Southern Culture on the Skids november 16

[SaggyBalls]

Southern Culture on the Skids wsg Big John Bates

November 16 2006

Richard's on Richards

Vancouver BC

Got to the show late after I'd left my ticket at home (the reason i never used to buy tickets...glad the show wasn't in seattle) and was treated to SCOTS rocking it as soon as I stepped in the door.

All decked out and lookin' fine, the band was driving us down the road to somewhere better than I was before.

As usual, i walked around the bar to find the best places to hear the band for different listening pockets. The best place to hear the guitar, the best place for the PA push, the best place for the stage meets PA experience, and of course up behind the drummer.

It struck me whenI got up there. He wasn't sitting down!!

What an amzing way to play drums! Playing like you're dancing.

I haven't been as impressed by a band in a long time. That's not to say that it was the best show I've seen this week - but I didn't expect to hear much of the music I did. They're touring a new record and the songs are great..

What an incredibly tight band. They definitely have their own thing going on, and I think it's too bad they never overcame their campy image/were pushed differently. They could've been one of the many great bands ofthe '90s to bring classic rock radio some fresh classics.

Sadly i missed the first band, Big John Bates - who were (i guess) backed by the sweet soul burlesque troupe...a group of tawdry, sexy party girls that were also at the herbaliser/5 alarm funk/masses concert and didn't think to buy the STICKY tape to hold their nipple tassles on.

Well, the girls were around for some of the SCOTS set, and since my girlfriend had to work, eye candy was appreciated and although I hate to marginalize confident women that lack stage fright, I wasn't really impressed.

I met up with Big John Bates' drumer back at the merch booth and bought their CD on a whim. I finally listened to it last night and wasn't really impressed - especially since he'd termed it 'psychobilly' - so naturally I thought about the Reverend Horton Heat.

their new CD comes nowhere close to being as great a recording as the packaging and imaging. It wasn't mixed to be listened everywhere - it sounds like garbage on small speakers. the playing and songs do not sound like a 3rd record.

but they have hot girls and imaging behind them. They're probably interesting people that are a load of fun but all in all I'm disappointed with my purchase and let down by my gut.

I am, however, impressed by being a tool and forgetting my ticket. Perhaps BJB would've been great that night but opening acts REALLY set the tone of a show for me.

If the Sweet Soul girls and the BJB CD are a good fit together then I hope they work hard together to IMPROVE. They'll eventually be a great bunch of performers.

SCOTS on the other hand have been plugging away and working to be a great force in live performance for the past many years. They are great at what they do and I hope they didn't just get BJB and the Sweet Soul hooter girls to give the audience some mediocre eye candy and make them come across as the best band in the world in contrast.