Thursday, August 31, 2006 - Day One
Chasers Bar
Night one of the Stoner Hands of Doom rock festival in Phoenix, Arizona was friggen` awesome! Much thanks to the organizers of the festival, who brought top-notch talent to the infrequently visited backwater that is Arizona.
Although it started with the disappointing news that the Smokey Mountain Skullbusters would not make it, a great local band opened the night. Suicide Circus rocked the house as people rolled in.
A last minute entry, Maryland`s King Valley, hit the stage next. I left my pool game to go watch this excellent band kick out some old-school jams. It looked like every long-hair in the house was moving in time to these guys. I talked to the singer, Tom, after the set. He told me they booked the show earlier that day and were onstage an hour after the plane landed. He was still wondering what his hotel room looked like when I last saw him. They are going to play again Saturday. This was the first night of a tour for them, and a damned fine start.
The next band to come up was a local group named Mosara. Mosara has sludge-rock mastered. They hit the stage without a word. There were no breaks between the songs. The songs did have lyrics, but they were just there to support the kick-ass groove. At the end of the lead singer yelled a few things into the mike, but I didn`t understand a word of it. At no time did they announce the name of their band. The only reason I know who they are is that the bassist`s girlfriend gave me a CD, because I was up front rocking out.
The next band up was a Swedish group called Dexter Jones` Circus Orchestra. Dexter played by far the most complex music of the night. They were well received by the now slightly tipsy crowd.
The main act was three beautiful girls from ... well ... Hazard County. These chicks played the lead role quite well. Despite some equipment problems (fixed on the fly thanks to a donation from Dexter) Hazard Country Girls pounded the crowd relentlessly right up until last call. I would have loved to have seen a few more songs. I bought the CD.
This is only day one, folks. There are so many kick ass bands coming up. It`s going to top off with Acid King. Wow. For a change, I`m in the right place and time. I`m not going to miss any of it.
Friday, September 1, 2006 - Day Two
Hollywood Alley
The second day of SHoD was devoted to doom. All of the bands were sludgy, evil stuff. Distortion was the norm. I only understood a couple of words spoken from the stage the whole night. Then again, that may have had something to do with the ear plugs I resorted to after getting tired of the ringing in my ears from day one (tip: Hollywood Alley sells ear plugs for a buck. The good kind. Well worth it).
The show started a bit sooner than the first day. I was kind of hung over from day one, so I didn`t get there until just after 9 pm. I missed two local acts, Via Vengeance and Reverend Doom. Via Vengeance is a one-man doom act. I did talk to the artist, Shane. He gave me a two-song disc he did. The songs were from a live set. Good stuff. Unfortunately, I have no idea what Reverend Doom is like, but then again, I can guess just from the name. Andy from Reverend Doom attended the rest of SHoD with a video camera in hand.
The first band I got to see was Salt of the Earth. Salt, in their own words, is "a new band from Chicago." They played to a crowd that was still in its first drink and slowly warming up. Salt surprised me a song or two into the set by kicking out some catchy riffs right in the middle of the doom rock. They continued this throughout their set. Just when you think you have them pegged, they break it up and play a few radio-friendly riffs (which they then take pleasure in metamorphosing into discordant noise). I wasn`t the only one that liked it. Two cute little chicks went up front and started dancing with each other. One poured beer on her tits and the other licked it up. I was not watching the band at all at this point, but I`ll give them credit for prompting the lesbo-doom action. Nice job, guys.
As an added personality bonus, Salt also brought the drummer`s Mom to do the merchandise. Mom seemed to think I was a nice guy for some reason. (Little does she know.) I partied with her for the rest of the night. Mom rocks! Salt finished up their set with the comment, "If you don`t know this, you shouldn`t be here," and played Sabbath`s “Fairies Wear Boots.” It kicked ass.
The next band up was a four-piece from Colorado called Turambar. The sound was solid. The band has three vocalists. Center stage is occupied by a knock-out rock goddess (who took some time out from "supporting the doom" to actually play some). Ripped stockings, long black hair, and a big bass. Even with all that personality, she`s dwarfed by the really big guy that plays guitar for them. Most of the vocals were deep distorted stuff, but the hottie sang a bit on one song. She does a great transition when she shifts from singing into the distorted scream. (He he, I don`t think the guys in the band are allowed to sing. They just do evil growls.) By the end of the Turambar set, there was a pretty good crowd on the floor.
Another Colorado band called Deer Creek was up next. Apparently Deer Creek and Turambar played together only a few nights ago in Denver. Deer Creek is a tight three-piece with an axe (well, two axes) to grind. They played to a crowd that was ready for some rock. Heads were nodding and people were on the floor for them. The lesbo-doom chicks really liked them. I must admit I spent more time watching the girls grind on each other than watching the band.
Another three piece called Grey was up next. There is nothing hotter than a chick with a guitar case walking across the bar, and this band has two of them. You could almost feel the testosterone surge when they got onstage. The crowd seemed to like the idea of more chicks dooming it up. The set started with some slow tolling bell sound effects. Then the bass hit, so loud you could feel it in your gut (earplugs or not). After a long intro, the deep, evil sounding vocals started and the doom began. The crowd packed to the stage before the first song was over. Throughout their set, the long slow instrumental portions really stood out. Grey was unfortunately cut short on their last song by yet another equipment failure. AJ, the bassist, proved how hot she really was. The bass amp, which had been used by the previous three bands, couldn`t handle her groove and cut out. They finished up as best they could.
After the bass amp failure, the headline act, Graves at Sea, brought their own equipment onstage. The equipment juggling act cut their set about in half. The went onstage about 20 minutes before last call. Graves is a doomer`s doom band. They started with their signature huge, stretched out chords, which suddenly launch into some of the hardest music of the night. The Graves vocalist is always mixed to the forefront, and he can scream. They play a dark and evil set.
The SHoD format seems to encourage a lot of equipment sharing between the bands, and thus some occasional screw ups as people learn how to use the device somebody handed them five minutes ago. Hazard County Girls had an equipment failure. Turambar stumbled halfway through the first song, due to an equipment malfunction. Grey had similar luck. None of these things ruined the show. I guess it`s all part of rock `n` roll. Still, it seems that there is a distinct trend here.
Saturday, September 2, 2006 - Day Three
Hollywood Alley
I got to Stoner Hands of Doom day three at about 4 pm. I missed three bands. SuperGiant, Dynamite Plan, and Vincent Black Shadow all played before I got there. I talked to the VBS guys, who were first up for the day. They said they were midway through a three week tour. They had played to a small crowd due to their early start time.
The band that was playing when I walked in was Sinister Farmers Big Machine. I liked the two songs that I got to hear. At 4:20 pm, the band announced the time, told everyone to light up, and did a song called “Apollo 420.” The lead singer put on some flight goggles and flapped his arms. The goggles wound up on the guitarist`s head for the rest of the night. Wish I`d gotten to see more of Sinister.
I was called away to get some goodies from a local merchant called Head Quarters. HQ donated a bong, blunt wraps, and incense, but the really cool thing was the 9 foot tall bong. The thing is huge. It`s on wheels.
By the time I got back from HQ with the bong, the Cremains was onstage rocking out. The lead singer cracked up mid-song when he saw it, "That`s one big fucking bong, man." The Cremains is a great four piece. The guitarist likes to use his wah pedal to produce a cool swirling sound on his solos. The rhythm section included yet another rock hottie popping and slapping on a bass. Matt Strangeways from Greenhaven was called up to help out for the second to the last song. Matt sang about what he knows about - being really drunk. The final song of the Cremains set was tight.
The next band up was Dexter Jones Circus Orchestra, back to do the last show on their current tour. Right before they went on, I saw one of the Dexter guys arguing with Rob about the schedule. Seems they were a little surprised to be playing at 5 pm instead of 9:20. These are not normally angry guys, but they hit the stage just a little pissed off. It translated into a much stronger and heavier presence than they had on Thursday. The heavy riffs were reminiscent of QOTSA on songs like “Hanging Tree” and “Song for the Deaf.” The thin 5 pm crowd was drawn out of their seats to the stage. At one point they played a blues riff that morphed into a minor seventh chord, which prompted someone to scream, "Sweden`s in the fucking house!" Bluer, lower, darker. I really liked it.
Mos Generator went on next. They are a tight, aggressive three piece. Very well received. The vocalist at one point declared, "I like me some Saxon." Soon after that they covered an unreleased Rush song (of all things). He seemed proud to have a cover that was that obscure. I`m not a Rush fan, but then again, it didn`t sound anything like Rush. By the end of the Mos set (about 6:30 pm), the crowd was getting thicker, filling up all the available spaces. Bought the t-shirt and the CD.
If you get a chance to see Admiral Browning, do it. They are an instrumental four-piece from Maryland. The barefoot bassist and his five-string are center stage. The drum kit is pushed way forward, so you can really see the whole band. The sound is reminiscent of Don Caballero (without the sawblade sound effects), Subarachnoid Space, and (don`t hate me for this) Vinnie Moore (without the crotch rock moments). With no vocals to support, these guys do some exploring in areas other bands don`t touch. At one point the bassist told the crowd, "We`d like to take you on a journey. There are lots of bands with vocals. No disrespect to them. We just chose to do something a little different." Their complex and unpredictable sound has elements of blues, jazz, and doom verging on thrash. Even a little circus music. Everyone was impressed. Rob was shaking his head harder than the crazies. The $5 CD kicks ass too.
Arizona gets hit by powerful thunderstorms this time of year. As Admiral finished up, mother nature put on her own show outside. It was funny watching the lizard-like desert dwellers, unused to being wet, shaking off as they came inside to bask in the rock. The storm grew in intensity until it started pouring.
King Valley was back to bring us their own storm. It was after 8 pm by now, so normal rockers (who usually avoid daylight) were showing up. They started the set minus the vocalist. Greg, the guitarist, gave us all a healthy, "Fuck off," and the band started jamming through an instrumental. Tom, the vocalist, flicked a cigarette and stepped to the stage from out of the crowd for the next number. Not to be outdone, Greg took a walk through the crowd with his guitar a couple songs later. These guys are experienced showmen, and they played well. Tom invited everyone in the bar to his hotel room and directed them to, "bring all the weed you have."
Valkyrie is another metal band the Maryland area. They were the biggest surprise of the day for me. Do you remember your moldy old heavy metal albums? If this is what metal sounds like now, it is not dead. The first couple of songs Valkyrie did reminded me of old Iron Maiden, except better. The crowd warmed slowly to the almost unfamiliar sound of screaming metal guitar. When the band did a number that they identified as an "Ode to Doom," the ice broke. I walked up front and didn`t leave. While I was standing there, I got the impression that they were showing off on every song. Mid-bar time changes are almost the norm for these buys. Not a beat missed. Technical mastery. They put on a fun show too, with a vocalist on each side and the very active bassist all over the stage. These guys gave Admiral Browning some good competition for exploring new territory. I`m listening to the disc right now, and I think it`s going to stay in the player for a while.
The Golden Gods from San Francisco was up next. Golden is some pretty old school stuff, but isn`t that what this scene is? They`re of the Fastaway/Mountain/Dixie Witch/Foghat genre. Songs start with ripping riffs and catchy bass lines. The band is on the second day of a tour. (Missed a bunch of it due to a smoke session. Thanks Josh.)
A very impressive three piece called Against Nature was next. Fucking dangerous sounding. I would say that I heard shades of Black Sabbath, except Geezer Butler was never as good as the guy playing the five-string. Like a lot of the three pieces, they like to throw in some time changes. Their slow doomy stuff was the high point. The last song was an orgy of technical tricks. Against Nature was very well received.
My other big surprise for the night was Greenhouse Effect. I played the sounds-like game for their entire set. I was unable to classify them. It`s hard, aggressive, and heavy, without resorting to any conventions. A unique band forging their own path. Robbed of my metaphors, all I can say is that these guys are very talented musicians that delight in taking a song right to the point of falling apart and then proving that they were fully in control all along. Good show. I didn`t get the disc, but I am going to.
The headline act of the night, Greenhaven, is just finishing up a tour that included the Hempfest. They started the show by giving away the Head Quarters goodies. The glass bong looked nice. I got some incense. We also rolled the huge (prop) bong into the middle of the floor for the first couple of songs, where the Turambar crew did some mock smoking out. Greenhaven opened with a Sabbath number. They have a heavy, driving sound that is occasionally reminiscent of Clutch. Most of their songs are fast rockers. They did “Southbound,” but didn`t play “Flunky.” (WTF guys, am I the only one that likes that song?) Oh well, we did get to hear about Uncle Dave getting a blow job in a porta-potty on the tour. The crowd was amped, juiced, smoked, and ready to rock. I saw some pretty red eyes out there on the floor. At the end of the show, Greenhaven took the time to remind folks that this is Labor Day weekend. There are traffic checkpoints and, "The police are not your friends."
It`s a good thing I got that extra sleep. I didn`t head home until after 4 am. That many bands in one place is a critical mass. A party just happens. Cheap beer, scotch, and brandy in the parking lot. I`m still recovering. It was cool to meet forum members Azgarth and Shaytan.
Sunday, September 3, 2006 - Day Four
Hollywood Alley
Day four of the Stoner Hands of Doom festival had a different timbre from the very start. This was the fourth day of partying with the same crew of rock bands. At this point, all of the veterans knew each other. The guy that shoved you up front and spilled your beer probably just played. The person you spill the beer on was just about to go onstage. The folks that made it to the show on Sunday afternoon were either band members, or some die-hard fans. You knew who was hung over and why, cause you were there last night when he did ____.
Missed Damnweevil, but they were sure fun to party with. Don`t even know if PB Army played (editor`s note: they didn`t, as drummer/singer Keith Bergman was rushed to the hospital the night before due to complications from the heart surgery he had a couple of years ago. Fortunately, he`s doing much better now, and a sign of community, a good number of people contributed cash and merchandise for him).
The first band I saw was Automatic Animal, a Santa Cruz five-piece. They started by showing off with a locked-in opening number that demonstrated just how intense they could be. When the vocals kicked in, the band`s doom side came out. During a quick break between songs they expressed some disappointment at the fact that they had only seen one guy smoking out in the parking lot. (Have to offer a counter-impression. I couldn`t walk more than 15 feet in the lot without running into another circle.) Automatic did a tune, "about psychedelic drugs," called “Wonder Dust” that I really liked. After a couple bad ass closing numbers, they invited everyone to grab their two free CDs.
The next band was my biggest surprise for the day. Iota`s opening chords ripped me out of my seat. I could not help myself. I was covered in sweat by the end of the first song. Iota plays fat, ripping power chords that verge on anthems every now and then. I hate to call their music catchy, because “catchy” usually means “lame.” Still, you have to whip your head around when listening to this group. This is one damn good band that had lots of mean-looking rockers smiling. They don`t sound like Fu Manchu, but I like both bands for the same reason - the loud, fuzzy guitar progressions. While they were very entertaining, Iota could work on planning their stage presence a bit more. With only three guys in the band, the drummer should be more prominently placed. The guitarist kept standing right in front of the drum kit. I`m listening to the CD right now. Bought the shirt too. Unfortunately, Iota isn`t due to formally release the disc I have until 2007, but they expect it to sound different and have additional material when they do. I`m on the fourth listen on this pre-release copy so far, and I`m playing it again.
Ditchliquor`s set was marked by a lot of clever intros leading to cool, creative, driving songs. Did I hear a couple of old school metal solos? The Damnweevil guy spoke for all of us when he yelled out, "Ditchliquor rules!" Near the end of the set, the band turned to their amps for some feedback. In the very loud Hollywood Alley environment the bassist had to rest his head on his amp to really get the feel. They finished up with the announcement that they had most of an album done, but no label. Would somebody please sign this excellent band? (Another editor`s note: Too late, they broke up.)
I hadn`t heard of Sasquatch before, but the crowd was waiting for them. They have the slow rocking groove mastered. The party on the floor amongst friends new and old really kicked off when this band came on. Playing to what had turned out to be an elite group of stoner bands, Sasquatch rocked the house. The assembled crew of rock stars loved this band. The final scream and chords were saluted by a room full of beers (before the song decayed into feedback and noise).
Hognose was up next. I missed a bunch of this set, because I couldn`t get out of the parking lot. I had two conflicting impressions of them. At first I thought they sounded a little southern fried, but then I thought they sounded doomy. Can you have southern doom? Does such a thing exist? I can`t tell you, because I also missed the chance to pick up their CD (which was free).
As Hognose finished up, the beautiful Hazard County Girls were waiting in the wings for a second attack. The three of them walked by me at one point and left me in a cloud of perfume. After four days` worth of stinky stoners, three hot chicks are almost a relief. They played an even better set than they did on Thursday. The sound was better, and I think they got more time onstage. Kudos for HCG for the best shwag of the show; guitar picks with their logo.
Dirty Red is a four-piece from LA lead by the old drummer from St. Vitus. He`s a big guy with a fierce mustache, surrounded by a nice double-bass kit. During warm up, the two ladies in the band had a bit of a sing-off. One let out a blue wail that completely decided the issue. That business taken care of, they started to rock. Star, the vocalist, was the first (and only) of the weekend to utilize high tones. While it had sounded just fine right in front of the stage for the other bands, people had to stand back some to catch Star`s high tones due to the way the speakers were pointed. Ten feet from the stage, it sounded great. HCG seemed to have really impressed the chicks in other bands. Dirty Red dedicated a song to them. Dirty also played a St Vitus cover. My favorite was called “Addicted” (I think).
Black Cobra was my other big surprise today. Wow. Fantastic two-piece. It took a while before I even believed that there was really only two guys up there. Full, thrashy doom, on the fast side. These guys make an incredible amount of noise for two people. Throughout the weekend, the crowd had made its preference for hard doom apparent, and they were finally getting their fill with Black Cobra`s vicious, evil sound. They lapped it up. There were rock stars all around getting trashed to the groove of this amazing band. Black Cobra likes long, drawn-out intros, punctuated by chunks of harsh power chords. Vocals in Black Cobra songs seem to be frequently abandoned, so the guys can focus on that stunning sound. The place was finally filling as the people showed up for the headline bands. Halfway through their set, the stage was no longer accessible. I spent some time thrashing my head around, even though my neck was sore from several days of abuse. Download it, buy it, whatever. You have to hear Black Cobra.
Eternal Elysium is a Japanese band, here to show us how it is done. They were one of the few bands to announce who they were, which has always been a question in this sludgefest. People took a lot of pictures. EE kicks out some LOUD feedback that pierces right through ear plugs. One song stretched on forever as the guitarist bent his axe to play with the feedback until it suddenly changed to satisfying, fat riffs. The crowd looked pretty pleased.
Acid King is a three piece at the pinnacle of the stone rock scene. I finally got to see them. They were everything I had hoped. I knew all the songs they did. They are as doomy as doom gets. Their songs are consist of large sections of stretched out power chords, broken up by Lori`s seasoned vocal style. Acid King is a top notch band on stage or on disc. I`ve been such a fan for so long that it was a thrill to see them play. My neck really hurt by the time they were done. I got to talk to Lori, MGD in hand, later on. She didn`t even flinch when I professed my undying love. Then she sold me a very cool t-shirt from a Japan tour. Unfortunately, it`s probably going to be a while before I see her or her band again. Lori said she doesn`t like to tour a whole lot and almost never makes it to Arizona.
Middian was the final act of SHoD. The guitarist/vocalist was in a band called YOB. Their first number started with an unrelenting, driving groove. There were a lot of cameras flashing for these guys. The crowd, after four days of non-stop rock, were a bunch of jaded, messed up stoners, but Middian managed to get their attention anyway. Middian pushed the boundaries that Acid King had just laid out. The crowd really wanted more, but Middian told us they had only been together six months, and it was really their "last song. We only have one other song left, and we don`t know it yet."
And that was it. SHoD was over. The crew drifted out to the parking lot for more band bonding. Most of them looked like they really wanted some sleep. Me too.
A word about the staff of Hollywood Alley. The bartenders all put up with an enormous amount of chaos with a smile. Cathy, the waitress, was an absolute angel. She kept track of everyone`s tab and how drunk they were. I love the fact that I got out of there with my card closed out, even though I wasn`t in good enough shape to remember to do so.
I heard from several people that the sound at HA was some of the best they`d ever heard. I can personally vouch that each of the bands that had played at Chasers were better represented at HA. I`m sure some of that is due to the equipment at the engineer`s disposal, but the rest of the story is in how he twists the dials. The sound engineer at HA was Steve McDonald. Steve says he does a few shows out of town, but it would take a large chunk of change to get him to go on a long tour. He teaches sound production at three local community colleges.
