Orange
The Heart Attacks
Time Again
Nekromantix
Alley Katz, Richmond, VA
May 2007
By Jillian Abbene
(SugarBuzz Wash DC/Richmond)
ORANGE
I don’t think there’s ever been a time in my life that I have had the opportunity to use this phrase in a sentence, “The Queen of England has interfered with punk rock.” Once again, that is. God blame the Queen…. Queen Elizabeth was indeed in Richmond to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown (you know…the founding of America?). Somehow though, I feel invaded and territorial as barricades veer downtown traffic away from the venue, leaving me annoyed and fussy, missing the majority of Orange’s set.
However, not all was lost. Launching of their recent CD, ‘Welcome To The World Of Orange’ spawning a national tour, I am expecting nothing other than driving bluesed rock and roll rhythms. Instead, I was bewildered when I walked into the middle of a Culture Club’s infamous, ‘Karma Chameleon’, which I found oddly amusing. Fortunately, the next song, ‘Discarded Soul,’ reassured their credibility for rechargeable rock and roll—punked. Ska influences ooze in patches as Joe, the lead vocalist, with his dark-rimmed glasses still in tact, sweats out velvety-scratch tunes with ample vocal smoothings with guitars landscaping grated rhythm. The band’s budding style adds flair and likeability. In songs such as, ‘Self-Absorbed,’ bleats riffs chiseled in verses to create an even balance to their complete sound.
This band has a light element to their shtick. Sticker-covered guitars, studded belts and mussed-up hair captures a grimy flounce to their appeal. Although ending the set prematurely with even rhythm strums in, ‘Highway 2 Hell,’ in harmonizing gang vocal-clumps, it leaves me in anticipated disappointment that I missed most of the jam-outs. Sorry guys, next time…
THE HEART ATTACKS
www.myspace.com/theheartattacks
What makes tonight’s show different than the last time I saw The Heart Attacks (last year’s openers for Rancid) is a noticeable fresh burst of confidence along with a celebratory attitude. I suppose it being the lead vocalist’s birthday, and with extensive touring under their belt, they have metamorphasized over the year into a solid rock and roll band.
These guys have an edge. Their motto is meant for hard workin’ promiscuity and provocative cockiness in customized black drain pipes and high-tops as they jump into the first swerve of wasteland tunes of, ‘Summer Of Hate.’ The lead vocalist aka, Haircut, is mellow yet upbeat as he bleeds out nasal-cool wines. Equal amounts of bass and NY Dolls-ing guitar tempos from mid to fast, rolls in, ‘Fast Times,’ releasing signature Chuck Berry pop scrapes along those catchy chords. Singing to the crowd, these beauties seem ready to rev up even more in, ‘Gimme a Fix.’ There are noticeable split-jumps in the middle of the rhythms with high pitched guitar solos wailing just behind and ready-made trailing squeals of lyrics. The lead guitarist, Tuk, occasionally gives quick pulls and yanks on the guitar neck producing that feedback-shrill synonymous with Haircut’s struttings and singing verse.
By the time, ‘Neck Bit’ is introduced, the band is jacked-up lucid – from the remaining swigs of blue liquor that gives excuse to party up, dare devil throws of the mike stand and catching it lands without falter. Lyrics are pushed like a permanent tempered tantrum, glimpsing clean punk-popped guitar with Tuck and Problem Child each on both ends of the stage swinging in leaned-over body pumps to each guitar-slam on the strings. Yes indeed, there is some hip wigglins from this writer.
A great ending with a tribute song from Slaughter And The Dogs’ staple, ‘Slaughter,’ with agile Tuk, dropping into an impressive one-half split, finishing off the set with a jammin’ wild-eyed crowd.
We are ready for more!
TIME AGAIN
Although hyperness is in the air, the energy changes pace. Veering the crowd one step deeper into the fundamental-belly of punk, Time Again makes no adjustments. Recognizing the lead vocalist’s photograph (Daniel Dart) from the cover of a back issue of, “Loud Fast Rules” magazine, with his stead-fast yet approachable presence is capture as much live as it does in that photograph.
There is maturity in this band. Their slim-down grass-rooted street punk and pinches of Ska entwines into storytelling of politics and injustices. Enamored devoted fans stand eagerly with all eyes up.
Propping one foot on the lip of the stage, Daniel leans in towards the crowd. Breaking into the first chords of, ‘Junkies,’ off of their brand-spanking new CD, heavy rolling drums are forefront between dirgy chords. Here, Daniel adds in the rhythmic-beated verses successfully capturing the audience. With eyes shut and wool cap pulled low just above his brow, a mixture of intense sincerity is almost painstaking as exuded, ‘Broken Bodies’ collides in the next fast chords of non-tarnishing anthem choruses. The band has full reign as Daniel earnestly hands over the mike to the front audience who willingly joins in chorus bits. The song twists into a nice little groove and a quick chorded riff is thrown smack-dab in the middle by Elijah, as onlookers head-bob in recognition. Note here… (Their live set is far meatier than on CD, and you just simply cannot capture the band’s exuberance without experiencing their live show.)
At this point, Daniel is now incessantly pacing all corners of the stage as if everyone’s life depended on it. I love that intensity. ‘Streetwalker,’ and ‘Cold Concrete’ drives two mean-tilted beats, back to back with splintered pieces of thrash, and throaty vocalled lyrics. Catching the end of an M8 over deep-stroking chords and rollicking drums, Daniel is left in a dead-stop of a mid-pace as the chords grind to a halt.
[note: if you are in the UK, go see Time Again with The Strawberry Blondes, August 9th at The Exeter.]
NEKROMANTIX
In some respects, I feel the Nekromantix didn’t get a fair shake in the beginning of their set with no fault to the venue or the band itself. It just happens to be a younger mixedbag at that, and no telling how the audience will receive them. ‘Life Is A Grave, And I Dig It’, has given The Nekromantix a good excuse to tour and educate the young kids—if they like it or not—and to experience a different kind of sound.
The drummer, Andy, has that nervous energy as Troy steps on stage with the subtle confidence that only a lead guitarist can possess--in Rockabilly garb down to zippered sneakers. In walks Kim, aka Nekroman, plastered in tatts with the inside of his forearm reading, ‘PSYCHO,’ as he carries with him a one-of-a-kind standing bass. The bass itself was outstanding! Kim clutches the neck, where at the top is perched a grey metal cross. The body of the bass is in the shape of a worn, dark, wooden coffin. At the bottom of the bass is a metal sculptured skull, grey and ghoulish, as if it had been dug up from the grave. I marvel at the band’s unique source of cool.
As the slight hesitation before the first chords hits, the first speed-song cranks in with, ‘Nekrophilia’. There is no slow dirgy chords, no intro…no fancy verbiage. This is Psychobilly with a steady insane-fast burning path of rhythm, and it’s all about keeping the tightly wound pluckings of the bass and deep drum in clean sync and maintaining the catchy chords of the guitar.
‘Horny In A Hearse,’ introduces a nice western echo-Gretsch twang and a catchy chorus. Troy throws in some back-up vocals in, ‘Life is a Grave And I Dig It,’ as he goes to town with nice guitar riff-trades with bass and drum to follow. ‘Rot In Hell,’ is one of my favorites--simply because I like Kim’s howling-scream beginnings, sinister lyrics, and unsuffering levels of speed as blurred hands are syncopated potholes lined with Andy controlling the drum beats. The guitar and bass sound like pissed off bumble bees as Kim croons out, ‘Cave Canem,’ in Dave Vanian style along with, ‘Panic At The Morgue,’ squeezed into the mix. With these tunes this easily digestible, they pick up momentum.
Troy sits it out as Kim shows off his talent with multiple top-spins while banging chords are played on the standing bass like a guitar, and straddling the girth, he plucks the strings with his high-tops. That was only the beginning. For added measure, Kim effortlessly begins plucking the strings with his tongue without missing a single lightning beat. Now that’s talent! Troy throws out some great guitar-note struts and reverb in between, serving them an encore performance. Here, Kim tops off the set with a stint of changing hands at the neck of the bass with quick wrist-flicks from front to back. He’s so into it, he is wiggling his neck and getting into the groove. Playing, ‘Struck By A Wrecking Ball,’ ‘Dead Girls Don’t Cry,’ and ‘Dead Moonwalker,’ The Nekro men have successfully whipped the tunes into a frothy pulp. In lunatic speed with no evidence of waning, the coffined bass is left in a sweat.