Monday, April 22, 2013

Antiseen's Destructo Rock Revisits York on Their 30th Anniversary Tour

The kings of Destructo Rock, Antiseen, the boys from Brutalsville, celebrate an unbelievable 30 year run of their raw punk rock with a return to York April 27th at the Depot. It's been so long since they have been to York, the club they played, the mighty Thunder Rock, is now a mattress store. That night was a grand noisefest that must have been at least 15 years ago! The Antiseen juggernaut continues today and now spans continents and decades and resulted in piles of releases from all over the world. A 30 year career in this business in quite a feat, and the fact that guitarist Joe Young and singer Jeff Clayton are still standing while an army of bassists and drummers have passed thru the lineup (and they seem to have a way of coming back too) is a testament to some intense inner drive and the power of 3 chords. My t-shirt from the 20th anniversary says ANTiSEEN , 20 years, 3 chords and a helluva bloody trail. I guess they'll have to make a new one now. It has been a helluva bloody trail indeed. Jeff Clayton's crusade began with the self-released Drastic ep way back in 84, while Joe was still learning how to play guitar, and the band created their own scene. Punk rock, a few basic chords and fuck it all attitude was all that the young Charlotte band needed. My friend Dale Duncan who knew real rock first hand gladly hooked me up with the boys and I started selling their records. Dale later joined the band and they recorded their 1st LP Honor Among Thieves which I was able to release on Bona Fide with the help of Mark Turner and Chopper Records. You might say the rest is history--hundreds of shows, countless records and even a big fat book, have cemented the band in rock and roll legend. They are still Antiseen and take no prisoners, they don't follow trends, and they play really loud. The frenzied, furious shows with the ringleader Clayton looking like a deranged mountain man while clutching his barbed wire walking stick and pounding his head till it bleeds, are a blur of sound augmented by Jeff's howling and Joe's screaming guitar. My buddy Dale left soon after recording that first lp. He had the misfortune of picking up Jeff's stick and standing too close to the flashpots! Dale left for the safe life of playing the blues and making pottery, leaving Jeff and Joe to carry on with another bass player. It's now been 30 years of carrying on, and many lesser bands have come and gone, but the racket made by these guys has reached to Europe and back and mercifully landed the band in York for one gig this Saturday night! Offering their support will be the local favorites Wrath of Typhon, along with the Tight Fits and the Ravagers. Show starts at 9 and should be a great time. Come on out and spread the love! Real Rock shreds to pieces just about anything, and that's what's goin down at the depot Saturday.

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