March 19, 1997

The show at Will's Pub on Friday, March 14, was billed as a "Teenage Riot!" And like a campy movie trailer (circa 1966, "Sometimes teenage is spelled T.N.T.!"), the "rawk n' roll" from The Del Spektros, The Knievels, and Thee Crypt Kicker Five was alternately primal, psychotic, sludge-fuzzy, and always loud. It was the sort of music one might expect to hear, if in some very bizarre parallel universe, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Roky Erickson, and The Shaggs were on the same bill, or if Get Hip Records was still around.

The Del Spektros - the Orlando-based duo of Aaron Del Spektro on guitar and vocals and Diana Del Spektro on drums, vocals, and tympanic membrane melting shrieks - opened the show with an incendiary set of rockabilly fuzz. According to Aaron, the Del Spektros' set included "unrecognizable covers and derivative originals." For example, their original "You're Gonna Die" was inspired by their cover of Roy Orbison's "You're Gonna Cry." While their raucous version of Wanda Jackson's "Mean, Mean Man" was familiar, their distinctive takes on The Electros "Dirty Old Man," and Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" sounded like the Cramps filtered through The Pussywillows - real good stuff! Look for a split 7-inch EP featuring the Del Spektros and the Royal Pendletons soon on Splitsville Records.

The Knievels - Marshall, Dave, Tom, and Mike (sporting the distinctive Phantom Vox guitar, a la Brian Jones) - followed up with a set of 1960's style garage punk. They featured mostly originals like "Your Man's a Loser," a new song called "Hey Girl," and "Ballad of the Knievels" which was dedicated to their former guitarist. The Knievels also did fantastic takes on a couple of Lyres tunes and covers by The Outsiders and the Flamin Groovies' "Teenage Head." Mike Knievel said that the band is currently working on a record featuring the nine original songs they performed at Will's Pub.

Thee Crypt Kicker Five, a Tampa-based quintet, capped off the evening with a mind numbing and ear shattering set of sludge-garage punk. Named after one of the bands in Boris Pickett's song "The Monster Mash," the group looked as if they had just walked off a Russ Meyer movie set, especially Laura Taylor - lead singer, deathhead maracas, and theremin player - who was decked out in red hot pants, white vinyl go-go boots, and a stars and stripes shirt. Imagine a sort of latter day Josie and the Pussycats meets Screaming Jay Hawkins hybrid belting out Monkees covers and wacked out originals like "Minimized Swell."

Unfortunately, if you weren't there, you might have to wait until Halloween to experience this again.

Ray Gunn Virus A.k.a.: Ray Gunn Virus; Mr. Ray Gunn Virus, Sir; Shinygodhead; J. Alvarez; sometimes even old plain Jorge (go ahead say whore-hey) never mind George will do. Stuff he like to do someday: Make a living out of writing "junk and stuff" and going places and seeing things ... Other Articles I've Written