After catching covid on a recent overseas trip and being too sick to leave my house, I really hoped I’d feel well enough by October 14 to head south to Slim’s Last Chance to see the Woggles with Girl Trouble opening. The gods were looking out for me because I was feeling much better and tested negative. However, I realized upon arriving I’d inadvertently left my ID at home. DOH! Kudos to the guy at the door who was nice enough to let me in without it. Otherwise I would have had to drive the 16 miles home and back and possibly missed Girl Trouble. So a shout out to the doorman at Slim’s.
I only recently became aware of the Woggles after hearing them on satellite radio (Little Steven’s Underground Garage ch 21), though they’ve been a band for 30 years now. The second this Atlanta band came on stage, they ignited the club into a fireball. They wore matching outfits of black trousers, black vests and white shirts. Dubbed the Professor of Rock n Roll, front man Mighty Manfred (who also DJs on the aforementioned station) was non stop energy. He had a shock of cropped white hair and his feet rarely stopped moving.
The other band members were no slouches when it came to contributing to fanning the flames. The band features grinding guitar driven sound (Buzz Hagstrom on bass & Shane Pringle on guitar) as well as a manic drummer (Dan Eletxro).
Mighty Manfred several times hopped off stage to dance with the audience. One time he climbed onto the bar and strutted about all the while belting out songs. He sat on the floor and emoted before leaping to his feet and again dancing with audience members. They performed their latest song (which gets good rotation on LSUG) Flesh Hammer as well as a Chubby Checker song called Karate Monkey.
Then suddenly it was all over. The band left the stage. The audience, however was not ready to pack it in and go home. They chanted for one more for about five minutes before the band returned and the flames were ignited once again into a raging fireball. Mighty Manfred again sang and danced among audience members and this time stood on a table and serenaded everyone before leaping off and again dancing with them.
After about ten minutes it was really over and the fireball was extinguished for good.
My life is much richer now that I’ve experienced the Woggles perform live.
Prior to the Woggles was one of my favorite locals, Tacoma’s Girl Trouble. (Front man Kurt Kendall, bass player Dale Phillips, drummer Bon Von Wheelie & guitarist extraordinaire Bill Henderson).
KP was as entertaining and zany as ever. He was quick with the jokes and mockeries. Right at the get go he mentioned they were like the Carol Burnette show sans Carol. From that moment on I kept seeing Tim Conway in place of Bill Henderson. Half way through the show KP stripped off his shirt then ran his hands over his belly and addressed the audience, saying, “I still got it. I’m still sexy.”
It was such a pleasure to see Girl Trouble again.
Warming the stage at the start of it all was Insect Man. This Seattle band played a variety of styles. Some of their songs sounded authentically like bands from the late sixties (I heard elements of Cream) to more melodic and ballad sounds. They did a great job warming things up for a really fun night.
