Oakland has lost its most chaotic band
Oakland’s Battleship is no longer. Singer Aleks and guitarist are both moving away, leaving a pretty big void in Oakland’s punk rock scene. Battleship was probably the only punk band in the East Bay that wasn’t either: A. a crusty, Discharge ripoff, or B. An angular, no wave dance-punk band. (For East Bay music scenesters, those types of bands are you only two options now, so if you want to hear something different, start your own band now!!!)
For me though, I loved Battleship because their live show was almost a revival of the greatest live band to ever exist, Behead the Prophet No Lord Shall Live. Seriously, if Battleship had a violinist and Aleks was more open with his homosexuality (ZING), their shows would be time portals to Seattle/Olympia, between the years 1996 and 1998. They would’ve been regulars at the Capitol Theater and the Velvet Elvis.
Battleship’s last show did not disappoint. Well, maybe in the sense that they didn’t sound that great, but all the energy was there, crowd included. It probably helped that the band passed out free shots of whiskey to the crowd before their set. (Hence the first picture in the slide show.)
The band went all out, to the point where they had their two former drummers each play on a song, as well as all three play together on the last song, “Contempt.” (I didn’t post that because it really ends in utter chaos and gets on your nerves as the song drags on.) They probably got in one practice before the show so they’re pretty sloppy, and it didn’t help that 21 GRand is just one bi echo chamber. Really, the recordings below are for document’s sake.
If you want to hear the band at their prime, get either of their albums — Present Princess or Hearts Addendum — both of which can be purchased from On On Switch. I also think Raw Deluxe might have vinyl as well.
Go to Battleship’s MySpace and wish them a fond farewell, now.