk bands phoning in another show at some stinky dive in exchange for some chump change? How did you get so cynical?
I had forgotten how great the Dickies are – not were, but are. I admit that I haven’t seen them live in over twenty years and that I only own their first two and a half albums. They may never have the same impact that they had in the late 70’s and early 80’s, but they’re still alive and still rocking. Singer Leonard Phillips has matured into a middle-aged man who looks like equal parts Norman Bates, Dr. Bricker from “The Love Boat”, and a post-Spinal Tap Michael McKean. Guitarist Stan Lee’s hair seems to be gaining mass as it slides down the back of his head. I don’t know who the “new” guys in the band are now, but it doesn’t matter – They’re the Fricken’ Dickies, damn it. What does matter is that the bass player wears a big plushy teddy bear suit. It also matters that Leonard wears a gorilla mask when performing “You Drive Me Ape You Big Gorilla” and uses a giant penis-shaped puppet when they do “If Stuart Could Talk.” Other props implemented during the show include a doggie puppet, an inflatable love doll, and the all-important diving mask and snorkel combo. These are not merely silly props or cheap gimmicks; they are effective tools for communication.
That’s what most of punk rock is lacking – Production Values!
Did I mention that the bass player dresses like a teddy bear? I wonder if that’s something he brought with him when he joined the band, or if they already had the suit and were looking for a bass player that could fit into it.
Never take the Dickies for granted. Think about it – they’re brilliant. They can’t be held responsible for all the horrible goofy pop-punk bands and prop comics that they inspired. That would be like blaming Thomas Edison for “American Idol.”
Fear is now Lee Ving and three younger guys. I don’t know who they are either. They’re probably all in other bands. They were just going through the motions, but they were accomplished enough to be incapable of sucking. They did them all – “I Don’t Care About You,” “I Love Livin’ in the City,” and basically the whole first album. Fear songs performed live are basically yelling with free jazz accompaniment. However, there’s something about their music that makes big drunk guys want to fight. Don't they know that Fear is supposed to be funny?
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