Original image by There Stands the Glass.
Three notable post-punk touring bands performed at separate venues within a half-mile radius of one another in Kansas City on Saturday, September 24. I passed on Gwar at Grinder’s KC because I’m an adult. I skipped Dinosaur Jr. because I’d already been pummeled by the band two or three times. But I’d never previously had an opportunity to catch Live Skull.
I’ve been a fan of the New York City no-wave pioneers since buying the groundbreaking Speed Trials compilation as a new release in 1985. About three dozen old heads paid $12 to hear the underground legends play a 60-minute headlining set at recordBar. Forty years after its inception, Live Skull still sounds all wrong in all the right ways.
Live Skull was ahead of its time. Not surprisingly, dust hasn’t accumulated on its jagged blend of reverse funk and discriminating noise. The enhanced musical proficiency that comes with age hasn’t diminished the band’s visceral impact. The tense interplay among the current lineup causes Live Skull to seem every bit as dangerous as it did in the 1980s.