Audio•Files
hot item! punk rock circus comes to town
by megan carneal
mcarneal@mscd.edu
Mix two cups of old-school punk rock, a handful of circus, and a heaping spoonful of Stanley Kubrick. Bake in pre-heated oven and by Oct. 11 The Adicts will be ready to devour.
The Adicts have been around since 1976, long enough for two generations of fans to become hooked on their sound. Early on in their career The Adicts adopted the look of "droogs" from the 1971 Stanley Kubrick film "A Clockwork Orange." All of the members, except lead singer Monkey, wear all white with black boots and a bowler hat. Monkey, the self proclaimed "joker in the pack" will paint his face to look like something between a Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie and the Joker from Batman. He will wear anything from a sparkling, striped suit to a clown costume, complete with magic tricks.
Monkey possesses the kind of charisma usually only found in cult leaders. He's the Jim Jones of punk rock, except he wouldn't force anyone to drink any "Kool Aid," and the only brainwashing he does is making girls young enough to be his grandkids swoon.
The only way to describe their sound is pure fun. Punk rock tends to be very serious and aggressive. The Adicts avoid the typical political or angst-ridden songs that populate the genre, opting for light-hearted, uplifting lyrics set to fast, catchy and sometimes clownish riffs.
The Adicts are one of the extremely rare breeds of punk bands that can make a room full of disillusioned, jaded punk rockers quit hating the world long enough to dance.
Their live show is also pure fun. The interaction between the band and the fans is incredible. During their show the band brings out a bag full of props to use for their onstage antics. The props include streamers to shoot out at the crowd, plastic bowler hats (just in case anyone forgot to bring their own), and enough confetti to make their grungy punk fans sparkle.
The Adicts will make The Bluebird dance on Tuesday, Oct. 11. The show is at 8:00 p.m., doors are at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $15.00