As I have noted before, I have a problem with stupid people. That’s not to say that I’m the world’s most intelligent person, because I’m far from it, and I know I’m probably wrong half the time.
I was lucky enough to attend Devo’s gig at the Forum tonight; one of the ATP ‘Don’t Look Back’ series of gigs, which saw the American [whatever you want to call them] quintet playing their debut album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! in it’s entirety. It was mind-blowing, and despite the steep £30 ticket cost, it was totally worth it. Amidst a sea of many talentless and overhyped musical acts, it was great to witness this Eno-produced classic rejuvenated with some modern flair.
Being off-kilter as usual, the set was precluded by two music videos, one of them being this freaky gem:
Before playing ‘Jocko Homo’, Gerald Casale asked the crowd if they believed in the devolution theory, some 30 years on from their first album. Most cheered, but anyone who has seen any band live will know that most concert goers will cheer at any words coming from a band. Casale acknowledged those who didn’t give ecstatic responses – ‘there’s a few skeptics in here!’
After the encore of a handful of back-catalogue tracks (none of which were ‘hits’), the lights came up and many a teenage hipster walked out angry. Such reasons cited for being pissed off included disbelief at ‘Whip It’ not making an appearance on the set list. Given the band’s hugely energetic yet sometimes downright bizarre mode of concert performance, I get the feeling a fair few there missed the point.
Excusing Devo’s somewhat satirical exertion of the devolution theory and the theory itself; to some extent London appears to be devolving socially. There’s something humourous about dozens of consumer-eroded sheep-like cool-cats singing along to these songs. One must remember though that this is what Devo have always been aiming for (see also ‘Devo 2.0 – the Disney kids offshoot). In fact it seems Devo’s satirism stretches so far that ridicule is inescapable; Devo are laughing at the world.
This talk of devolution leads me to a discussion I was having the other day. I feel as if my brain is shrinking. In the past, especially as a literature student I was bursting with ideas, keen to converse on intellectual and theoretical subject matter, and had so many ambitions.
Nearly four years later, I’ve given up on many of those things, and can happily spend an evening eating junk food and watching some E4 gobble-dee-gook. This isn’t me at all yet I seem unflustered by this fact. This is the point which is of concern to my peers.
I don’t know about devolution or the decline of intelligence in regards to the human race as a whole, but sometimes it feels in a localised sense that my mind is losing its power.
All of this aside; it was good to see Booji Boy in action again.
