NBCD! (new bass case day!)

[Brian Krashpad]

So, since I'm about 4 grand in the hole this year due to med bills (that's just the not-covered-by-insurance part!), I haven't been buying any gear, except to flip.

In fact, last week I picked up an Epi EB-3 (SG) bass for that specific reason. I'm trying not to get too attached since I hope to sell her in the near future. Last night I ran across a P-bass case on local cl for a tenner! I'll get to the connection between the two in a minute. Here's the seller's pic:

So, I show up to the seller's house, and it's an actual Fender brand molded case, with the metal valance around the edges. Very beaten up, but hinges and clasps all work fine. Big crack in the plastic on one corner, but a little duct tape and she'll be good to go.

Also, the seller goes, "this case used to be owned by the bassist in "Against Me!"" Which is certainly possible, as they are from Gainesville, and it's not that big a place. In fact they opened for my band in a local show 10 years ago (at that point they were just a duo, the lead singer Tom and a kid who banged on an empty plaster bin, I **** you not). So that would be kinda cool if it were true.

The seller also asks me "Do you still listen to vinyl?" I says "Yeah, I still have a turntable." And he proceeds to go digging through some boxes and GIVES me a vinyl LP and single by his band, Nervous System! How cool is that? Only in Gainesville. Man, I loves me this town.

Oh, the connection between this P-bass case and that SG bass I'ma flip? Well, I already had a generic box case for my P-bass (a very bosstastic '80's MIJ Squier), so now I can use the "Against Me!" case for my P-bass, and can sell the Epi SG bass with hsc, which should help it move faster and get me a better price.

Win-win-win sitch! :AOK

 

[Brian Krashpad]

In other news...

Holy sh*t, I just flipped the case over-- the pic above is the bottom of the case. The top has a big "AGAINST ME!" paint stencil and some other anarcho-punk stencils and stickers on it. Ha! Maybe it was actually connected to the band!

 

[Eric]

Cool stuff. Ten bucks for a bass case? That's a sweet deal.

 

[omegadot]

As a long time fan of AM! I'd let myself believe that tale.

Great deal!

 

[Brian Krashpad]

As a long time fan of AM! I'd let myself believe that tale.

It sure got a lot more believable when I flipped it over and saw AGAINST ME! stenciled on it in yellow spray paint. Of course, a fan can make a stencil too, but the stickers [Pink Lincolns (an early, longstanding Tampa punk band I saw open for the Damned in 1989), Subhumans, etc.] and stencils (in addition to the giant Misfits stencil, there's an anarchy "power" fist, and a Crass logo) seem to gibe with what a band member might have done.

 

[FrankenFretter]

A bass case with a story; that's pretty cool. Almost makes it worth keeping. Ah, but then you'd have to keep the SG bass too...and we can't have that.

 

[Eric]

A bass case with a story; that's pretty cool. Almost makes it worth keeping. Ah, but then you'd have to keep the SG bass too...and we can't have that.

I think he's going to use the new bass case and sell the SG bass with the case his P-bass was occupying. That's what I got out of it, anyway.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

I think he's going to use the new bass case and sell the SG bass with the case his P-bass was occupying. That's what I got out of it, anyway.

That's right Eric. The "new" beater case is form-fit, so it can only be used with my P-bass, whereas the one I have been using is a Muso's Friend box case which the SG bass should fit in.

So I get to hold on to some possible local history. It's funny because the P-bass I'll put it in, I bought off a kid who was locally well known for being in a TON of bands during our '80's underground scene (he was the drummer, at age 14, in the first band I was in). He went out to Cali and was an early member (for like their first LP or something, before anyone'd hear of them) of the band Neurosis. Who are also pretty big in teh punk rock circles, and still exist today. So that'll be my semi-famous one-two punch.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Oh, finally took a pic of the other side of the case:

 

[scruff]

DEVO - lol

 

[Brian Krashpad]

DEVO - lol

LOL?

Devo were a great band. "Gates of Steel" is one of my favorite rock songs (not fave Devo songs, fave rock songs) ever. And they could bring it live, back in the day, as well. Seeing them on the tour for the 3rd album, at the UF bandshell, is one of the best concerts I've ever seen.

And I've seen a LOT of concerts.

I was glad to see that stencil on the case along with all the serious hardcore and peacepunk bands on it.

 

[scruff]

LOL?

Devo were a great band. "Gates of Steel" is one of my favorite rock songs (not fave Devo songs, fave rock songs) ever. And they could bring it live, back in the day, as well. Seeing them on the tour for the 3rd album, at the UF bandshell, is one of the best concerts I've ever seen.

And I've seen a LOT of concerts.

I was glad to see that stencil on the case along with all the serious hardcore and peacepunk bands on it.

Okay. I never really liked them enough to go to their shows, but if you say they were that good I'll believe you. Chances are pretty solid that you know considerably more about this stuff than I do, so I'll defer to your judgment in the matter.

However, and for reasons not totally known to me, I must reiterate: DEVO - lol

Awesome case, by the way! I would definitely do what you're doing and keep it!

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Okay. I never really liked them enough to go to their shows, but if you say they were that good I'll believe you. Chances are pretty solid that you know considerably more about this stuff than I do, so I'll defer to your judgment in the matter.

However, and for reasons not totally known to me, I must reiterate: DEVO - lol

Awesome case, by the way! I would definitely do what you're doing and keep it!

It's no biggie, I can see how people not really exposed to a lot of the music can look at something like the "Whip It" video and just see a "novelty" song by a "joke band." In fact, however, from the standpoint of doing things that were new and out of the norm, Devo were one of the most punk bands of their day. Now, I know that today they'd be thought of as "new wave" rather than punk, but that's historical revisionism caused by record companies trying to sell records to people afraid of the "punk" label. Bands on both coasts, such as Suicide in NYC and the Screamers in LA, had been considered part of punk despite being synth/keyboard-based, it was only when record companies came up with "new wave" that slightly later bands like Devo lost all their punk points in the eyes of many.

Devo was in fact a serious band (albeit one with a great sense of humor) with an intricate, thought-out, rather dark, band mythology, "de-volution." Some of the stuff they were doing with video as an early band stuck in, of all places, Akron, Ohio, was not only seriously weird, but light years ahead of its time.

 

[R_of_G]

It's no biggie, I can see how people not really exposed to a lot of the music can look at something like the "Whip It" video and just see a "novelty" song by a "joke band." In fact, however, from the standpoint of doing things that were new and out of the norm, Devo were one of the most punk bands of their day. Now, I know that today they'd be thought of as "new wave" rather than punk, but that's historical revisionism caused by record companies trying to sell records to people afraid of the "punk" label. Bands on both coasts, such as Suicide in NYC and the Screamers in LA, had been considered part of punk despite being synth/keyboard-based, it was only when record companies came up with "new wave" that slightly later bands like Devo lost all their punk points in the eyes of many.

Devo was in fact a serious band (albeit one with a great sense of humor) with an intricate, thought-out, rather dark, band mythology, "de-volution." Some of the stuff they were doing with video as an early band stuck in, of all places, Akron, Ohio, was not only seriously weird, but light years ahead of its time.

+1

Devo were among the American pioneers of "post-punk" and a huge influence on any number of bands looking to push the boundaries of punk rock.

The only point on which I'd differ with you is the "new wave" thing and really, I'm not sure we differ more than it's just a matter of phrasing as you clearly know your punk music history.

It wasn't really record companies that came up with "new wave," they simpy stole the phrase from the handful of critics/journos trying to cover the punk scene and then turned it into something almost entirely different.

The first use of "new wave" was in reference to what was going on at places like CBGBs when bands like Television, the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, et al were creating the scene.

I find it amusing when people think of "new wave" as being a synonymous term with "80s music" because they're not even close to the same thing. Problem is, the styles of bands like Blondie and Talking Heads evolved into something else and people of a certain age or without an interest in exploration of a band's origins have little to no idea that both of these outfits were essentially punk bands in the beginning.

Anyway, I got way off topic there, but thanks for sticking up for Devo. They're so much more than "Whip It".

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Yeah we're on the same page. The "record company" attribution is somewhat hyperbole. I've most often heard it attributed to Seymour Stein of Sire, which had the Ramones and T. Heads iirc.

 

[R_of_G]

Yeah we're on the same page. The "record company" attribution is somewhat hyperbole. I've most often heard it attributed to Seymour Stein of Sire, which had the Ramones and T. Heads iirc.

Have heard it attributed to Mr. Stein as well as part of a way to avoid the word "punk" as he felt radio stations were not giving any airplay to "punk" bands because they thought it was a fad made up of guys that couldn't play.

 

[scruff]

thanks for sticking up for Devo. They're so much more than "Whip It".

Wow. I never would have imagined a simple little comment like "DEVO - lol" would elicit such reaction. I mean it's cool and all, but I'm also surprised at the depth of the conversation about Devo. If they were a more serious band and had a more meaningful impact on the art than "Whip It," I can see where it might be a little frustrating that they never really got cred for it, at least from a lot of people.

But I do understand it. Maybe I can help shed a little light on this.

Brian, you're absolutely right in that I only remember them from the "Whip It" video back in the day, and formed whatever opinion I would have of them from that. A lot of people did. That's what videos do - they introduce your act to people who haven't been to your live show, etc.

See, in order to delve more deeply into Devo's playing style and influences, etc etc, I would have had to buy their records. Which isn't something I was prepared to do as a teenager with only enough money for maybe one record. Imagine a fifteen-year-old me, standing in the record store and looking at a Devo album and thinking, "They're the guys on MTV with the fire hydrant hats..." vs, say Iron Maiden. So where do ya figure my money went?

And as a result, I never learned much (anything, really) about Devo. So when I saw their name stenciled on the bass case, I said, "DEVO - lol", which is exactly how I feel about them. It's not derision or disrespect, it's just that it's based solely on that one experience with them. I'm still reacting to that one taste of their music they gave me back when I was a kid. Whether it was an accurate depiction of who they were as a band, well that's not up to me.

 

[scruff]

I'll say this for them, though: they were able to get us talking about them many years after their time.

And when you get into the "punk" vs. "New Wave" question, someone invariably brings up Siouxsie, and it's a merry-go-round that never stops. LMAO - I'm really starting to enjoy this forum! Thanks for the entertaining conversation.

 

[R_of_G]

Welcome to the forum Scruff and thanks for participating in the conversation.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Yeah, we don't get too hepped up over things, be we do like to run our mouths, err... keyboards.

That's one of the cool things about forums like this, especially here (because everyone keeps his/her cool, more or less-- I'm probably one of the more excitable boys), is that one never knows where the conversation may turn.

Like I said, I think your impression of Devo is probably the vast majority's, and it certainly has a basis in what their record company did to promote them, which was to make them as palatable as possible to mainstream society, or even to fifteen year olds considering their next Iron Maiden purchase. There was a 2 volume retrospective that came out awhile ago covering their whole career that included all kinds of stuff that was unacceptable to their record label, and thus not released, and some of it was seriously warped (in a dark way, not a "novelty song" way). I was just like... was that song about what I think it was about...? Whoa.

Of course, I can see how them now being the backing music on a Swiffer commercial only cements the whole joke band persona, when I think it was really done as subversion. Like the Pistols, Devo has always had a Situationist streak, whether they would've called it that or not.

Although, for the Situationist/bizarrely weird connection (or "connexion" for our Limey friends), check this link, a subpage on devo.com, which does expressly mention Situationism, albeit in typically Devonian delusional ranting (Note: there are a couple rather small photos on this page which contain nudity, one of which in particular, at least if rendered larger, would no doubt be considered ****), although the page may have no actual ties to Devo the band (other than generalized inspiration):

http://www.devo.com/tft/

 

[R_of_G]

Another excellent resource for some historical background on Devo and other bands of the era is Clinton Heylin's From the Velvets to the Voidoids. Heylin deals pretty extensively with Devo's place in the post-punk scene.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Another excellent resource for some historical background on Devo and other bands of the era is Clinton Heylin's From the Velvets to the Voidoids. Heylin deals pretty extensively with Devo's place in the post-punk scene.

Agreed! Have checked it out from our library more than once.

 

[R_of_G]

Agreed! Have checked it out from our library more than once.

Yeah, my library probably thinks I should just buy it already. I read it least once a year.