Show report by Vyan

Ok, this wasn't a show we were supposed to be playing, but at the last minute (isn't it always at the last minute) the regularly scheduled band for that evening at the Town Pump dropped out of the show. Therefore, since our guitarist Jay, also happens to handle booking at the Pump - he figured that it was a fine oppurtunity for us to have a public reheasal.

So be it.

We certainly addressed this show in a far more low-key manner than our usual shows. No lights. No drum stage. A set of low end mains, instead of the high-end JBL's we bring in for our own shows. Just show up and play a quick set. No sweat.

And it was fun too. It gave me chance to get a little crazy, and do somethings I normally don't - especially in terms of stage moves. Somersaults, rolls, sliding on the floor to grab the mic at the last second. All that hyper-showmanship Prince/David Lee Roth kinda stuff I grew up watching.

A couple of times Jay asked me, after a diving slide or a rolling move across the stage, if I was "Ok"?

No sweat.

I'm a trained professional. HA! (Besides I might as well take advantaged of 6 years of gymnastics training once in a while, shouldn't I - where else am I gonna use it?)

Anyway, the headlining band for the evening was called Dead Letter and featured Jay's own nephew-in-law on bass. They were definately a nu-skool hard rock band of young guys, somewhat in the vein of A Perfect Circle, and had managed to bring out quite of a friends, fans and family to the show. Since this was a last minute show for us, we didn't even bother to try an do any real promotion or notification that we would normally do, so it was fortunate that Dead Letter brought out some people.

Dead Letter's guitarist and bassist were definately the strong points of the band, with both players showing more than few chops and tasty melodic licks. Certainly more interesting than the musically immature three-chord garage rock that abounds these days. I think they started out a little slow and their vocalist took a couple tunes to warm up, but once they got going it was pretty cool.

I think these kids have some promise, I really do.

Vyan