Fucked Up

For most bands, a record release party means playing for 30 minutes in front of record company suits nibbling on cheese. But as ‘The Chemistry Of Common Life’ has taught us, Fucked Up are not most bands. Today, they’re marking the release of this truly revolutionary hardcore album by playing for 12 hours in a tiny clothes store (just across the street from where CBGB once was) featuring a rolling cast of guests, impromptu jams and all the malt liquor you can drink. “Someone just offered me some of those drugs that fighter pilots take to keep them up for 36 hours,” remarks frontman Pink Eyes, baulking at the prospect of having to play 50-odd songs over the course of the day. “I might have to break my straight-edge and take a quarter of one of those babies…” 4.30pm FU start the first two-hour set and immediately ignite kamikaze moshing.

4.58pm Pink Eyes tries his hand at break-dancing and manages to smash his head on one of the monitors in the process. NME decides to put 911 on speed-dial.5.45pm Always one for classic punk nostalgia, Moby shows up to help the band rip through Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ and Wire’s ‘12XU’. 5.46pm Kids start jumping off the PA.

6.05pm The singer from The Vivian Girls throws beer cans over everyone. 6.25pm J Mascis almost cracks a smile. 7.30pm A breather at last. To think most bands wouldn’t have even got out of bed yet. 9pm The marathon continues as Tim Harrington from Les Savy Fav joins the group.

10.30pm Vampire Weekend’s Prince Preppy, Ezra Koenig, gets onstage. He looks absolutely terrified at the sight of 100 sweaty punks lunging at him, but holds himself together long enough to convincingly scream out the lyrics to ‘Parents’ by the Descendents. He does it while wearing khakis and loafers too. Respect.

Midnight J Mascis jams with assorted musicians. It’s getting like Night Of The Living Dead now. Some dude is pissing against the wall inside the venue. 1.30am Bassist Sandy Miranda is passed out through exhaustion in the van and the rest of FU look like zombies as they gather onstage for about their 15th and final set of the day.
2.30am Somehow, they muster enough energy to set off one final round of pandemonium during the closing ‘Crusades’. A tad short of 12 hours, but who cares? Fucked Up are the punkest thing New York has seen for decades.

Hardeep Phull