Rictus Grin / The Ratz / Wimp / Whoopi Sticks / Isolations
Club Bohemia, Cambridge MA 2/3/18
Isolations in the first band up. This is a new band, or at least, a new band to me. I really enjoy their style as the seem to verge from very, fast hardcore into dirgey, doom/sludge- sometimes during the same tune.
They have an excellent front man who does a poignant rap about his alcoholism that he beat. He says the cause was his lack of self-worth due to problems in life, which is where most addictions seem to spring from, but he also says, “make changes, not excuses.”
But congrats to him and the whole band, who sound terrific, too- for having such a great sound. I know they lean more towards the hardcore but my favorite song is a doom-y number in their excellent set, and a great start of the night.
Whoopi Sticks is batting second and they have Sam (Male Genitalia) filling in on bass. (He also plays in The Sewer Buddies, which is an off-shoot of this band that writes punk rock songs for kids). And he’s playing though my old bass cabinet, the one I recently gave to Sam (Female Genitalia). I had to, she had incriminating photos of me that she threatened to sell to the tabloids involving me with an ostrich and farm machinery.
Oh, and the two Sam’s are starting a band and they need a drummer. So please help keep my name out of the mud and contact me if you’re a drummer. PLEASE!!!!
But back to our regularly scheduled program. So Whoopi Sticks play some garage/punk/hardcore numbers that often take a different route than one might expect but always seem to get to a destination of great punkness. And tonight, though it’s a little rough with a new player- who I must say does a very able job. (Remember those pictures). This is a passionate, raw set like punk it supposed to be.
I’m surprised to hear one of my seldom played favorites, “I Don’t Wanna Be A Person No More” and a great, new tune with a jungle beat about an annoying roommate called “Sara Sucks.”
Wimp is the next band to play and they are new and they are also a “Trans Band.” Just a few days ago I checked out their bandcamp and was impressed enough to review it in conjunction with this review.
And though I support the idea of a band like this, this band really has some great music to offer.
I feel they veer more towards the metal/hardcore music than punk in a way. They have a very, solid drummer- a bassist who has more foot pedals than I have drinks at night. A nimble-fingered guitarist (that’s if she gets lucky) and a great, lead singer who is very expressive and emotional in a riot girl, Kathleen Hanna type of way.
Their set starts with whooshing noises, probably from the bassist, and has many powerful, doom-y, headbanging parts along with charging, hardcore like parts that have elements of power violence and grindcore as well.
So I can throw these descriptions around but what these girls arrive at is a very, distinctive original sound. Great set and just further evidence that girls play better than boys.
My favorite band, right now, after The Spice Girls, is probably Connecticut’s The Lost Riots. Now, I’ve seen that band but not their off-shoot, The Ratz, so I was looking forward to seeing them, especially after hearing their excellent recording from last year.
Jeff and Matt, guitar and bass from The Lost Riots are joined by a different drummer who does a lot of the lead vocals. But the style of music is not far off from that band as it is still old school punk with a jolt of hardcore influence as well.
(I have a new Lost Riots tribute band called The Found Hippie Love-Ins, we do psychedelic, Grateful Dead like versions of their songs.)
But these guys are like-if you took the elements of The Dead Boys, The Dictators and Johnny Thunders and brought it towards present times. then you’d get the raw, true, real punk these guys play.
Maybe a little out of place on this bill but I was totally satisfied hearing them rip it up, tremendous set.
Rictus Grin is one of my favorite bands. They are an over the top Oi/hardcore/punk/band that is so full of energy and fury and fun that they are like a volcano of sound that erupts every show killing all the villagers with their molten lava of wild, recklessness and power.
Tee, the guitarist, sprawls over the monitors- someone continually throws a Narragansett can at the fiery, fireplug of a singer Alecks- Jake, from Goolagoon, filling in plays some awesome bass. I even mosh during “Oi! Oi! Oi.”
This is music where Oi has a car crash with punk, is set on fire and goes off a cliff landing on hardcore. And this is music that is drunk and is punk and is great. And you shouldn’t need anything else to realize how great they are or how great this set and this show is.
People always give me thanks to me for supporting their band or supporting the scene. I’m just grateful to write about music that is so inspiring, as a writer that’s all we really need- inspiration.
I’ve lived most my life as a “professional” musician meaning- I got paid. It wasn’t for love, it was more a job. It was my craft, but writing was my art. And now, instead of me suffering for my art- you have to! LOL
I’ve been involved with many different music scenes in Boston, and though I believe music is subjective, there is not a better group of people I’ve been involved with than the current punk scene.
And though I support the bands and the scene, I’ve recently discovered that the scene supports me- in my recent re-evaluations and revealings. And I chastise myself, that I would even question any of you, that the results could be any other way, But the positive results just make me so happy I have to cry.
Thank you all for excepting me. Thank you all for letting me be “me”. Every day makes me more proud to realize I represent you all in my very humble way.
And I have no jokes to add to this.
But thanks especially tonight- Alecks, Tee and Jake for being so understanding.
(Slimedog)
