The Wrath of FiL

With a buddha as my co-pilot

The Contrast Podcast radiates vengeful anger this week as it concludes its tour of the seven deadly sins with an exploration of wrath. Come hear the CP Nation get angry, very angry indeed. You can download the 'cast here, and vent your own spleen here. Oh, and a word to the wise: better let those Happy Flowers watch cartoons. Trust me.

All that wrath in full:

(00:00) Intro from Mr G. Letch & Mr A. Thrub

(03:25) The Anti-Nowhere League - I hate people
Tim from The face of today

(05:46) Queen - Death on two legs
Natalie from Mini-Obs

(09:54) The Reverend Horton Heat - 400 bucks
Chris from Phosphorous.net

(14:01) Bob Dylan - Only a pawn in their game
James from Appetite For Distraction

(18:17) The Cure - Us or them
Adam from Pretending life is like a song

(23:05) Björk - Army of me
Anna from Desert Island Jukebox

(27:22) Léo Ferré - Abel et Cain (translation)
ZB from So the wind won’t blow it all away

(29:36) The Buff Medways - You piss me off
FiL from Pogoagogo

(32:50) PiL - Rise
JC aka The Vinyl Villian

(39:37) The Go! Team - The wrath of Marcie
Marcy from Lost in your inbox

(43:16) John Vanderslice - Bill Gates must die
Lyle from Mentok the Mind-taker

(48:00) Dinosaur Jr. - Little fury things
Eiron from The S+7 Method

(51:16) The Jet Black Berries - Sweet revenge
Tricia

(54:58) Pernice Brothers - Number two
Greer from A Sweet Unrest

(59:59) Dream City Film Club - The curse
John Q.

(01:04:45) Happy Flowers - I said I wanna watch cartoons
The In Crowd from I’m Learning to Share!

As I'm of the firm belief that the world needs more Billy Childish, my wrathful pick was an easy one to select. That said, as the red haze descended across my eyes, I did also consider the following tunes:

The Buffets - You Piss Me Off (buy here)
Yes, the Buffs song covered by a trio of women associated to varying degrees with Billy C. Bassist Nurse Julie is Billy's wife and also plays bass for his current band, The Musicians of the British Empire. Singer Sister Tiffany Lee met Billy when he came to Seattle to marry Julie, who sang in Tiffany's band The Stuck-Ups. Drum Matron Debbie Bongo sang for Thee Headcoatees, a past Billy C affiliate band, and also drummed for the A-Lines, alongside Julie on guitar. Got all that? Good. The Buffets came together for their first rehearsal on 2 April, 2005. The next day they recorded their debut album, and it was mixed on 4 April. On 8 April they played their first and only gig in support of the Buff Medways at the Dirty Water Club. Your FiL was there to see it, and I can testify that it was an evening of authentic garage punk heart, soul, and sweat. I also got rather tipsy and chatted dorkily with the lovely Sister Tiffany at the bar after the proceedings. Oh, and I tried to cadge a lift off of Billy and his crew in their ancient ambulance. Shame they were going to Chatham, while we were going to Clapham.

Armitage Shanks with Billy Childish - Shirts Off (buy here or e-here)
Another stalwart of the Chatham set, Armitage Shanks also played at that 8 April 2005 Dirty Water Club show. It was the first time I'd seen these hardworking blokes, and they served up a proper hearty meal of 1977 punk with lashings of integrity. That show was also the last UK gig I went to, but The Shanks were also the first band I saw after emigrating to Vancouver. Well, I was impressed by the serendipity of it all.

The Exploited - I Hate You (buy here or e-here)
Ah, Wattie and the tartan lads shout it loud and proud. Does exactly what it says on the tin.

OK, I'm sure you're all wondering what the buddha photo has to do with wrath. Well, lots, actually. You see, as I say in my intro this week (and as I've said before), I do subscribe to the buddhist view that anger is a destructive emotion. I don't share John Lydon's opinion, as articulated in JC's submission this week, that "anger is an energy." To be precise, it is not useful energy. Anger gets you and others a whole mess of suffering. And I should know, because I --just like you and you and you-- get angry. Not homicidal-maniac angry, but angry nonetheless. But whenever I do, I regret the collateral damage it causes. Always. When I yell at the kids, when I argue with my Mother, when I pranged my car while driving under the influence of seething fury.

So, the wee buddha pictured above now sits on the dashboard of my recently restored vehicle (which I've dubbed "Nose Job" in commemoration) to help me focus on dissolving anger when it arises and transforming it into compassion and loving kindness. You probably all think I've turned into some sort of soft-boiled hippy with granola in his loincloth. Fret not, no patchouli or kaftans round here, missus. But I am trying to make myself a wrath-free zone.

I'm sure I'll fuck it up, but I'm equally certain that I'll keep on trying.

P.S. I've found this book helpful, as well as this one. Just saying.