Thursday, December 07, 2006

A Punky Christmas Party

Santa & The Klawz, NP-34 Research Station, 1/12/06

Well, the Christmas frenzy has well and truly started, but so far I've managed to steer calmly through the froth. I do apologize if this sounds a bit smug, but methinks I've already done about 90% of my gift shopping. Yep, thank you llbean.com, amazon.com, chapters.com and (Dearest Wife, avert your eyes RIGHT NOW unless you want to spoil the surprise) amazingly funky local boutique LouLou Luv! LouLou's is a wonderful girly-girl place, stuffed to the gills with fantastic handbags and jewellery. The shop itself has a real fin-de-siecle a Paris vibe and their window displays are always extraordinary. Currently they have two stunning Christmas trees fashioned out of sparkly silver and gold evening clutch bags. Ho Ho Ho & Oh La La!!

I am particularly thrilled that I managed to limit my exposure to The Dreaded Mall. Indeed, I made but one brief foray into the roiling waters of Oakridge Shopping Centre, and managed to escape before being crushed by a combination of piped Yuletide muzak, overheated and recycled air, zombie-shopper hordes, and enormously bloated decorations (Look out! It's a six-foot-wide velvet bow!!). As I emerged (empty-handed, I might add) into the refreshingly cold outside air, I had a brief, frightening flashback to one December night a couple of years back in London...

It was either the penultimate or final shopping day before Christmas and I was sadly behind on my shopping owing to a maniacal year-end workload. In desperation I went that evening to the city's premier shopping strip, Oxford Street, to hit the major department stores: John Lewis, Selfridges, Debenhams, House of Fraser.

I found myself in hell on earth. Wall-to-wall bodies. Tortuous check-out queues. Displays picked clean. Packed, sweaty Tube trains.

I can't remember what all I bought. But I do recall feeling despondent that I hadn't been able to put my heart into it, that I had spent a lot just for the sake of buying, that I had let Christmas become an automated, compulsive duty.

And so, Dearest Friends, let me give to you the second of my festive mixes, one which I hope will give you the stamina, courage, and bolshiness to muscle your way through all the shite and aggro of the season. I tell you, these are the tunes that Santa, his reindeer, and the elves are pogoing and slamming to in the North Pole mosh pit. Merry effing Xmas to you all - I mean it, maaaan!!

The Vandals - Oi to the World (buy here or e-here)
The Damned - There Ain't No Sanity Clause (buy here)
The Dickies - Silent Night (buy here)
Sloppy Seconds - Hooray for Santa Claus! (buy here or e-here)
Crucial Youth - Santa is Coming (buy here or e-here)
Peter & The Test Tube Babies - I'm Getting Pissed for Christmas (buy here or e-here)
The Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) (buy here)
Celibate Rifles - Merry Xmas Blues (buy here)
The Jet Boys - Merry Xmas, Fuck You (buy here or e-here)

And for Dearest Liz, who goes for this song most every way it's dished up: The Revolvers - Last Christmas (buy here)

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

This has been the best x-mas posts this year. Punk x-mas spirit who knew it could be filled with such cheer...And I am being serious.

Stand out picks were The Dickies, Silent Night and of course The Ramones...

I am having a bit of trouble with The Damned the track it is being a Scrooge. :-P

Don't even give that dreadful day another thought, think calm, peaceful snow topped mountains. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Cheers.
Peter & the Test-Tube Babies!
I'd forgotten all about this band. Saw them yonks back in a pub in Brighton. What a night that was! Had massive row with boyfriend, walked home alone past the bombed out Brighton Hotel - still not rebuilt? Did they ever rebuild it? Haven't been back to Brighton since I was 18. Damned awful place.

Admin said...

ya..one of the best blog on christmas.. thanks for the list..do come over to my blog with your dearest wife and we'll celebrate christmas..i got a small family..

Anonymous said...

aw fil, i can't help but think you might've had me in mind when you chose "merry xmas, fuck you." i'm quite touched. ;-)

Anonymous said...

aw fil, i can't help but think you might've had me in mind when you chose "merry xmas, fuck you." i'm quite touched.

LOL
Marcy you are awesome!

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately I have not been able to get "Merry Xmas, Fuck You" out of my head since I first heard it and I'm afraid that I am going to start singing it out loud in public now.

Great mix!

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately I have not been able to get "Merry Xmas, Fuck You" out of my head since I first heard it and I'm afraid that I am going to start singing it out loud in public now.

Great mix!

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately I have not been able to get "Merry Xmas, Fuck You" out of my head since I first heard it and I'm afraid that I am going to start singing it out loud in public now.

Great mix!

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately I have not been able to get "Merry Xmas, Fuck You" out of my head since I first heard it and I'm afraid that I am going to start singing it out loud in public now.

Great mix!

FiL said...

Dearest Fraser: I'm touched that you liked the mix so much that you felt compelled to comment four times!!

Oh, Dearest Marcy, you know I'd never be so rude to you... :(

Hi Cathrina, and thanks for the kind words. Merry Christmas to you & yours.

Hi Ohara! Never got to see P&TTTB, at least not yet. I'm not a huge Brighton fan either - all the congestion problems of London, shingle beach. I do have a very close friend who lives there, so there's a wec bit of appeal. And the hotel was fixed up...

Dearest Rachel: Hope The Damned track cooperated in the end. So, we going to see a holiday contribution from you on Contrast Podcast either this or next week??

Anonymous said...

Ha, Liz may enjoy this then

http://www.last-christmas.com

Anonymous said...

Here's some xmas songs not all punk, but all good:
There are two zip files here:
http://www.4shared.com/dir/1473121/c59d28fc/MerryEfingChristmas.html

Track list:
01. The Pogues - A Fairytale of New York
02. Reverend Horton Heat - Santa on the Roof
03. The Yobs - 12 Days of Christmas
04. Misfits – Blue Christmas
05. Mojo Nixon - Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto
06. James Brown - Soulful Christmas
07. John Lee Hooker - Blues For Christmas
08. The Sonics - Santa Clause
09. The Greedies - A Merry Jingle
10. Paranoid Visions - Hozanna in a Hiace
11. Henry Rollins – Twas the Night Before Christmas
12. TVTV$ - Daddy Drank Our Xmas Money
13. Bonanza - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
14. The Damned - There Ain't No Sanity Claus
15. Shane MacGowan and the Popes - Christmas Lullaby

relojes seiko said...

its good

Leny G said...

I love this blog

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