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\lline{\hl Night Club Rant}
\lline{by Richard Loranger}

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{\it This is the complete text of the rant I was doing just�
before FUGAZI at the most recent HOMOCORE show in SF, which was�
cut short by some ignorant assholes blowing off a fire�
extinguisher at the stage. It was originally written for BIG�
BLACK's last show at the I-BEAM in August '87. They had said I�
could open for them for 2 minutes, so long as I didn't do poetry.�
So I wrote 4 minutes questioning every motivation anyone might�
have for being there. Obviously, those poor little boys at the�
FUGAZI show couldn't stand up to the interrogation. They're the�
kind of questions I often ask myself at big shows. Perhaps some�
of you do too.}

WHAT are you doing here. I mean, what the fuck are you doing�
here? What did you come here for? Who or what told you you wanted�
to come? Who told you you like this in the first place? DO you�
like this? Then why? Or why not? If you like this so much, what�
do you like about it? The music? The fashion? What fashion? The�
seeing and being seen? There is a way of seeing where all your�
eyesight turns upon itself in double boomerang and slices through�
your skull at eye level\dots Is {\it that} what you like abut�
this? Whatever it is -- WHEN did you first start liking it? What�
{\it suggested} to you that this is what you like to do, to see,�
to listen to? Something in your turbulent American childhood�
perhaps, or were you {\it born} liking it? Did you really choose�
to like this, this music, this {\it scene}, do you really think�
you decided of your {\it own free will} to come here tonight? Or�
are you just another victim of media manipulation, of fashion�
conformity, of all the subtle \& not so subtle suggestions made�
to you every day from every direction that THIS IS THE THING TO�
DO -- Rock \& Roll \& Hope to Die!

Or are you truly a non-conformist, each and every one of you? Is�
this a non-conformist event? Is this non-conformist because�
Fugazi isn't on MTV -- yet -- or because you wear black or�
leather of because you have shaved or spiked or polka-dotted�
heads? Does THAT make this {\it anti-system}? Is this bucking the�
system? How much did you pay to get in here anyway -- \$5, \$10,�
\$15? How many of you are there? How often do you drop that much�
for something you like? How much did you pay for the clothes that�
you're wearing? How many more do you have like them? And where�
did {\it that} \$ come from? Do you work? Is it good work? Is it�
satisfying? Does it DO something for you? And what did the place�
that pays you do to get {\it their} money. Where did {\it} come�
from? Surely not from the System. And where do you think it's all�
going to? Surely none of it BACK into the System? Is it really�
that separate?

Have you considered this -- that maybe, just maybe this event \&�
every event like it is {\it allowed} -- no, {\it set up} -- by the�
System just to keep us all pacified, to keep this UNDER CONTROL,�
to keep us all in a little arena {\it under surveillance} to do�
our killing like good Christians, and NOT OUTSIDE, no certainly�
NOT OUTSIDE in the System where it might DO SOMETHING, do�
something harmful. Is this changing anything? Is it getting past�
these walls? Is it changing anything in your head? Am I giving�
you a headache yet? Are you RESPONDING, or just acting? Or just�
posing? Or just standing there? Or not even here? Are you really�
IN CONTROL of why you're here, of what you think you like? Are�
you SURE some outside {\it thing}, some {\it media thing} didn't�
tell you to be here, that you'd like this, it's be good for you,�
you could get some shit out \& you'll feel better in the morning,�
content and more willingly productive? Are you SURE you're not�
being manipulated? Am I sure I'm not being manipulated?

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I'm a puppet he's a puppet
she's a puppet we're a puppet
wouldn't you like to be a puppet too?
}
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Is that it? Or {\it is} it the music? Does it DO anything for�
you? Can you dig it? Can you dig your heart \& your brains out \&�
hold them in your hands \& look at them \& say, ``Yes, yes, this�
is IT, something's happening here.'' Or could you still NOT CARE�
LESS? And if that's the case, what are you doing here anyway?

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\line{\hfil Richard Loranger}
\line{\hfil 1327 Pine \#1}
\line{\hfil Boulder CO 80302}

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