Kids born at the start at the century have no clue that MTV once mattered. Now it’s a channel that gets skipped over like a home shopping or religious channel. Today’s line up consists of marathons of Ridiculousness, The Big Bang Theory and the Rush Hour movies. Who watches this crap? Why would anyone want my MTV? When MTV arrived on my cable box in the early ’80s, it was a lifestyle revolution. I got to see bands that didn’t play on my local radio stations. I constantly asked, “Who are these bands and why do they sound so cool?” If there wasn’t something we had to watch, the TV found itself running MTV for hours. VJs Martha Quinn, Nina Blackwood, J.J. Jackson, Mark Goodman and Alan Hunter were welcomed guests in my living room. Very quickly I found my musical tastes changing with the new to me acts that popped up in rotation. One of the music videos I found myself enjoying a lot was Red Rockers’ “China.” It was a catchy tune and featured the band playing in what looked like a Chinatown club. Because we didn’t have the internet, I had no idea that Red Rockers were from New Orleans and had a much harder sound on their first album. Now you can experience the early version of Red Rockers from the night they performed the songs from Condition Red on Red Rockers – It’s In Our Blood.
Original singer guitarist John Thomas Griffith, lead guitarist James Singletary and bassist Darren Hill joined up with drummer Bryan Barberot to get gritty at New Orlean’s legendary Tipitina’s back on November 11, 2023. They weren’t going to be the sweet and melodic Red Rockers from Good As Gold. They were going cover every song on Condition Red with the ferocity of when they released it in 1981. This is why the band opened for The Clash during this time.
The anger and frustration from Condition Red is more vital than ever. This isn’t a nostalgia trip where people in the crowd can view ’81 as a distant memory. Here we are nearly 45 years and feeling equally disturbed. If you turn on the news, you’ll scream out a few lyrics. People in the South can feel “White Law” since the Supreme Court has allowed racism in instant Congressional redistricting. “Dead Heroes” and “Missing in Action” haven’t faded away as we’re back in another war or two. “Voice of America” has been erased by the White House because his despot friends wanted it off the airwaves. Condition Red is Condition Now. The band does cover “China” although they make it a bit more intense so it fits with the Condition Red tunes.
The track listing for the show is:
| I’m So Bored With the USA Teenage Underground Peer Pressure Nothing To Lose Can You Hear Know What I Think United We Stand China Folson Prison Blues | Dead Heroes Condition Red/My Generation Grow Up Hold On Missing In Action White Law Voice Of America Live Or Die Guns Of Revolution |
You might be wondering why the Red Rockers didn’t perform “Lunatic Fringe.” Turns out that was performed by Red Rider which were a Canadian band from the same time. Also Red Rockers have nothing to do with The Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar.
Red Rockers – It’s In Our Blood is more than just a reunion concert. They’re not letting anyone in the crowd feel good. It allows us to know that Red Rockers first album deserves to be embraced like the first album from The Clash or U2’s Boy. Condition Red is defiant now as it was in 1981 (and there’s a concert with the band from that time on the Blu-ray). Red Rockers haven’t lost their power in these troubled times.
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The show was recorded with a few video cameras. The stage at Tipitina’s is rather small so there’s no camera guys roaming between the members. The Audio is LPCM 2.0 stereo. The instruments and vocals are mixed so neither overwhelms the other. You’ll want to crank it up to wake up the neighbors.
The Guests (14:50) turns out there was more to the show. In the middle, the Red Rocker invited up pals to perform covers of songs that inspired them as teenagers. Kiki from Glamorama does “The Wait” by the Pretenders. Jonathan Pretus gets into “Helter Skelter.” Brad Orgeron kicks out the jams with the Damned’s “New Rose.” Stephie Whitesox light up The Runaway’s “Cherry Bomb.”
Making Of The China Video (6:13) gives us a sense of the amount of work that went into making their hit MTV video back in 1983. The band seems to be working in San Francisco’s Chinatown district. It’s a shame they couldn’t include the full video, but there seems to be a rights issue since the full video can’t be uploaded to YouTube. He’s a clip of the MTV staple except remixed with Carl Douglas’ “Kung Fu Fighting” so it could get past the watchdogs. But you get an idea of what the visuals looked like.
The Spit 1981 (37:57) takes us back 45 years to the legendary punk club in Boston, Mass. You get to see the first tour featuring the songs from Condition Red when they and the audience were a bit younger. The show was recorded by several video cameras so it looks great for a time before bands had so much recorded. Being able to see them at their punky best is a thrill. You want to invite the neighbors over to form a mosh pit in front of the HDTV.
Jim Reilly Joins The Red Rockers (2:34) is a great story about how Bono of U2 was responsible for the drummer of Stiff Little Fingers joining the band from New Orleans. And we learn to never pester Jim for a bit of his sandwich.
Liberation Hall presents Red Rockers – It’s In Our Blood. Directed by Dave Bullis. Featuring John Thomas Griffith, James Singletary, Darren Hill and Bryan Barberot. Running Time: 63 minutes. Release Date: May 22, 2026.
While not featured in the concert; here’s Red Rockers’ video for “Good As Gold.”
