Guy Lochhead, 02/09/10
Formed in 1978 as a parody of a punk band for a talent show at their UCLA dorm, the Urinals were a band of non-musicians who played short, simple songs with concise lyrics (‘punk haikus’), seldom using more than two chords. They reformed in 1996 and again in 2008 to play China’s first-ever punk show. I did want to include ‘Negative Capability…Check It Out!’, because it has that DIY ethic but without any self- righteousness, but I’ve now decided they’re just a band. Also, I’m really put off by the fact they reformed under the same name.. The bite they had in the late 70s was an articulate argument against (and with) the first wave scene around them. This loses its relevance in 2008. Damn I love them though… ‘Hologram’ and ‘Dead Flowers’ are brilliant songs…