french frenzy
Amanda Woodward, plucked from the socially unrestful streets of Paris, punks Apelsin next Tuesday. Even raging against the machine sounds better in French.
TEXT SONYA RINKUS feedback
Heather Locklear’s character Amanda Woodward on the series “Melrose Place” was roundly hated by all, but probably most so by the French hardcore group which takes their namesake from her. In this case, it doesn’t matter if you can’t speak French, as their antipathy towards modern culture transcends the linguistic boundaries. Lyrics such as “Enduring the wearing and tearing of our confiscated bodies/ Only our eyes are left for window shopping” (from their 2001 demo album) would sound so much more romantic — hey, it’s the language of love — if they weren’t screamed with animalistic fury over the angriest Gallic guitar riffs to date. No one is going to accuse Amanda Woodward of national wimpiness — they are sons of severe social unrest, plucked from the violent outskirts of Paris splashed on the media in recent months. The nuances of the political message may be lost in translation, but what comes through above all is anger. You there in the audience with your expensive band t-shirt, they hate you. (Although, for what it’s worth, they have a very friendly website). 2003’s tautological “La Decadence de La Decadence,” eight tracks of raging against the machine, is Amanda Woodward’s third and most popular album to date — “popular” meaning dedicated collectors of cacophony made a point to get it. They’ve been compared to punk legends Fugazi and more contemporary screamers At The Drive-In and Trail of Dead, who coincidentally graced the stage of Apelsin last weekend and hardly anyone in the audience knew what to do with them. What is this you call “moshing?” Hopefully, the always-notable distinction of being French will carry the crowd for Amanda Woodward. Spitefully named for the most superficial icon of American popular culture, these enfants terribles will never find mainstream success, and if they somehow did, they’d puke on everyone there. For the pleasure of seeing a Frenchman cover the mic with spittle, head to Apelsin at 7 p.m. on May 2 . Tickets are 300 rubles. |
