Psychobilly never dies

Once again I headed off to Ritual. Friday was a flashback to the 1960s, Saturday I went back another decade, or perhaps forward, for the Rockabilly sounds of The Reverend Horton Heat. He was accompanied by Montreal psychobillies The Brains and scotpunks The Real McKenzies.

The Brains were already on stage when I walked in. This meant I was stuck a few feet back from the front. They played a great set.

 
The Brains at Ritual, May 5, 2012

Hollowbodies for all!


The Brains at Ritual, May 5, 2012

The Real McKenzies were also in really good form; the lineup was a little different for this show than the one I caught in March 2011. A fine set, though they really need a headline slot to give their catalogue a proper workout.


Real McKenzies at Ritual, May 5, 2012

Bone frets!


Real McKenzies at Ritual, May 5, 2012

The Reverend Horton Heat have been around a good 25 years, which is likely longer than most of the members of The Brains have been alive. They played a song an album - including Run Rudolph Run from their Christmas album, with Heath and Wallace switching instruments. Last time I saw Heat and Co., they played Loco Gringos Like A Party. This time around, they covered one of the band's tunes, Nurture My Pig. They played a few requests, including Bales Of Cocaine "You're going country one me,' warned the Rev) and slowed things down for Loaded Gun. I'm always a bit surprised by how much the punks like rockabilly - they even moshed along to Martini Time. The Rev does not like cameras, so the following two photos were taken with my iPhone.


Reverend Horton Heat at Ritual, May 5, 2012

Jimbo!


Reverend Horton Heat at Ritual, May 5, 2012

All pretty cool, though by the time of the encore I was more than ready to split.

• Show reminder: Shahman, Bandera and TDOAFS rock the house at 443 Kent; Belvedere, A Wilhelm Scream and Fractures play Ritual. Soul in Stone, Claudia, Gee, DJ Reverie are at the Rainbow;  the Elmdale hosts Puzzleroot and Brian Simms.

Dead heat

Off to another night at Barrymore's. I figured I'd get there in time for the opening act, Murder By Death, if I walked in the front doors at 9:30 p.m. or so ... not the case, I only caught the last couple of songs. If Sadie Hell had an extra member or two, they might sound like MBD (or the other way around).



I'm guessing they were on and off early to make way for a good long set by The Reverend Horton Heat - and a super set it was. Unfortunately they didn't allow any photography without prior permission, so you're going to have to get by on my scribblings if you weren't there yourself. Pity, there were certainly a few things worth viewing and capturing for posterity's sake: The Rev's orange Nudie suit and similarly orange Gretsch guitar (his signature model, no doubt); bassist Jimbo Wallace balancing on his bass and tossing it in the air at the finale; The Rev himself riding the bass as Jimbo played.
A lively set, though the Reverend doesn't race about stage - he ambles, and with his somewhat pinched expression and plastered-down hair looks a bit like a dyspeptic older uncle. Well, his fingers are still mighty nimble, his voice is good ... that's what matters.
Musically it was a super-tight set, with many popular favourites (or at least those Heat could remember - he's written a bunch that he admitted he's forgotten. He did play Bales of Cocaine and Marijuana, and fulfilled a written request for Big Little Baby. The biggest crowd reaction came during The Jimbo Song; Loco Gringos Like A Party, 400 Bucks, Sue Jack Daniels and Psychobilly Freakout also made the setlist. The band zipped through a passel of covers, including Bill Haley and The Comets (Rock The Joint, I think - it was just an hour ago and already my memory's getting foggy too), Booker T and The MG's Time Is Tight, Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues and an out-of-left field version of Black Sabbath's Paranoid sung by drummer Paul Simmons (who also turned in a thunderous drum solo, complete with stick toss-and-catch). A must-see at least once.