Thursday, February 03, 2005
Hayseed Dixie: I Know It's Only Rock Grass But I Like It
I had my first experience of live "Rock Grass" last night in the form of Hayseed Dixie at Liverpools Carling Academy 2 (The one that was Lomax 2 and has lots of seats, nice place). I took my time getting the gig, but sadly I got there in time to catch the support band, Viking Skull.
There are two reasons why these are terrible. First, they are an attempt to revive cock rock just as The Darkness brought back glam. Songs like "You Can't Kill Rock 'N' Roll", "Slut Magnets" and "Dirty Dirty Whore" reek of Kiss, and everybody's favorite, Ratt. They have all the standards "We wanna see you dancing", "any hot ladies in the house tonight" type shouts, and the raised hands clapping, and the leave telling us "they'll play until the speakers explode", which they don't. The true pain is that these guys are everywhere, loads of metal magazines and support slots, they're the new Crackout, they may never go away. Just as with Siccor Sisters, they're a reminder that no matter how bad a band is, if the label has the cash and the contacts you'll never hear the end of them.
But hey, it was worth the 30 minutes of interrupted conversation, "The Dixie" are on top form, applying their banjo, mandolin, bass and fiddle twanging to various AC/DC songs, "Ace of Spades", "Walk This Way", and a song for the next album "War Pigs" (During the second chorus of which the words are forgotten).
Keeping in character we're treated to Southern Baptist preaching between songs, that night the sermon was on the dangers of stopping at a Welcome Break on the way to Sheffield for a meal that will consist of fried grease, as it ultimately leads to the service station equivalent of Ghandis Revenge. But this leads to a positive note, their epiphany that after the age of 35 the only way to a mans heart is food, and to reflect such a finding, they played a melody of songs where "love" can be replaced by "Lunch", "Tainted Lunch" being my favorite, and "All You Need Is Lunch" thrown in to appease the locals (Who's "Legendry Scouce wit" became rather boring as everybody felt they had something witty to say, yawn).
A second medley was about the importance of eating plenty ("Especially in Africa" they say, a remark they later withdraw) and give a slightly to detailed picture of why they like the larger woman. The prove their point they play the Spinal Tap classic "Big Bottom", Queens "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "A Whole Lotta Rosie". If that wasn't enough to put anybody of ever dieting, I don't know what it.
The finale causes a true hoedown, a good quarter of an hour of "Highway to Hell", complete with mandolin solo, banjo solo, slap bass solo (Eurrgh), banjo vs. fiddle duel, two people playing the same banjo and drinking a few cans of Boddingtons, you had to see it to believe it.
I was left wondering if it was all stage persona, but anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise. A friend of mine had seen them in town during the day, had no idea what they looked like but its not often you see four people in dungarees, tie die shirts and caps about, and I'm told they where cap doffing gentlemen. A chap I spoken with at the gig had a similar story, said he'd met one in the toilets and told him he'd shake his hand if he weren't having a piss, but the singer being the gent he is just wipes his hands down on his dungarees and shakes that hand good and proper. Kings amongst men...
It was only four months since Hayseed Dixie where in Liverpool, and apparently the gig was twice as packed and four times more enthusiastic this time, so I think they'll be bringing their special blend of music back to us all before too long.
Another predction for the future is that Sunday, Chris Moyles will be very ill. The band informed us of how glad they are to be getting main stream radio play in the UK, and that on Saturday Chris Moyles is going to thier London show, and on the night that he finished his detox to. They don't like that quitter attitude, so they're challanging him to a drinking contest. Sereing that I counted at least seven drinks disappearing during the set, I don't fancy the radio presenters chances...
Hayseed Dxie, Carling Acedmy 2 Liverpool, 02/02/05
Don Wayne Reno; The only, and the best, Rock Grass banjo player
Barley Scoth; Singer, guitar, fiddle, large calf muscles
Dale Reno; Mandolin, dodgey tash
Entusiastic crowd, cursed with a fast, sharp and honset Scouce Wit (I.e. Shouting "Your fat")
For more on Hayseed Dixie check out thier videos for"Ace of Spades" and "Walk This Way", and this promotional poster
Or, just put aith in my musical taste and rush out and buy thier albums.
There are two reasons why these are terrible. First, they are an attempt to revive cock rock just as The Darkness brought back glam. Songs like "You Can't Kill Rock 'N' Roll", "Slut Magnets" and "Dirty Dirty Whore" reek of Kiss, and everybody's favorite, Ratt. They have all the standards "We wanna see you dancing", "any hot ladies in the house tonight" type shouts, and the raised hands clapping, and the leave telling us "they'll play until the speakers explode", which they don't. The true pain is that these guys are everywhere, loads of metal magazines and support slots, they're the new Crackout, they may never go away. Just as with Siccor Sisters, they're a reminder that no matter how bad a band is, if the label has the cash and the contacts you'll never hear the end of them.
But hey, it was worth the 30 minutes of interrupted conversation, "The Dixie" are on top form, applying their banjo, mandolin, bass and fiddle twanging to various AC/DC songs, "Ace of Spades", "Walk This Way", and a song for the next album "War Pigs" (During the second chorus of which the words are forgotten).
Keeping in character we're treated to Southern Baptist preaching between songs, that night the sermon was on the dangers of stopping at a Welcome Break on the way to Sheffield for a meal that will consist of fried grease, as it ultimately leads to the service station equivalent of Ghandis Revenge. But this leads to a positive note, their epiphany that after the age of 35 the only way to a mans heart is food, and to reflect such a finding, they played a melody of songs where "love" can be replaced by "Lunch", "Tainted Lunch" being my favorite, and "All You Need Is Lunch" thrown in to appease the locals (Who's "Legendry Scouce wit" became rather boring as everybody felt they had something witty to say, yawn).
A second medley was about the importance of eating plenty ("Especially in Africa" they say, a remark they later withdraw) and give a slightly to detailed picture of why they like the larger woman. The prove their point they play the Spinal Tap classic "Big Bottom", Queens "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "A Whole Lotta Rosie". If that wasn't enough to put anybody of ever dieting, I don't know what it.
The finale causes a true hoedown, a good quarter of an hour of "Highway to Hell", complete with mandolin solo, banjo solo, slap bass solo (Eurrgh), banjo vs. fiddle duel, two people playing the same banjo and drinking a few cans of Boddingtons, you had to see it to believe it.
I was left wondering if it was all stage persona, but anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise. A friend of mine had seen them in town during the day, had no idea what they looked like but its not often you see four people in dungarees, tie die shirts and caps about, and I'm told they where cap doffing gentlemen. A chap I spoken with at the gig had a similar story, said he'd met one in the toilets and told him he'd shake his hand if he weren't having a piss, but the singer being the gent he is just wipes his hands down on his dungarees and shakes that hand good and proper. Kings amongst men...
It was only four months since Hayseed Dixie where in Liverpool, and apparently the gig was twice as packed and four times more enthusiastic this time, so I think they'll be bringing their special blend of music back to us all before too long.
Another predction for the future is that Sunday, Chris Moyles will be very ill. The band informed us of how glad they are to be getting main stream radio play in the UK, and that on Saturday Chris Moyles is going to thier London show, and on the night that he finished his detox to. They don't like that quitter attitude, so they're challanging him to a drinking contest. Sereing that I counted at least seven drinks disappearing during the set, I don't fancy the radio presenters chances...
Hayseed Dxie, Carling Acedmy 2 Liverpool, 02/02/05
Don Wayne Reno; The only, and the best, Rock Grass banjo player
Barley Scoth; Singer, guitar, fiddle, large calf muscles
Dale Reno; Mandolin, dodgey tash
Entusiastic crowd, cursed with a fast, sharp and honset Scouce Wit (I.e. Shouting "Your fat")
For more on Hayseed Dixie check out thier videos for"Ace of Spades" and "Walk This Way", and this promotional poster
Or, just put aith in my musical taste and rush out and buy thier albums.
