Cat Power - Can't Stop Us Mexico/Japan

  by Sarah Rowland

published: 17 / 3 / 2006

intro

Aaron Brown finds New York punk band the Casualties' DVD of their recent tour of Mexico and Japan shoddy, but fascinating

About the Casualties tour of Mexico and Japan, 'Can't Stop Us' offers a fascinating insight to the underground scenes of Mexico and even stranger, Japan, a country where I thought fading rocks went to record the obligatory ‘Live from Budokan’ album when their career is going down the pan. Be warned though, this DVD is purely for the fans of the New York band as it is shoddy and very basic throughout. To the outsider, the Casualties who come across as a mix between the Exploited and Brazilian legends, Ratos de Porâo. It is not easy listening by any means. The behind the scenes footage features singer Jorge openly discussing whether to sing in Spanish or English with Mexican fans. In a more trying incident, the footage switches backstage to a gig in Mexico City as rioting fans were trying to break into the gig because they did not want to pay (f**king Ticketmaster, eh !). Singer Jorge holds his own against one of the rioting fans who heckled them while on stage for being capitalists because they charged an admission fee to the gig. What a little prick ! An appearance from a slightly worse for wear UK Subs mainstay Charlie Harper, begs the question ‘who ate all the pies’. Footage from Japan is slightly more uneventful, but it does casts a light on the country’s fanatic and truly underground punk scene, a scene I did not know even existed due to the many crappy 1980's acts who still hold sway in the land of the rising sun. Fans of the Exploited will love the Casualties.

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