DEVILCAKE | TOM FOOLERY & THE MISTAKES | EVERLASTING GOD STOPPER
Thursday, July 3, 2003
Little Brothers

Whenever we spend as much time preparing for a show as we did for this one, it usually bites us on the ass at some point. Or, as in the case of this evening, some points.

Starting a few weeks back we found ourselves re-learning old songs and other things we've never played live. We practiced them multiple times each and probably could've had a pretty fresh and decent set if we'd have remembered to include any of them other than Chicken Nuggets Of Sin and Spicy Beef Stick.

Nothing makes an old song more tempting to whip out for a live show than it being declared off limits. As is certainly the case with the long-entombed Spicy Beef Stick. It's a stupid song and everyone knows it. We stand to gain nothing as musicians or humans by playing this song. And yet, there it was in the set. Ha.

We neglected to make a set list again and again it bit us on the ass. Oh well. Sorry if I got snippy with anyone (ie Rachel) who thoughtfully suggested songs from the audience. I don't know what my deal is/was.

The evening began for me as soon as I got home from work. The hair clippers were put into action and soon a Mr T cut emerged. The hair wasn't long enough for the cut to be totally obvious, but I think it served the purpose.

I packed my car and found that I was lugging along more props and costume stuff (2 bags, 1 box) than actual musical equipment (1 bag, 1 amp). Hmm. Interesting.

No one knew what to expect for parking at Little Bros, considering it was the Red White & Boom ordeal and traffic was probably going to be pretty uncool. I got there last, of course, and basically sailed right in. No traffic to speak of and there was even one spot left in Little Bros' lot just for me. Then the interminable lingering began.

But it wasn't as bad as it could've been or has been for me in the past. I tend to get overly wound up in general, and milling around an empty rock club four hours before I'm due onstage is kind of a mindfuck for me sometimes.

Fortunately we had good conversation and a relaxed atmos in the Devilcake section of the house. The entourage was in good spirits and it kept me from being too much of a sour-ass. MCB amused himself by taking extremely terrible pictures of everyone in the band and then showing them to everyone else. Ambush photography. Catching people at their worst, revealing their true nature. Very arty. He could have a third career on his hands.

The very young Everlasting God Stopper went on first. They reminded us of us about fifteen years ago. Metal riffs, ghouly keys. Except their singer looks like a young Marilyn Manson. While ours more closely resembles a young Ernest Borgnine. EGS songs were a little samey and somewhat indistinct, and their presentation was a little bit on the pedestrian side, but I thought they were good. Give them some decent lights and a smoke machine and teach the singer one more note and they'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Tom Foolery went next and I think that's actually only the third time I've seen them play. We play with them constantly but I always miss them for whatever reason. I dig those guys and it's not just because they're friendly and give us props onstage all the time. Okay, well, maybe it is that.

But their songs are good too, and Kyle's an energetic, spazzzztic frontman and that's really all you can ask for from a band. Jeremy's little micro-drumset is totally hilarious. It's one of those little Yamaha (I think) deals with the little tiny drums. It looks like he shrunk it in the dryer. But it sounds great and the whole band sounded damn fine. They played most of the songs from their new CD. Which comes out in August! On Colossal Thumb! Buy it!

They dedicated a song to our Nancy, even. Then they kept messing it up. So I don't know if that aspect was dedicated to her too or not.

As soon as the Foolerys finished, we invaded the stage with our BS, much of which was never unpacked or positioned by the time we actually started playing. The light-up cross was still beside the stage when we finished playing. The heavy wooden coffin never had its light plugged in and indeed it was still laying flat on the stage when we began the set. And there was a chair on the stage, near Gourley, and I still don't know why. Kyle had his amp on it, I think. And we never thought to remove it.

Because I guess the stage was probably starting to look a little barren. We have to have things like chairs on the stage. To take up space. Because there's only six of us up there, with all our amps and drums and stuff. Bumping into each other and shit.

Todd went out first and started a Nancy-less Marshmallow. Gourley went out next. I told him to ask the soundperson to turn out the stage lights. And I didn't mean for him to ask this from the stage, through the PA. I meant for him (or anyone) to walk over to the soundboard and deliver the request directly. That way we wouldn't be trying to rock in the full glare of all the lights, and our little ghouly effects would look better.

So Gourley goes out and the crowd starts clapping and he right into the mic he asks "can you turn out the house lights? thanks." Which, the house lights had been off the entire time. So, um. Yeah. Stage lights full glare the whole time, which I love.

Gourley started Marshmallow and Darrin, Steve and I were all lined up on the stairs behind the stage. We finally ran up into our positions and waited for the song to kick in. I didn't even notice MCB wasn't there until Darrin gave his little intro kick-flam thing and we hit the first big E chord! Then MCB came running across the stage with a full face of makeup, threw on his guitar and started playing. Classic!

I unplugged my bass at least twice, maybe three times, during Marshmallow. Just by stepping on it! I finally remembered to wrap it around the strap to keep it in place. Even that didn't help. I was throwing down wrong notes, losing picks, trying not to trip over the coffin, trying not to over-exert myself and use all my energy during the first three songs. All that trying was for naught because that's exactly what happened. Not to mention losing the middle knob from my bass. What a great way to treat an instrument on its maiden voyage. Beat the fuck out of it, douse it in fake blood and scatter its pieces to the wind. Er, the audience.

We plowed into Wienermobile and I was already having issues with the cape. Which I knew was going to happen. That thing is like wearing a wool blanket with a neckstrap.

After Wienermobile was the first "oh shit, what are we going to play next" moment. Unfortunately, not the last either. I knew we were going to forget to play something. And we did.

I also wasn't sure beforehand when to break out the skull and fake blood, so I'm pretty sure it went down during Pizza Party. The blood wasn't very tasty and I'm sure it looked like the dorkiest thing in the world, but it did seem like a good idea at the time. Next time I'll figure it out beforehand and even bring a tarp or something to prevent it from getting all over everybody else's stuff. It's not very rock 'n' roll of me to be concerned with leaving fake blood stains everywhere I go, is it?

We got derailed on Fribble but we pulled it back together. And then we ended the set with a request. No, not "Cold Gin." ... Stromboli Fever? That's an odd one to close with, which is why I approve. We have other, more bombastic number that we prefer to leave the audience with. Shit Down Your Neck is one. Fribble is the other. Something heavy and riffy and with an ending that can be played by hoisting the bass overhead. Stromboli is the anti-closer. Word. Maybe next time we can close with Guacamole Damn It. I don't recall anyone else having issues onstage. I just had my head even further up my ass than usual so I wasn't really taking note of anyone else's shenanigans (or lack thereof).

Not sure of the order but I'm pretty sure we played
MARSHMALLOW
WIENERMOBILE
SALAD BAR MAN
CHICKEN NUGGETS OF SIN
PIZZA PARTY
CEREAL AND BEER
SACRIFICIAL LEG OF LAMB
DEEZ NUTS
HANDS OFF MY OREOS
PIE HAIR PIE
I WANT A BIG MAC
RED POP
SPICY BEEF STICK
FRIBBLE
STROMBOLI FEVER