Lower Class Brats
Loud and Out of Tune
By Keith Carman

The fact that most bands struggle to get enough passable material together to create one live album is a testament not only to the power and conviction of Loud and Out Of Tune but also to the ability of Lower Class Brats. Featuring a CD of one complete gig and a DVD of another show a full year prior, both are stunning. The brutish, bratty delivery of these old school-styled punk heroes stays true to the opinion that a live show should be hot, sweaty and festering. One of few instances where the energy of the performance actually translates onto recording, Loud and Out Of Tune is formidable, confrontational and entirely enjoyable. The band are surprisingly strong, relentlessly hammering out tune after tune, with chant-along efforts such as “Bite The Bullet,” “Ultra-Violence” and more (well, they’re all pretty much chant-alongs) coming across with dominance and confidence. Even more impressive is the fact that a group of street punks could manage to put together a live album that sounds far superior to those with far more capital behind them. It only proves that no matter how great the equipment is, it’s the artists using/abusing it that make for great music.

What were the goals releasing a live CD/DVD in terms of production value versus capturing the essence of your performance?
Vocalist Bones DeLarge: We aimed for both but the first importance is sound quality. The music is raw and punk but why make it sound like shit? We captured the live footage from a good show. Too bad you can’t really see the big circle pit. Those fucking kids go nuts, lots of energy being let off.

How do you feel it compares to live releases from other bands?
Of course we watch other bands’ videos to see how they do it but we separate ourselves from the rest. Lower Class Brats do it rougher and harder than most.

How have the Lower Class Brats affected music, specifically punk rock?
We bring rock’n’roll into the spotlight, take the best and worst from the past and swish it around to make our sound: aggressive rock’n’roll. Some call it oi, street punk or whatever but it’s only rock’n’roll. Punk needs that swing! We’re here to blast it out of our amps, reverse the brainwashing of the public and have a good time doing it. (TKO)
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