Had Too Much To Sleaze Last Night, pt4
Ok, so this is it. The last post of my 4-part Sleazefest report, continued from part 3...
After Dexterville I took a break and went out front to get some “fresh” air... and I heard the most amazing sound coming from the Sleaze Lounge... it was Baby Rose Bud from New Orleans (the drummer is from here in Chapel Hill originally, someone said). A drum and an accordion, with a beat machine sometimes and a small casio synthesizer. Odd and interesting. A friend told me the accordion she was playing is a combo of a farfisa and a traditional accordion. It had some mighty eerie and strange sounds, and was really intriguing. They have a cd but I couldn’t get one at the time. The drummer from Baby Rose Bud is also in Fireball Rocket (also from NOLA). They started up right after Baby Rose Bud and looked really good which matches all reports about their early set yesterday.
Back to the 506 where Trailer Bride were a song into their set. They hail from here as well. Other people were running videocameras at this point, so I got a chance to just stand around and listen. Their name is somewhat misleading (I think), they aren’t a hillbilly/rock band as one might think. It is a very interesting mix of goth-country and some early-80s punk mixed in... I stood there thinking that they were a mix of Throwing Muses and the Gun Club, a really interesting sound. Great attention to tone, and the singer is marvelous. And just then, they launch into “Ghost on the Highway” by the Gun Club! Uncanny. Anyhow, don’t know if any of you all like this kind of stuff, but if you do, check them out.
I am sure many of you have heard of or have even seen Truckadelic, and they were in typical form tonight... with the added sleaze effect that they were dressed in adult diapers with “I Love (heart) Truckadelic” stickers all over. I’m not a huge fan of gasoline hillbilly stuff but I like to see it live from time to time. Truckadelic really do that schtick pretty well, and were appropriately sleazy for Sleazefest. They, by the way, win the “Most Ubiquitous Marketing Award”. They played all three days so they showed up on Friday and hung out all weekend pasting temporary “I (heart) Truckadelic” tattoos on nearly all available exposed flesh. Check for photos at www.truckadelic.com. YOUR breast/butt/thigh could be there!
By this time I was pretty spent from running videocameras, and having my head pounded in by so much music. I took a short break on the street. I could tell that this was winding down, people were looking pretty tired (except for the exceptionally drunk folks who couldn’t get enough.. you know the type).
Drive-by Truckers (from Athens, GA) were already on stage when I went back in the sweaty, smoky 506. I was prepared for another gasoline/hillbilly band, and they certainly did match up to some of my expectations, except they had more of a sound like Old 97s mixed with that punk-rocky thing I mentioned before. They played homages to Steve McQueen and to 70s stadium rock in the South (“I never saw Lynyrd Skynyrd but I sure saw Molly Hatchet...”). I think they are recording a rock opera about said stadium rock. Amusing and a pretty good sound nevertheless (and also had the 3-guitar sound wall similar to the Billy Joe Winghead/Quadrajets thing.).
Could there be MORE? Fech! Well, the last, but certainly not least was Johnny Legend. I am not too familiar with his stuff, but from what folks tell me he began writing music for porno films in the mid 60’s, rockabilly and rock and roll stuff, and has made a career out of it. Rumor has it that he even directed a film that starred the legendary John Holmes. Anyhow, he’s old(er) and gray now, with a beard down to his navel, and still crazy and lecherous. He’s actually quite funny to a certain extent and has an amazing amount of energy. Some good Johnny Legend quotes: “Jesus loves you, but Johnny licks you. There’s a big difference” and “I was playing rockabilly when Robert Gordon was only knee high to a stray cat”.
He was backed by Johnny Knox and the Blacktop Rockets (from Atlanta). Pretty solid, really, and Johnny Knox is a very flashy guitar player. Johnny Legend played a pretty mean harmonica too. It was quite a show, some girls up front got fondled and kissed by Johnny Legend, and people had a good time on the whole. The last song of the night was “Pushin’ Too Hard,” which Johnny Legend started by saying “This goes out to all the great musicians who are no longer with us... Roky Erickson, Sky Saxon... although not dead, they are no longer with us...”
Johnny Knox must have some guitars to spare. First he threw a Danelectro retrofitted with 3 special pickups into the audience with the intention of giving it away (I learned this later - ouch! I shoulda grabbed it!). The audience couldn’t conceive of this and just passed the sucker back. I guess then he thought the better of it. He ended the set by completely smashing not one but two OTHER guitars into bits (the Danelectro survived). I haven’t seen someone smash a guitar live in a long, long time. Most people enjoyed it but there were a few in the audience who could use an extra guitar who had that certain grimace. By the end everyone was pretty tired... and it was only 3am! Johnny was found outside later, handing out personalized combs that say ‘Johnny Knox - Sultan of the Silvertone’.
Dave Robertson (owner of the 506), sporting his usual army helmet, closed the weekend with his rendition of “Danny Boy”...
So all-in-all a great Sleazefest. Good to meet Evan and Justina, and many others who made the trek from afar.
One final note. As Evan mentioned, the changeovers were smooth and seamless, similar to the first Las Vegas Grind... The bands were all respectful of the time schedule and still managed to have a blast. Beatle Bob of course lost his voice by Sunday night, we could hardly understand him by half-way through the evening. Dave Robertson did a great job of scheduling the bands, and keeping everything flowing nicely. All in all, a fabulous time.
Until the next one,
--Robby
After Dexterville I took a break and went out front to get some “fresh” air... and I heard the most amazing sound coming from the Sleaze Lounge... it was Baby Rose Bud from New Orleans (the drummer is from here in Chapel Hill originally, someone said). A drum and an accordion, with a beat machine sometimes and a small casio synthesizer. Odd and interesting. A friend told me the accordion she was playing is a combo of a farfisa and a traditional accordion. It had some mighty eerie and strange sounds, and was really intriguing. They have a cd but I couldn’t get one at the time. The drummer from Baby Rose Bud is also in Fireball Rocket (also from NOLA). They started up right after Baby Rose Bud and looked really good which matches all reports about their early set yesterday.
Back to the 506 where Trailer Bride were a song into their set. They hail from here as well. Other people were running videocameras at this point, so I got a chance to just stand around and listen. Their name is somewhat misleading (I think), they aren’t a hillbilly/rock band as one might think. It is a very interesting mix of goth-country and some early-80s punk mixed in... I stood there thinking that they were a mix of Throwing Muses and the Gun Club, a really interesting sound. Great attention to tone, and the singer is marvelous. And just then, they launch into “Ghost on the Highway” by the Gun Club! Uncanny. Anyhow, don’t know if any of you all like this kind of stuff, but if you do, check them out.
I am sure many of you have heard of or have even seen Truckadelic, and they were in typical form tonight... with the added sleaze effect that they were dressed in adult diapers with “I Love (heart) Truckadelic” stickers all over. I’m not a huge fan of gasoline hillbilly stuff but I like to see it live from time to time. Truckadelic really do that schtick pretty well, and were appropriately sleazy for Sleazefest. They, by the way, win the “Most Ubiquitous Marketing Award”. They played all three days so they showed up on Friday and hung out all weekend pasting temporary “I (heart) Truckadelic” tattoos on nearly all available exposed flesh. Check for photos at www.truckadelic.com. YOUR breast/butt/thigh could be there!
By this time I was pretty spent from running videocameras, and having my head pounded in by so much music. I took a short break on the street. I could tell that this was winding down, people were looking pretty tired (except for the exceptionally drunk folks who couldn’t get enough.. you know the type).
Drive-by Truckers (from Athens, GA) were already on stage when I went back in the sweaty, smoky 506. I was prepared for another gasoline/hillbilly band, and they certainly did match up to some of my expectations, except they had more of a sound like Old 97s mixed with that punk-rocky thing I mentioned before. They played homages to Steve McQueen and to 70s stadium rock in the South (“I never saw Lynyrd Skynyrd but I sure saw Molly Hatchet...”). I think they are recording a rock opera about said stadium rock. Amusing and a pretty good sound nevertheless (and also had the 3-guitar sound wall similar to the Billy Joe Winghead/Quadrajets thing.).
Could there be MORE? Fech! Well, the last, but certainly not least was Johnny Legend. I am not too familiar with his stuff, but from what folks tell me he began writing music for porno films in the mid 60’s, rockabilly and rock and roll stuff, and has made a career out of it. Rumor has it that he even directed a film that starred the legendary John Holmes. Anyhow, he’s old(er) and gray now, with a beard down to his navel, and still crazy and lecherous. He’s actually quite funny to a certain extent and has an amazing amount of energy. Some good Johnny Legend quotes: “Jesus loves you, but Johnny licks you. There’s a big difference” and “I was playing rockabilly when Robert Gordon was only knee high to a stray cat”.
He was backed by Johnny Knox and the Blacktop Rockets (from Atlanta). Pretty solid, really, and Johnny Knox is a very flashy guitar player. Johnny Legend played a pretty mean harmonica too. It was quite a show, some girls up front got fondled and kissed by Johnny Legend, and people had a good time on the whole. The last song of the night was “Pushin’ Too Hard,” which Johnny Legend started by saying “This goes out to all the great musicians who are no longer with us... Roky Erickson, Sky Saxon... although not dead, they are no longer with us...”
Johnny Knox must have some guitars to spare. First he threw a Danelectro retrofitted with 3 special pickups into the audience with the intention of giving it away (I learned this later - ouch! I shoulda grabbed it!). The audience couldn’t conceive of this and just passed the sucker back. I guess then he thought the better of it. He ended the set by completely smashing not one but two OTHER guitars into bits (the Danelectro survived). I haven’t seen someone smash a guitar live in a long, long time. Most people enjoyed it but there were a few in the audience who could use an extra guitar who had that certain grimace. By the end everyone was pretty tired... and it was only 3am! Johnny was found outside later, handing out personalized combs that say ‘Johnny Knox - Sultan of the Silvertone’.
Dave Robertson (owner of the 506), sporting his usual army helmet, closed the weekend with his rendition of “Danny Boy”...
So all-in-all a great Sleazefest. Good to meet Evan and Justina, and many others who made the trek from afar.
One final note. As Evan mentioned, the changeovers were smooth and seamless, similar to the first Las Vegas Grind... The bands were all respectful of the time schedule and still managed to have a blast. Beatle Bob of course lost his voice by Sunday night, we could hardly understand him by half-way through the evening. Dave Robertson did a great job of scheduling the bands, and keeping everything flowing nicely. All in all, a fabulous time.
Until the next one,
--Robby
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