If you want to play Carnegie Hall, practice. If you’d be happy just playing/gigging with The Dropkick Murphys and The Mighty Bosstones, sharing stages with Cypress Hill and Bo Diddley, appearing on MTV and having one of your tunes on Dawson’s Creek, well, then, perhaps you should just hang with John Allen.
The Guinness-guzzling frontman and his Big Bad Bollocks have managed to amass all of the aforementioned accomplishments and more in the past two decades, with little to no use for the dreaded “p” word.
“Practice? Hell if the four of us have been in the same room together for six months,” Allen says. “But that’s what makes the shows so special. It’s literally a reunion for fans and the band.”
And, as in the matter of the triple Bs’ June 17 anniversary show at the Sierra Grille, it’s a reunion that will occur on hallowed ground.
“Of course, the Sierra used to be the Bay State, and we were actually the first band to play there, back in 1990,” Allen notes. “In fact, the real reason we are going back now is to see if we can still drink as much and play anything recognizable to anyone who was there back then.”
Any takers?
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Never mind the Bollocks (sorry, couldn’t resist)—how about drummer Sal Vega‘s other band, bloodgrass/psychobilly veterans Angry Johnny and The Killbillies?
“Oh, there’s a lot going on in Killville,” reports the Angry one himself, John Erush. “We recorded a new album, Now We Drink Like Apes, at our annual Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre show, and I daresay it’s one glorious monkey shit fight.”
Erush went on to add that he and his goat have just put the finishing touches on a children’s album called In the Nuthouse Now.
“It’s jam-packed full of killin’, cussin’ and tales of revenge, just as all good kids’ albums should be!” he declares.
To get your grubby mits on both discs—or catch the pride of Killville live, for free—stop by the Easthampton Music Fest on Millside Park on June 19. Angry and the gang are one of six acts (others include National Carpet, The Lonesome Brothers and Kobra Kai—the last of which contains current/ex-members of Shadows Fall, All That Remains, Fates Warning and Dark Day Sunday) tapped to help the city celebrate its 225th birthday that afternoon. For more information, kindly point your browser to http://easthampton225.com.
Speaking of “cents-less” acts of audio, the Crawler has often touted local “Tastes” as great places to catch some topnotch sounds amidst all the savories. And the 19th annual Taste of Amherst (tasteofamherst.com)—setting up shop from June 17 to 20 on the Town Common—is no exception. This year’s installment kicks off with the road-tested Americana stylings of Drew Hickum, then kicks into high gear over the weekend courtesy of the acoustic-driven rock of Freedy Johnston and performances by indie/folk-faves Darlingside, roots-rockers The Reprobates and the New Orleans-basted jazz of Primate Fiasco, to name a choice few.
In contrast, the 2010 Rockfest slated for Saturday, June 19 at the Ludlow Fish and Game Club will charge $20 admission (children under 12 free) to participate in its afternoon of food, games, Lupa Zoo animals and a veritable “who’s who” bill of tribute bands, including Dead-duplicators Lobsterz From Marz, KISS-klones KISS ALIVE and local AC/DC imitators Back in Black. According to event organizer/BNB bassist Miguel Goncalves (backinblack.org), all proceeds from this show are earmarked for a scholarship that will be awarded to a Ludlow high school senior.
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Last up, your friendly neighborhood Nightcrawler is always on the hunt for local shows and new product from master mood-conjurers Watcher (myspace.com/watchermusic). This Friday, June 18, you’ll find both in the form of the band’s official release party for its freshly pressed End of Tomorrows EP at The Rendezvous in Turners Falls. Spouse and Spanish For Hitchhiking round out that bill.
Catch the Nightcrawler every Wednesday at 8:50 a.m. on the Steve Cantara Radio Show, WRNX 100.9 FM. Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, PO Box 427, Somers, CT 0071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email garycarra@aol.com.
