Inspired by the recent chatter regarding my Australian rock fetish, Teachin' Tim Kastelle was kind enough to pass me this video of a mighty Celibate Rifles live performance from earlier this year. The band's many years of writing and performing are perhaps most evident in the grizzled and leathery complexion of singer Damien Lovelock (baking in the Oz sun for years will do that to anyone!), but songs like "Wild Desire" and "Back in the Red" have only gotten more amazing with age, I'd say. And let there be no mistake—the Rifles aren't part of the current nostalgia circuit that's so grossly overpopulated by the aging post-punker set. They've been actively recording and gigging since 1978, and have subsequently aged like a classy and expensive wine (as opposed to decomposing cheese, which is the more common routine for bands their age.)
UPDATE: The embed code from the hosting website isn't working properly, so you have to watch it here.
The set list pulls liberally from the band's many fantastic records, which is a refreshing change of pace from the hateful trend of "signature" albums being performed on stage in their entirety. As I've often wondered, if a band is around long enough to develop a huge and diverse body of work, why not use the live show to blend it all together in new and exciting ways? Bob Mould's set at last year's All Tomorrow's Parties festival was a great example of this—he pulled material from his solo records, Hukser Du standbys, and even a couple of Sugar songs, all of which resulted in a riveting set during which I rarely had any idea what might be coming next. Had I been fortunate enough to attend this Rifles gig, I imagine it would've left me with a similar appreciation. So why the hell didn't I move to Australia when I had the chance? Didn't half of us drunkenly announce that intention to a bar full of strangers after the 2004 election?
You're right about how well it all fits together - I Shoulda sounds just as good as all the older ones. Damien Lovelock does commentary on sporting events here on the 'alternative' tv station SBS. He's actually pretty good at it. They show the Super Bowl every year, and unlike most sports guys, he doesn't pull any punches. If the game is done at halftime, he'll say it. He has probably spent a bit too much time at the beach, but he's still a pretty excellent guy to have around.
And also, you should have moved to Australia! It's great down here...
Posted by: Tim Kastelle | May 13, 2009 at 05:00 PM
Oh, also, have you seen this site Mike?
http://www.i94bar.com/
It's pretty much the essential guide to Oz rock...
Posted by: Tim Kastelle | May 13, 2009 at 05:04 PM
I saw the Rifles 6 or 7 times in both London and Sydney during the 1980's and still 20 years later they are some of the best rock shows i ever saw, just a great band :)
Posted by: Crawford Smith | May 16, 2009 at 03:16 AM