When
and Where? @ Chain Reaction-Anaheim, CA 1/13/01
Not even when I was a kid did I attend
a show at an all ages venue that didn’t serve alcohol. That’s okay
by me since I’m not a big fan of alcohol these days anyway. I like
myself better when I can remember what I did the night before, and I like
the next person a lot better when they’re not puking their lunch up on
my shoes. Chain Reaction is a cool place that has a snack bar that
sells sodas and chewing gum and caters mostly to a straightedge crowd.
It was kind of odd at first seeing whole families entering and exiting
the doors of this place throughout the course of this evenings show.
I think a lot of the spread in the ages had to do with families being out
in full force to support different members from different bands.
There were two more bands other than the two main draws on this bill that
I didn’t catch the names of, or arrive in time to catch their shows.
I came to see Big Fat Dragster and was highly anticipating a great show
from one of my newest favorites Straightfaced.
Big Fat Dragster got things started off
in fine style with singer Ray dragging some kid from the back of the crowd,
by the collar, and straight through the crowd into the center of the action
in front of the stage. A daring maneuver that
equates to walking the yard in prison
like you’re running the show. And run the show is exactly what Big
Fat Dragster does from the moment you hear Magnus and Sikk Rikk throwing
down that BIG FAT drum and bass sound, to the moment Scotty and Larry kick
in with their crunchy, overdriven guitars. Big Fat Dragster is all
about high octane Rock and Roll, with infectious high energy being put
out by the band, and the BIG FAT audience reaction in response to it all.
This band and their audiences are getting more and more insane with each
show, and it’s stunning to watch band and audience feed off each other
the way I’ve witnessed it at Big Fat Dragster shows. When you combine
the bands killer live presence with the kickass music they’re playing to
consistently more off the hook audiences, there’s not much left for anybody
else but a BIG FAT mouthful of dust. Big Fat Dragster was like
a group of trained killers in the art of guerilla warfare on this night,
so my best advice to you is to be afraid…be very afraid!!!
Like I was saying earlier in this review,
Straightfaced is one of my newest favorites.
What’s new to me is all too familiar with the huge worldwide fan base Straightfaced
has. Straightfaced has been around for about six years, but I’m not
too familiar with the bands history because I only knew of them, but knew
nothing about them or what they sounded like until recently. Until
a more recent closer inspection of bands on the Epitaph
Records label, I’d written the majority of them off as all sounding the
same. Not the case with this band. If there were one great
equalizer, or even the ingredient that allows this band to exceed and set
them apart from the rest, I would have to say it’s guitarist Dave Tonic
and his incredible talent. Tonic uses an amazing array of major,
minor, split, and block chords in his playing to some of the most intense
effect I’ve ever seen. Throughout the bands hour-long show Straightfaced
exhibited their own brand of in-your-face showmanship backed by the lyrics
of one pissed-off Johnny Miller on vocals, and the
hard as nails rhythm section of Jeff Hibbons on bass, and Ron Moller on
drums. Most of the set material was off the new Straightfaced CD
“Pulling Teeth” which is being called their best work to date. The
recording was done at the world famous Grandmaster Recorders off Sunset
and Cahuenga in Hollywood, CA. with The Dwarves very own Blag Dahlia assisting
the band in the studio. For a little Punk band from Huntington Beach,
Straightfaced sure keeps some heavy company these days.
Posted by Jessica:
Hey Johnny Miller... where the hell have you been all my life???
Posted by creeper:
straight faced can suck one. hey jonny miller my band got major support from a major label. wheres your band know weenie boy. S F sux and so does jonny miller
Posted by prophet:
listen everyone.randy from fuze entertainment group. just so you know we are signing big fat dragster to a 3 year deal. thats right everyone BIG FAT DRAGSTER is going to come back with bigger and fatter sound.. and we have them.. so watch as BIG FAT DRAGSTER comes to your town to kick your butt
peace
Posted by G vs.E:
If this Rikk dudes breath is the shyt at least he's in a band that's the shyt too. This band fukking rocks!
Posted by The Budget Gigolo:
Did you hear about the new Michaerl Jackson sandwich from Jack in the Box? A 3 inch weiner in a nine year old bun.
Posted by orange:
BFD rocks way harder than George Michael! gotta go- JC Penney is having a Michael Jackson Sale (boys pants 1/2 off)
Posted by richard craneum:
rikk sucks so does larry buh buh
Posted by richard craneum:
rikk sucks so does larry buh buh
Posted by Breath Mint:
Would someone give sikk rikk one!
Posted by fedge:
I love Big Fat Dick, I mean Dragster
Posted by hugh jardon:
BFD like rocks or something
Posted by dragon:
If you gotta put garage bands on this site pick good ones
Posted by The WRIT:
Nice, very nice!
Posted by Frank:
Killer bands here. It's proof positive of Goth Brooks keeping and ear open and bringing all the best bands to anti music. good goth
Posted by Frank:
Killer bands here. It's proof positive of Goth Brooks keeping and ear open and bringing all the best bands to anti music. good goth
Posted by U.S. BONGS:
Hey, Big Fat Dragster f*cken tears all other bands a new assh*le. Straightfaced rules as well.
Posted by Shomo:
Hey, Johnny Miller! Heard from Adam???? Tell your brother I said, "What's up?"
Call me, fu*ker!
Posted by VYNEGAR:
Well, HOLY CRAP!!! BFD!!!! You guys are, like, cool 'n stuff! I wanna be like Scotty when I grow up. WHERE'S MY FLASH TAPES, MAN?
-SHOMO
Posted by GZERO:
I've seen more band in Orange and
LA County than care to mention here,
but just know it's a sh#tload. If I
had to sum up BFD in two words they
would be " F!!KIN CRAZY ".
These guys have one of the most
high energy, in your face, kick
ass shows around. Even if you did'nt
like their music, which I highly dought.
At the end of their set you would feel
like the money you spent on seeing
there show was well worthit! Nonstop energy from the second
they start till the set is done.
Posted by GZERO:
YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THAT THE NEW ALBUM
FROM STRAIGHT FACED WAS WRITTEN AT GROUND ZERO
IN HUNTINGTON BEACH. I COULD HAVE SCORED THIS
ALBUM FOR FREE, BUT COULD'NT WAIT.
I PAID FULL PRICE WITH NO COMPLAINTS.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE FEW THINGS I
BOUGHT THIS YEAR THAT WAS WORTH
MORE THAN THE MONEY I SPENT.
STRAIGHT FACED KICKS MAJOR ASS
YOU HAVE TO BE AN MORON
NOT TO BUY THIS ALBUM.
Posted by Walter:
I can't understand the music business standing 100% behind artist with no real talent while bands like these put out great music and work twice as hard but don't even make it half as far in the music business. Something just ain't right!
Posted by I like Poo:
But I like Big Fat Dragster better. BFD kicks ass!