In a relatively short time, YouTube has become the repository of the entire recorded history of the human race. Its sheer gargantuan size means that millions of videos lurk out there beyond the Trending lists, just waiting to be discovered by the discerning time-waster, if only they knew the right keywords to enter. Damn the luck! Fortunately, Popwell is here with a monthly tidbit that you can enjoy right this very minute, in the privacy of your own home, yard, vehicle and/or workspace.
There has never been another band like Bad Brains. Originally formed as a mid-70s jazz fusion band, the band quickly took a wild turn and became DC’s first and only all-black hardcore punk/dub reggae powerhouse. Bad Brains live shows made whip-sharp turns between super-fast hardcore riffs and intense dub excursions. The performances never suffered, though, because the band were masters at both styles of music. A Bad Brains show I caught at the Whisky remains both the best punk and the best reggae show I’ve ever seen.
Infighting, bad luck, worse timing and intermittent bouts of insanity kept Bad Brains from ever really hitting it big. That doesn’t take anything away from the fact that at their peak, Bad Brains were one of the greatest bands ever. Their creativity, energy and sheer talent kick-started hardcore scenes in DC and New York, and they are without a doubt among the highest gods in the hardcore pantheon.
There are a lot of Bad Brains shows on YouTube, from bootlegs of their Live CBGB 82 DVD to a raw, early video where HR’s in a flower-lapeled suit. Of local interest to my Long Beach friends, there’s a pretty wild full show at Fender’s Ballroom from 1986. For my money, though, the best Bad Brains show on YouTube is a crazy 1983 gig at some club called The Loft in Berlin. The band is in top form, as tight as could be as they ferociously launch into each song. The video’s shot just professionally enough, nothing too slick, and the sound is about as good as you could hope for.
The Loft gig really showcases how focused and tight Bad Brains were, since they turn in an incendiary performance while there’s chaos all around them. Par for the course for punk gigs, but this video really captures it well. There’s a shirtless Zach Galifianakis-looking sound/security? guy who stands right behind the band yelling at people throughout the show. There’s a constant stream of drunk Germans wandering on stage, and clearly people are fighting and throwing bottles at the back.
Through it all, Bad Brains churn through punk classic after punk classic, with the occasional mind-blowing reggae interlude (at the 6:30 and 16:25 marks for those of you less inclined to the punk stuff). Finally, at the 27:40 point, bassist Darryl Jennifer steps to the mic and declares that the audience is too rowdy and now all they’re going to get is reggae toasting. Which he then proceeds to do, for about ten minutes. It’s all so great. The video ends with about 10 minutes of footage from another German gig on the same tour, which is a nice bonus.
Anyway, it’s Bad Brains and it’s great. Enjoy.
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