No Jamming In Punk Rock

Recently the band NOFX played at the quintessential feel good rock festival known as Bonnaroo and released this great pre-show interview with Fat Mike, the lead singer of the aforementioned band.

It's a great example of the apathy and loose lips Fat Mike and NOFX have always used to add some spine to the band.  He could absolutely care less about playing the festival, which to many upcoming artists (one local band in particular) as well a few established elders is quite a good notch to have on your rock and roll resume.  Fat Mike perfectly conveys the attitude that his band has had and kept over the last 20 plus years which has turned them into the band they are today.  I love it!

The comment that resonates so close with me as a fledgling punk rock musician is that "there's no jamming in punk rock" and he couldn't be more true.  I've always had a disdain for flowing, carefree make-up music that lingers on way too long to the point of absolute tedium.  I think that's what I find the most appealing about punk is it's rigidity and structure, the ability to be creative instantly within the same given form that everyone has yet somehow be better or worse inside that construct.  It's also the reason why i'm horrible at "jamming" with other people.  I'm completely inept at playing guitar with other people in a free-for-all musical situation and I really have no desire to get better at it.  To me, a song is something you figure out ahead of time, practice the piss out of it and then play with the fear of not messing up.  When you start free-balling your tune from what's recorded on your album is when I get completely lost.

All this reminds me of Roddy Doyle's novel/the movie "The Commitments" where Joey is giving it to Dean for liking Jazz.  He tells him that it's "The Antithesis of Soul" and how it's mostly undemocratic and basically a pretentious form of music.  That part of the story has always made me think about music genres.  It's always easy to do something different than everyone else, but to be the best within a structured confine really says something about your creativity.

In the end, as a music fan, it's what keeps you smiling.  I'll be in the back room of some small sweaty show in a basement or club with my arms crossed trying to look cool while others are outdoors reenacting what appears to be a slow backstroke or an eagle-landing catalyzed by some 9 minute, multi-intrumentalized crunchy groove.  There appears to be plenty of appetite for both but I think Fat Mike has good merit in showing that there's nothing wrong with keeping the two separate.  (Although they did have a damn good crowd at Bonnaroo and you can't tell me a few hippies who enjoyed Buffalo Springfield didn't dip over to help sing "Don't Call Me White" with the rest of the punks)