DAMNATION
BLUE COLLAR SPECIAL
SLANDERIN
BLOOD JUNKIES
The Troubadour
March 1, 2003
by Bret Miller
While the bands weren’t much in the looks department, their music at least sounded pretty good. The hard-rocking Damnation opened the night as their alter egos Blood Junkies. Singer Shaun Kama sang his bluesy songs from behind an acoustic guitar, and the band was augmented by a keyboardist and percussionist. While most songs still had a driving beat, there was also some serious song craft and vocal delivery, more so than the typical Damnation song.

Next up was Slanderin’s mix of hardcore and rockabilly, complete with stand-up bass and Bo Diddley beat, though played really fast. A scary looking band, but they got the kids skanking and moshing like madmen.

Blue Collar Special were the odd men out, with the singer Rafe obviously drunk and not in the best voice. The band traded vocals amongst the three front men, and it was all done well enough, but the audience wasn’t having any of Rafe’s banter or the band’s frat boy punk style. I’m sure that when Blue Collar Special are in their element they will thrive, but tonight wasn’t their night.

Damnation was the reason most people were here that night. The band took to the stage in their usual black clothes, with Shaun taking off his shirt and immediately spitting blood all over the unlucky fans at the foot of the stage. I got spattered as well. Al C laid out the chugging bass, Robert Shawn slammed away on the drums like a man possessed and Tod stood stoically and ripped out riff after riff on his guitar. Kama spit and sneered into the faces of his fans, singing such lyrics as “See the scars across my chest/I’m damaged baby/Ya better run” from Garbage Truck, and “Undead eternally/In the blink of an eye/She’ll tear our throat away” from Blood Junkies.

The night was good loud and dirty fun, with enough sweat and guitar squeal to last you a few weeks. And the fake blood did wash out.

LINKS: