FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
When reality bites, kick it in the nuts
Social Distortion decide to grow up with their latest releaseSocial Distortion
Saturday, April 26
at the MacEwan Hall BallroomRock star fantasy: sitting around the pool with greased-up lingerie models jumping on trampolines, eating corn dogs and licking the salt off of your naked body before every shot of tequila.
Rock star reality: sitting in the backyard with your wife and six-month-old kid doing phone interviews before heading out on yet another gruelling tour.
At least that's the reality for Social Distortion in 1997, and I'm telling myself that's how it is all across the board just because I'd kill myself if I thought those smelly bastards in Sloan were hanging around with anyone other than gawky, fawning androgynous pre-teens. But it didn't always used to be like this. The punk rock four-piece - and particularly their lead singer Mike Ness - were infamous for saying "yes" to many an excess back in the '80s and almost whacked themselves out of existence. Hello maturity.
"We've come to the conclusion now that we do consider ourselves professionals," admits Dennis Danell, the above-mentioned proud papa and guitarist for Cal Core grandaddies Social Distortion. "We get paid for this and people are coming to our shows so we're gonna show up sober and in a good state to do the show.
"It's about growing up... and the way we are now."
Their latest album, White Light, White Heat, White Trash, signals a band that's a little greyer and a whole lot wiser. Much of the content deals with emotional pain and some of life's little realizations. Danell admits that the lyrical tone is indicative of how the band members have been feeling lately.
"If anything, it's a little more spiritual maybe than some of our other albums," he says. "We're maturing a little bit, becoming a little older. Realizing that there's consequences to your actions [like, er, kids?] and things of that nature. A lot of people think that it has religious undertones but we consider it more of a spiritual thing. As far as religion goes, that's a whole other thing - I try not to speak about religion and politics too much."
So a more spiritual Social D means a mellower, Disney sponsored Social D?
"Oh, I hope not," Danell laughs. "I'm still just as angry and cantankerous as ever."
"What it's done is almost bring things full circle and we really got back in touch with our real strong, deeply punk-rooted beginnings and stuff.
"There are a lot of other bands in the last couple of years - so-called punk bands - achieving all of this commercial success. We kind of silenced the critics a little bit and said, 'Oh yeah, well look: how do you like us now?'"
If you need confirmation on their commitment to a heavy punk sound, check out who's behind the skins when Social Distortion comes through town. Soon after recording the latest album, the band enlisted the help of ex-DOA / Circle Jerks / Black Flag drummer Chuck Biscuits, who is now a full-fledged member.
And as for Social Distortion embracing its roots as opposed to denying them, that flies directly in the face of many of the new-school punk crews' adamant "we're fresh and new" stance towards comparisons to their elders. According to Danell, Social Distortion, who have been saddled with a Clash-clone tag since they first began, are no longer too concerned with the comparison.
"Mainly for the fact that it seems that most of the people listening to our band nowadays have never even heard of the Clash - it's unfortunate," he says. "But yes, bands like the Clash were huge influences on us. It was just amazing, and still is to this day, how I can put on a Clash record and really enjoy it.
"On the other side of the coin, I've almost lost all respect for a band like the Sex Pistols doing their whole reunion tour and just making a big mockery of this. Now I look back on it, I'm going, 'Gosh, maybe I was just naive when I was young in thinking the Sex Pistols were cool. I missed their whole meaning.'"
Ah, reality. What a pisser.
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