The Kids was just crass

1977年から1985年まで活動したアナーコ・パンクバンド、CRASSのドキュメンタリー『CRASS: There is no authority but yourself』(2006)を観てきました。

映画【CRASS：ゼア・イズ・ノー・オーソリティ・バット・ユアセルフ】予告編 - YouTube

ボーカルのスティーヴ・イグノラントは労働者階級の貧しい若者で、当時はDavid Bowieをよく聞いていたけれど、1977年、The Clashのライブに衝撃を受け、Joe Strummerの「おまえらもバンドやれ」という言葉を彼自身の願望に変え、それをダイヤル・ハウスというシェアハウスをやっていたペニー・リンボーのところへ持ち込む。Bowieはあまりに大スターの手の届かない存在だったけれど、Joeは自分たちと同じだ、と感じたスティーヴと、ドラムを持っていたペニーとバンド結成。バンド名は「Ziggy Stardust」の歌詞、「Ziggy played for time, jiving us that we were voodoo / The Kids was just crass, he was the nazz / With God given ass」（ジギーは演奏し、俺たちを踊らせ、俺たちはブードゥーだった。ガキどもはただのバカで、彼は自称イエス。神が与えたケツの持ち主。）という部分から。

映画で語られたCRASSのエピソードは面白くはあるけれど、2014年の今から「憧れる」ものではない。ただしひどくなる一方の今日の日本に、なぜ怒れる若者たちが居ないのだろう…、なぜどうでもいいラブソングしか流行らないんだろう、って、原因はどうでもいいけれど、怒れよ！！と、無駄吠えをしながら帰宅。

そしてはじめてちゃんと聞いたCRASSが実はすごく音がかっこよくてびっくりした。

ノイズしか出せないギタリストとか、サイコーだ。

Crass - Punk Is Dead - YouTube

歌詞

Punk Is Dead : CRASS
Yes that's right, punk is dead,
It's just another cheap product for the consumers head.
Bubblegum rock on plastic transistors,
Schoolboy sedition backed by big time promoters.
CBS promote the Clash,
But it ain't for revolution, it's just for cash.
Punk became a fashion just like hippy used to be
And it ain't got a thing to do with you or me.

Movements are systems and systems kill.
Movements are expressions of the public will.
Punk became a movement cos we all felt lost,
But the leaders sold out and now we all pay the cost.
Punk narcissism was social napalm,
Steve Jones started doing real harm.
Preaching revolution, anarchy and change
As he sucked from the system that had given him his name.

Well I'm tired of staring through shit stained glass,
Tired of staring up a superstars arse,
I've got an arse and crap and a name,
I'm just waiting for my fifteen minutes fame.
Steve Jones you're napalm,
If you're so pretty (vacant) why do you swarm?
Patti Smith you're napalm,
You write with your hand but it's Rimbaud's arm.

And me, yes I, do I want to burn?
Is there something I can learn?
Do I need a business man to promote my angle?
Can I resist the carrots that fame and fortune dangle?
I see the velvet zippies in their bondage gear,
The social elite with safety-pins in their ear,
I watch and understand that it don't mean a thing,
The scorpions might attack, but the systems stole the sting.

PUNK IS DEAD. PUNK IS DEAD. PUNK IS DEAD.
PUNK IS DEAD. PUNK IS DEAD. PUNK IS DEAD.
PUNK IS DEAD. PUNK IS DEAD. PUNK IS DEAD.