Posted on: January 8, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Complete Control #11 / $2 / 7 by 8.5 / 32 Pages / PO Box 5021, Richmond, VA 23220 /

Usually, I tend to zone out when I am reading recollections or tour diaries, but Greg’s extended narrative is written in such a way to hold my interest for the entirety of the 32 pages. While Operation: Cliff Clavin was long defunct by the time I had started getting into independent punk music, the way that Greg writes makes it seem like Chris and Hannah from the band are standing right next to me. The usual problems (shitty promoters, car troubles, etc) confront the band, but they do end up to get to play a number of shows all across the United States. This isn’t a “everything turns out well in the end” narrative as much as it is a completely factual and gritty recounting of everything that happened on this tour, and I still think, regardless of where individuals come from when they write tour diaries, there still is that desire to try to close up all loose ends. The layout of this zine is the absolute simplest possible – word-printed text with pictures interspersing the entire narrative, and I really think this is probably the only way that Greg should have laid this magazine out. This isn’t about being comfortable, this isn’t about having the time to do things perfectly – this is punk rock, this is screwing up and being human, and as such, sometimes punk is doing something the quickest and dirtiest way possible. Greg is a master at weaving a coherent narrative, and this diary really captures one persons’ view that is inherently different from anyone else that was on the tour.

Rating : 8.2/10

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