This year at the Fest 7 in Gainesville, FL; our Video of the Week comrades National Underground teamed up with beloved Philadelphia hardcore group Paint It Black for a rather unique Fest surprise following the Bouncing Souls' Saturday night headlining set. NU.org head honcho McKenzie Singleton explains:
About five months ago Dan Yemin and I mentioned in contact that we needed to do another PIB show. He said he and Andy Nelson had agreed they "needed to top last year's show" at Dirty Money's apartment. After months of bouncing back emails and such (while they were home from tour) we decided on doing a guerilla show. Just setup in a parking lot and play till the cops shut it down. So, on Halloween, Jason Burroughs and I went to get a uhaul and generator. We lined up a backline with Static Radio from New Jersey. Also drums from James in Dirty Money. Unfortunately, he kicked through his bass drum during their set that afternoon at the Venue Sidehatch. So, someone got ahold of Richard Minino (Horsebites, NMDS, Gatorface) and we used his kick and snare. We found a PA we could use through Vinnie (LTJ, P+P) and Ryan from Dirty Money helped us with that. Then, we had a power conditioner, mic and electrical cables from Eric Wysocki, our NU audio engineer. His car got towed from behind the Venue, so we had no way to use the PA or put the generator anywhere but right in front of the back of the truck. Andy wrote a love note to the Fest that Sue, NU PR Director, had run on pink quarter page notes with hearts on em. We'll get a copy scanned soon. Basically the note said to meet them in the parking lot after the Souls show…
When we drove up, there were around 150 kids standing around. They rushed the truck and we were afraid the cops might come before we'd even get started. We still had to setup some stuff you can't drive around with like drums and the generator. We got all setup and Dr. Dan was no where to be seen. The Souls were still on stage and there was over 500 kids standing around the truck. Everybody was frantically texting him.
So the crowd starts clapping and he shows up, we pull the cord, get it going and start. 4 Second…that's how long it took to tear it apart. Little Mike from Static Radio and I were pinned on the generator by an avalanche of people, our jeans soaked with gas as the generator tipped over and I think it was my knee that made the fatal blow (I noticed the next day that the sparkplug was broke right off). Not knowing this, we kept trying to start it as the crowd kept it going. Andy and Josh stood there playing to the handful of people that were close enough to hear it.
I could say I'm sorry or whatever, but I'm not at all. It honestly was one of the coolest things ever regardless of how long it lasted. And as I can hear some boos or whatever when shit went wrong, I see all those smiling faces and know that the majority of you were having a good time being apart of the circus of it all.
Then the cops came.
Then the cops on horses.
Then they let us go…? No shit. They just told us to pack up and get the fuck out. Which we were very happy to do. So, I'm not sure I'll be doing this again so slap-dash, but it was well worth it.
See for yourself: