A classic line from a forgotten masterpiece by Gaye Bykers On Acid but every time I get pissed off when I’m doing something for people I know won’t appreciate it, it springs to mind.
I never actually played any “toilets” when I was in a punk band called Criminal Damage (I played rhythm guitar) but I was on the sound desk before I joined the band properly one night and that was a cesspit! It was circa 1990 in a place just off Leeds Road in Bradford, the band was supporting the Meteors. I used to like the Meteors, a sort of punk psychobilly band with what I thought some catchy tunes.
Well, I did the sound check and all seemed to be going well. Then during our set the singer who was of Asian origin, reading his lyrics from a sheet of paper and constantly spitting into the crowd started dodging… the crowd were throwing glasses, bottles and other assorted items they could find at him. Just at him…
Hmm…sort of new to being part of a proper band and not knowing much about Meteors fans, I didn’t think too much of it. However, towards the end of the gig one of our group of people came up and said, start loading the car. We hadn’t finished playing yet…
I thought, odd…but started loading my white Vauxhall Astra. Just as I was putting the last of the gear in the lead singer came running out of the venue shouting “Get in the fucking car, let’s go!”
He was being chased by quite a few white Nazi skinheads and Meteors fans. I drove away as they tried to smash the windows and lights but luckily a 1.2L Astra was more than a match for their efforts.
I never fully understood a) why we played that night with a known racist crowd, b) why the lead singer singer was so happy about it c) what the point was in my being there.
Looking back on it and knowing now that the lead singer was severely disturbed and into racist stuff himself even though he was non white (last I heard he was in jail) just think the whole thing was fucked up.
But yeah, a toilet of a night.
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