BARROOM HEROES – (CD review)
There are some misconceptions about the BarRoom Heroes. Some disreputable websites have claimed they are circus midgets hired from a passing carnival by Carrie Ford Bell. This is not true.
Some websites have claimed that Jake and Nick the Knife are not brothers but in fact, a midget wrestling team from the Northwest known as Hojo and Meho. This is also not true.
Some say that manager Carrie Ford Bell is raking in enormous amounts of capital and spending it on herself for facials and luxurious spa retreats. This is only partially true.
What is true is that this is a trio of lads, whose ages span from 13 to 16 years old and inspired by the Dropkick Murphy’s (named themselves after a song by them) and the many classic punk bands before them, have decided to dedicate their young lives to playing punk. This is most definitely true.
And some websites feel they can hold their own against any local band playing. And this website is one of them.
“Ain’t A Friend” starts with a fast, almost country beat made to ropin’ in the little doggies with the guitar then kicking in at a blaring speed that would singe the neck hairs off Johnny Ramone. A catchy sing-a-long chorus is followed by a buzzin’ Buzzcock like guitar lick and the Oi,Oi,Oi chant. The excellent drums keep propelling the song along for a while till the guitar drops out for a few before roaring in once again towards a winning finish. A hit tune in a just world.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/05-ain’t a friend.mp3|titles=Ain’t A Friend]
A righteous rockin’ beat that recalls Janie Jones by The Clash to me along with a terrific trebly bass guitar sets up the tune “Gay Nate.” Again the vocals come in before the guitar makes its unrelenting entrance. The total lyric goes, “We’ve got nothing against him, he’s just Gay Nate,” which seems to indicate a friend who happens to be gay and they have no judgment against him. Another high energy, buzz-saw guitar winner.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/02-gay nate.mp3|titles=Gay Nate]
“With my morphine and ginger ale I’ll be all right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.” No, it’s not about their personal habits, thank goodness, but an aunt passing away from cancer in a hospital and instead of her lifelong cigarettes and whiskey she now says she has her morphine and ginger ale. This song, “Ginger Ale” features a blistering fast involved bass line, excellent guitar and drums throughout, a lyrical concept that is more advanced then their ages and is my favorite song on the CD.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/03-ginegerale.mp3|titles=Gineger Ale]
“Cutback” starts with all instruments colliding in a swirling tornado of sound. When the sneering vocals come in you may think that Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys stepped into the studio for a second. “We are your futures, don’t hold us back, we are your futures, enough of this crap.” Telling us old folks to make way and step aside. Another fiery avalanche of energy, passion and sound.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/04-cutback.mp3|titles=Cutback]
The BarRoom Heroes consist of Jake and Nick Bell on guitar and bass respectively with both sharing vocals. They are most ably assisted by the powerhouse of a drummer Davey Dreyer. The brothers almost always wanted to do this as they explained once to me in an interview that they, “had to wait till their fingers grew” before they could play their instruments.
They’ve come a long way in the two years that TNB have seen them play. Their set, which at one time was half covers, is now almost all originals. With their addition of their drummer Davey, the old man at sixteen, I’ve seen Nick improve immensely on bass and have seen the rhythm section gel. I think if I was given this cd without any info I don’t believe I would guess that the band was so young. Now if I was told it was a long lost punk band from the late seventies, eighties- that I would believe as they carry the spirit of that music and time perfectly.
But enough of my crap. This is a great first effort. Don’t just take my word for it. Check out these pipsqueaks’s of punks’ CD and check them out live, also. They’ve opened up for the Street Dogs and Dropkick Murphy’s but play locally a lot as well. But I’d advise you to do it soon as you only have fifty or so more years left in their careers to do so.
(Slimedog)
