Song of the Week #34
Writing about the Cockpit a couple of weeks back brought me to thinking about what music venues we have left in my local haunt of Leeds. RIP to the Well, the Rios and the like, but all is not lost. The Brudenell Social Club is one such place akin to an unkillable cockroach (in the best way possible) that has survived everything and is still alive and kicking, hosting a variety of clientele, from the Tetleys-guzzling locals, to bargain-hunting, football-watching students, to gig-goers in one of the many function rooms.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing several artists live at the Brudenell, some better than others, some fantastic, and some downright weird - this Song of the Week is about the latter, grab a gin and sit back.
Imagine one evening in a pub having a scroll at what gigs are coming up throughout the city, and seeing that punk icon HR of Bad Brains was doing a solo tour in a couple of weeks. Knowing so many of the tales of Bad Brains from back in the 70s, and what they have given to hardcore music and culture as a whole, my friend and I eagerly bagged ourselves a couple of tickets and counted down the days till our Brudenell visit.
Imagine our amazement then, as we stood wide-eyed, bushy-tailed, beers in hand, when this living legend came out onstage in the most benign fashion, walking out as if he still wasn’t fully defrosted from a cryogenic chamber. Father Time had not been kind to HR - for 90 minutes, he performed his solo reggae discography with a frail athleticism that would make my 87 year old Grandmother’s walk to the kettle look like one of Simone Biles’ medal-winning gymnastic routines.
That being said, arguably stranger was the post-gig photo meet, when HR came out to see fans, sign memorabilia and chat with everyone. Watching heavy-set old punks with shaved heads and tribal tattoos adorning their cranium, shake with nervous adoration as they approached the Bad Brains singer to ask for a photo was indeed a sight to behold.
You know when they say don’t meet your idols? Thankfully HR isn’t and wasn’t my idol, but if he happens to be yours, then I’d stay well away, and simply take the music for what it is - tough.
Enjoy your weekend all, this Song of the Week, a live version of Attitude by Bad Brains.