When The Punks Are United
Last Thursday night was a bitter-sweet night… Thursday marked the very last punk rock gig to play at The Galaxy Theater. The Galaxy Theater has been around for a long time now & has been a huge provider in punk rock entertainment in Orange County for all ages. There really isn’t a lot of “All-Ages” venues left anymore around O.C. like there were in my day… it is sad that the kids today wont ever know punk rock shows the way I did when I was growing up. I am sad to say that The Galaxy Theater will be closing their doors to every show thereafter… the clubs lease is up & not up for renewal, someone else will be taking over & there is talk about it being some shitty trendy club… like we don’t have enough of them around!
On Thursday night TSOL, D.I., Agent Orange, Manic Hispanic, Shattered Faith, Dain Bramaged & others graced us with their presence at the Galaxy. It was a huge benefit show to raise money for Chicken’s Chemotherapy. Chicken is the guitarist for D.I. and he has cancer but no insurance, like most musicians.
I am really struggling right now for the right words to describe last night, I may end up changing this blog around over & over again before I post it just because there are no perfect words to describe such a perfect night. This was truly the best punk show that I have ever been to in my life. The last punk show that really touched me like this was when I saw A Chorus of Disapproval play when I was 16 years old (I am 33 now!).
There was so much unity in the place that night and there were only 2 fights that broke out & no skinheads! Yeah! I am so incredibly proud to be a part of the punk rock scene now for over 20 years… what an incredible thing I belong to. I don’t think that any other group of people are so united or accepting than punks. I am a Christian & Christians aren’t even as united or accepting as the punk rock scene is. It is basically, “Come as ye are, all ye who are against the grain!”
I remember being in High School and some of the groups or races seemed to be really segregated, however us little punk rockers in the corner were happy to accept anyone to our little group. We didn’t care what race, color or how you dressed, as long as you were your own person & against the grain that was all that mattered. I don’t think any other group can say they are like that. Now I do admit there is a little difference with the kids today in the scene… they are a little rough around the edges & to not say the pit. They seem to think that slam dancing is actually slam punching these days & I really think some of us old punks should put these kids in check. There hasn’t been a sense of unity with the young punks today but I really believe that the old punks that night that were at this gig really showed these kids what being punk rock was all about.
I have to say that I actually did fill up with tears a couple of times that night… every band that played that night were personal friends of D.I. and none of them were getting paid for the venue and punk musicians barely make anything as it is… they paid for the venue out of their own pockets and kept the proceeds of the ticket sales to give to Chicken. Chicken & his wife both came up to give their thanks for everything & I just really wanted to ball my eyes out just because of how touched I was. I have never seen The Galaxy so packed in all these years, it was insane! That night the last count they announced was over $19,000! Chicken’s Chemo costs him $6,000 a week without insurance & with this benefit the guy can fight to live another month! How amazing is that!
There was a lot of hope in me but then again in the back of my mind I really thought that this was probably the last time I was gonna see the guy… he was in real bad shape… but at least we got to say our good-byes.
I really didn’t want that night to end at all, I wanted it to keep going & going however, I had to get up the next morning around 6am to be at work & didn’t get to sleep that night until 1:30am.
On Thursday night TSOL, D.I., Agent Orange, Manic Hispanic, Shattered Faith, Dain Bramaged & others graced us with their presence at the Galaxy. It was a huge benefit show to raise money for Chicken’s Chemotherapy. Chicken is the guitarist for D.I. and he has cancer but no insurance, like most musicians.
I am really struggling right now for the right words to describe last night, I may end up changing this blog around over & over again before I post it just because there are no perfect words to describe such a perfect night. This was truly the best punk show that I have ever been to in my life. The last punk show that really touched me like this was when I saw A Chorus of Disapproval play when I was 16 years old (I am 33 now!).
There was so much unity in the place that night and there were only 2 fights that broke out & no skinheads! Yeah! I am so incredibly proud to be a part of the punk rock scene now for over 20 years… what an incredible thing I belong to. I don’t think that any other group of people are so united or accepting than punks. I am a Christian & Christians aren’t even as united or accepting as the punk rock scene is. It is basically, “Come as ye are, all ye who are against the grain!”
I remember being in High School and some of the groups or races seemed to be really segregated, however us little punk rockers in the corner were happy to accept anyone to our little group. We didn’t care what race, color or how you dressed, as long as you were your own person & against the grain that was all that mattered. I don’t think any other group can say they are like that. Now I do admit there is a little difference with the kids today in the scene… they are a little rough around the edges & to not say the pit. They seem to think that slam dancing is actually slam punching these days & I really think some of us old punks should put these kids in check. There hasn’t been a sense of unity with the young punks today but I really believe that the old punks that night that were at this gig really showed these kids what being punk rock was all about.
I have to say that I actually did fill up with tears a couple of times that night… every band that played that night were personal friends of D.I. and none of them were getting paid for the venue and punk musicians barely make anything as it is… they paid for the venue out of their own pockets and kept the proceeds of the ticket sales to give to Chicken. Chicken & his wife both came up to give their thanks for everything & I just really wanted to ball my eyes out just because of how touched I was. I have never seen The Galaxy so packed in all these years, it was insane! That night the last count they announced was over $19,000! Chicken’s Chemo costs him $6,000 a week without insurance & with this benefit the guy can fight to live another month! How amazing is that!
There was a lot of hope in me but then again in the back of my mind I really thought that this was probably the last time I was gonna see the guy… he was in real bad shape… but at least we got to say our good-byes.
I really didn’t want that night to end at all, I wanted it to keep going & going however, I had to get up the next morning around 6am to be at work & didn’t get to sleep that night until 1:30am.
Gordon speaking.