helldamncrap

went to see helldamncrap at fonky fred's the other night. the haltom city-based alt-country rawkers bring out a crowd full of usual suspects like the me-thinks, asian media crew (they've got a fan club now, y'know) videographer / pussyhouse propaganda art criminal calvin abucejo, riverside ramblers front dude steedo, and lotsa other appreciators o' fine music. who'd a guessed that mike bandy (helldamncrap singer / multi-instrumentalist who once scared the bejeezus out of me when stoogeaphilia was practicing out at me-thinks world h.q. by dancing around the shed brandishing a machete) has a singing voice kinda like michael stipe with balls? or that he plays gtr solos in the classic kingsmen / dave davies mold (in other words kinda like what i do in stoogeaphilia minus the distortion / feedback, until he laid his acoustic w/pickup across the monitor at the end of the last song, putting me in mind of the old woodeye toon "country feedback")? the rest o' the band -- that'd be vinny on voxxx 'n' gtr (turn up the treble on that tele, dude), rat from the asian media crew on bass, trucker john from one fingered fist and another band i'm not supposed to mention on drums, and j.j. on harp -- sound like the charlie daniels band (minus that fuckin' fiddle) on bad strychnine, or the velvet underground if they'd grown up in arkansas. the last toon caused a momentary "whatthefuck?!?!?" moment before i realized it was eddie rabbit's "drivin' my life away," sung by j.j. in a manner reminiscent of harry shearer in a mighty wind. if there'd been a machete available, i'd a been dancing around fred's stage (like cadillac fraf did the last time the me-thinks played there) my damn self.