Punk & Protopunk   

Attention! If you're looking for Rock Band for Xbox 360 or Rock Band for Playstation 3 you've come to the wrong place.

As part of my research for Jamtopia, I see many videos of young bands on YouTube. Sadly, pretty much all of them took the last train to Unmelted Faceville — they have no idea how to rock.

So to help these would-be rockers, I'm offering a few tips gleaned from the video above. It's the MC5 performing their most well-known song, Kick Out the Jams, at a 1970 concert in a parking lot at Wayne State University.

Tip #1: Work the crowd. Own the crowd.
These guys cause the entire (seemingly bored) crowd to rise to their feet in about 5 seconds! And by then end of the tune, they rock so hard that one fan is compelled to jump on stage and do an actual Skank dance. Says one YouTuber...

Does anyone else get a rush that starts from their toes and races up to their brain every when this song starts??? I think my head is going to explode.

Now that's consumer engagement!

Tip #2: Work on charisma first. Looks second.
Rob Tyner is more Horshack than Timberlake, but he still owns your eyes and your ears. Just try to duplicate his trance-inducing gyrations and hand motions.

Tip #3: Take to the ground. If it moves, hump it.
Staying on your feet is optional. Fred “Sonic” Smith and Wayne Kramer both spend a little time on their backs, and Smith even spends some of his ground time air-humping his guitar... a fine lesson for every young rocker to learn.

Tip #4: Don't forget the classics: Windmills & Headbanging.
If you're rocking hard enough, there's no reason you can't get away with at least one of these classic moves. And when you rock like the MC5 you get to do both. There's a few quick windmills from Kramer early on and then some classic mid-stage headbanging with both ax-handlers just after the two-minute mark.

So there you have it. A few simple tips to help you and your band rock hard and hopefully melt some faces. Oh yeah, don't forget to make good music too!

This tune and more can be found on MC5 Kick Out the Jams recorded live at the Grande Ballroom in 1968.

Hat tip to TotalVoltageVault for posting this video, by far the best Kick Out the Jams on YouTube even though the opening line is censored.

P.S. If you have a copy of MC5: A True Testimonial DVD (Amazon) please email me.

P.P.S. If you know of a good young band rocking out on YouTube please suggest a jam!