GBH – Outernational – Bomb Pops – at the Music Box – Hollywood, CA

Supposedly there was some sort of basketball game last night. The real excitement though, was at the Music Box in Hollywood, for the sixth stop of Punk legends' GBH tour celebrating their 30th anniversary in Punk rock. The show opened early with San Diego band The Bombpops (not to be confused with Detroit band The Bomb Pops, another female-fronted pop punk act). This band is relatively new, they've been playing together since 2008, but only released their debut album, and did their first tour this year.



In some ways, their inexperience was evident, the members are all young, and their sound varies widely. The middle of the set had some good solid songs, and both the guitarist and drummer are excellent, but the end of the set lost a little momentum as the band wandered into some of the more predictable type of indy-girl type sound. Still, the band has some potential, and may be worth watching in the future.

The Bombpops were followed by Outernational, the New York mish-mash of punk, hard rock, ska, soul, and hip hop. The band had great energy on stage, though it wasn't entirely clear why frontman Miles Solay was so convinced "this is a better show than the Lakers game" was a controversial statement, a comment he repeated at least twice.

Finally it was time for GBH. Many people remember them fondly as their first show, or their first record, and tonight GBH was out to prove that they were still the driving punk rock force they were in the '80's.

Singer Colin was in high spirits, joking with the crowd, and dedicating every other song, like "Ha Ha" to the Celtics, who apparently lost the NBA Championship shortly before GBH came on stage, and "Drugs Party in 526" to the 11 year old boy enthusiastically watching from side stage. The crowd was with him, and by the second song the entire floor of the Music Box had erupted into one giant circle pit.

The band played for nearly an hour, hitting songs from nearly every album, and ending the set with "Generals", dedicated to the troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The band was only off stage for a moment before coming back for a three song encore, which started with "Big Women", and ended with their cover of "White Riot", which was dedicated to the ghost of Joe Strummer, and to Outernational, and also culminated in a wave of crowd surfing fans joining the band on stage to help with vocal duties.

And so, at the end of the night the verdict was clear: Forget the Lakers, GBH still has what it takes to bring the house down.


The Bombpops:  www.myspace.com/thebombpops
Outernational:  www.myspace.com/outernational
GBH:  www.myspace.com/gbh

-Jo Problems-
Big Wheel Music Scene Reporter
 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

Check out more coverage of the stops GBH made out west:

• GBH – DPI – Outernational – Hard Pipe Hitters – at Area 702 Skatepark – Las Vegas, NV
• GBH – Outernationals – D.A.D.T. – UESP – at Jerry’s Pizza – Bakersfield, CA
  

 
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