x at the Bowery Ballroom...

I just saw X at the Bowery Ballroom....the band was in top form as they always are...real pros....the music sounds better than ever but it can't escape its 20the century roots...the thinking is retro...this was reflected in the taping policy...whenever the beeping red light of a taper was seen either the Bowery's staff or the band's roadie was on that person to stop it. I got nailed twice...I beat it on the third night once I knew what the scene was...there in lies the contradiction...the punk ethos is questioning authority not establishing and enforcing it...taping should be permitted as it relates to the free flow of information and the exchange of ideas....inhibiting this process makes us passive as individuals and ultimately makes us docile subjects of the state...this is what I mean by retroactive...most the of fans from what I could see what to come and have their fantasy of X and in punk in general...but they don't really know X or punk for that matter...you don't see X fans at any of the band members solo projects where I believe they really demonstrate their talent...seeing X is like seeing these artist's in their Bealte incarnation...it's like a cartoon version of themselves...there they are playing the songs like they played thirty years ago...it's not real...the band should be touring on a new batch of songs commenting on things how they are now in the present, not some fantasy of what the past was which is why taping should be allowed...they are not going to stop it so why legalize it and bring the quality up?...why not bring the band into the present and have them as a force against the brutal stale corporate culture we live in...that would be punk....