A RIGHT LOAD OF OLD CRASS

AND FED THEY WERE
Where do i start?...
Its not many 're -form' gigs that would get me out of the house any more, all those fat bald old men singing about teenage angst strikes me as a bit sad. But that's not to say that i wont go to any gig by an old band, the UK SUBS for instance, they have still got 'it', and so have a handful of other bands who have never stopped, its just the ones who have reformed with the single intention of trying to make cash out of nostalgia that fuck it up because they have no passion for what they are doing, just music by numbers 'as they say'.
An ex exception to this 'rule' was the STEVE IGNORANT (and friends) 'feeding of the 5.000' gigs.
Many members of CRASS have variously done CRASS songs during solo projects and so it came as a surprise to hear that there was dissent in the old DIAL HOUSE community over these gigs and where the money was being donated to, if PENNY RIMBAUD can use CRASS imagery and names for a benefit to keep a jazz club open then why is there any complaint over STEVE IGNORANTS gig money being donating to the life boat association? is it because they have the word 'royal' in the title? anyway, enough of that.................
I went along to the first night having got my ticket months ago due to 'guesstimating' that the gig would get sold out (i didn't expect it to sell out to the point where they had to add another night, but then i wasn't really surprised once i had given it a moments thought), to be honest i missed any other bands that came on before CONFLICT because me and those i was with didn't expect bands to come on the moment the doors opened, and even if we did we still would of missed them because of the queueing time.
But as i was watching CONFLICT (who i haven't seen for many moons) two blokes came out of the front crowd laughing and saying how impressed they were with singer COLIN'S 'Bobby Charlton' wraparound hairstyle, but as i was standing at a place where i couldn't see as closely as his hair i couldn't see any bald spots, but by what i heard COLIN CONFLICT has the most punk bald spot on the scene today.
Musically i have to admit that it was a long time ago that i last saw CONFLICT, there was a time when i never missed a gig by them but so many years have passed that i didn't know many of the songs, (plus because of the queueing time i missed them start.) But the ones i didn't know were not bad tunes, CONFLICT'S music has changed with the times and their new material was easily capable of standing up to their older more 'famous' tunes, the song from the 'nation of animal lovers' seven inch fitted in seamlessly with the newer material, and the band were well received by the audience all through their set, i enjoyed them as well, a good gig by a band i didn't know what to expect from.
Once CONFLICT had finished the house lights went up and i decided to get a good look at the audience, it was made up of people of all ages and styles. There was the 'punx' with the obligatory studded leather jackets and Mohican's, then there was the younger 'anarcho' types, the ex- punk's came in all sizes and ages, ranging from straight dressers to the 'done well after punk' types, scruffy dressers and of course there were crusties of all ages, there was even a RED SKIN (not from the band) present.
When MR IGNORANT and band took to the stage i looked around me as the song 'OWE US A LIVING' came on while behind the drums was the projected film of a person carrying the massive crass flag, the flag flapping in the wind as it is carried across a field like a battle standard, i could swear that i could see people with wet eyes, and gaping mouths, as if they were having some mind blowing experience (i didn't want to use the word 'religious' there for obvious reasons), and i must say that it brought a little lump to my throat, but just a wee one mind!
As the band tore into the 'FEEDING' songs, along with selected singles the music was played so well that you could shut your eyes and mentally transport yourself back to when those songs were played last.
I had been thinking that the song's subjects may have dated but there was no fear of that, in fact many of the things sung about are worse now than they were when they were first written.
These gigs have been the nearest we will ever get to hearing CRASS ever play again and the band did a great job of it, I'm not going to name the CRASS members who also appeared that night because i missed the names of some of the band and it wouldn't be fair to leave them out despite their input, all i will say is that EVE LIBERTINE couldn't quite hit the high notes when she sang what was a none the less a great version of 'SHAVED WOMEN', but i still give her top marks for trying her best, a minor detail in comparison to the whole evening.
The band ripped through some of their best songs from CRASS' singles output plus the odd track from 'STATIONS OF THE CRASS', and put on a bloody great show, i think the size of the crowd helped to buoy up the band, or at least it put on the pressure to perform well which is what they did.
I even found myself subconsciously singing along and occasionally punching the air, not something I'm used to doing any more! but as everyone else around me seemed to be doing the same (some stood trance like and just mouthed the words as they stared all goggle eyed at the stage) i thought i could get away with it unnoticed. The band seemed to be over in no time at all despite them being on stage for some time (a sign of a great gig) and if it wasn't sold out the next night i would of gone back again, and in all my years only IAN DURY AND THE BLOCKHEADS and THE BAD BRAINS have made me go back the next night, it has been over 25 years since i saw CRASS play live and although my memories have probably been flowered by time the music i heard was still the same as i heard in Shepard's bush last week.
Thank you STEVE IGNORANT AND EVERYONE ELSE involved for a great night and for giving people a taste of what it was like to see CRASS and what a great band they really were.