Tuesday, October 04, 2005

The big bang

I doubt any Dirtbombs performance could top their first Bluesfest performance, at least for me - there's nothing like seeing a band you've only been able to admire from afar live for the first time.
Still, this show was another awesome demonstration of art-damaged guitar scuzz, lockstep fuzz and punishing rhythm as only Motor City's finest can produce. The audience was certainly into it. For the last half-hour of the 70-minute set there was steady procession of people bouncing off my back. It wasn't exactly a mosh pit, but there was a whole lot of twisting and shaking and singing "Hey!" along to Trainwreck.
Of course, there's no such thing as a Dirtbombs' show without technical difficulties. This time is was Mick Collins' overdrive pedal giving him grief.
A request for "the German song" (that is, their cover of Hubert Kah's Tenzen Gahn) was fulfilled, and the gig ended with the band leaving in stages until Ben Blackwell was left to finish things off with a final mighty thump of his drum kit - which sent the head of one of his drumsticks rocketing off my chest.

My pictures of Mick mostly stunk this time around, since the only place I could go was a few feet away.



Ko sings.



Pat Pantano sets the beat.



Amazing but true - the only thing Ben Blackwell broke this time around was drumsticks ...



Ko and Troy Gregory made a bass exchange late in the set ... here's Troy with Ko's Fender.



Ko and Ben action!



Mick and Troy have a sweaty discussion.



Someone chucked all the tickets on the stage ... that's what the slips around Ko are.



Pat acknowledges the audience's applause.



That naughty overdrive pedal, plus tickets, plus Mick's Chucks.



Mick rocks out!



Another explosive show - of course!

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