Punk band excites audience, proves what rock is all about

Monday, October 12, 1998

Punk band excites audience, proves what rock is all about

MUSIC: Suicide Machines turn up volume, play down lyrics

By Michelle Zubiate

Daily Bruin Staff

The recipe to a successful punk-rock show includes three key
ingredients. The first two involve both uncontrollable yelling and
frequent, spontaneous crowd-surfing (both by the band as well as
the crowd). The final ingredient demands that while in the
audience, fans must continue movements which include, but are not
limited to, dancing, running and throwing their bodies around
violently while flowing with others in a centripetal nature (a.k.a.
mosh pits galore).

Incorporating these elements throughout the show, Suicide
Machines and their opening act, Avail, gave the Palace hell last
Friday night with their unruly antics and real punk spirit.

While The Suicide Machines’ performance lent a wild and crazy
atmosphere to the crowd, the actual music itself lacked a lot of
the pure sounds and coherent language of their latest CD, ‘Battle
Hymns.’

The Detroit band holds two albums under their belt since their
first, ‘Destruction By Definition,’ in 1996. They’ve toured with
other bands of ska-punk nature, including The Mighty Mighty
Bosstones and Buck-O-Nine, having now matured to doing their own
shows, their own way.

‘Battle Hymns’ reflects the band’s growth, not only through
poppier and more passionate tracks, but through their newfound
social consciousness as well. The album title itself refers to
their battle against ignorance and racism. Songs from the evening’s
set demonstrated the political theme, including ‘Black and White
World’ and ‘Independence Parade.’

The band played for an ideal crowd. An unaware, younger audience
of mostly teenagers both embodied the youthful vision and had
enough energy to make the show worthwhile.

Whether they were actually there for the bands or for the KROQ
dance party that followed, the crowd took full advantage of what
each set had to offer by screaming along and entertaining
themselves by dancing in mosh pits and throwing things.

While they generally blasted traditional punk songs noisily and
without much creativity, Suicide Machines appeared to be giving the
set all they had to offer. Dancing through loud and chaotic
electric guitar hooks, only once in a while could one really feel a
melody breaking through.

By far the best song of the night and the best song Suicide
Machines holds remains ‘Break The Glass,’ a pick not included in
their latest record but which can be found on the ‘American
Werewolf in Paris’ soundtrack. It contains an almost unforgivably
catchy chorus, hard-hitting beats and driving rhythms. Although one
wouldn’t know it from Friday’s performance, the song also provides
true sing-along lyrics. Much of its quality, however, became lost
in the excitement and screaming of the band.

One of the two opening bands, Avail, played a part in warming up
the crowd for their headliners. Avail possessed its own type of
spunk. But what they lacked in stage presence, they made up for in
sheer effort and with an amusing goat-boy looking vocalist.

They worked hard on stage to prompt the mosh pits and enliven
the crowd, and in between, they showed the glint of real promise in
songs that ranged from metal-punk to a pop-punk style.

Sure, the night’s events could be considered old, and they might
stand as a played-out genre. But if it’s still fun and rockin’,
what difference does it make?

MICHAEL ROSS WACHT/Daily Bruin

Ecstatic fans join the Suicide Machines’ lead singer Dan
Lukacinsky at the Palace.

MICHAEL ROSS WACHT/Daily Bruin

Delivering a high-energy set, singer Dan Lukacinsky of Suicide
Machines moves to the music.

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