The show was billed as DOA’s farewell tour, yet DOA mentioned nothing of the sort while on stage. Tell you what, DOA, we’ll sacrifice Miley Cyrus, ‘N SYNC and Justin Beiber to the great volcano if you’ll keep playing. DOA are often referred to as the “founders” of hardcore punk along with Black Flag and The Germs, among others and they have never shied away from their left-wing political views.
Front man Joe Keithley’s (AKA Joey Shithead) vocals sounded more like a loud growl with an angry sneer coming from a throat laced with metal spikes. No one in this band is sedate. Their songs were short and fast and pack than a punch (more like a few kegs of dynamite). I got slammed against the stage so many times it felt like I was going to be chopped in half at the waist. Several guys at one time or another crowd surfed onto the stage where leaped about the stage before doing some sort of bravado pose, then diving back into the crowd head first.
The sound all through the night was gritty and washed out. It was difficult to hear the vocalists over the musicians. But in a way the dirty sound matched the gritty, grungy sound of a night of punk.
After an hour and a half playing, DOA left the stage and several shouts of DOA immediately ensued before they returned for another twenty minutes that included their famous song Fucked Up Ronnie.
Besides Joe Shithead, DOA currently also consists of Jesse Pinner on drums and Dirty Dan Sedan on bass. How this trio churns out such a fierce sound is nothing short of amazing. This was my fourth time seeing DOA (the first time was opening for the Ramones in ’83) and I hope it isn’t the last. (my offer of throwing Justin Beiber into a volcano just to keep DOA around still stands).
The whole night was a slam dunk, in your face punk explosion and I am sure the entire evening lived up to everyone’s expectations.
Preceding The Fastbacks was another Seattle band, Dreadful Children. I had seen DC a couple years ago at Soundfest, but they have really grown as a band since then.
This upbeat band is part science experiment (front person wore a Star Trek uniform), part punk band and part comic adventure. They also play their songs at the speed of sound and managed to ignite a good circle pit from the growing crowd. I will definitely go see Dreadful Children again. They are the equivalent to a caffeine jolt on a cold, gray morning.
But this was not an evening limited to just three bands. Dreadful Children followed another Seattle band (by way of Budapest, Hungary), Sledgeback. Sledgeback are pure oi to the max! Frontman Gábor Szakácsi snarls with vocal chords that sound like they’re bathed in broken glass while he gargles with gravel. These guys are pure punk, playing hard and fast, barely coming up for air. They started an electrical charge for the night that never let up.
Four punk bands in one night would be more than fulfilling, but everyone who came early enough were treated to Loud Eyes. Think of some hard core punk combined with the pleasant poppiness of the Beatles or Kinks complete with melodic tunes and hooky guitar parts. They’re young and they’re cute. Bass player Lauren (and the band’s only female member) looks like Joan Jett’s younger sister, complete with leather vest with silver studs and pants so tight they looked painted on.
Loud Eyes list themselves as Nils, Lauren, Eric and Art but don’t specify who does what. Their front man looks like a cross between Billy Joe Armstrong and Liam Gallagher with maybe a bit of Paul McCartney thrown in. The guitar player could have been a young George Harrison (both in looks and talent) and played from a wheelchair.
For all those who only came to see The Fastbacks and DOA and missed all those previous bands, you missed out on some great Seattle talent. You may now stop reading this and kick yourself hard! This was a fun night and all five bands put on outstanding punk rock energy shows!
