Refused Are Really F#cking Dead
Dennis Lyxzén of Refused, showing up and off on the band’s final tour. photo by kim moenich
Man, if this isn’t starting to become a trend. Flew out to Cali last weekend to see another seminal punk band of my youth ripping through their final tour before calling it quits. After 34 years, 5 studio albums, over a dozen EPs, tons of comps, and 1 DVD, Refused have decided to retire. Nine months ago, founding member and lead singer Dennis Lyxzén had a massive heart attack. Listening to him talk about it onstage, I was reminded of other lead singers in our world, Mike Ness (cancer), Lou Koller (cancer), Milo Aukerman (heart attack), and Dave King (brain aneurysm), all of whom have just recovered from or are still fighting major health issues. And, heartbreakingly, Greg Lee and Terry Hall, who were taken from us much too soon.
Welcome to the end. photo by kim moenich
So there was no question as to whether I would make it to at least one show on this cross-country tour. And it didn’t hurt that their touring partner was Quicksand (the band that’s the reason for my marriage—I’ll explain that in more detail in a minute.) The husband was going to be working for the East Coast shows (which really killed me, since they played with my fave, Orange 9mm, on one NYC date, and Snapcase joined them on another!!!) So it was off to Los Angeles and Del Mar for us. Showed up outside the Shrine Auditorium in LA at 4:30 pm, fully expecting there to already be a line. Only two other dudes were there, which was crazy to me, but we had fun getting to know each other while we waited.
My husband also ran into Walter Schriefels, of Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits, and Youth of Today. I had met Walter last summer through a mutual friend when I was at the IntoAnother/Orange 9mm show Civ put on in NYC. I had told him at the time that Quicksand was the reason my husband and I are married and that we used Slip and Manic Compression as the “guest books” at our wedding. Walter told me to bring the albums with me next time I went to a Quicksand show, and he’d be sure to sign them. My husband reminded Walter of the encounter, and Walter said to leave the albums at the merch table for him. (That didn’t end up working out since the venue used their own staff for Merch, and they stated they “weren’t allowed to talk to the bands”- but it all worked
out anyway! More on that in a sec!
The man, the myth, the legend, Walter Schreifels. photo by kim moenich
Shrine was a massive venue, holding 6,300 people. Unfortunately, Rise Against was playing down the road, so Refused wasn’t completely sold out (know your roots, people!), but it was still packed! The openers were a local band called Slaughterhouse. I had never heard of them before, but man, they killed it! I was reminded a bit of NIIS, but these guys are a lot more aggressive, and the singer is just as badass. Very screamy, hard-driving riffs, and bass lines you can mosh to, with great lyrics that make you want to scream along. They’re getting ready to hit the road on a US tour with THICK, and they’re on the lineup for Punk In The Park Denver. This band is about to blow up, so keep an eye on them.
Slaughterhouse singer, Meriel O’Connell, bringing the heat as the opening act in LA. photo by kim moenich
Taylor Ramirez had all eyes on her as she ripped through some heavy guitar licks. photo by kim moenich
Slaughterhouse were a perfect opening act for Refused. photo by kim moenich
Quicksand really brought the energy in Los Angeles. There was very little talking from the guys and just sheer rocking out. They started with “Fazer” and just tore through all their best songs. I think everyone thought I was nuts at how hard I was going off, but they’re in my top five fave bands of all time. Long story short, after many failed attempts at chatting each other up, I “liked” a Bluetip video my now hubby had posted on FB. He then tagged me, telling me to post a video from a band starting with “Q.” I posted “Fazer,” and he was
immediately in my DMs, asking me how I knew the band. We ended up seeing them together a few weeks later at Wrecking Ball Fest 2016 in Atlanta, and the rest is history.
Walter recently noted the late Al Barile of SSD as his early inspiration for his trademark jumps. photo by kim moenich
The spotlight is always on Alan Cage in my eyes! photo by kim moenich
Refused then took the stage for what was one of the most fun shows of the last decade. Dennis and the rest of the gang were absolutely on fire. Dennis was dancing all over the stage, slinging his mic around, and giving us what we wanted. The whole setlist was one banger after another, and the rowdy crowd was there for it. After about the third song, the big dude behind me had to get Security to help him out, and a couple of songs later so did the guy beside me. Tons of crowd surfers, including the singer of Slaughterhouse, Meriel O’Connell, flew over my head (so what else is new?!), belting out the lyrics to an engaged Dennis. Eighteen songs later, I was exhausted, bruised (my poor knees hadn’t yet recovered from Boston/Dropkicks), and voiceless, but I was ready to head to San Diego for the next one.
Dennis couldn’t stop dancing, despite being only nine months out from a massive heart attack. photo by kim moenich
MattiasBärjed pulled off some amazing guitar-god moments. photo by kim moenich
Magnus Flagge killed it during Refused’s final tour. photo by kim moenich
After messaging with Walter on IG that morning, we were able to meet up with him outside of The Sound Music Hall in Del Mar the next day. He graciously sat down and chatted with my husband and me about our story and about music before signing our albums. It was such a cool moment and one we’ll absolutely never forget.
Took us nearly 6 years of forgetting to bring these with us, but we finally got our wedding albums signed by Walter! photo by navid amlani
Bwahahahahahaha! But at least he signed it!!! photo by navid amlani
The vibe for the Del Mar show was completely different from the night before in LA. The opening band, Deaf Club, was a departure from the bands I normally see. A local San Diego quartet comprised of members who’ve been in previous bands such as The Locust and ACxDC, Deaf Club is a loud mix of thrash, grind, and hardcore, with lots of scuzzy guitar riffs and a lead singer hellbent on getting the shit kicked out of him (he tried to rip my phone out of my hand as I was photographing him-it didn’t end the way he thought it was going to...) The hometown crowd seemed to love them as they churned through some monstrous lyric-driven tunes.
Deaf Club singer, Justin Pearson, risking life and limb to bring the crowd to their feet. photo by kim moenich
Quicksand played a similar setlist to the night before, but the band seemed much more lighthearted tonight. Perhaps it was because Walter’s dad was in the crowd! Whatever the reason, the guys were having a blast and the crowd was too. More people seemed to know them in Del Mar than did in LA, and my hubs and I were no longer the only ones on the rail going nuts. I have had “Landmine Spring” stuck in my head ever since!
Sergio Vega, probably my favorite bassist on the planet, rocked it out on the Refused’s final tour. photo by kim moenich
A light perpetually shines on Walter. photo by kim moenich
Alan Cage drums the beat of my soul. photo by kim moenich
Refused must have also picked up on the more easygoing vibes of San Diego, because there was a whole lot more laughter and goofing off onstage than there was the night before. At one point, Dennis attempted a dance move that didn’t go as planned, and he ended up lying down on the stage and singing for several minutes. Despite the silliness, the gravity of the moment was not lost on Refused. Dennis gave several speeches throughout the set about what it meant for this to be their last tour as a band and about the state of affairs in today’s America. Quicksand had also made comments to the same effect, and it seems to be a common theme right now in our scene, as more and more core punk values are being threatened.
The night was filled with loud music, hope, and leaving it all on the stage. photo by kim moenich
Dennis shared his thoughts on the current state of disarray. photo by kim moenich
The final song I’ll ever hear Refused play live was Tannhäuser/Derivè. As Dennis sang the 27-year-old lyrics, I shed a tear.
“So where do we go from here
Just about anywhere
Disoriented but alive
...
Every street is an adventure and every road becomes a trip
...
Living, loving, and searching.
Godspeed, Dennis, David, Kristofer, and Magnus. Thanks for all the music.
Saying goodbye to one of the greatest punk bands of my generation. photo by kim moenich
Once your band retires, it frees you up to go see other bands retire, said Eric Melvin (not really, but he could’ve said it!) photo by kim moenich