Por Juliana Gomes

} Hoje, dia 26 de Novembro, tem Deal With The Devil @ Clube Berlin!

Se você gosta de rock, mas rock mesmo, então você não pode perder a noite de hoje do Berlin com a banda Deal With The Devil.

Os violões de aço plugados, com a bateria, o baixo acústico e a gaita dão o timbre diferenciado para os clássicos revisitados pelo Deal With The Devil. A banda paulistana, formada por Johnny Monster que está presenta na voz, baixo, violão e percussão, Judaz Mallet na voz, violão e baixo, Mondrian Alvez com o violão, voz e gaita e Eduardo Ramirez com o som da bateria, voz e percussão. O quarteto homenageia grandes nomes e assina seu pacto com os ídolos que incendiaram o mundo da música.

As influências são do mais puro rock dos anos 60, 70 e 80. De Rolling Stones, Beatles, Doors, Yardbirds, Cramps, Drifters, Stooges, Who, Clash, Led Zeppelin e grandes ícones como Iggy Pop, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Johnny Winter, Robert Johnson e Raul Seixas. Até mesmo Amy Winehouse e não perca o set especial do AC/DC que os meninos farão para aquecer o show que está por vir em São Paulo.

Punk is not just a genre or an aesthetic.It is a lens for seeing and approaching the world. Ask questions, follow your passion, find out for yourself, respect others, maintain consistency of values but don’t be afraid of change. It is a rejection of being spoon-fed the dominant ideology and culture. One day I realised that I hardly listened to any music made by women, so I sought some out and was rewarded.

The sounds and looks of punk were consumed by the mainstream long ago, internalised to protect the status quo and then sold back to us as rebellion – reminds me of Foster-Wallace describing, in E Unibus Pluram, how television insulated itself from criticism by hijacking irony. Speaking of irony, fashion has come round-in-a-near fourteen year full circle and has me back wearing plaid shirts. After realising that I was only a tye-dye tee away from my 14 year old self’s essential wardrobe, I found it appropriate to listen to the music that first ignited my interest in punk, and indeed plaid. The inkling that Nirvana would be forever culturally maligned has been thrashed into submission by the rediscovery of the now 20-year-old Bleach.

Punk has left a legacy of cringe-inducing rebellion and a more subtle lingering distrust of popularity that has left subcultures hamstrung by any attempts to move beyond a niche. We seek niches. We use cultural niches to help define ourselves. But neither do we want to be alone – else the logical climax would be binary crowds at obscure gigs and galleries. We want to share our passion and appreciation, but we just don’t want everyone to know. In the spirit of things here’s a band, The xx, they remind me of The Raincoats. They have the power to warm.

Punk is no religion although my 15-year-old self would probably disagree and think that I was a bogus sell-out – but then even Iggy took the Car Insurance Money – and I’d mock his teenage attempts at atomising individuality and definition that belied his true desire for engagement and group hugs. Then we’d put The Clash on the stereo and find an equilibrium. For all its cultural critique potential and misuse, music is still the simplest way to mainline this passion. Joe Strummer’s electric leg says it all.

Existen muchas organizaciones secretas, Los masones, La mano negra, Los canteros o Los hijos de Lee Marvin (Sons of Lee Marvin). Esta última es una organización fundada por el director de cine (para mí uno de los mejores en la actualidad) Jim Jarmusch. Para ser miembro de este “club”, necesitas tener una fisonomía similar a la del gran actor Lee Marvin y la verdad es que encontrar una estructura facial semejante a la del señor Marvin es jodidamente complicado.

El genial actor de "Uno rojo: División de choque", "Los doce del patíbulo" o "Delta Force"...

Por esa razón es una hermandad de difícil acceso para los seres humanos de a pie, solo unos pocos privilegiados, todos ellos amigos, son los que forman la hermandad, gente que conforman un groso contracultural bastante firme, los personajes son:

El propio Jim Jarmusch: El injusto adalid del cine “gafapasta”. A veces creo que mi misión en este planeta es destruir a todos esos intelectuales del cine.

El fundador es probablemente quien más se parezca

John Lurie: El tremendo músico y amigo de Jim, trabajó con el por ejemplo en “Bajo el peso de la ley” aparte de un par de cintas más.

El genial músico de viento

Os regalo un video de Lurie junto con el buenísimo percursionista Naná Vasconcelos, en el mítico show americano “Night Music”.

Nick Cave: Ya he hablado aquí del señor Cave, amigo de Jarmusch y del resto de miembros.

Como podeís ir viendo el parecido físico es brutal...

También os regalo una de las mejores canciones de Cave, “Red right hand”

Tom Waits: En fin, pues dios, digo Tom, digo dios no podía faltar en este club. Espectacular músico y actor en varias pelis de Jim.

Una foto de dios, digo Tom, digo dios...

Siguiendo la rutina, lo que es probablemente mi canción favorita de este señor “Heart Attack and Vine”

Iggy Pop: El que faltaba… ¿Os dais cuenta de la calidad que tiene este club? Solo verdaderos amos que compartan, en cierto modo, la fisonomía de Marvin pueden entrar en él.

No es el que más se parece a Lee Marvin, pero quizas si tenga los rasgos faciales necesarios

Como estoy que lo tiro, os pongo lo que para mí es una de las canciones más románticas jamas escritas.

Neil Young: Pues otro más, bastante amigo de Jarmusch y creo que no debo decir quien es… ¿Verdad?

Es el mismo caso que Iggy.

Venga va, pues una de sus canciones más famosas, “Old Man”.

Thurston Moore: El frontman de “Sonic Youth” también está en este exclusivo club.

Como Young y Pop, es más la forma de la cara, la boca o los ojos que un parecido físico...

No sabía si poner un video en directo de la ruidosa “Kool Thing” o el video dirigido por Spike Jonze “100%” en el que el actor Jason Lee hace una de sus primeras apariciones en pantalla… me he decidio por “100%”

Richard Bose: Lo siento mucho pero no tengo ni idea de quien es este señor. Lo siento de verdad.

Bueno, pues esto es “Sons of Lee Marvin”. Curiosa hermandad de esa cantidad de artistas frikis y extravagantes.  Me encantaría formar parte del “club” de estos dementes artistas, pero creo que no me parezco a Marvin, como mucho en la boca, pero creo que no me aceptarían…Espero que os haya culturizado un poquito…

IRC Exclusive: Legendary Producers Martin Bisi & Bill Laswell Team Up with Fiery Furnances and Dresden Dolls

Martin Bisi is a famed producer who built a recording studio with Brian Eno three decades ago, producing albums for some of the best bands of the 1980’s and early 90s underground rock movement, including Sonic Youth, The Swans, Dresden Dolls and The Boredoms, to name just a few. Bisi, who is also a musician, songwriter and engineer, recently jumped into the sound tank himself to record tracks with folks like Fiery Furnances’ dummer Bob D’Amico, prolific producer and bassist Bill Laswell (The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Mick Jagger and many others), and members of The Dresden Dolls and Balkan Beat Box. Laswell was also instrumental in creating the studio with Bisi and Eno.

In fact, Bisi and Laswell collaborated with Herbie Hancock to record the 1983 Grammy Award-winning song, “RockIt” – the first hit song to feature turntable scratching. Jumping forward to this year, all of this talent in one room is a combination sure to result in something interesting, which is exactly what these next songs, “Mile High – Apple of My Eye” and “Drink Your Wine,” prove to be. The songs are from the recently released five-track digital only EP Son of a Gun, and were sent to IRC by Bisi himself. The first song featured below is a perfect track for Halloween, or even The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack, while “Drink Your Wine” is more of an uptempo rocker that is fun and infectious at the same time (watch the video above).

“Mile High – Apple of My Eye” - Martin Bisi & Bill Laswell from Son of a Gun (2009)

“Drink Your Wine” – Martin Bisi & Company from Sun of a Gun (2009)

Get Son of a Gun from iTunes.

Of the recording of the EP, Bisi said: “With Laswell, I did the ‘modern’ approach of sending him files, letting him do whatever, and then adjusting. He really surprised me. I was expecting his usual very groove or dub oriented bass, and he gave me something very ambient, laden with effects and trippy. That pretty much sums up the M.O. on this EP…With “Mile High- Apple Of My Eye,” I asked Butterface (the keyboardist on the EP) to give me some programmed rhythms and sounds with a trip-hop vibe, specifically for Laswell to play on, and he turned it around in 30 minutes.”

Cover Me Report:

Click here to go to CM to check Yo La Tengo covering Jackson Browne “Somebody’s Baby”, Everclear cover The Stooges “Search and Destroy”, The Kings Singers cover Neil Young “After The Gold Rush”…plus more.

ηλεκτρισμένη ατμόσφαιρα.
οι στίχοι ουρλιάζουν από μόνοι τους.
ω ναι.

So messed up I want you here
In my room I want you here
Now we’re gonna be Face-to-face
And I’ll lay right down In my favorite place

And now I wanna be your dog
And now I wenna be your dog
Now I wanna be your dog

Siouxsie and the Banshees will of course be mentioned in due course but to finish the Iggy thread, here’s everyone’s favourite wannabee secretary and Iggy’s classic:

Ha … sounds like a cross between Harry Potter and LOTR

As I mentioned recently, Iggy is having another comeback in New Zealand courtesy of Orcon and a remake of The Passenger.

It’s a nice use of marketing, social media, and an aging proto-punk and works a hell of a lot better than I would have expected.  For example, the campaign closely links with Facebook.

Anyway, video time!

Here’s the Orcon corporat version:

And here’s the original song with pix:

Digital Video Singles has added five new live performance videos to the iTunes Stores, including great videos from Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Iggy Pop, and the Four Tops.  Information follows…

I SAW HER STANDING THERE 

Paul McCartney is joined by Elton John, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and other music legends at the 1986 Prince’s Trust Rock Gala.   The performance was recorded on June 20, 1986 at Wembley Arena (London).  Running Time is 4:00 minutes.  File size is 51.8 MG.
Preview this video *  Buy this video

LONG TALL SALLY 
Paul McCartney leads Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Elton John and other legendary rock all-stars in this timeless Little Richard tune.  The fans at Wembley Arena go wild in this send-off to the 1986 Prince’s Trust Rock Gala.   Performance recorded on June 20, 1986.  Running Time is 2.55 minutes.  File size is 30 MG.
Preview This Video * Buy This Video

THE PASSENGER 
Iggy Pop creates all kinds of trouble for a British TV show in this unedited, over stimulating version of The Passenger, performed in 1977. Complete with the notorious interview that caused all the ruckus, this is a true artifact of music history, and a treasured collectible for Iggy’s fans. Read all about it here. Running Time is 9:45 minutes.  File size is a whopping 118 MG.
Preview This Video *  Buy This Video

IN THE AIR TONIGHT 
Phil Collins quiets the crowd in this haunting, solo acoustic performance of “In the Air Tonight” at Wembley Arena.  Part of the celebrated Prince’s Trust Rock Gala, performed on June 20, 1986.   Running Times is 5:14 minutes.  File Size is 69.3 MG.
Preview This Video * Buy This Video

I CAN’T HELP MYSELF 
At the height of their popularity, in 1970, the Four Tops travelled to London and performed their Number One hit on David Frost’s variety show. The stunningly beautiful color video, recently discovered in a British archive, provides a wonderful keepsake of a joyous moment in pop history.  Performed on the TV show, Frost on Sunday, March 15, 1970.   Running time is 2:56.  File Size is 39.2 MG
Preview This Video * Buy This Video

 1977 by Iggy Pop

2009 (42 tracks, 3:49:27)

rock

Whenever I interview a musician, I can hardly wait to get to my favorite part of the interview is asking an artist about the inspiration behind his or her songs.  The inspiration for songs is as imaginative as can be—some stories are silly, some are lovely, others aren’t all that special—but they’re all interesting.  This is why I love the latest Chicken Soup for the Soul Book: The Story Behind the Song.

I know, I know.  I usually stay away from sloppy, emotional stuff, and Chicken Soup books can definitely fit that category, but this book is different.  It offers a look into the minds of contemporary artists from a variety of genres, such as Jewel, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, John Legend, Rick Springfield, Iggy Pop, Tom Higgenson of Plain White T’s, Ann Wilson of Heart, and many, many more!

For example, did you know that “Jessie’s Girl” was written about a cute girl in Rick Springfield’s stained glass class, the guy’s name wasn’t actually Jessie, and that it was the catalyst for his career?  How about the fact there’s a real Delilah who inspired “Hey Delilah” by the Plain White T’s, but Tom Higgenson never actually dated her?  I have learned all sorts of interesting facts about some of my favorite songs—“Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, “Operator” by Jim Croce (yes, I’m a dork!), “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian, “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett, and “Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx.  And I finally know what “Sister Christian” (Night Ranger) is all about!  That in and of itself is worth the price of the book.

The fine folks at Plan A Media and Soul Publishing have given Backseat Writer a FREE COPY to give away to one lucky reader!  To win this amazing book, all you have to do is head to Twitter, tweet this comment, “I want to win STORY BEHIND THE SONG from @backseatwriter, how ‘bout you? http://bit.ly/W5mfk” and you’ll be entered to win. Winner will be notified via Twitter, so make sure you’re following Backseat Writer (@backseatwriter) on Twitter.  The contest ends December 1 at 5 PM EST.

Also, on December 1, Backseat Writer will be posting an excerpt from Chicken Soup: The Story Behind the Song–how Jewel came to write the song “Hands.”  You will definitely want to read that!

*In the interest of full disclosure, I want you, dear reader, to know that Plan A Media did provide me a review copy of this book.  There, now the FTC should be happy!*

Iggy Pop is making his zillionith comeback in NZ thanks in no small amount to the Orcon ad which I’ll post on separately.

Here’s one of his earlier comebacks – not only did the song put Iggy back into circulation when it first came out in 1977 but its use in the Trainspotting movie did the same almost 20 years later.

Iggy Pop – Lust for Life

I may be a drape, but I love your granddaughter. And if that’s a crime, I’ll stand convicted, ma’am.

– Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker

I believe that Cry-Baby is my first experience watching a John Waters movie from beginning to end. Known for his subversive movies, I was hesitant watching this film. I didn’t know how what to expect. I was surprised that this movie was more of a musical that anything else. It doesn’t that this is a good movie.

Taking place in Baltimore 1954, Wade Walter aka Cry Baby (Johnny Depp) and Allison Vernon-Williams (Amy Locane) meet each other while getting a vaccination at the gym. They like each other but it like John Waters’ version of “Romeo and Juliet”. Cry-Baby is a Drape, one of the juvenile delinquents of the town. However, Alison is a Square through and through with her boyfriend Baldwin (Stephen Mailer) and grandmother (Polly Bergen) try to reel her inner drape back.

The two factions clash as Cry-Baby wants to participate in the RSVP talent contest at Mrs. Vernon-Williams’ charm school. Cry-Baby crashes the contest to whisk Alison away on his brand new motorcycle from his grandmother, Ramona Rickettes (Susan Tyrrell), grandmother and uncle Belvedere (Iggy Pop) to his favorite drape hang out, Turkey Point.

Alison meets the rest of Cry-Baby crew that doesn’t tale a liking to the outsider. There is Cry-Baby’s badass pregnant sister Pepper (Ricki Lake), the vixen Wanda (Traci Lords) and the couple Milton (Darren E. Burrows) and Hatchet-Face (Kim McGuire). There is a Drape wannabe Lenora (Kim Webb) has a crush on Cry-Baby, she is the romantic rival.

At the Drapes’ own talent show, Jukebox Jamboree showed Alison what Cry-Baby can do with his voice, hips and electric guitar-playing. Alison is torn between her duties of being with her Square boyfriend, Baldwin or have a wild ride with Cry-Baby.

The movie was short. It felt rushed. It was shallow. Pop in and out. That’s it. I wasn’t invested in the character long enough to care about them. The musical sequences were very entertaining. That’s all.

Judgment: I heard that there is a Broadway musical of this movie, I’d rather see that.

Rating: **1/2

Artiste américain / Ballades Pop – Crooner rock /  EMI

Si certains membres des Stooges se font à présent dévorer par la riche biodiversité de dessous-terre et que l’Iguane s’est calmé côté consommation de stupéfiants, Iggy Pop n’a pas pris sa retraite pour autant et signe avec Préliminaires un album touchant. Premier disque d’un nouveau virage musical.

Douze titres doux et très bien choisis qui semblent conçus comme un hommage à la culture française et à l’Amérique profonde. L’opus s’ouvre et s’achève sur une reprise des Feuilles Mortes de Jacques Prévert faite d’accords de guitare et saxophone très jazzy sur lesquels s’impose une voix charmeuse qu’on a du mal à associer à Iggy Pop tant elle est calme. Je sais que tu sais fait directement appel à Gainsbourg et ses duos sensuels. On retrouve le Iggy rock n’ roll dans Nice to be Dead ou She’s a business mais ces titres restent moins nerveux que l’ensemble de ses trente années de carrière punk. Le reste du disque oscille entre piano-voix mélancolique (I wanna go to the beach ou How insensitive) ballades reposantes (Spanish Coast, He’s Dead / She’s Alive) qui pourrait servir à traverser les USA à cheval, un clopo au coin du bec, ou évoquent un univers cabaret foutraque (King of the Dogs et Party time).

Le Iggy aux grosses lunettes de vue qui en 2008 (à la Garden Nef Party d’Angoulême) nous avait expliqué qu’il ne buvait plus que du lait chaud semble s’être assagi et avoir simplement accepté une chose simple de la vie : il vieillit. Il n’y a pas d’âge pour devenir mature, Préliminaires est peut-être le départ d’une nouvelle carrière ?

Note : 8/10

A Steven Tyler le buscan sustituto

La legendaria banda Aerosmith se encuentra en estos momentos en una etapa de crisis, debido a que su cantante Steven Tyler se encuentra prácticamente en el limbo, tratando de poner orden a su vida, por lo que prefirió salir de la banda, aunque existen rumores de que volvió a recaer fuertemente en las drogas.

Por su parte el guitarrista Joe Perry comenzará una gira en Canadá con su banda Joe Perry Project, abriendo para los Mötley Crüe, durante enero y febrero del 2010.

Por otro lado se habla que Aerosmith está buscando un nuevo cantante para seguir vivos, pero la historia de esta banda comprueba que cuando han tocado sin sus integrantes originales de plano son un real fracaso, aunque también la mala relación que han llevado, más sus problemas con los estupefacientes, también ha provocado que su gran nivel musical  baje a la más pura mediocridad.

Así que pensar que Aerosmith sobreviva sin Steven Tyler, cuando su voz  es prácticamente el sello del grupo, es una idea que sus fans podrían considerar ridícula  y provoca cuestionamientos serios sobre el juicio de los demás integrantes de Aerosmith. 

Aerosmith sin Tyler, sería como los Rolling Stones sin Mick Jagger  o Metallica sin James Hetfield, sin embargo ya comienzan a decirse nombres de quién podría sustituirlo y aquí les damos algunas opciones.  

Tom Keifer, quien fuera el frontman de Cinderella, podría ser un sustituto con afán de revancha, porque seguramente conoce al dedillo el material de Aerosmith. Recordemos que Tom se vestía igual de Steven Tyler y hasta tomaba de la misma forma el micrófono. Sería un renacer para este talentoso cantante y compositor, pero esto es sólo un deseo de Inquisidor71, ya que las últimas noticias que se tienen de este talentoso músico es que perdió la voz, debido a unos nódulos en sus cuerdas vocales.

John Corabi fue brevemente el cantante de Mötley Crüe, en la etapa en que esta banda quiso cambiar su sonido radicalmente, pero sin buenos resultados. A pesar de todo, la calidad de este cantante es incuestionable y podría musicalmente dar el ancho en la música de Aerosmith, pero no es tan dinámico en sus movimientos;  nadie baila como Tyler.

Chris Robinson de The Black Crowes podría ser otro candidato ideal, ya que domina esa mezcla de blues-rock con maestría. Quizás tendría que dejar de lado un poco la banda que lo ha hecho famoso para probar qué se siente subirse  al escenario con esta gran banda.

Stephen Pearcy ex cantante de Ratt, modernizó con esta banda, el hard-rock  de los años 80’s. Aunque muchos los comparaban con Def Leppard, la realidad es que su mayor influencia era Aerosmith, sólo que eran más dinámicos en las guitarras. La voz agresiva de este cantante haría un efecto interesante en la música de la banda que dirige Joe Perry.

Sebastian Bach es un intérprete que a pesar de salir de Skid Row hace varios años, ha mantenido su fama con participaciones en series de televisión y en realitys, así como con participaciones en Broadway, así como en uno que otro disco solista.

Su voz ha sido considerada una de las mejores del heavy metal, pero ahí está el problema, no se identifica mucho con el rock-blues, pero seguramente se pondría a ensayar con todo para ser adorado por los fans de Aerosmith.

Josh Todd de Buckcherry es dinámico en el escenario y tiene una voz rocanrolera de primer nivel, quizás sea el que más se adapte a las necesidades de Aerosmith. Por algo los lectores de la revista Rolling Stone lo tienen ubicado como el principal candidato para sustituir a Steven Tyler.

David Johansen quien fuera el frontman de New York Dolls también es otro candidato favorito para entrar a Aerosmith, sin embargo no creo que logre el nivel por el cual se hizo famoso. Sin embargo, si conserva su dinamismo en el escenario podría salir adelante en esta hipotética empresa.

Axl Rose fue influenciado tremendamente por Aerosmith, sino chequen su versión en vivo con los Guns N’ Roses de “Mama Kin”. Y en realidad es el único que lo veo adecuado para la música de esta banda, ya que tiene una gran voz con perfectos  agudos y graves, así como un estupendo manejo escénico. Pero si fuera invitado, su ego probablemente se lo impediría.

Cormac Neeson de la banda hard-rockera The Answer también es mencionada por algunos medios como un ideal sustituto, aunque en mi particular punto de vista no podría mantener el ritmo dramático que impone Tyler en vivo.

David Coverdale, líder de Whitesnake le cambiaría la cara a Aerosmith. Si con Jimmy Page cantó como Robert Plant, por qué no podría hacerlo como Steven Tyler, además su manejo en las vocales del blues-rock y del hard-rock es de grandes ligas.

Nota: También se menciona a David Lee Roth,  a Iggy Pop  y a un tipo que participó en American Idol, llamado Adam Lambert, pero sobre este último, a pesar de su talento, quizás su homosexualidad no sea del agrado de los legendarios Aerosmith.

Slash y Fergie ya han trabajado anteriormente juntos

Ante las críticas de algunos fans, Slash, quien fuera el famoso guitarrista de Guns N’ Roses, defendió en su twitter la colaboración que realizó la cantante de Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, para hacer una nueva versión del clásico “Paradise city”, que posiblemente incluya en su nuevo álbum que saldrá para marzo del 2010.

“Hasta ahora, no hay demasiada gente que haya escuchado a Fergie cantar rock & roll, pero canta mejor que la mayoría de los tipos que conozco. Ella grita con el corazón”, expresó el legendario músico.

En esta nueva producción  colabora con grandes estrellas como Dave Grohl, Flea, Chris Cornell, Duff McKagan,  Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf, Ozzy Osbourne, entre otros.

En esta nueva versión de “Paradise City” también mete su talento Cypress Hill, en lo que da como mezcla un buen hard-rap.

Aquí tocando Sweet Child O’ Mine.

one of Mr. Rock's many infamous photographs...

I love photography. When I try to scan my head for the images by one photographer that ring most deeply within me — many artists names come to mind. But, I think the one photographer who most grabbed my imagination is Mick Rock.

I mean, aside from the real artistry one can see in his “simple” images — he managed to be in the right place at the right time so often. A sort of alchemy. He even manged to create a cool image for Carly Simon! …Not that she isn’t cool, but you know what I mean. The cover to “Come Upstairs” does not match the music one will hear on that disc. Yet, his images of David Bowie, Queen, Blondie and Iggy — all of those images capture the look of the sound that those artists put forward.

If you’re wondering I was looking at my copy of two of books of collected photographs this morning. I felt a yearning to post something about his work.

Mr. Bowie at the mirror...

Debbie being so NY cool...

raw and classic...

bohemian!

See? Way cooler than one might expect...

...and, this promo shot for Blondie hangs in our living room

Jag har märkt att jag skriver väldigt mycket om min musiksmak, men nästan ingenting om dom filmer som jag gillar. Så jag börjar med att skriva om en av mina favoritfilmer, som är en film från 1998, Velvet Goldmine.

Det som skildras i filmen är allt mellan upptäckter av nya artister, kärlek, sökande, musikframträdanden, sex, otrohet, drogmissbruk och glitter&glamour. Flera skådespelare som är stora namn idag är med i filmen – Jonathan Rhys-Meyer, Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale och Toni Collette.

Filmen är en skildring av glamrock-eranunder 70-talet, och karaktärerna tycks vara inspirerade av David Bowie, Iggy Pop och Kurt Cobain. Ytterligare kuriosa är att mycket av dialogerna sägs vara taget från Oscar Wilde-citat.

Poster for Tank Girl; image courtesy of 24hourstomidnight.files.wordpress.com

So I was originally gonna roll up all cavalier-like and blurt out my opinions on Tank Girl, which I watched for the first time a few nights ago. I had some pre-conceived notions about the movie and what I’d think of it, as the film adaption of the beloved Jamie Hewlett comic is widely regarded as a commercial and critical flop.

Now I’m not entirely sure how to approach the subject matter, because a) I’m not sure how to read this movie, as it is disjointed and oftentimes inscrutable, b) I didn’t realize going into my viewing that several friends were fans of both the movie and the comic, and c) . . . I haven’t gotten around to reading the comic. I’m more than willing to read it, especially since I’m a fan of Hewlett’s work with Damon Albarn on Gorillaz and am interested in their ongoing professional relationship. I simply haven’t had the chance yet, as I just finished Truman Capote’s super-dense In Cold Blood and started Margaret Atwood’s promising The Blind Assassin. If anyone has a copy they’d like to push into my hands, my palms are flat and open.  

I'll gladly read this; image courtesy of hero-trailers.blogspot.com

But I still wanted to see the movie and write about it because:

1. Lori Petty stars as Rebecca Buck and I wish her career had taken off instead of stalling around the time of this movie’s 1995 release. While she’s recently run into some legal troubles and I still haven’t seen Point Break or Prey for Rock’N'Roll, I’ve long had a soft spot for this tough, mouthy, gender-queer tomboy ever since her turn as Kit Keller in A League of Their Own. It’s too bad that she was replaced by Sandra Bullock in Demolition Man and that Gwen Stefani sounds just like her, with both women having more visible, financially successful careers.

2. Speaking of Stefani, did she rip off Tank Girl’s style to cultivate her own look, because oh my damn do they look alike. 

But maybe I’m being unfair in pitting Petty/Tank Girl against Stefani against one another and instead should remember the cultural context from which they were formed. I’m reminded of my thesis adviser Mary Kearney, whose dissertation focused on contemporary discourses around girlhood and youth culture. Joy Van Fuqua draws on Kearney’s work in her essay ”‘What Are Those Little Girls Made Of?’ The Powerpuff Girls and Consumer Culture.” In her discussion of the show’s popularity, Van Fuqua borrows from Kearney to suggest that, like many other girl characters during the 1990s, Bubbles, Buttercup, and Blossom had to embody both genders in order to succeed in athletics and other male-dominated activities.

Buttercup, Blossom, and Bubbles are gonna fuck yr shit up; image courtesy of msdn.com

3. Speaking of promising actresses, Naomi Watts plays her sidekick and was a total nobody in the states when the movie was originally released. She’s also rockin’ a brunette bob haircut, which I appreciate.

4. Speaking of wacky ladies, Ann Magnuson makes an appearance as a madame who runs a state-of-the-art brothel where folks like Iggy Pop run around in drag and the talent break out into Busby Berkeley-esque routines to Cole Porter’s “Let’s Do It.”

5. Speaking of musicians, the soundtrack is an alternative rock behemoth. Hard to imagine many of the artists represented here got radio play in 1995. Alternative was commercially successful, allowing rock music to splinter off in various, musically diverse directions. Hootie was of course a major player, but Pulp could get a hit single. Beck was at this point a one-hit wonder, but was working on an era-defining record that would come out the following year. The bubble hadn’t burst yet. Man, 1995 was a strange and amazing time. Bush, Björk, Veruca Salt, L7, Belly, Portishead, Hole. They were all on commercial radio playlists and they’re also on this soundtrack.

6. Speaking of Hole, note that Courtney Love was the movie’s music consultant. Now, I’m not entirely sure what her title means here. Titles like “music consultant” and “music supervisor” tend to be flexible. The latter term is usually held by people who work closely with the director, the editor, and multiple representatives from various record labels, as well as help tend to legal matters like acquiring publishing rights, and clearing songs to be used in the movie and often the accompanying soundtrack. 

Courtney Love, 1995's burgeoning hyphenate; image courtesy of rollingstone.com (Ouderkirk/WireImage.com)

My hunch is that Love’s duties were picking what songs she liked and would work with the movie, but had little involvement in the production. After all, she was a busy lady who was trying to heal from the death of her husband, raise her daughter, become a respected actress, and headline Lollapalooza with her band Hole. I don’t think she had time to field phone calls with label execs, although I’d like to imagine what those conversations might be like.     

7. Oh, and since the first six points all involved women, let’s add the cherry on top. Tank Girl was directed by a woman named Rachel Talalay.

But as far as reading this movie . . . hummina. I don’t know what I saw. I know it takes place in what is now a not-too-distant, dystopian future and involves our fearless heroine leading a rag-tag group of girls and mutant kangaroo boys against a corrupt faction that control the earth’s water supply. Still with me? Here’s the trailer.

So, things I enjoyed or found interesting about the movie.

1. Naomi Watts kicks ass as Jet Girl. At first shy and fretful, she learns to embrace her intellect and technological savvy and develops the confidence to take charge of the crew and help beat the cast of baddies.

Jet Girl holding it down; image courtesy of kideternal.com

2. Tank Girl has strong relationships with Jet Girl and Rebecca, Tank Girl’s boyfriend’s young daughter. Homosocial bonding and female mentorship, holla!

3. OMG, the costumes. They could be a chapter in a dissertation on third-wave feminism’s fragmentive, performative, and self-reflexive relationship with fashion (note: if such a chapter exists, I want to read it). Tank Girl never wears the same outfit or hair color twice, and her wardrobe toys with historical periods, film genres, youth culture movements, often playing with age, gender, and race as well.

What are you wearing, Tank Girl?, image courtesy of theage.com.au

4. I can’t tell if Ann Magnuson’s Madame, who briefly kidnaps and attempts to employ Rebecca, is a sex-positive feminist, a critique against the then-timely rise of media’s interest in d0-me feminism, or just morally bankrupt.

And then there were things I hated.

1. While Tank Girl’s costuming is fascinating, that’s really the extent of her characterization. Much of this seems to be the fault of the writing. Petty is engaging enough, but Tank Girl is written as less a complex action heroine and more of a buzzword-and-slogan dispenser. Thus, she brings to mind characters like Itchy and Scratchy’s Poochie, who was created to make fun of corporate-friendly extreme, in-your-face, subcultural cash cows. Perhaps her perceived lack of depth speaks to the awkward process of adapting a comic book into a movie, but her cinematic flatness betrays the torpedo bras.

Torpedo bras don't always provide dimension; image courtesy of mermaidligan.blogspot.com

2. Tank Girl also kicks a disappointing lack of ass here and has questionable methods. I can’t speak to her defense strategies in the comic, but the movie repeatedly has her lure disgusting men with her feminine wiles. Sometimes they get kicked in the balls, but she still shows them her bra or promises sexual favors beforehand.

3. Man, how did Malcolm MacDowell fool people into thinking he could act? He’s the villainous Kesslee here and is making himself quite the ham sandwich. Some may want to bring up Al Pacino and note that some actors deliver progressively broader performances as they age, but I think MacDowell’s accent played a role in snowing audiences as well. I think his Britishness even convinced people he was better in If . . . and A Clockwork Orange than he actually was. Charismatic and handsome? Yes. Once a great actor? I don’t think so.

4. I feel like there’s something racially problematic about the mutant kangaroo soldiers who take up with Tank Girl’s crew. Thoughts?

In short, Tank Girl makes for a maddening but interesting spectatorial experience. Now to get a hold of the source material . . .

Bellissima canzone vero? Adesso però ci rilassiamo un po’… scherzavo!! Allora, la prossima canzone è di Iggy Pop e si intitola… lo sapete vero?

Iggy Pop con The Passenger (qui il video del film)!

Por Vanessa Ramiro

DANZA

• Abre el festival la pieza “Kontakthof” (T. Canal). Estrenada en 1978 con los bailarines de la troupe del Tanztheater Wuppertal, fue retomada en el año 2000 por Pina Bausch. Con un elenco compuesto por hombres y mujeres de más de sesenta y cinco años, nos sumerge en un mundo nostálgico que ahonda en la necesidad de sentirse amado. Transgresión, erotismo y ternura en el montaje que la crítica ha descrito como cruel y emocionante.

Del 4 al 29 de Noviembre. Varios teatros.