During the campaign, one of my favorite things to do was watch political music videos on youtube. Fun ones, dumb ones, serious ones. Anything I could find.
One genre of music that is mostly unknown by the general American public is industrial, and it's one of the most politically thought provoking types of music out there, in my opinion.
Industrial music gets kind of a bad rap mostly because of the clothing styles and some lifestyles that are associated with it. These are the concerts you go to and see people with gas masks on and chains and leather and glow in the dark everything, leaping around to a combination of bass beats and synthesizers that could only happen in industrial music.
But there is something that happens in industrial music that is easy to miss for those dismissive of its culture. This is music where the lyrics matter, and they tend to matter a lot. There is a very politically active core in the industrial genre, and it swings heavily democratic. I'm not saying this very small genre wins elections or anything, but when you're in an industrial club, you generally know what sorts of people you're going to encounter.
I write the above so that the following story might make a little sense.
It's 2007 in St. Louis. My friend and I drove here from Chicago, and we are appalled at our surroundings. We are at some dumpy club surrounded by three strip clubs. There's a lot of neon around, and we are pretty sure we are just on the wrong side of the tracks. There is a midget wrestling ad on what looks like an old church's sign. We literally saw a pack of dogs running along the railroad tracks. I had never seen a pack of dogs in my life until then.
Dusk is falling, and we've struck up conversation with a thin girl who was behind us. She tells us her husband is in Iraq, and she's a nervous wreck, that she shouldn't be at this concert, but couldn't not come out either. He said she should go for both of them. So, she did.
I have my ticket in hand. I don't do buying tickets at the door. Not when a show is this important to me.
We three look hopefully up at the sign. "VNV NATION" it proclaims. How odd, I think to myself, to see those words against this strange ghetto backdrop. Off track betting at the gas station next door.
The doors finally open, and I'm surprised to see that the inside of the club is nothing like the outside, and it's actually very cool.
Soon enough the show begins, and we have secured front row. As my friend and I will settle for nothing less for this band. We have always been in the front when we go see VNV.
Ronan takes the stage to ominous background music and a huge VNV Nation logo.
"This is your world. These are your people. You can live for youself today, or help build tomorrow for everyone."
Then we are off, there is dancing, claping, waving, choruses to sing along with, and responses to be shouted.
We're first treated to "The Farthest Star"
We live in times when all seems lost. But time will come when we look back, upon ourselves and our failings...We possess the power if this should start to fall apart, to mend divides to change the world, to reach the farthest star. IF we should stay silent, if fear should win our hearts, our light will have long dimminished before it reaches the farthest star
Then it picks up a little with "Testament":
I'm not the only one who thinks we're trying to say to the heavens and all who hear us "behold all we've made" We bring destruction,we bring war without and end. Then we live in hope that tomorrow never comes. We conquer paradise just to burn it to the ground. We build a future to honor pasts we've left behind.
"It's just you and me against the world."
I notice the thin girl who came in with us is crying as Testament plays. I learn later that it is her husband's favorite song.
One of the last songs they play that night is "Standing"
"Fighting time, so much I ask. I will this moment last forever. Seasons change, things come to pass."
After the show is over, we stumble out. Our feet tingling from the jumping, completely intoxicated with happiness, carrying our new VNV swag out to the car.
"Man," my friend says, looking over the roof of the car at me, "that was fucking amazing." as we open the doors.
"Yeah it was....always is." My voice is mostly gone since I have been screaming for about 2 hours. "Let's hit up Waffle House."
One day, after this band is long gone, and I'm too old to jump around at concerts, I'll remember where I got my political socialization. From my friend (whom I still can't convince to register to vote!!!), and from this band, and all the other bands it led me to.
We pull out, into the bombed out, shuttered St. Louis industrial area, and drive north, toward Chicago.
I mostly picked these videos because the audio quality was good, and the video wasn't stupid, and the last one to give you a sense of what it is like at a live show.
Hmm, bonus video. This is my favorite song, I think, for when I am feeling particularly pissed off at the various injustices of the world. It's called "Nemesis"
Disclaimer, for anyone who cares. Generally VNV Nation refers to themselves as "futurepop", a term that the singer for the band, Ronan Harris, coined which is basically EBM and synthpop put together, which were born from industrial anyway...so.
VNV Nation stands for "Victory not Vengeance" That you should seek to better yourself, not sit in bitter regret.
If this isn't the place for this diary, I apologize, however, I assume that since pootie diaries sometimes make it to the rec list, this one shouldn't offend too terribly bad.