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The BGN News Archive
Blowfish went out to see the bands this week: A long while ago Duck and
Cover Facebooked that they had a gig at the Middle East and were very excited
because the headliner was Michael Monroe. Everyone says the same one
line about Monroe, “He sang for Hanoi Rocks.”
John Keegan was at the ME Up from the start - here's his take on the beginging of the eveing: Duck and Cover opened up for a small but enthusiastic crowd. They kept it hard, fast and catchy. "Stand Corrected" entered my head through one ear, burrowed its way into my brain, laid eggs and slipped out the other ear.
Hardcore Superstar have been around since 1997 and have notched a bunch of hits in their native Sweden. They had a contingent of fist pumping fans up front. They had all the parts but the whole didn't quite live up to the name. The singer pandered to the party hardy nature of the audience ten times too many. Bands with a well-defined shtick including glam and hard rock affectations flirt with caricature by definition. It's a thin line. On this night, caricature seemed a little too responsive.
The Michael Monroe Band, on the other hand, took the same ingredients, tossed in some Dolls strut and impeccable hooks, and showed everybody just how these things are done. For that report, we turn to our roving correspondent in the tumultuous Middle East, Senor Blowfish..... Blowfish: Most people I talked to had seen him at a gig at Great Scotts and raved about that. The band came out fast and with the first note it was a 100% knock down drawn out crazy rockfest. There was no time to think with a wall of guitar blasting out and the bright blond Monroe streaking across the stage. It was five or six songs in a row with no stopping. The song would crash to a shop on a dime and you immediately heard four clicks from the drummer and then they were off to the next song.
The level of excitement was off the charts. This
reminded me of the Jim Jones Review we
saw at Church. Again a group I hardly knew of creating a memorable
show.
Then there was the music. It was RAWK which is to say not punk but thick like
the Dolls or the Dictators and sometimes glammy. One got the impression of a
wide range of influences. These guys knew their rock history. John Blout
clued me in that guitarist Steve Conte played in the last iteration
of the Dolls.
At the end I was giddy from the non-stop excitement. I thought; why not pour
cement down here and just seal the club, there’s nothing more that can
be done here. It was that overwhelming. And don’t take just my word for
it talk to anyone that was there.
Friday we hit a gig that was similar to one we saw last November and in the same Middle East Up. In this case there was the Barbazons as well as The Nice Guys and the Monsieurs.
All these bands are on the raw side and the Nice Guys are the rawest
and that almost seems the point. I think if things get too orderly they nix
it and change it. They put out bursts of about a minute and package it up with
as much noise and stage antics as they can. The lead singer threw his guitar
across the stage and jumped into the audience at one point.
It all had the spirit of rock and roll. They should never change.
The Barbazons are the renamed Fagettes. They have been gigging a while now and have a fan base and have had some attention in the local press. They seem to be aiming at something different from the regular rock group.
Rather than be guitar centric they concentrate more on the vocals and drums.
At times they have two drummers. The regular drummer drums standing up. When
they are both going that’s some of the best times. Then they build up the
primitive beats at the bottom coupled with chant like vocals. That combo is
their sweet spot. It’s then that the mix becomes repetitive and hypnotic.
The club for this show must have sold out at some point because it was jammed. No place to move or not get jostled, but that’s club life. I was avoiding the potential pit area and was in a lousy place to get photos – sorry about that viewers. The pit did open during the Monsieurs.
It seemed the Monsieurs have grown in stature and popularity since their
European trip. The last show in November was well received and this show was
packed with fans that didn’t leave till the Monsieurs did their
thing. Can it be that a group this edgy can fill the ME Up now? Looks like it.
Who would’ve guessed?
Just by his stance and stare he charges up the atmosphere. You can feel the
tension and expectation rise and it doesn’t take long before Andy has pulled
some impolite behavior. He was spitting beer and throwing the can across the
club. He drooled on someone in the front. He spit across the stage. He threw
the mike stand into the audience. He sings with his face butted up against someone’s
face. There are many crowd surfs.
In other news.....
And how many of you out there remember Sass???? Well, we heard from Vernon West the bass player and he is working on a new project with his son and daughters called The VW Bus Band ...Check 'em out: I Can't Stop Dreaming and It's Raining. There's aslo a Sass website in the making....read up here folks!! Jenn D'Angora is putting together the Abbey Lounge Reunion!!
Oh I miss that place...like so many of you out there. This promises to be loads
of fun. April 28 - 30 at Sally O'Brien's (see below for bands and links) Here's some good shows coming up this week..... February 25 (Thursday) Brian Carpenter & The Confessions and the Thalia Zedek Band are at The Lizard Lounge (Thalia does TWO sets 9:30 and 11:30) February 26 (Friday) Township is having their Vinyl Release Party, also on the bill Sidewalk Driver and When Particles Collide - at Great Scott February 26 (Friday) Jittery Jack & Miss Amy along with Cactus Attack and The Alrighters are at O'Brien's February 26 (Friday) The online site THE ARTS FUSE is having a night called Time For a Fusical! An Awards Evening Whimsical and Electrical. Part of the musical entertainment will be Robin Lane and friends and Terry Kitchen (musician and writer of the book The Next Big Thing with the Boston music scene as backdrop. It's from 6 to 10 at the Somerville Armory.
February 27 (Saturday) Cujo, Watts , Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents and Christian McNeill are at Thunder Road And out in the future we have..... March 3 (Thursday) Bret Milano's Book Release Party (reschedged from a while ago) is at Store 54 - he'll do a short reading and John Powhida will perform as well. March 4 (Friday) The Upper Crust, Muck & The Mires and Tsunami of Sound are at The Midway March 5 (Saturday) Jeremy & The Harlequins and The Connection are at The Plough & Stars (Great show! )
March 5 (Saturday) Liz Borden Band, Tiger Bomb, Thrust Club and The Empty are at the Spotlight Tavern in Beverly March 6 (Sunday) Come over to Atwood's to celebrate the birthday of Sue M., from My Own Worst Enemy!! She's also debuting her band Sue's Guitar (Sue and Joshua Pickering)..this show is 4-6PM. March 6 (Sunday) the concert film Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is playing at the Regent Theater as a special Bowie tribute!! 7:30PM Here the FB page Buy tix here. March 6 (Sunday) Thee Sonomatics, The
Hip Swayers, are playing at the WCUW Spring Fund Drive at The Front Room,
910 Main Street Worcester (4 - 7 pm) March 12 (Saturday) This should be good- The Boston Bizarre - Oddity Market 12-7PM at Oliver Best's Vintage Market in Allston...check the FB page for listings of vendors as they are secured. March 16 (Wednesday) Battalion of Saints, Phobia, Nomads and I am Become Death are at Great Scott.
March 19 (Saturday) The Devil's Twin and Diablogato are at O'Brien's March 19 (Saturday) Greg Allen's Fringe Religion is having a record release party at The Midway also on the bill are The Disquiets, Jesse Ahern and the Roots Rock Rebel Review and Paul Hennessy this is a 4PM show. March 19 (Saturday) Lux Lives! A
celebration of all things Lux and The Cramps is back this year at The Bayside
Bowl in Portland, ME featuring March 19 (Saturday) The Worried, M.O.T.O. and The Hi-End are at The Parlour in Provi RI. March 23 (Wednesday) Girls Rock Boston is putting on a show with Girls Rock Campaign Bands, Ursula and Gravel March 25 (Friday) OK whoa....this is gonna be a wild night...go if you dare...S&M punk band GASH is at PA's Lounge...also on the bill is DISIPLINE: Boston queer BDSM Punk. March 26 (Saturday) A Crash Course For The Ravers (1-4PM WMFO 95.1) has Four Point Restraints as guests.
March 26 (Saturday) Trusty Sidekick and Shiny Beast (who are AWESOME!!! read our review here) at The Tavern at The End of The World! Sets start at 10PM and there's NO COVER March 28 (Monday) The Goddamn Gallows, King Sickabilly Trio, and Outlaw Ritual are at The Middle East Up. April 1 (Friday) "Drop Ya Mic and pick up yer paint brush" is a show of Musicians' art work at Once Lounge...check out the FB page..the list is looooonnnnggg. Providing music for the event will be The Old Edison, Tom Baker and the Snakes, Stars Like Ours and Ringtail. $9 cover with free apps, art at 6PM msuic about 8:30. April 1 (Friday) Kenne Highland 60th birthday party at The Cantab Club Bohemia April 2 (Friday) Kenne Highland 60th birthday party at the midway (this is his actual birthday!) An afternoon 4PM show -looks like Hixx and Afrika Korps - more info to come April 2 (Friday) the night show at The Midway is Wussy and The Thalia Zedek band.
April 5 (Tuesday) The Legendary Shack Shakers, The Pine Hill Haints and Diablogato are at Great Scott April 7(Thursday) Andysocial and The Antidotes, Jagger Holly, Mongorellis and Jimmy Jacked are at Koto in Salem April 29 - May 1 (Thur- Sat) The Abbey Lounge Reunion!! at Sally O'Brien's - So far some of the bands are The Konks, Heavy Stud, Spittz, The Decals, The Swinedells, Coffin Lids, The Dents, The Tampoffs......the list goes on and on and on...more info soon. April 28, 29 & 30 (Fri- Sun) Is the Atlanta Mess Around in you guessed it Atlanta GA at Earl's...Kenne Highland will be down there as the Gizmos are playing the Mess Around on Saturday 4/30. Real Kids are doin' the Mess Around on Friday 2/29! FB Page and more info here. May 7 (Saturday) A Crash Course For The Ravers featuring The Cal Cali Band! That's WMFO 95.1 FM 1-4PM May 13 (Friday) Barry & the Remains, Lyres, Cal Cali Band and Muck & the Mires are at ONCE Ballroom -This show STARTS at 8PM The Remains are on at 9:30. May 14 (Saturday) We loved him...he was unforgettable so the show goes on...Joe Coughlin Memorial- Johnny & The Jumper Cables and Classic Ruins more to come May 21 (Saturday) A Celebration of Life of Keith Brooks (friend and hardcard music lover) will be at The Midway - on the bill: The Struggle, Honest John, Words Of Truth, CHEECH, Straphangers, and DOT RATS -This show runs from 4PM to Midnight. CONTACT US AT....misslynbgn@yahoo.com - Send us your gig listings, your news and anything else ya got!!
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Rum Bar Records just released another good one with Tom Baker
and the Sankes' EP 4 Stars. You can check it out here at 
February 27 (Saturday) Charlie Dont
Surf are at PA's Lounge.
March 5 (Saturday) Hopelessly Obscure
and the Black Souls and Tiger Bomb at the Bayside Bowl in
Portland, ME
March 17 (Thursday) celebrate St Patrick's
Day with Highway Chapel at The Cantab Club Boho
March 26 (Saturday) Bob Colby starts
up is show series at Store 54 for 2016 (his last full year in Boston!!!)
with Found Audio and Future Carnivores.
April 3- 22 (Friday) 
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