CONCERTS: The Scientists @ UFO Factory in Detroit. April 12th, 2019 (With Easy Action)

 
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I’m going to see Television May 4th (2019) at El Club in Detroit. What the hell does that have to do with The Scientists show I just went to you may ask? Stick with me and humor for a bit. As I had mentioned, it was by the grace of WDET and the Dimensions Program that I had heard of Television and came to appreciate them at an early age. Television was one of “those” underground bands that I had never heard of before due to my reliance of popular radio to bring me the music that moved the motorckty… allegedly.

However, before my discovery of Public Radio station WDET in Detroit, I relied on my skater friends to educate me on “alternative” bands that provided the soundtracks to the many Skateboarding VHS tapes we watched. The music was mostly punk rock and considering I was tape recording Tiffany, Cameo, Duran Duran and OMD during this time, I had strangely grown to appreciate its brassness. The motivation to learn more and build the punk section of my limited library had begun. Ironically it was the most straight-laced kid on our block that was the best skateboarder and dealer of punk ballads.

Edwin was a “straight A” student, the oldest of two kids whose parents were both doctors. He lived across the street from me and next door to my best friend who had just moved to Florida the year prior. He was a year or two older which back in my tween days could amount to, with inflation, an adult decade today. Most summers, we were lucky to see him maybe a day or two out of season as his parents put a concerted effort to make sure he continued his studies and employed the neighborhood teacher to tutor him. We hardly saw him, but this summer he reemerged a skater punk. Mind you a straight laced, Private All-Boys Prep school, straight “As”, polo wearing skater punk, but a skater punk none-the-less. He managed to own this look and didn’t have to justify it to anyone as his skateboarding was the most acrobatic and graceful of us all.

Edwin and I used to bond over music when I would happen to see him in summers previous to utilize his two tape decks and mix songs together to see what we could create. It was during one of our “mixing” sessions that he introduced me to skater punk music. Skateboarding along with this genre of music had infiltrated the hallowed halls of his Preparatory school and he was starting to work them into our mixes. The Dead Kennedys, The Sex Pistols and Black Flag we’re now being beat matched as best we could, to be the peanut butter to the chocolate, that was crafted by my Art of Noise or Human League albums. It worked 1% of the time. But when it did it was magical. (The irony is that we didn’t have a third tape deck to record our hybrids.)

So alas, I had come to appreciate punk music and through other skater friends became aware of bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Charged GBH and the Clash (just to name a few). However, one punk… or post punk band would escape me. It would elude me up until April 12th, 2019. Some 30 years later, I would once again come to appreciate the fact that there is such a universe of music available and that although there are galaxies that had existed for billions of years, would not be discovered until this date… at least for me. One of I’m sure many many artists that I’m unaware of, that I wish I had revealed to me much much sooner.

It was a friend of mine in my scooter club (Jacko) I belong too that asked me if I was going to see “The Scientists”. I had never heard of “The Scientists” before and told him I would check them out. He had mentioned he was excited to see them and based on the last band he recommended I see with him (Amyl and the Sniffers), his recommendation had merit with me as that was a great show.

I looked up the show and I saw that it was going to be at the UFO Factory in Detroit. Before I knew it and considering the trusted recommendation of Jacko, I faithfully coordinated April 19th to be dedicated for The Scientists.

The afternoon of April 12th came and I shot my scooter comrade Jacko a text to make sure he was still plantain on going. “Yup. Leaving around 8:15. First band at 9” Jacko texted back. I was in the middle of digitizing some media so I hadn’t planned on leaving until around 9:15.

I got there around 9:45 and the first band “The Stools” had just finished. Place was half full and it was one of those situation where I was one of the younger ones. Jacko was already there with is wife. I promptly got a beer and joined them.

Shortly afterwards “Easy Action” took the stage. Jacko gave me a brief history of the band as I had never heard of them before. “The lead singer used to be in the Detroit Punk Band Negative Approach back in the 80s” he informed me. I didn’t know what was in store for me as the band Negative Approach was too elusive even for the very educated Edwin and his schoolmates at UofD High School.

The epitome of not what you’d expect to see, but want to see in a Punk band’s front man. Angry, Aggressive, Dark, menacing, threatening and yet in complete command and a stage presence second-to-not-many.

https://www.facebook.com/Easy-Action-215766689208/

Me with John Brannon of Easy Action.

Me with John Brannon of Easy Action.

Within the first few milliseconds I was elated to be there and the Skater kid in me was pushing me by the kidneys, navigating through the crowd (which at this point validated the sold out status of the show) and pushing me up to the front of the stage.

Easy Action ended there set and I was mystified, stoopified. Considering the bar had been set pretty damn high with Easy Action as the “supporting” band, what was in store for me with The Scientists?

The answer would come about 20 minutes later.

UFO Factory had filled to capacity by the time the Scientists got on stage, and I found myself on of the elder statesmen once again as the crowd got younger. They plugged in and basically took the ball (albeit a Rugby ball considering they are from the land down under) and ran with it. A subtly different genre of punk from Easy Action, but punk none-the-less. It was a bit purer and closer to that of what you would have heard back in the late 70s / early 80s and it was perfect. I guess this is what they call “Post Punk”.

Post punk that would have nestled itself easily the Circle Jerks and (oh look!) Television the “Repo Man” soundtrack nicely.

If I should be so bold to once again remind everyone that the point of my blog is not only to showcase bands and artists that I feel more people would be content with had they known of their quality content in the first place; but also to share content that I may become content with (whether instantly or over time) just recently.

Kudos to my surrogate big brother Martin and Ralph of WDET for introducing to me to amazing bands, but I must have missed their shows when they played Negative Approach or The Scientists as I was finding out about each band 30 years too late… but better late than never.

Thanks for the recommendation Jacko! So so glad I went. Great concert, great venue, great crowd, great bands!

Links:




 
Easy Action at UFO Factory 4/12/19 Part 1
 
The Scientists at UFO Factory in Detroit 4/12/19 Content With the Content 2019
The Scientists at UFO Factory part 2, Detroit - 4/12/19 Content With the Content 2019
Concerts, Events, Editor's PicksEric WertanenComment