The Bullys
BQE Overdrive (Self Released)
Wayne
(SugarBuzz NYC)
SugarBuzz Magazine
“And when I’m smoking dope, Don’t want no Cantaloupe!”
- Fast Food (W. Stack)
Are you tired of music that promises ‘Punk As Fuck’ but instead delivers more limp, yawn-inducing compromise dressed up as the real thing but never actually having left the mall, all style and no action so you might as well just throw on “Young Loud & Snotty”, “Leave Home” or “Go Girl Crazy” for the millionth time? Or perhaps like me you wish you could simply turn the clocks back to 1977 when bands were creating the most joyous, unbridled Rock & Roll that ever would be?
While most of the World thinks Interpol and The Strokes are what the Underground in NYC is all about these days, those on the scene know that for the past nearly ten years true giants have walked among us in the form of The Bullys, a band squarely in the tradition and even equal to those that used to play the hallowed halls of CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City 25 to 30 years ago.
Hailing from Rock Rock Rockaway Beach The Bullys were formed in 1997, the mastermind of Johnny Heff (Heffernan) who was a Hero the likes of which I’ve never known. In addition to fronting The Bullys he was also one of the very Bravest, a NYC Fireman. This guy was just operating on so many levels (a husband and father as well) and doing it all straight-up, no pathetic junkie tales here! He was a roiling, intense ball of energy, a giant in any room he occupied and a wit (check out his spoken word bits at the band’s site) who could make you piss yourself laughing as he dished out some truth.
Johnny Heff gave his life on 9/11 responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center three days before The Bullys were to play The Continental with The Waldos. It’s impossible for me to think of a greater loss of a life, a life reflected in The Bullys first two releases, the Marky Ramone produced “Stomposition” and its follow-up “Tonite, We Fight Again”. I encourage everyone to learn more about Johnny‘s extraordinary life and talent at The Bullys website and elsewhere.
Having lost their leader, guiding light, chief songwriter and close friend, and to have done so in such a manner few of us could have imagined that any band could have gone on from there, yet The Bullys are no ordinary band. Bruised, battered and somewhat slightly dazed they somehow found the strength, remarkably rising like the proverbial Phoenix from the ashes (a metaphor that truly fits here) they’ve emerged five years later with ‘BQE Overdrive’, a release that will not only top just about anything you’ll find in any current punk rock scene but will stand head and shoulders with the classics of Punk’s golden years (’76-’78).
And just what does “BQE Overdrive” have that all the rest are lacking? First and foremost a raging sense of humor which is the most important ingredient in the best punk rock and yet it is what you’re least likely to encounter these days as most of the Fun has been filtered out over the years.
Ten barnstorming little Motherfuckers (half were written by Johnny Heff and the other half by lead guitarist Walt Stack) that most of us can relate to cause they’re taken from real life. Featuring “Skel”, “Broke”, “Fast Food”, “Pop (Is For Fags)”, “Fired”, “Against All Authority”, “’78 Nova”, “Slammer”, “All Pumped Up” and “Balls”, this is a band that will jack up your adrenaline and cause you to laugh out loud at the same time. You may even think you’ve found some lost Holy Grail of the genre, some newly unearthed KBD you’re destined to play ad infintum for the rest of your now slightly brighter existence.
The Bullys are Walt Stack, one of the great unsung guitar heroes of the scene who uses a basic Johnny Thunders template to spin off exciting solo after solo. There’s the gum-chomping piss and vinegar snarl of vocalist Joey Lanz, the ever steady, relentlessly pumping bass of Todd Feyh providing solid rhythm along with (relatively) new drummer Gerry Tuohy, and since the recording of BQE Overdrive the band has returned to a 5-piece line-up with the addition of a ball of kinetic human energy known as Danny Nez on rhythm guitar creating a band that is simply unchallenged on the scene.
This is a terrific sounding disc as well thanks to Engineer Joe Blaney who performed his magic on The Clash’ “Combat Rock” as well and here delivers a straight-forward, ballsy and in-your-face mix that has enough presence to fill a room with just a touch of window dressing so as not to unnecessarily intrude on the action.
It’s rare to be able to so unquestionably recommend a band or a CD in this day and age of compromise yet for me ‘BQE Overdrive’ is the sound and feel of pure, raw life coursing through my teenage veins back in the mid-70’s. Punk Rock & Roll that’ll simultaneously hit you in the head, heart and crotch and for those of you who think the cover artwork on this self-released CD is not pretty or fancy enough I’d like to bring attention to the dozens, perhaps hundreds of CD’s we’ve all bought with killer artwork that were the musical equivalent of smoldering turds. Let’s keep in mind, Punk Rock is not a pretty thing and it’s not meant to be.