GG Allin--Live and Pissed 1988
MVD 2002
One of the big debates over GG Allin as a performer is whether or not his shows were mere contrived spectacle or genuinely a manifestation of pure negativity. Featuring an entire show from 1988, as well as a bonus concert from 1993, Live and Pissed provides a better than usual chance of getting to the bottom of things. Still, like practically everything else in the universe surrounding GG, in the end, it's hard to tell which side of the coin things really landed on.
Of all the videotaped GG Allin live performances floating around out there, the main program of Live and Pissed from San Francisco in '88 looks like the crown jewel of them all. The shock and show aspect of everything is all there but this footage also holds up well musically. GG's performance this night demonstrates why so many people revere him to this day--there is a power to what he did during this particular show, and when he's convulsing around all over the stage, it feels like this man was in fact the personification of anger and negativity.
On the flip is a bonus show from Chicago in '93. While the band kills, and this footage is solid musically, there is something to the show aspect this night that feels less natural--the insanity doesn't ooze the way it did during the '88 gig. On the plus side, as stated, there is some brutal punk rock going down here. GG's voice sounds massively monsterous---gruff, hoarse, and ornery in a way akin to Antiseen's Jeff Clayton. These positive aspects make the Chicago show a treat to watch.
Even during the main program to Live and Pissed from San Francisco, you get glimpses which undoubtedly show GG was human--backstage footage shows him hanging out with the gang, trying to cultivate some action off a couple ladies. Still, at his best, GG came off as something on another plane, for better or worse. Maybe the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Regardless, Live and Pissed is a great view you'll come back to again and again.
Score this DVD directly from MVD
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