Crass gigs in Middlesbrough early 1980s
Do They Owe Us A Living? Course they F***ing Do!
I was lucky enough to see Crass live twice in the early 80s. I went to both gigs with my mate Dave, the first gig was in Middlesbrough Rock Garden, and the second a year or two later in Middlesbrough Town Hall Crypt. I have very vivid memories of the Rock Garden gig. The Rock Garden was an amazing venue, an old beer kellar, with sticky floors and full of punks and some of the edgiest looking skins you have ever seen. Dave and I went to many gigs there, it always exciting, and we often felt in fear of our lives, particularly as we both had long hair, and didn’t come from Middlesbrough. For Crass the place was packed, so packed that you couldn’t move. We were the only people in there with long hair; everyone else was a punk or a skin. There were black and white TVs all over the place, at first showing static and flashing screens and then images of war crimes, the holocaust, horishima, etc. Crass were just great. Dave and I loved Owe us a Living, Banned from the Roxy and Shaved Women and its.. Screaming Babies, Screaming Babies..chorus; the whole place went mental and sang along. 
Imagine being in a room full of punks, so full that you can’t move, the sound is loud, deafening, and the place is going wild, beer is being thrown everywhere and you are getting pushed all over. Well thats what it was like. Dave and I drove home singing Sreaming Babies… We were back to see Crass again a year or so later at The Crypt. In comparison that gig was quite tame, as I recall. Not as full (the crypt is a bigger venue) and no where near as wild or scary. They was no other band like them, nor has there been since. I picked up this comment from YouTube: “CRASS! are the most influencial punk band ever, not to mention, the PUNKEST band ever. they were not about the bull shit, and never sold out. they were a true punk band and spoke what they knew was right, not caring who opposed.” I can’t agree more. Well said.
Archive for the ‘Crass’ Category
20 Jun
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