Subhumans

Live in Detroit (2016)

TomTrauma

When I heard that Subhumans were playing Detroit on a Saturday night, I was definitely interested. They were spending two weeks working their way across the US between Punk Rock Bowling Las Vegas and PRB New Jersey, and I had never seen them. When it was announced that PEARS were joining Subhumans for the bulk of the dates, I considered it a nice bonus. When Break Anchor was added to the bill, I took it as a sign that I should not ignore. Break Anchor is one of my favorite Detroit bands, and they don’t make it over to the West side of the state nearly as often as I’d like. Due to the fact that most of my friends are old and lame, my 15 year old daughter Alex Trauma was once again my date for the evening. We were also joined by by Kole, bass player of the now defunct Lippies for the three hour drive. He’s old (almost as old as yours truly) but not too lame. We had a good time discussing the current state of punk, and of course, the good old days.

The Majestic Cafe was pretty crowded on June 4th. This has quickly become one of my favorite places to see a show in Motor City. It’s a long skinny room with a low stage on the far end and windows on the left that line the street. It’s not a big place, and you can definitely get close to the action with a little effort. It’s in a larger complex that also includes a bowling alley, a theatre for bigger shows, and a dance club. There’s even a pizza by the slice place to help you sober up afterwards. Because of the long drive, I was not drinking. It’s a little weird for me to be at a punk show without a tallboy in my hand, but that’s how I roll with Alex. (I also had extra money for merch and was able to remember the whole show clearly without taking notes.) The atmosphere on this night was festive, like a reunion of long lost friends. To add to the good vibes, there was a DJ spinning vintage punk tunes all night long.

It’s a nice treat when the ‘local support’ is an established national act. Break Anchor really doesn’t need to open for anybody at this point, but they still pick their spots. Guitarist/vocalist Jay Navarro mentioned that although he had a long history with Citizen Fish, this was his first time sharing the stage with Subhumans. Break Anchor shows typically start with Navarro speaking conversationally with the crowd. Then the band starts and it goes instantly from very casual to very intense. The song selection was split pretty evenly between tracks from their 2015 debut LP In a Van Down By the River and their early singles. They mostly stuck to their harder edged punk stuff and the audience ate it up. I especially enjoyed “All I Had” and “Long After”. (They were Alex’s favorite band of the night and she bought a T-shirt. She even used her own money!) Navarro mentioned that co-guitarist/vocalist Kyle Green’s grandmother had just died, and they had considered cancelling. I clearly wasn’t the only one who was glad they didn’t. I looked around the room and tons of us were screaming along at the top of our lungs. Despite technical difficulties at the end, it was an inspired half hour. If Break Anchor isn’t on your radar, they should be.

PEARS were up next and a lot of people seemed excited to see them. They’ve only been around for two years, but they’ve taken the punk world by storm with their mix of fast hardcore and melody. PEARS have already made quite a name for themselves, largely due to their constant touring and frantic live show. You really need to see it if you haven’t already. Shirtless singer Zach Quinn never speaks and stalks the stage like caged gorilla. At one point he crawled around through the crowd like Gollum. (It’s a Lord of the Rings reference.) Guitarist/backing vocalist Brian Pretus does all the talking (mumbling) and the other two guys look like random bowlers that were conscripted to jam. Their set was divided fairly evenly between 2014’s Go to Prison and 2016’s Green Star. The vast majority of the audience seemed to enjoy it, (the rest looked confused) and the violence in the pit really intensified during their 30 minute set. My favorites were “Victim to Be” and “Sycophant”. I haven’t had much of a chance to check out the new LP, but I fully intend to. You should too.

I saw Subhumans’ singer Dick Lucas walking through the crowd before the show, trying to avoid eye contact with the audience members. He could have easily blended in with the other strange and eccentric folks that wander around in this Midtown Detroit neighborhood. It wasn’t until he had the mic in his hand that he really came alive. He’s still thin and limber, and was in constant motion at the front of the stage. It was in stark contrast to guitarist Bruce Treasure, bassist Phil Bryant and drummer Trotsky, who hardly moved at all. Subhumans are certainly the most authentic band remaining from the original British anarcho-punk movement. They’ve had the same four guys for over 30 years, and they still carry their early ideals. Lucas introduced most songs by explaining the inspiration or ideology behind them. When he spoke about boycotting products that were tested on animals, it was obvious that many in the audience were doing just that (namely deodorant).

On their records, Subhumans often use subtle nuances to deliver their message. Live, they are a raw, aggressive, straight ahead punk band. The guitar, bass and drums kept the pit raging for the entire set. Alex and I were standing right behind it and my left elbow and forearm were constantly trying to keep her from getting knocked over. Subhumans played material from all eras of their substantial history. From early stuff like “Religious Wars” to newer stuff like “Internal Riot”. The highlights for me were “No” and “Mickey Mouse is Dead”. If I had a single complaint, it would be that Subhumans were on stage for less than an hour including their encore. I would have loved to hear a couple more classics like “Pigman” or “British Disease”. I was a little surprised they did an encore at all considering how anti-corporate rock and roll they are. Ultimately, it was a short but passionate performance. All the bands were great, from the old (Subhumans), to the young (PEARS), to somewhere in the middle (Break Anchor). It added up to a nearly perfect night of punk rock.