Negative Approach
Unless you’ve been locked in a basement, chances are you’ve already heard the news that Negative Approach is scheduled to play the big Touch & Go 25th Anniversary blockbuster. (anyone know the real reason the McCullough brothers aren’t playing?) In celebration here’s some live NA circa 1984 (Live in DC at the Newton Theatre 6.24.84). These tracks are from a Swiss 7″ boot that was released to benefit either animal liberators or sexual slavery, not sure which. Whatever, I picked it up solely on the fact it was Negative Approach. The sound ain’t the greatest, but the tracks are fucking fierce. “Your Mistake”, “Can’t Tell No One”, and “Obsession” are the best bets here.
Negative Approach - Nothing/Friend or Foe.mp3
Negative Approach - Tunnelvision.mp3
Negative Approach - Can’t Tell No One.mp3
Negative Approach - Evacuate.mp3
Negative Approach - Your Mistake.mp3
Negative Approach - Obsession.mp3
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I believe I went to that show. Don’t remember who else played or anything else unfortunately.
I currently live four blocks from where the
theater is, although now it is a CVS.
theres also another bootleg LP that has these same tracks & a couple more from the same gig on 1 side of the LP, & a crappy sounding dub of the “Tied Down” LP on the other side. the sound quality of the live tracks is a little better that this same ep you have here(which i also have), but it sounds like its from the same source tape & therefore has the same hiss & dropouts, etc.. KILLER STUFF NONETHELESS!!
Word is that the McCullough brothers no longer really play and therefore weren’t sure they’d be able to get back in shape musically in time for the show.
OWWW! Actually, my favourite tracks on NA’s Total Recall cd are the live ones. For me, the crummy sound and feedback only adds to the power of the music.
“but the tracks are fucking fierce”
The very best way to describe Negative Approach.
Out of all the festivals here in Chicago this summer, Intonation, Pitchfork and Lollapalooza. The Touch and Go Anniversery is the by far the best thing happening in the city.
Negative Approach are fucking intense. I was too young to see them in their prime, but I really hope they still got that legendary intensity.
ron sakowski (necros, laughing hyenas, easy action) is gonna be playing bass and harold from easy action is on guitar. should be a good time! plus spit acid, big black and the other bands that are playing.
I was at this show, but went to get a Slurpee and missed Negative Approach. If I’m not mistaken Husker Du and Government Issue also played. Newton Theatre did a solid string of shows that summer and then closed down.
Patrick is for the most part right, as the McCullough’s don’t play any longer and have long since been out of practice… the brothers actually bragged about it to Brannon a few years back while out doing dates with Easy Action. They actually were into the notion of doing the T&G reunion but it was self-evident the brothers weren’t going to cut it.
Funny, seems to me noone seems to be aware that NA share the stage with The Stooges December 8th to in the UK for the Thurston Moore curated All Tomorrow’s Parties. Wolf Eyes on it too.
All… the reason I asked about the McCullough bros was this line from the Negative Approach page on Wikipedia:
Despite repeated efforts by Rob and Graham McCulloch to be a part of the reunion and have the classic NA lineup play, John refused;…. Rob and Graham maintain that the appearance shouldn’t be labeled as Negative Approach without the classic NA lineup.
Of course, it’s a wiki, so anyone can write anything…
Here is a possible reason why the McCollough bros didnt play…..
A few months back I wrote a pretty scathing review on Amazon of the Negative Approach rarites CD that was released (I think it was titled Ready to Fight or something). Basically, I felt that the material was a bunch of third-rate recordings thrown on a CD to cash in.
A few weeks later I recieved an e-mail from none other than Graham McCulloch. According to him, the brothers didnt want that CD to be released and/or didnt know the CD was released and felt its release was smearing the bands name due of its poor quality.
I think it is a strong testament to his position that the guy would read a review on Amazon and write to the person to apologize on behalf of his band because he didnt stand behind it.
So, in the end, maybe they cant play anymore or whatever but the incident above could be a reason for some tension between the two. I think Brannon was/is cashing in on the bands name. If he is not and stands behind the recently released NA record, then give my fucking money back.
Mike
Rob M. posted over at the Punk Vault that John Brannon would not allow Rob or Graham to play the T&G show (Rob dimisses the “out of practice” argument by saying that he (Rob) still plays at home even though he hasn’t played live in a while and that Graham has never stopped playing). Sounds like there is some bad vibes in the NA camp.
Tunnel Vision is killer!!! Is there more songs like that by negative approach?
try it this way..
they were in the band twenty years ago. opie wrote all the songs and john sang them all. the band got all of their equipment stolen and john bought the twins all new stuff. the record was just about to come out. the twinkies QUIT THE FUCKING BAND BEFORE THE RECORD EVEN CAME OUT!!
then john was going to get sued so he had to put a band together and tour. that band broke up on the road (toy dolls, n.a., I know, I was waiting for them in san diego)
now the dvd is invented and after playing n.a. songs during his sets with easy action FOR OVER 6 FING YEARS, john finally gets ready to put the stuf out FOR THE KIDS and lo and behold tng have a shindig FOR CHARITY set up and here comes the midlife crisis brothers suing everybody and talking shit like they have been carrying this crushing fing burden.
I call bullshit on that..
they can sue all they want and waste their money they should be spending on viagara. has their lawyer spoken to them about “unjust enrichment”?
ever wonder why all the really really good bands dont get back together? put out all their old cool stuff?
because jackasses like this use the moment to settle old scores.
if john was really in for a fix on them he’d thank them for all the free publicity and tell them to hold out for THE REAL N.A. REUNION!!
fat chance, moron.
I will be there, I will allow both of the twins first crack at me. i was there in 81 and i’m still around. take a swing poser, or do you want your lawyer there too?
[…] Yeah, yeah, yeah - most of talk surrounding the big T&G 25th anniversary show that I’ve read has been about the Negative Approach reunion, (guilty) - but if I were attending the show (which I’m not because I suck) I’d be amped to see legendary Texas noise freaks Scratch Acid. What with the big block party and a couple of additional shows (Seattle and Austin), what better time to reach back into the vault and rehash some “previously enjoyed” ramblings?: something odd must have been in the south Texas water in the 80’s that caused the young ‘uns to turnout so god forsaken wrong. Case in point Scratch Acid. Featuring David Yow and David Wm Sims ( later Jesus Lizard ) Scratch Acid was responsible for putting forth some seriously twisted songcraft. Yow howls about dark things while Brett Bradford lays down sun damaged riffs. The band managed to release a self titled 12 ” in 1984, a full length (1986’s Just Keep Eating) and a final 12″ ( Beserker ) in 1987 before disbanding. Touch and Go Records had the good sense to package them all up on one CD entitled The Greatest Gift […]
Wow P2 this is Rob McCulloch. You certainly have just about all of the facts wrong.
First, Graham and I aren’t twins. We are brothers.
Yes, John and Chris wrote the majority of the music. I wrote the music to “Lost Cause”, and “Negative Approach”. John wrote all of the lyrics, which is one of the reasons Chris and I quit.
John did not buy us any equipment (the dude was living in squalor on welfare how did he buy us equipment). All of our gear was stolen from our practice space (I have heard rumours that someone may have needed some money for a fix). Graham and I borrowed money from our parents and bought the replacement gear.
A few weeks later a bunch of local bands played a benefit show with us headlining to pay back our parents for the equipment. Most shows back then were a benefit for this or that. I don’t know that we ever made more than twenty bucks even when we filled the club (yet another reason Chris, Graham , and I quit).
We also didn’t quit right before the record came out. Despite what the liner notes may say on the unauthorized CD on Reptillian, we didn’t tell John we were quitting right before we went on stage (I don’t even think that is our last show as the liner notes say). Chris and I told John we were going to quit at practice months before we even recorded the album. We had a few shows setup and we wanted to play them, and we had enough material to record an album which Corey was happy to do.
Graham actually stayed in and played in the revised NA lineup at the record release show, and for a month or two after that before they got fed up with John and all quit, leaving the fourth NA to tour for the record only to quit on the road because they couldn’t take him either.
Graham and I both feel we are perfectely capable of playing the T&G show. John won’t let us. That is the extent of it. Chris would prefer we play, but is willing to do it without us. Chris admits it’s his mid-life crisis and that’s why he needs to do it without us.
Graham and I feel that before John releases material that we played on and carries the name of the band that we should agree that it is good enough to release and doesn’t seem like a desperate act of cashing in. If it has already been released why shouldn’t we all split the existing royalties? We have had a royalty agreement in place with T&G since 1990 that works nicely for all of us.
I have a very good career and family (as does Graham)which is the main reason I don’t play out anymore. I have no need to cash in on the NA name, only to protect it from people who do want to cash in. Yeah, John is releasing it for the kids! Why not put the video for free on his myspace page? Neither Graham or I have an NA website, so who is living in the past and cashing in?
Sorry I have had a job and haven’t been playing NA covers to 10 people in some crappy club for the last six years. Get your facts straight.
- Rob -
If you have such a great life, great career then why are you even bothering
with anything that has to do with a band that you quit? A band that is playing
“some crappy club”. Surely, your great life has brought better hobbies and ways
to spend your time then worrying about what Negative Approach is up to.
I don’t get it. You are saying nothing but slander about someone and something
that you say you don’t care about. Five paragraphs of slander, well, appears like you just might care, Rob.
Leave it alone. Go back to the good life and leave the past behind. If you really hate John then why would you even want to get on stage with him? Aren’t you
worried that your equipment will disappear again? I know for a fact that he is clean.
I, too, am an artist and what I call people like you is commonly referred to as
someone who opts for the “good life” rather then their art. Don’t diss someone
who is still out their doing what they love and meant to do in this world.
Can you honestly say you are? Afterall, you are on this site putting in your 5 paragraphs about something you say you don’t give a shit about.
Oops, actually it’s 6 paragraphs, Rob.
ah yes the sanctimonious “artist’s rebuttal”. i suppose rob should just take it on the chin from his former bandmate and a slew of know-nothing never-beens without saying a word. it would be unnatural to say nothing to all that’s been hurled his way. next challenge for the sanctimonious artist - defend jerry only and the travelling misfits carnival as someone valiantly pursuing their art. these people aren’t pursuing their dreams. they’re making money the best way they know how. if john brannon had a better way to cash in on life he would probably be doing it rather than cobbling together a band to play NA songs beacuse no one’s holding their breath on that original lineup laughing hyenas reunion.
Wow…this is just fuckin’ depressing. I loved Negative Approach as a kid. I hate to read all this shit. That is all.
“The show must go on”. At least everybody knows now that HC was only the old rock’n'roll bullshit in disguise.
There’s alot os squabbling going on, but here are the facts:
1. There are two shows firm…T & G and the show in England. There’s talk of a free show in Detroit, but no tour.
2. John has at times played shitty clubs in front of 12 people, he’s also played large clubs in front of hundreds. At times, he’ll close with an NA song or two, and why not? People obviously still want to hear it. Meanwhile, Easy Action is fuckin’ great, and in most shows it’s only Easy Action material. John’s been moving on and gigging since NA quit. He’s not living in the past…he’s moved forward.
3. The T & G show is for CHARITY. John still works a day job, there aren’t immense amounts of riches being made from NA that anyone is missing out on.
4. The decision on the line up has been made. It is what it is. Harold & Ron instead of the McCullochs. Not the original lineup, but I’ve heard both the McCullochs and Ron and Harold play (Though not NA songs yet…too bad), and Ron & Harold are the better musicians by far. Anyone going is gonna get a good show, probably better than the original NA shows were.
5. Bottom line. If you think the 1/2 reunion is shitty, don’t go. If you want to hear 1/2 the original band with some improvements rock the shit out of you. enjoy.
DONE
joe stumble,
I understand how you feel but I only chimed in because I’ve seen too many good bands not asshole-back enough and john deserves better than that shit and no one had his back.
plus I remember the times when everyone was trying to live it down that they were hardcore punks and all the cheap shots that the little homos in ann arbor took at NA.
well, looking at the shit they call punk rock coming out now I can see who was right..
This is going to be a show beyond “awesome” and none of this will matter.
The show at the Newton Center with Negative Approach and Husker Du was my first show ever.For those of you that weren’t there the Newton Center was a really decrepit old theater in a decrepit part of D.C. It had these bar railings and no seats but I remember ramps or something. There were these older D.C. punks who were talking socialism to us and spreading/ selling issues of the Daily Worker. Some friends and I drove from Annapolis, Md. Something definitely started that day for me, basically a lot of really sweaty shows, mostly Scream, marginal man, government issue, 9353, then later Gray Matter and Rites of Spring. I also saw Faith and Void and the DSI bands (like the amazing united mutation and that other skate metal band that ruled…?)
Malefice…!!! also check on Death Piggy, and Double O
Kudos to Rob M. for setting the record straight. Jeez! it’s hillarious to hear folks flinging shit over stuff that happened over twenty years ago. Anybody who doesn’t like Rob or Graham never knew them, they were two of the funniest nuts back in the old days. I still laugh when I think of their antics back then.
Rob, it’s been a long time and I’d love to hear from you fellas again! - email me:
mr.felix@config.com
Do you remember the KISS concert you guys took me to at Cobo Hall?
From 81-83 Detroit H.C. was great. The scene was made up almost exclusevly of the funniest/smartest/most creative people in the room. By 84 it was the clubhouse for losers, drop-outs and Junior Varsity drug addicts. The core group(s) split; T&G went to Chicago, others headed East, West or Metal. It was an awesome time but if you missed it your S.O.L., so get over it.
That said, Brannon does have his schtick, and it is intense. Sakowski is an amazing musician who never got his day in the sun and Chris Moore is an amazing person.
Just remember, going to these type of events is just as -if not more- lame than your parents going to see Styx with only two original members or an Oldies “Memory Lane” type 50’s Diner that blares Chuck Berry 24/7.
Remember back in 81 when hardcore was really cookin’; you were a young kid and used to laugh at the old people (in reality probably only in their late-twenties) from the last wave of rock who always hung out around the edges of the hardcore scene?
Please, do not become them. That would be very, very sad.
Yes I know “exclusevely” is spelled exclusively, so save your breath/fingertips.
Did ya’ll know negative approach was also playing in austin, tx on friday, december 1st as part of the Fun Fun Fun Fest (only $20 at www.funfunfunfest.com):
Line up below…
Punk stage:
Circle Jerks 8:55-10
Negative Approach 7:55-8:40
Riverboat Gamblers 6:55-7:40
Electric Frankenstein 5:55-6:40
Lower Class Brats 5-5:40
Applicators 4:15-4:45
Krumbums 3:30-4
Iron Age 2:45-3:15
ADHD 2-2:30
Indie stage:
Spoon 8:50-10:00
Peaches 7:30-8:30
Black Angels 6:30-7:15
Lucero 5:30-6:15
Dead Meadow 4:30-5:15
Octopus Project 3:30-4:15
The Oranges Band 2:45-3:15
Drag The River 2-2:30
Dance Party stage/tent
(aka Austin Fuzion brought to you by AT&T):
Prefuse 73 9-10
DJ Mel 7:50-8:50
Quintron and Miss Pussycat 6:50-7:35
Ghostland Observatory DJ set (Thomas Turner) 5:35-6:35
Learning Secrets 4:30-5:30
Dirty South Ravers 3:25-4:25
Whitey 2:50-3:20
DJ Ceeplus 1:45-2:45
The event is sponsored in part by:
AT&T, 101X, METV, Austinist, The Onion, Mickey’s, Waterloo Records,
Emos and Alamo Drafthouse.
The brothers are in fine shape I played with rob the other day. Brannon wouldn’t let them back in for the reunion because he feels they’ve settled down too much. Rob and Graham moved on after NA. Rob has a good job and family now. Brannon didn’t want the “tamed” version in I guess. Sucks…
[…] Then came Negative Approach. Now as I alluded to earlier, some bands I was glad to see re-form. Others, no. Some bloggers seem to feel that going to watch these reformed bands in our old age is akin to our parents going to see Styx. I disagree. Because these bands never were financial successes and never will be, they are not trying to cash-in by playing reunions. It may be naive of me but performances by Killdozer and Scratch Acid and The Didjits seemed to be for artistic reasons not cynical reasons. […]