November 15th, 2014

FUGAZI NACHTOURBEMERKUNGEN VON IAN MACKAYE (#21, 01-1990)

Posted in artikel by benni

In den letzten Jahren haben Fugazi ihre alten Liveaufnahmen digital aufpoliert und zum Download bereitgestellt. Nachdem hier kürzlich die Fugazi ‚First Demo‘ LP eintrudelte, haben auch wir im Archiv gewühlt. Auf der zweiten Tour waren Fugazi bekannter als noch kurz zuvor, die Konzertorte waren größer und einiges änderte sich.

Ian MacKaye hielt damals für uns seine Gedanken zum Ablauf der Tour in Deutschland fest. Zeit, den alten Text zu digitalisieren:

***

These words are worth nothing more than the value of the paper they are printed on. Observations are free and should be treated as such. The expression is defined by the receiver. If you read for condemnation, you may find it, but it was never intended.

This a problem: too many people hate and in return want to be hated. The response should be one of action. Do not engage in ego about the business that brings you here. Shit stinks and I warfare, go want none of it on me.

FUGAZI is a band. We go about our business as we see it. We are not interested in following any rules other than our own. There are too many industry—cops and there are too many scene-cops. Our visit to Germany this year had us playing to much larger audiences than we had expected. This has created curious new circumstances. Popularity is a turn-off to those who feel a need to have band to themselves.

Music is for anyone who wants to hear or feel it. The criticism of the supposedly „normal“ people who came out was coming from some funny places. Namely the free-thinking alternative community of which we are part. It seems to me that if a band attracts lot of people who usually turn out for alternative functions it is a perfect time to expose them the energy and urgency that can exist.

It is quite possible that the fact that we are playing to these larger crowds makes us less than whatever someone might define alternative or underground, but luckily no one person holds the copyright to that concept. It is open to anyones interpretation. More power to individual beliefs, may they work in concert.

The biggest dilemma we found was the larger venues. Most of the youth centers and squats we played last year are too small. It is important to us that anyone who wants to come be able to get in. The basic requirements we have for performing are:

1.The show must be all ages and open to general public.

2. The door price should be reasonable.

3. The venue should not abuse the people who come to the show.

The reasoning is simply based. All—ages because we we’re once not allowed in because of our age, low door prices because we don’t like paying a lot of money to see bands, and non-abusive because we don’t enjoy being beat up and don’t think that the people that come to see us do either.

Our visit to Germany was short and educational. We are able to pull it off working with independent promoters and no one got ripped off. (Ian MacKaye)

Links:
Fugazi ‚First Demo‘ (erschienen November 2014)
Fugazi Live Series (inkl. der alten Tourdaten)

Both comments and pings are currently closed. RSS 2.0