Wednesday 29 April 2009

lux interior



It happened in February and I decided not to mention it in my blog, probably expecting all the important pages to say something much more appropriate than I could. Somehow thou, after these months, I had to change my mind.

Lux Interior is dead. He is no more. His heart failed.

In these situations I wish I believed in Heaven and Hell just to figure him having a laugh in the eternal flames. A hero, a fighter, an inspiration, a living anthem, three chords, a soul.

I want something of him to have place in these pages, with the memory of the only time I had the privilege to see him performing.

I won't bother mentioning the details. It was a huge summer festival. It was the time when pop punk and melodic hardcore made it comfortably into pop culture. Main attraction were the NO-FX, always hated them, always will. Under the stage an undeserved crowd of teenagers with expensive skateboard shoes carefully destroyed, brand new punkrock t-shirts freshly ripped, cold beer in one hand and joint in the other. Soft rebels.

Cramps where onstage infamously at around 8PM, at least on the main stage. Drummer and bass player got into position with style, proud satellites of the the true stars.

Poison Ivy (about 50 years old already?) shut the crowd getting on stage in an usual outfit. Jaw dropping. Her Gretsch a titan high on her chest. She walks in front of her Fender Twin and raises the bottom in in a typically depraved, cheeky way. The crowd is silent. She starts the riff, could have been any of their riffs, I don't remember which one. I remember those kids confused about finding themself facing the desire for a 50 years old rock and roll legendary vixen.


Then He came on stage.

The one and only thing close enough to a human, capable of wearing manly latex trousers and high heels. A bomb. I won't make it long. I'll just say that it would have been impossible for ANYONE ELSE to shut the mouth of those kids. They were there for a quick "untza untza"but they got looped into slow, slushy rock and roll dynamite. They did it, He did it. He got bloody naked on stage, he took off one of Poison Ivy's socks with the teeth, and he eventually slipped it on his gender. He climbed up, high on the structure holding the stage roof and the huge speakers. Singing.

He was the only one capable of doing it without being inappropriate.

He could. He was Lux Interior.

Most of the kids there that day didn't even know his name.


But you should have seen their faces.


For Elvis' sake, you should have seen their faces and you should have seen them enjoying the last true rock and roll God.

Thanks for what you have done. 33 years of style and legend.


Lux Interior

R.I.R'N'R

21-10-1946 / 04-02-2009



Saturday 4 April 2009

neglected duet

Torino, 2005
Ivan Catalano



Robin Hood Gardens, London, 2009
Davide De Giorgi