The Adicts – World Inferno / Friendship Society – The Killer Smiles – at House of Blues – Anaheim, CA

There's a joke about every Adicts show that longtime fans usually agree on, and it's that it seems as though an Adicts show is typically many a punk's first show experience. Despite the elitist sentiments that older punks have regarding how many times they've been to an Adicts show, an Adicts show brings together both youngster and veteran alike. By the end of the night, both sides become intermingled as they vie for beach balls and sing along to songs about who spilt whose beer and why no one's crazy anymore.On Friday night, The Adicts played at House of Blues Anaheim with support from The World/Inferno Friendship Society and East Bay Ray & The Killer Smiles.

The first band to play was East Bay Ray & The Killer Smiles, and they were an amazing introduction to the night's show. It's safe to say that the general public agrees that no matter what type of show you're at, opening bands usually suck, and sometimes, maybe it's not so much that they suck, but that the band you want to see is so talented and incredible, that none of the opening bands captivate you the same way. As a result, you're bored for a good two hours 'til the band you want to see finally gets on stage. The agony of experiencing the opening band usually leads to people skipping the first part of a show, enabling a late arrival.

Upon hearing the opening band's first song, I remember thinking, "Wow, this band actually sounds badass," and sure enough, that first song initiated a ridiculously insane circle pit, something that doesn't happen with opening bands. East Bay Ray & The Killer Smiles went on to impress me beyond reason, with former Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray bringing forth familiar styles and techniques with his guitar. As a treat, during the band's set, East Bay Ray began to play the intro to Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk to Fuck," initiating many phrases in the crowd like, "OH MY GOD NO WAY," "DUDE," and "ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?" After a few teases with the intro, the band performed the classic DK tune, inevitably increasing the size and nature of the pit. Later on in the set, the band also played Dead Kennedys' "Holiday in Cambodia," distressing fans who were in such a shock to hear such a classic song from East Bay Ray directly. Eventually, it was time for the band to end their time on the stage, and from the shouts and mumbles, it became clear that a majority of people were sad to see their time end. Another opening band victory for East Bay Ray & The Killer Smiles.

Since it was already near 10 pm when East Bay Ray's band finished, and the venue was already ample to its potential, most audience members figured Adicts had to be next, since HOB is notorious for ending shows around 11 pm. This anticipation grew and grew, and finally, when the curtains opened, on the stage was none other than... The World/Inferno Friendship Society? It was surprising to see band that wasn't The Adicts, and while it became apparent that there were many audience members disgruntled by this, the band itself carried out a great show that was undermined by many of the concertgoers. The Brooklyn based band performed music reminiscent of "Punk cabaret," a term that was made popular by bands like The Dresden Dolls.

The World/Inferno Friendship Society was composed of typical instruments such as drums, bass, and guitar, but they also added a few treats such as keyboards, violin, and a saxophone. With the band being from New York and having a saxophone in the band, FEAR's song "New York's Alright (If You Like Saxophones)" came to mind for many people present, including myself.

The band's music was different from what Adicts shows typically consist of, but their style carried many overtones that reflected other bands in the scene. Many songs carried the presence of bands such as X, The Damned, TSOL, and at times in a very subtle manner, Old Man Markley, or at least, what Old Man Markley would sound like if they moved to Brooklyn for a year. The World/Inferno Friendship Society was a different experience, yet because of their sound and showmanship, it's easy to anticipate that we'll be seeing more of them in the future.

Once The World/Inferno Friendship Society finished, the pushing and shoving commenced as something in everyone's guts told them that The Adicts were finally going to be next. After a lot of shoving, random crowd surfing, screaming, and both shoes and drinks being chucked across the floor, the curtains opened up to Fiddle Dan playing his rendition of "Ode to Joy" on the violin, with the rest of the band engaging in the song. Even a classical song like "Ode to Joy" could not calm the audience, as they instead began moving back and forth in furious waves, and bodies flew up to crowd surf or jump from nearby wooden rails. Finally, once Monkey came out, the screaming seemed to double, and that point the band played a short intro, then quickly led into "Joker in the Pack."

For an extended amount of time, the fury of the audience was untamed and unleashed into mass energy. It seemed that even the slowest of Adicts songs, such as "Troubadour," generated a crazed response from the audience. During popular songs like "Chinese Takeaway" and "Easy Way Out," the energy doubled, tripled, quadrupled, and reached maximum energy, with individuals achieving things like literally rising up and walking on people's heads to reach the stage. In the midst of all this, colorful confetti and wild streamers blurred the intensity of the crowd, making everything seem whimsical, as if it was coming out of a dream.

Adicts did not disappoint their loyal fans, and they made sure to play favorites like "Mary Whitehouse," "Angel," "You're all Fools," "Fuck it Up," "Numbers,"  "Steamroller," "Viva La Revolution," and many more. Besides a set consisting of crowd favorites, every Adicts show also provides a special treat with "Bad Girl," and surely enough, The Adicts invited the women of the audience to join them on stage and dance alongside Monkey. Once that was over, the band resumed with their set, and as the set drew to its end, the beachballs came out and it was every man for himself. When The Adicts "ended" their set, people stayed put in their spots, and the band came out again moments later to perform their encore.

They began their encore by playing the classic "Who Spilt My Beer?" causing people to spill their own beer by throwing cups all over the venue as a strange tribute to the band (Though why pay 10 bucks for a cup of beer just to throw it?). The encore was short, as is the case with encores, and once it was finally over, confetti seemed to bombard the crowd and the strobe lights shined at a blinding force. Each of the band members waved, smiled, bowed, and showed their gratitude by staying put on stage. Finally, the curtains drew, and the show was done close to 2 am.

The Adicts experience never fails, and with a show that ties in beach balls, confetti, glitter, streamers, and costume changes more unique than Lady Gaga's, how can anyone have a bad time? The band always maintains a positive experience for their fans, complete with great sound and extravagant visuals. Both opening bands furthered this eccentric experience, with Adicts topping it off with their showmanship. Maybe the next time The Adicts come to town, they'll have figured out how to take it to the next level by providing an "Adicts in 3D" experience.

-Stephanie M.-
Big Wheel Senior Staff Writer

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