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mercredi, septembre 07, 2005

It's Been Emotional


I read on Gybexi's blog that Misfits will be closing down in three weeks. I was never really the Misfits type. This notwithstanding I still have a Misfits poster in my office at the ECJ in Kirchberg, Luxembourg. My little contribution of Maltese in this world of corridors decorated by kitsch posters of home countries is a cool advertising poster of a series of long-forgotten nights at Misfits.

As I was saying Misfits was never my place. Socially I always felt a non-conformist but Misfits always seemed to be full of the wishy-washy socialists or the musically enlightened who did not quite tickle my fancy. Misfits was a place where a hypocritical charade was acted out almost daily. Its customers were of the kind who would not be seen dead in Paceville (to be pronounced with disdain), so ... they went to Paceville. They found their little bastion of non-conformity which sort of highlighted them as different to the rest. It gave them the chance to peek around the town on Saturday nights since it was only a walk away and, if anyone asked, you could always say that you were off to BJ's or for a hotdog at Jimmy's.

They say the cook next door was good before she legged it out of Peaceville to Malata in Valletta. Jealous Valletta, always trying to regain its nights of former glory while that Whore of Babylon across the harbour continued to bask in the beer drenched beauty of nights filled with language students, ecstasy laden hamalli and coke sniffing snobs. Misfits was the outpost for the wankellectuals who could not bring themselves to admit that they too got a piece of the Paceville pie. And anyway at Misfits you could hear real muzzik not the commercial trash played up the road.

Maybe I started to go to Misfits when dragged by some girlfriend. Or maybe to meet friends like Antonio Tufigno. Or maybe to listen to those wonderful nights deejayed by John Joseph (Job for friends). Maybe I might have heard some alternative Maltese band (not Scream Daisy of course). Maybe I enjoyed watching the geeks in their costumes meticulously chosen to look as randomly brought together as possible. Maybe I enjoyed the outlandish look of the drapes from the ceiling or the idea of lounging on a sofa in a bar. Maybe it was the fact that Misfits was run by Rowan Carbone... the same guy who I remember as a child (the bugger is younger than me) on the same busstop for our San Alwigi bus infront of Wembley Garage at 6.45 am. Maybe there was a time when the Mojito was good there.

Maybe. Misfits is closed. Its current crowd will definitely find another non-trendy place to patronise (never was an adjective more apt). I will definitely find an excuse to tag along. In the meantime as Vinnie Jones' character says in that great film.....

"It's been emotional."

9 commentaires:

Mark Vella a dit…

Mix kbir tal-Job:

http://www.misfitsbar.com/media/djmixes/espionage1.m3u

Erezija a dit…

http://www.scaremongering.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1259

http://www.scaremongering.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1255

http://www.scaremongering.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1256

Anonyme a dit…

Excellent article Jacques. Defines the whole Misfit charade perfectly to a T.

Anonyme a dit…

oh shut up you sad sad sods.

Misfits was one of the FEW (if not only) bars which ...

a) had good music on most of the nights

b) was decorated tastefully

c) sold reasonably-priced drinks

d) had good jazz and indie bands which other bars didn't host (remember hunters palace with the projections in the background? remember the sandro zerafa jazz band which at the time played only at misfits?)

Yes there were wankers ... so fuckin what! You find different kind of wankers in every bar on the island. Hemm xi bar "genwinn" fejn in-nies huma kollha "genwini"?!?

Some people there preferred discussing music, films and other stuff as opposed to work, cars, girls n politics ... so fuckin what???

Some people there gave big importance to how they look ... most people do ... so fuckin what???

It was one of the few decent bars in malta, that's why so many of the "alternative" crowd ended up there.

Jacques René Zammit a dit…

well well.
he'll huff and he'll puff and he'll blow the house down...

... so fuckin' what!

looks like big bad anonymous user missed the humour completely.

Anonyme a dit…

Big bad? heh ... far from the truth. I'm Alan Vella if you want to know my name. I posted as anonymous only because I don't have an account with blogspot.

I can take the humour don't worry. And for the past year I have been attending misfits sporadically (kemm ha ddum tmur l-istess post!). It's just that these days we drown everything in cyncism and humour and it gets a bit tiring after a while. It would be nice to just say it how it is once in a while. Let's face it ... there really is no other decent place apart from Misfits. And don't mention wine bars please. I'm talking about bars/clubs where you can go and dance and listen to good music and have a good time.

I have no interest in the place. Lately I have been visiting it once every month at most and I'll be leaving the island in a month anyway ... But your post ticked me off because it's a classic example off the maltese guy groaning and nit-picking on a good thing when he'll probably be the first guy to complain on the fact that there's nothing to do and nowhere to go on this island.

Jacques René Zammit a dit…

"it's a classic example off the maltese guy groaning and nit-picking on a good thing when he'll probably be the first guy to complain on the fact that there's nothing to do and nowhere to go on this island "

Not.
There is much to do on the island. From Veccja to the Mdina and Rabat haunts to good nights out in Valletta. It's not my fault that you do not like Wine Bars. I like Jubilee and Trabixu (when I find a seat). Maestro used to be good too.

My commments were not directed at the place but at attitudes. Especially the "I take myself and my evening entertainment very seriously" attitude. Which is all a load of bull... and we all know it.

Nice to meet you though and hope you will visit this blog more often!

Anonyme a dit…

Nice to meet you too, though I think I've seen your face around before. I know Antonio and the rest of the Shosta crew.

I like wine bars. I'm all for the quiet nights spent talking with friends over a glass of good wine and dips and platters u x'naf jien.

But there are some nights when you feel like dancing, when you want to listen to some good loud music, something which you can't do at wine bars (you wouldn't expect that from a wine bar anyway).

We badly need good clubs and venues in malta ... there aren't any decent clubs and there aren't any decent venues for live bands.

Imma nsomma ... ha nieqaf neqred.

Sahha.

Peklectrick a dit…

A little bit too late but what the hell. Three cheers for Lock, Stock. You might have inspired a post...