Under the Gun Review

WATCH: Matt Skiba & The Sekrets’ ROUGH First Show

June 8th, 2012 Tyler Osborne
Matt-Skiba-and-the-Sekrets-Babylon-artwork

Matt Skiba And The Sekrets played their first show last night at the historic Metro venue in Chicago. Though we are still unsure exactly what happened, be it nerves or something else, the show quickly fell apart after Skiba and his bandmates took the stage. In fact, things went so off the rails that Skiba took to Twitter following the evening’s events to apologize to fans:

We at UTG have always been supporters of Skiba’s various efforts and gave his album with The Sekrets a 9/10, but as this is the hot topic of conversation we felt it best to bring everyone up to speed on the events and share a video of last night’s performance. You can view the video after the jump, but keep in mind the clip you are about to see if of a still young band performing their first show in front of a crowd filled with high expectations. Emotions run high, things happen, and no matter how good someone becomes, no one can have a flawless performance record.

Matt Skiba And The Sekrets will be touring all over in the future, and with an album as great as theirs, the performances are bound to get better with time. Buy tickets, buy the album, and support one of punk’s living legends as he makes his way into new territory for the first time in over a decade.

Tyler Osborne

Live in DC, grew up in PA. I specialize in writing, filming and taking pictures about punk, pop-punk, and hardcore music, and I also have a huge background in film as well. When not on the site, i'm running my own internet radio show, ToZ's Edge Radio (www.facebook.com/tozedgeradio). I also love stage diving and goldfish.

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  • wow…. just wow. kudos to the band for holding it together during all of that….. wow

  • Dj_jake_h

    He was so drunk and maybe tripping. He couldn’t remember lyrics, he kept dropping his pick. He kept forgetting guitar parts..Stopped singing and started talking during first few songs and his voice was gone. Then he tried to play an alkaline song when the band left for encore and the rest of the members were like no because he couldn’t even remember how to play those parts..I want a refund

  • Dj_jake_h

    Agreed. Bet there was a band fight after..

  • Haveheart10

    Nerves, bullshit….I’m sure he was partying his ass off and excited as hell to get his hands on some of Chicagos fine dope……you’re playing the metro buddy! Step your act up or move along so bands that work hard, get no attention and deserve a place like the metro can play there

  • Young band my ass!  In fact “the band” was fine, Hunder did his best to keep the show together, it was Skiba who was geezed to the gills and couldn’t deliver.  The half empty jug of Makers Mark brought on stage before the band hit should’ve been a warning.  At one point I thought he was going to pass out while leaning against the keyboard player, who wanted noting to do with him.  To blame this on nerves and no voice is incredibaly lame.

  • AshleySezzSo

    Did anyone see the guy rip up his ticket and throw it on stage? He walked out after the first idk 36284628 try’s playing voices. Hilarious. I really hope he comes back and “blows my fucking mind”

  • GrandpaBroseph

    That looks like a hell of a good time actually. Want perfection? Just stay home and listen to the record on the couch. Want rock and roll in all of it’s crazy imperfection? Go watch a dude who has always been candid about drinking, partying, and having a good time wear indian feathers at his home club. We live for these chaotic moments as rock and roll fans don’t we? You guys witnessed some raw and real shit and that’s awesome!   

  • Miniskirtmusic

    Looks like a rough night, but I definitely appreciate the supportive tone of your piece.

  • In the video you can hear a man booing and yelling, “What are you doing?!” This is the same man who tore up his ticket and threw it at the stage. He’s one of my best friends, and has followed ALK3 since well before they were famous. I don’t blame him at all for being pissed and feeling let down. Expectations were high for a reason and Skiba treated this show like a dress rehearsal.

  • Eva

    I mean…yeah.  I understand where you’re coming from, but there’s a difference between a punk rock mess and a failed show.  I saw the New York Dolls play at the Double Door two summers ago.  David Johansen is practically mummified and the NY Dolls were a fucking drugged up, punk rock disaster in the 70’s, but they still put on an a-maz-ing show, then AND now.  I’m sorry, I just can’t give in to the excuse that “this is just what rock ‘n roll is about!”  There are plenty of musicians out there who were messy.  Johnny Thunders who just basically beat his guitar into submission.  Modern bands like Nobunny…that guy is like, never NOT wasted.  But he plays phenomenal music and his shows are amazing.  NO ONE BOOS.  Garage, punk rock, it’s all supposed to be messy.  What the Sekrets are doing…they’re going for something neater and when you’re wasted or nervous or WHATEVER the problem was, it’s just a failure.  You can’t just forget the songs and then announce that you’re going to sing the second verse.  PUNK ROCK FAIL, DUDE.

  • wrongboy

    Hi,

    I have read all 13 pages here and I think something needs to be said that hasn’t been.

    First off, I am the guy yelling “What are you doing?” in the video. I
    am also the guy who tore up my ticket and threw it on stage. Yes, it is
    the same guy, and good or bad, its me. Obviously this is the internet
    and no one needs to believe me, but why would I want to claim it? Bil, can confirm all of this as he is a friend of a
    friend and I was standing with him. 

    I was yelling because I was honestly confused. I didn’t comprehend what
    I was seeing. As the second song continued it dawned on me that Matt
    Skiba was, for lack of a better term, fucked to the wall. And to me it
    was disrespectful. Disrespectful to the band, the fans, and everyone
    involved with putting on the show. People can claim that he owes
    nothing to anyone, but I disagree, a show like that has a lot of moving
    parts and a lot of people’s time and efforts invested in it. I was
    angry not for the $22 I paid, or the time I gave up – those were my
    choices to make and I made them based on my personal respect and
    admiration of Matt Skiba’s talents and musicianship.

    I was angry because Matt Skiba, for whatever reason, put on a terrible
    display, and to me that was disrespectful. When i realized this, I
    worked my way to the front of the crowd, tore my ticket in full view,
    and threw it on the stage/at him/ whatever. Is it silly? Yes. But it
    was the only thing I could think to do to get my point across about how
    I felt. To me tearing the ticket was as disrespectful as choosing to
    party before the show (I was at the Gingerman as well, and yes, he was
    drinking, and yes, it did appear to be more than “a little”) and having
    the result be so poor.

    And if this was a case of nerves, or whatnot, fine, but the slurred
    speech and the clueless nature of his behavior speaks otherwise. The
    music stand with the lyrics was also a new one on me, and to me it
    showed another sign of his lack of preparation/interest in performing.

    All of this speaks more to a sustained pattern than just one bad show.
    If he was prepped for not remembering the words by having the music
    stand up there, then how am I to believe this was an isolated incident?

    I think there are some good points in these pages, especially in regards
    to his apparent substance issues or mental well being, or both. There
    seems to be a lot of cries for help here, or at the very least, signs
    of that need.

    I don’t think flaming him or praising him makes the least bit of
    difference, he will continue on until something catalyzes a change –
    hopefully one for the better. I hope for everyone involved with this
    tour, that it can go on and can be much better going forward.

  • GrandpaBroseph

    As a tag onto my last post: If he is going through a real struggle with substance I obviously wish him the best. The dude is way talented. If it’s a passing night of debauchery so be it. I personally don’t invest enough emotional trust into artists or rockstars to think they’re going to do what we the crowd expects them to do in life or in their craft. To me that’d be just like going to the movies to sit with a bunch of lame ducks watching a plot unfold exactly the way we all expected it to. The day I go to a punk or rock show that goes off without a hitch is the day it’s officially boring. That’s the day I show up to Metro to sit on the balcony with my neatly pressed tux and little hand held binoculars.

  • GrandpaBroseph

    The Dolls pretty much invented the rock and roll template. They’re much older and wiser present day than they were in their original conception 41 years ago and some 15 members later…I think that’s ample time to get yer shit together. I’ll check in with the sekrets in the year 2053 and see if they get their choruses in check. If they do, I’m gonna give them a punk rock passing grade.

  • http://www.chicagomusicmagazine.com review of the show last night.
    Not for the weak of heart. Its painful and honest.
    Another video I stubled on of last night that hasnt been taken down yet.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GyaRFO7eIM

    Here is the review:
    http://chicagomusicmagazine.com/music-review/matt-skiba-and-the-sekrets-make-eventful-debut-at-the-metro-in-chicago/

    Please Repost.  I have done the same with your review on our twitter and facebook accounts.

  • Dj_jake_h

    Well said. No excused here.

  • AshleySezzSo

    THANK GOODNESS FOR THE SMOKING POPES!

  • Shane W Russell

    Saw him tonight in DC. Longtime Trio fan, even got the tat to prove it. Big time letdown. 45 minute set, maybe 50 with encore. Had to keep looking at his lyric stand. Obviously high out of his gourd. An embarrassment for everyone who witnessed it. Couldn’t have been nerves, considering he’s played in front of crowds 20 times bigger (70 people tops). Unfortunate, considering it’s a great album! Feel bad for the rest of the band.

  • Therapture87

    shut the fuck up you ignorant asshole. skiba owns you.

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