1/25/13

Late again...

I did a thirty minute set to kick off the Pocket Fisherman's latest event at the Hole in the Wall. Cunto and a few others were also involved. They had both stages going, "acoustic" in the front and bands in the back. Of course I wasn't very acoustic playing my Jazz box through a vibroluxe, but it sounded great!

The night was a lot of fun until the break between the last act up front and the last act in the back (Fishermen). The band upfront, Boomswagglers, kept playing on and on and the Fishermen (the folks who put the show together) were waiting for them to finish. It started to get a little uncomfortable, but it seemed like they were about to finish their set... until they started another song.

So PF's said fuck it and kicked their set off. I'm not exactly sure what happened next but I see the big oaf singer from the Boomswagglers come running at Mike Nicolai with his fist in the air. He looked like a real idiot. He was literally running with his fist over his head, telegraphing his punches ahead of time like a two year old in a preschool fight. Pitiful.

I don't know what the results were, but Mike seemed fine after.

Breakdown

I got paid and a few free beers! I win!!

My new solo rig sounds amazing, I'm loving the hell out of it.

It was a great night other than the idiot from the Boomswagglers.

1/18/13

I am late on this one.

Bigfoot Chester at Hotel Vegas. It was a big fancy night with five bands on the bill. Everyone was excited to have the garage rock superstar, Jack Oblivion headlining so they packed the night with bands.

We went on early, but not early enough. When Jones showed up someone started giving him shit saying "You guys were supposed to be on by now". Apparently they wanted us on at 9 and that wasn't gonna happen.

We did our thing and were adored by all. Then some other bands played, as you can probably tell from my tone I have no idea who they are or where they were from. I didn't even watch them. I spent the night feeling like a grumpy old man and I wanted to go home. So I did!

Breakdown

They were very kind with the free beer! Thanks.

I missed Jack's set, lame, but I did get a chance to talk with him for five minutes. The conversation went like this.

"Hey man I haven't seen you in years.
Yeah whats been goin on?
Not much, how about you?
The same..."

We are amazing conversationalists.

It looks like Bigfoot might play more than three times this year, we already have something on the calendar for March. Bring on the Bigfoot!

1/5/13

Hickoids Vs Sex Pistols

We were asked to "be" the Sex Pistols at a show celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Pistols SA show at Randy's Roadhouse. We worked a dozen songs up for about a month. Mostly hits from the "Bollocks" album and two B-sides.

Generally it's a lot of fun to learn a new set. At home I have a binder full of notes from various bands I played in/ subbed for. I take a certain amount of pride in being able to learn a set and being able to play it, with a decent level of skill in very little time. These notes cover a bunch bands including Bigfoot Chester, South Filthy, a couple of pages from when I first joined the Hickoids and four from when I joined the Ideals (Jones was workin my ass off).  I've not only gotten good at reading them on stage, but I can get "off the page" pretty quick as well.

Then there was this Sex Pistols set.

I've liked the Pistols at various points in my life. I know they are supposed to be angry punks but the songs sounded dumb and fun to me. They always got a little abrasive at some point so I'd listen for a while them put them away for a couple of years. We start learning them and they start invading my head. I'd be walking around the house and suddenly I'm singing "Fuck this and Fuck that..." It's pretty normal behavior when your submerging yourself in new material. 

And then during the next week it started to multiply. More and more every day until the Pistols had taken over my brain.

Before our last rehearsal I had rewritten my notes to make them easier to read and I was thinking I'd play them twice more (one at rehearsal and once for the show) and that would be it. It was a good plan until we hit "Liar" and I realized I'd left out a couple of parts in the rewrite... I am an idiot. I went home, grabbed the cd and straightened out my notes. I even hit them again the next night.

When I got to the club (Backstage Live!) I realized this was it! I only have to play them once more and I'd be finished forever!

We set up and get going. We are actually holding our own and not screwing up too much. The crowd is on fire. A pile of people screaming the lyrics and jumping around. Beer cans were tossed and beer cans were crushed and we kept playing.  Pretty soon I turn to my second page of notes and I'm ecstatic. Five more songs and it's over. We play three and we are told "One more"! It was a midnight call from the governor.  Saving me from two minutes of extended peril. Thank you soundman!

I think I'm finished with the pistols for a while. I've grown some appreciation for the songs. A few of them are fairly complex, especially for "punk" rock, but since I didn't get to put them down when I was tired of it. I'll be taking an extended break from them.

Breakdown

Zero free beer. Pretty lame considering how many people were there. We should have gotten something for learning all of that shit.

12/31/12

I have to admit, I was more than a little skeptical about NYE in Hot Springs Arkansas. I figured it was the middle of nowhere and they had nothing going on. I couldn't have been more wrong. And I couldn't be happier about it.

It was cold as hell when the fake freak pulled up in front of Maxine's. We were told it was once either the oldest brothel in the state or the most popular. We heard several variations on and between those themes from most everyone. No solid answers. A club with some mystery.

The bill was Ben Franks, The Frontier Circus, Booyah Dad with Foul Play Cabaret and the Hickoids. It was a standing room only event, all of the tables were sold ahead of time. The place was ready to explode.

Ben and the Circus did fine jobs. The Circus did the same set from the night before (with Jones playing lead). Ben had an alt country rock vibe going. A couple of the players swapped instruments and they had a bunch of cute girls up front singing along. Always a plus.

Then Booyah Dad with Foul Play Cabaret. Let's face it stupid party rock works. It doesn't matter if two of the members look like the cast of Duck Dynasty and the other looks like a substitute teacher. They rocked the shit out of it. Songs like "Freedom Party", "Ass Party", "Say You Love Me" and "Popin and Lockin at the Country Show" work.

And they really work with the ladies of the FPC. A half dozen beautiful ladies dancing AND stripping makes for a hell of a good time. Everyone in the place was having a blast. Loads of frozen smiles plastered across the room, mine included. It was a beautiful thing.

Hickoids were after the NYE "fireworks". We did a short but rocking set. Loaded up the Freak, got paid and drove home.

Breakdown

We got free beer! They offered to feed us, but we'd eaten a bit before we got there. They had a burlesque show! I'm in love with Maxine's!