6. emo, chapter one continued from social liability

Peter’s appearance tempered our acrimony. Knuckles, as we affectionately called Peter (aside from punk naturally) was a classic rock enthusiast and Stereofish wetback. He had showed up for work. His rockabilly pompadour, chain wallet and SoCal skateboarder trappings typified Stereofish’s male bartender model. Knux was another musician whose band garnered a morsel of success, someone who neglected contention, was unaffected by pedantry, and personified unvarnished candor and simplicity. I mean his description in the most flattering way.

He was singing the Boston song Feeling Satisfied, signaling Max to accompany the chorus, harmonizing in falsetto.
Boston later inspired the following debate, “You ever get the feeling that these Emo pricks traded in their punk records for Boston albums”
“Yeaahh, holy shit I’ve never noticed before, but the harmony guitars in Emo are completely ripping off arena rock, and the cock.”
Peter was alluding to cock rock or bubble gum metal.
“It’s Iron Maiden, with these fuckers sticking candles and pictures of their girlfriends on their amps” Max caustically noted.
“Love the harmony guitars, yeeaah, she’s good.”
Knuckles spoke with the intonations of a stoned Italian, perhaps because he was a stoned Italian.
“Was Boston ever on Saturday Night Live?” I’d asked.
To my knowledge they never were, Max furnished his favourite SNL musical guest list, included were; Jimmy Cliff, The Specials, Madness, Elvis Costello, The Stray Cats and The Clash (subsequently, his favourite group of all time).
Knuckles’ yielded; Fishbone, Johnny Cash, The Black Crowes, George Clinton, Faith No More, Cheap Trick and Spinal Tap. It incensed Max to no end that he had forgotten to include Cheap Trick and Spinal Tap on his list.
Artists on my list provoked convulsive laughter: Morrissey, The Time, Teenage Fanclub, The Pogues, Fine Young Cannibals and Midnight Oil. Precluded from ridicule were Teenage Fanclub and The Pogues of course. Though Max snickered I know he loved that choreographed heel-toe dance thing the two guitarists in FYC had going on, fucking brilliant.