Tragedy played Europa w/ Citizens Arrest, Teargas and Night Birds
June 1st, 2011 by chocko
TRAGEDY
CITIZENS ARREST
TEARGAS
NIGHT BIRDS
Starting off last night’s punk rock invasion of Greenpoint, Brooklyn was Night Birds…a band that features former members of the Ergs! and Hunchback and sounds like they’re inspired by surfer music and old school Cali punk bands like Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. These guys were full of energy and never stood still for more than a second. Guitarist, Mike Hunchback leapt into the crowd and spent most of the time off the stage. He was a good sport and welcomed the heckling after breaking 2 guitar strings which slowed down the set just a tad. The catchy “Midnight Movies” was definitely a highlight which was also the title of their 7″ single at the merch table which features art by Mike Diana…dirty stuff with a whole lotta dick in the artwork. What’s up wit dat? They also have a new CD called “Fresh Kills Vol. 1” which features a lot of previously released stuff from their records and demo cassette. Definitely check them out!
Teargas brought the heavy artillery from Brisbane, Australia, but played to a crowd that looked like they would rather have been at a poetry reading…too much standing with the arms folded and not enough moving for a hardcore show. They played a quick half hour set complete with microphone problems…actually the lead singer accidentally unplugged his mic and sang unplugged for half a song then sang on a crappier mic for the rest of the set. They still brought the crust thunder from down under and sounded awesome. Their set included songs such as “The Mirror Stared Also” and “The Sound of Hammers Must Never Stop” from their first and super limited demo and first release on vinyl. They had a record for sale titled “The Way Of All Flesh” on Narm Discos. Recommended stuff!
Citizens Arrest bumrushed the stage looking a bit leaner and meaner from their last NYC appearance six months ago. Fresh from their Maryland Death Fest show and with Ted Leo in the mix on second guitar…I can’t imagine them ever sounding better. The crowd moshed and growled along to the choruses including Todd of Tragedy who watched from the side of the stage. These hardcore dudes from the 80’s and CBGB and ABC NO RIO alumni were no joke…class was in session. Lead singer, Daryl still got some high-flying hops left in him and the band played a set list that covered a lot of ground including new stuff they just recorded on Coextinction Recordings. Ted Leo definitely gets props for attempting the “Rhinestone Cowboy” request and for busting his ass on the slippery stage on the last song of the set and playing it off like a pro. There were lots of goodies at the merch table including the double album from 1991 “Colossus” on vinyl and a limited edition poster by Artist, and Inflatable Children frontman, Derek Stukuls.
Tragedy was the reason the club was packed from wall to wall on a Tuesday night at 11:30 pm. As soon as the lights got dim and the band took to the stage, fists were raised and the crowd got increasingly crazier after every song. In case you don’t know…Tragedy are legendary in the hardcore punk scene with very little to no online presence. They sound inspired by bands like Discharge, Japanese hardcore bands and even d-beat and crust. Very heavy stuff indeed. Despite the microphone problems, their apocalyptic songs got the crowd moving, moshing, slipping, sliding and tumbling. My favorite song of the night had to be “The Ending Fight.” A real banger! Killer vocals by Todd Burdette. Lots of people of all shapes and sizes jumped into the pit…one fat dude looked like a jumbo jet as he leapt into the crowd. I’m pretty sure there were no survivors after the crash landing. The Tragedy album from 2006 “Nerve Damage” is the ish…See you at the next show!
Tags: brooklyn, hardcore punk, new york city, punk, show
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