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By Neal Giannone Photos by sprout

Social Distortion: Socially Clean With bands like Fall Out Boy and Avril Lavigne sharing the top of the charts with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado, the plateauing genre of pop-punk, (quincy-punk, bitch-punk, faux-punk etc.) can cleanly be accepted as top 40. It is a popular style far from the origins of the archetypal counter-culture punk scene. In such a popular alternative music theatre a band like Social Distortion, on first appearance, can easily be lost in the endless out-file of these other “new punk” bands. On first appearance. The glorious irony, of course, is this “new punk” wouldn’t exist without the following waves of American music (like Social D) that broke and crashed immediately after the birth of its original English counterpart (like The Buzzcocks). Now, before the Social D loyalists stop reading there is a notable difference between them and say Simple plan. Above and beyond the clean but effective song writing of Mike Ness and the raspy atmosphere that encircles Social Distortion and their history is there ability to play live. Social D played two nights at the Commodore Ballroom on April 16 and 17. In front of a sold out crowd at 10:00pm sharp, Mike Ness, frontman and chief songwriter, sauntered out throwing roses and donning his self-styled slicked hair and black guy-liner. He sauntered off 45 minutes later. Now, in true Social D fashion they kept it short and sweet with a long encore, but as they walked off the second time you were definitely not ready to go home. Popular and notable songs like “Dear Lover” and “Winner’s and Losers” were yet to be played, leaving the audience delayed and bated (and I suppose baited). One could, perhaps, chalk it up to the band being in their early forties. By the second song Mike Ness was winded and attired in sweat as much as he was tattoos. But the energy that was shooting to the Ballroom rafters would speak different. Despite their fatigued appearance, Social Distortion still dropped trou and waved their junk for all to see. The energy that was circulating from band to audience, and audience to band, was like a multiple decade long love affair that could exist only on mutual commitment between band and fan. Mike Ness formed Social Distortion in 1978, creating a fast, aggressive yet simple style blueprinting the Californian punk sound. This sound ultimately would publicly associate them with the “second wave of punk” along with the likes of Black Flag and Minor Threat. Through years of short jail stints and long drug abuse Mike Ness made it difficult for Social Distortion to exist, inevitably creating a jagged and colourful history to say the least. A colourful history, however, that belongs to a band from that era. A colourful history that is unknown to many new bands mentioned above. This is what makes Mike Ness’ song writing different from the popular punk of today. As they played upon the small black stage, amidst the weed exhaust and mess of plastic beer cups you could see the dirt and piss and junk that led to the music ever coming to be in the first place. Across the fret board, upon the amp cabs, within the drum skins. This is why I’m sure any one in the audience would take and hour with Social D over three with Simple Plan. Nonetheless, they played a lot of songs. From classics like “Mommy's Little Monster,” “Sick Boys,” and “Ball and Chain” to newer material like “Reach For the Sky” and “Nickels and Dimes.” And of course it wouldn’t be Social Distortion without Johnny Cash; they also played “Ring of Fire.” I Hate Kate and the Black Halos opened. I Hate Kate needs to shut up more and the black Halos need to let Kind Diamond go back to the ‘80s.

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