When kids chant at shows “Municipal Waste are gonna fuck you up” over and over from the end of Born to Party, I always smile. I like the irony. Like an invading force’s marching song, at the precipice of leaving the barracks, leaving the country, entering new territory. “Municipal Waste are gonna fuck you up”. The Swedes shout it, the Germans shout it, and kids in clubs shout it when born to party gets played on the dance floor. And I smile. It is unclear what side the kids are on. Are they part of the invading force doing the fucking up? Are they the ones that are going to be fucked up? Have they already been fucked up and are advocating it as a good thing? Maybe they have been fucked up by the ‘Waste and are chanting it as a warning. Maybe they are just chanting it. In fact, I’m sure that it’s the latter. However, some of those kids out there, some people that hear that track have actually been fucked up with the ‘Waste – I don’t know if that constitutes Municipal Waste being responsible as in “Municipal Waste have fucked me up” but it is damn near it. Everyone seems to want to get fucked up with the Waste.
I’ve never worked with a band that seems to have so many friends everywhere. Partly through hard touring, partly from the fact that people party with the Waste and then are friends for life. I think it’s a great thing, as a band to engender the kind of feeling that comes with a festival party ambience. To break down the 4th wall that divides audience from band, to welcome people into the family – to get fucked up together.
However, I’ve seen this open armed approach backfire, not only from constant stage invasions which invariably leads to equipment being trashed especially pedals and a halt to proceedings due to technical difficulties, but also from the assumption that that’s all there is to the ‘Waste – when there is undeniably more there than just a spirit (spirits).
Anyway, irrespective of time moving on and the new album being called Massive Aggressive and not The Art of Partying anymore, the Waste still like to party, and I knew that when Ryan and Tony came to London for a week of press it was going to be full on. Because its not just drinking and hanging out its doing bucket loads of interviews and taking care of business, especially now that people are realising there’s more to the Waste than just the fact that they’re gonna fuck you up.
And it is a fact, I can vouch for that.
So we had a listening party at the Crobar to celebrate the new album. It was a nice hot summer day and the bar was packed. This was the 4th London party I’d arranged for the Waste – this one had no beer bongs, but it had a lot of laughter and hugs and was an all round good time.
I’ve never worked with a band that seems to have so many friends everywhere. Partly through hard touring, partly from the fact that people party with the Waste and then are friends for life. I think it’s a great thing, as a band to engender the kind of feeling that comes with a festival party ambience. To break down the 4th wall that divides audience from band, to welcome people into the family – to get fucked up together.
However, I’ve seen this open armed approach backfire, not only from constant stage invasions which invariably leads to equipment being trashed especially pedals and a halt to proceedings due to technical difficulties, but also from the assumption that that’s all there is to the ‘Waste – when there is undeniably more there than just a spirit (spirits).
Anyway, irrespective of time moving on and the new album being called Massive Aggressive and not The Art of Partying anymore, the Waste still like to party, and I knew that when Ryan and Tony came to London for a week of press it was going to be full on. Because its not just drinking and hanging out its doing bucket loads of interviews and taking care of business, especially now that people are realising there’s more to the Waste than just the fact that they’re gonna fuck you up.
And it is a fact, I can vouch for that.
So we had a listening party at the Crobar to celebrate the new album. It was a nice hot summer day and the bar was packed. This was the 4th London party I’d arranged for the Waste – this one had no beer bongs, but it had a lot of laughter and hugs and was an all round good time.
No comments:
Post a Comment