Preview: The Bronx, Ghost Of A Thousand & Mariachi El Bronx @ The Thekla. 3rd May 2010
Written for and printed in the May issue of Bristol’s ‘Eye’ magazine:
I first saw the Bronx during my gap year in 2004. I pulled up to Amsterdam, found a hostel, saw their name in a local gig listing and decided to attend all within around 10 minutes. Having heard their then latest single ‘False Alarm’ not long before leaving for my jaunt, I kind of knew what to expect. After arriving at the Paradiso theatre the rest of the night became a blur of drink; punk; 400 Blows; falling over; a big bassist and a big bass; crashy loud drums; the singer in the crowd; the singer being funny and the singer being scary. All of this culminated in us nearly joining them for a post-gig night out but choosing to see ‘Lost In Translation’ instead (big regret). Details are hazy, but since then, they have pretty much been my favourite band.
I watched them progress from there, from their first album to their third. Time brought better artwork and maturing songs, snappier t-shirts, weirder videos, bigger chords, catchier vocals and louder guitars. They are a band that improve upon and outdo themselves constantly, a rare breed. In modern punk, that’s rarer than a Sid Vicious knife party.
In 2007 the band were offered to perform one of their songs in an acoustic format. Deeming this as cliche and never being ones to stick to convention, they decided to perform one of their punk standards through the medium of Mariachi. From this, the band discovered a special knack for this traditional Mexican ditties and set upon writing an entire album under a the guise of El Bronx. Clever. Not only do they play the tunes, they look the part too, by donning traditional mariachi gear and recruiting necessary musicians for increased authenticity. Consequently, the band undertook the task of relentlessly touring the globe, often with both of their bands sharing space on the same bill. This entails dressing up, setting up, playing an entire set as El Bronx, packing up, changing, setting up again and then smashing through a headline set of hardcore/punk/rock ‘n’ roll as The Bronx. Night after night.
El Bronx released their debut album last year. Far removed from novelty, it’s an innovative and exciting record that has helped the band gain wider recognition outside of the punk/hardcore community. All the while, they maintain the snarl and spirit of independence that made them so great in the first place.
Considering the above, you can imagine my dribbling delight upon hearing that both of these bands are playing Bristol’s very own Thekla. Small enough to let the chaos reverberate off the rafters, and weird enough to feel like you have walked into something historic; the rum soaked hull of the club on a boat is the perfect setting for this messed-up hybrid. Brighton’s Ghost Of A Thousand have taken it upon themselves to play as the buffer between The headliners and their mariachi counterparts and should be worth checking out. 11 quid buys you a ticket to three unique bands, a messy and diverse night out and some bragging rights for one of those “wow my Dad didn’t used to be a gimp” moments with your kids in 20 years time. Enjoy.
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