Last night, I got to witness a band I've waited a few years to see: The Monsters.
If you're not hip to them, that's OK. You will be...eventually. You might not dig them...and I don't really care if you do. I do. These cats, especially their front man, have had a profound effect on me and my music.
A couple of years ago, I had become increasingly bored with music. I had spent a couple of years indulging my lifelong love of country blues. I had all but stopped playing electric music. I watched as the local music scene continued to crumble, and really wasn't hearing much from anywhere else that really moved me. My health and finances prevented me from touring (still the case), which is where I've long found new ideas and new music.
It's always out there...it's a matter of finding it.
Around that time, Dave Alvin had posted a video online of some great old RAW gospel blues. I mean it was primitive as anything...but extremely powerful. I found it invigorating! A few days later, like the music junkie I am, I went in search of my next fix. I went back to YouTube, looking for more raw, primitive, trashy blues.
What I found instead was Reverend Beat Man and The Monsters.
Long story short, I followed that YouTube rabbit hole and came across some stuff that I liked, and a lot more that just sat there. I eventually came across a trailer for a documentary on Voodoo Rhythm Records...owned and run by the Swiss madman, Reverend Beat Man. This seriously piqued my interest. This cat sees music very much like I do. He gets what it's about. He understands that rock and roll is raw, primitive, loud, scary, beautifully ugly...and often "don't sell shit". Yet, he keeps pressing these records. He's an admitted rock & roll junkie.
When I first watched the video for "More You Talk Less I Hear" by his band The Monsters, I was hooked! I can liken it best to the first time I heard Link Wray (and that was a long, long time ago). It was loud, it was noisy, it was everything it should be and more. I checked out every video I could find (and spent what I could downloading songs). Each song was, at least to me, mind blowing. Even my girlfriend was digging it...and we rarely agree on music.
I saw a video by Reverend Beat Man, minus his Monsters, called "I See The Light". I was wondering if it was his take on Hank Sr. Um...no, I don't think so. This was closer to Hasil Adkins (who's music I love!). But it was nastier....trashier. "BLOOZ TRASH!" The lyrics were insane! This is notable as English is not the man's native language...yet he has a better grasp of it than most Americans. I'm always impressed when someone can write lyrics in a different language...especially good lyrics! And damn...dude has a sense of humor too! It's not always easy to convey humor through music...but the Reverend can.
This music moved me! It's raw and primitive intensity is what true rock and roll is about. It's more punk than punk, more real backwoods hillbilly than any rockabilly band, and trashier than any garage band would ever dare to be. I played it for my band mates in The Bessemers, and posted Beat Man and Monsters videos all over my Facebooger page. A few friends picked up on it...but surprisingly, nowhere near as many as I thought would. Oh well...no accounting for taste.
Like I said, this music had a profound effect on me. I plugged the guitar back in, turned up the volume, and stripped my sound down to the bare essentials. I was moved to write and record a song, "Voodoo Cockatoo", which I think contains some of my most inventive lyrics ever. A friend recently likened it to a twisted novel. I took it into the studio and recorded a great version...which remains unfinished. A friend was going to come in from LA to play on it...but his career has taken a wonderful upswing as of late, so the song waits....for now.
For the past two years I've been waiting for Reverend Beat Man, with or without The Monsters, to come somewhere close enough to get to. Finances have been non-existent, but I can usually find my way into a good show. I lucked out on this one! Get Hip Records brought them in for a small show...and did I mention it was a FREE show? There was a donation box for those who felt so-compelled. The suggestion donation? Five measly bucks. If these cats had only played for 15 minutes, it would have been worth it. I took my girlfriend as an early birthday present, and I happily stuffed a few fives into the donation box. Sadly, I noticed many who did not.
Also on the bill were my friends Vertigo Go...a great instrumental band. I hate to use the term "surf band"...because no, these ain't all surfing songs....and I doubt any of these guys are surfers. Not many crankin' waves on our three rivers. The gal and I got there early. Early enough, in fact, to spend some time hanging out with my buddy Gary (Vertigo Go's drummer) out front, and caught a smoke or two.
It always pays to be early, especially for a small show. You get your choice of the best spot in the house (I prefer to hear the stage sound, rather than the PA), you're usually treated to some excellent music by a local or lesser known band, and in this case, we got to meet Reverend Beat Man and The Monsters as they arrived back at the venue.
We spent about 20 minutes just hanging out, introducing ourselves, talking shop, etc. Beat Man is a truly nice guy and has a wickedly dark sense of humor. He joked about playing his song "Jesus", down south. He introduced the song as "about the love for a man". Down in the Bible belt...this can get you shot at. His introduction caught people's attention though, and when they realized what the song was about, there was a collective sigh of relief...Jethro and the good ol' boys didn't have to whoop some foreigner queermosexshul ass. Like I said, dude is hilarious.
I can safely announce that both bands kicked ass last night. Vertigo Go put on an amazing show, and The Monsters left the crowd begging for more. They even let one of The Knox Boys sit in, briefly, on a song, while the bass player danced. If you've never been to Get Hip...to say the show was in 'an intimate setting' would be the most polite way to put it. The place should have been wall to wall people. But it wasn't. We've all heard the excuses: "I didn't know about it!", "I had to work!", and my fave, "I'm broke" (it was a FREE show!). Pittsburghers just don't care that much about music anymore. I hate to say it, but this just proves it. If you don't hand deliver exactly what they think they want, when they want, and do it for free, you'll have a limited turnout. I hope this doesn't dissuade Beat Man and The Monsters from making a return trip. I'll happily do as much promo as I can. These cats are worth it!
A great big THANK YOU goes out to the folks at Get Hip for bringing this show to town. These guys are only doing 4-5 US shows this tour. If we're really lucky, they'll come back. If not...at least I can say I was there for this one! And seriously...this was one of the best shows I've experienced in a long, long time.
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