Lockdown! at the Disco #24: The (boo-lated) Halloween Party!
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TRACK ONE: “This is Halloween” – Nightmare Before Christmas
Hello hello hello! You’re listening to episode #24 of Comics Youth Radio presents Lockdown! at the Disco and this is the fourth and final episode of our Haloween spook-tacular this year, so we’re throwing a heckin’ spooky shindig right here! I am your host Amy RAAAARRRGGGHHberts – see what I did there? Cos we spookin? – and today we’re just gonna be playing some straight up Halloween bangers and spooky bops to celebrate this fine season.
Opening the show there was Halloween classic “This is Halloween” from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas – a film that we all agreed in our safe spaces group this week is in fact a Halloween movie more than a xmas movie. But that it’s also fine to be both. And I’m playing that for Ash who very enthusiastically requested it.
Now, I’m very aware that this episode will be going out into the big bad world after Halloween has been and gone and I just wanna reassure you all that that’s really besides the point. Halloween can always be extended, honey. Long live the spook, we say!
This will be a slightly longer episode than usual cos Halloween is a super special time and we have a lot of tunes to play to reflect that!
Now, this is our usual disclaimer that while every effort has been made to keep this episode friendly and appropriate for all ages that occasionally the odd-naughty word or idea can sometimes slip into some of the tunes that we play which may not be suitable for some of our younger listeners, so parental discretion is advised.
And to reflect this point perfectly, this is the Dead Kennedys with “Halloween”!
TRACK TWO: “Halloween” – Dead Kennedys
TRACK THREE: “Halloween” – AFI
That was uber-goth spoopy punk band AFI with “Halloween” taken from their All Hallows EP – and they’re a band that many-a-spooky-punk know can only be listened to between the sacred weeks of the start and the end of October. Thems just the rules, folks. It’s just how it is!
Something that I love about Halloween – and about tunes that people associate with Halloween – is just how wide and varied everyone’s points of reference are with it. All of us have very different and unique ideas about what does and doesn’t qualify as spoopy or scary or Halloweeny and we all have our own traditions for it.
Personally, I’m a fan of the basics: I love a selection of spooky snacks – anything that’s delicious and shaped like a ghost or a Dracula or a zombie or a witch or a bat or WHATHAVEYOU, and it’s going in my belly – and I love to watch proper atmospheric gothic horror movies.
I don’t mind the odd slasher movie on Halloween – so long as they feel thematic and they also have to be brooding, creepy numbers like John Carpenter’s Halloween – but for some reason I just love traditional classic monsters. Anything with fog and doom and dread. A haunted castle is always good. A haunted person – EVEN BETTER.
Ideally, my Halloween celebrations also involve spending time with the people I love too. Cos it’s goth Christmas! So we should all get together over some good grub to share the goth love, ya know?
I’m a little sad this year cos I couldn’t spend goth Christmas with my absolute faves but I’m just going to eat my body weight in pumpkin shaped sugary treats and scare myself silly instead. I live alone and probably shouldn’t do that because scaring myself out of my wits is a silly thing to do when you live alone and don’t have another person to check under the bed and inside all the cupboards for ghouls and creepos so you don’t have to – but it also kind of makes those thrills more exciting.
Just know that even though it’s November now, that Halloween is still very much alive in my heart and I hope it’s still alive in yours too. So many of us haven’t had the chance to celebrate goth Christmas properly this year, and so this is our little belated celebration and to remind you all to carry on being your best spooky selves.
This ain’t a costume, man – it’s a way of life.
And now, we’re gonna gather around the cauldron together and conjure some spells. This next track was requested by Shan who came last in our spooky Halloween quiz during our safe spaces session last week, and so we allowed them to pick a song as a prize for coming last – cos you know we love an underdog here at Comics Youth. Shan actually picked a different non-spooky song to be played which we’ll be blasting on our next episode for them, but they also asked for this absolute gem too.
This is Love Potion No. 9 by The Searchers.
TRACK FOUR: “Love Potion No. 9” – The Searchers
TRACK FIVE: “I Put a Spell on You” – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
That was Screain’ Jay Hawkins with “I Put a Spell on You” and the Bette Midler rendition of that song from the magnificent Halloween classic Hocus Pocus was requested by Tom and Ash. However, I love the OG version of it so so much and though I adore the extraordinary talents of one Bette Midler, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins deserves to be played loud and proud this time of year.
Plus, I reckon all of you have likely watched Hocus Pocus to absolute death by this point in our Halloween celebrations, right? And if not, why not?! Get it on. It’s still not too late.
Now, we like for this show to operate as an escape from everything that’s happening in the world right now. Even if we’re practicing self-care and trying to stay away from doom scrolling through social media or reading too many news feeds, it’s also impossible to avoid updates on what it is happening in this city, this country, and at the world at large.
We’re not gonna go into details about any of that here, but I just wanted to remind you all that Comics Youth is always here for each and every one of you. If you’re feeling anxious about things, need an outlet to express yourself, a project to keep busy with, or just some cool like-minded people to gab with, Comics Youth and our entire community is always here for you.
And remember also, that music has the power to be an incredible comfort for difficult times. And when I was putting this playlist together today, I knew I wanted to pick at least one song that is still a little dark and spooky that’s also uplifting for times of upheaval.
As this next track serves as a reminder, there is a light within all of you that can help to navigate you through the darkness. As the lyrics in this one suggest, when the power is out in the heart of man – where there’s something wrong in the heart of man – take this light from your heart and put it in your hand.
You’re in control and you’ve got this. This is Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out) by Arcade Fire.
TRACK SIX: “Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)” – Arcade Fire
TRACK SEVEN: “Pet Semetary” – Ramones
That was the kind of insane “Pet Semetary” by Ramones which unbelievably was the hit theme song to the 1989 movie adaptation of Stephen King’s very creepy book of the same name.
And when I first saw that film as a teenager I almost fell of the couch laughing so hard when the end credits rolled and this song came on because it’s just a strange track to end such a dark horror film on. You know, nobody expects Joey Ramone to saunter in at the end of a scary movie and just lay down a jive, do they?
And I’m playing that one for everyone’s pets here at Comics Youth! For all the kitties, doggos, bunny rabbits, birds and whomever else! We’ve seen this awesome pet costumes from y’all over the past week and we’ve been LOVING it. Animals love Halloween too. And as we hurtle into some more potentially difficult times this Winter, remember that your pets love you and totally have your back.
And if you’re like me and desperately wish you had a pet but don’t at the moment, then I hope you take comfort in seeing all the boss pictures of everyone else’s floofs – cos – not to make us sound like a cult or anything, tho we have been accused of such things in the past – we’re all family here at Comics Youth. And that extends to our pets too.
Now, let’s keep the scary jives alive – or, just about - with “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads.
TRACK EIGHT: “Psycho Killer” – Talking Heads
TRACK NINE: “Casper (1995)” – Speedy Ortiz
That was “Casper (1995)” by Speedy Ortiz, named after the spectacular 1995 classic movie Casper – of course! – which a lot of you have mentioned in sessions in the past week or so that you’ve been watching at home with your family.
Now, I must admit – it’s been a while since I’ve watched this film, which is something I need to rectify. Especially because I never like to miss an opportunity to swoon over perennial 90s dreamboat Bill Pullman who played the dad in the film – and I suspect that myself and Comics Youth head honcho Rhiannon may be the only people who continue to swoon over him, but hey ho. This is what happens when you get old, people – you just really get dizzy over good folk who look nice in a fine jumper.
Incidentally, that was 100% my focus while watching The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix. Just a lot of really lovely characters in a vast array of very lovely jumpers. We stan.
I wanted to give a massive shoutout to everyone who took part in our Halloween special of Safe Spaces this past week. We did a spooky quiz over video chat – written by my fabulous co-worker and pal Emily – and we had an absolute blast.
Big props to Shan, Raf, Katie, and Soren for taking part and for having the best time with us, you really made our week with that fun time. And especially massive props to the winner of the quiz, Jake who won an extra special song request and shoutout on today’s show for absolutely smashing the quiz.
It’s been a while since we’ve been able to see Jake and it was so lovely to catch up and have a great time. Their knowledge of different words for ghosts was truly unsurpassed! Though I maintain my stance that ‘demon’ cannot be counted. Soz Jake – I know we’ll likely argue till the end on this one – but demon ain’t no ghost. No sireee!
And here’s what Jake requested for today’s episode: The classic “Witch Doctor” from 1958 by David Seville. Watch out for those chipmunks will ya? I think they’ve gotten loose…
TRACK TEN: “Witch Doctor” – David Sevile
TRACK ELEVEN: “Jump in the Line” – Harry Belafonte
That was “Jump in the Line” by Harry Belafonte and that’s the tune that finishes Tim Burton’s amazing Beetlejuice. Lydia Deetz does a floating shimmy to it accompanied by the ghosts of some dancing American footballers and it’s an absolute treat. That song puts an absolute smile on my face whenever I hear it – I hope it made you levitate with happiness and that you were vibing to it just as hard as I was!
And that’s it for another week, pals! The Halloween spook-tacular is over but Lockdown! at the Disco is not.
Our next episode is going to be about owning your anger. There’s a lot to be angry about right now and it can overwhelming and difficult to know what to do with that anger. So we’re gonna be talking about healthy ways to deal with anger as well as playing some super stompy tunes that let you own that anger and thump about the place in your docs!
For that, we want to know what you things you do when you’re angry: What helps you feel better? Maybe you do some stitching? Maybe you write or doodle? Or maybe you just like to blast music super loud and scream into the abyss, honey. Don’t we all.
And I also want to know your song requests for the episode – let me know what songs you like to play when you’re feeling miffed and fed up and mad at everything. What songs help you to own those emotions? For me, I will always turn to my bad girls in L7 – the band, not the Liverpool post code – their tunes have and always will help me out with those vibes.
So let me know via amy@comicsyouth.co.uk and I will be back in your ears in a fortnight! Until then, stay safe, stay sassy, and my goodness stay spooky. This one was requested by just about everyone – so this goes out to all of you! This is – of course! – “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, and this is Amy Raaaaarrghberts, signing off.
Byeeeeeeeee!
TRACK TWELVE: “Thriller” – Michael Jackson