Guitar Wolf - Local 506 - 05/11/11

"Where words fail, music speaks." -Hans Christian Andersen

Guitar Wolf. I’m not going to lie; I knew literally nothing about them, having only heard rumors about the wildness. I plundered around online a bit before the show, listening to a few youtube clips and reading some reviews, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. I asked dude if he wanted to get up front with me. He declined, said something about not being really into crowds, So, me being me, double fisted and camera armed, I pushed through.

Note: anyone interested in going to a show with me ever in the future: I push through. I am master of pushing through. I will get up front. One day I will find a dude that pushes through first. This might be a true love moment for me; a guy that grabs my hand and drags me to the front of the stage at a rock show. It’s usually me. I’m so aggressive; it’d be kinda spectacular. I get starry-eyed just thinking about it!

Having recently been to a hardcore (albeit not necessarily punk) show not too long ago, and having been relatively protected and treated semi-delicately because I’m totally a chick, I didn’t worry too much. I don’t know if it’s because it was a legitimate punk show, or because Chapel Hill dudes are ungentlemanly asses, but I got the crap knocked out of me. I had learned my lesson at Thorr (no heels), but I hadn’t planned on being dumped and angry and drunk and raging, so there I was, front and center in the middle of a god damned mosh pit in 3 inch heels again. It’s been almost a week and the tops of my feet are still black and blue. I actually found myself semi-protecting the girls behind me. No one was apparently going to watch out for me, so it was the least I could do. Oh, and also I am a million foot tall.

ummm... Gigi? that you?

I think if I hadn’t been in the particular mindset I was in at the time, I wouldn’t have enjoyed this show half as much as I actually did. I was angrrrrryyyyyy! And anger and punk shows are a delicious combo, I’d say. Maybe it was divine intervention on part of the universe to get me to be absolutely wildly in love with all bands I see live and if I was all having to hang back and just watch the show with some dude, I’d probably be just telling you about the sound quality (hey, sounded good to me) or a little about the band’s history (Japanese) their style (straight mod leathers and sunglasses) or the theatrics (polished).  From where I was standing (bouncing) things sounded pretty amazing. There was literally no break between songs. A 2 minute power-rager and then maybe one chord held out a little longer than necessary and then *AHHHSCREAMINGRANDOMJAPANESETHINGS* and then …RALLY! It had been a long time, with probably good reason, since I had been this trashed at a show. Literally, physically and alcoholically. I’m not making excuses for myself and I’m certainly not apologizing. I got trapped there. I had fun for a bit. Then I decided I was done. And I walked away from the stage. Found dude, apparently, and then he dropped me off at home. Done.