Posted on Apr 20 2012 10:36 AM
thanks ralph... it was so great playing with you....
here's my prefab recollection of the events:
The WEST SAMOA SURFER LEAGUE in NYC and elsewhere…
So this has been it, for now.
The trans-Atlantic cooperation that spawned a great three-piece of which you will speak for years…
It sure was an exciting time. From the first rather unprocessed idea to actually performing live on stage ( at Hank’s Saloon, with bands like “F***ing Bullshit, Bad Dog Bad or Vincent Price is Right…), it took Rattlesnake Ralph and Falko and me some emails and a lot of thinking.
After a great 5 hours rehearsing at Smash Studio ( really nice guys there), we finally went on stage. You might think playing covers everybody knows is easy, but it’s not. We actually knew so different version sometimes that it didn’t seem like we were playing the same songs.
But it worked, yes, with flaws sometimes, but we are not nor have we had any intention to be like, let’s say, James Brown’s backing band…
Hank’s Saloon wasn’t exactly a spot for us, but the audience we had was cheerful and in the mood for dancing. Thanks at this point to Frank Wood, who helped us to get the job.
Personally, I am always thrilled to drink in any American bar, since they look like on TV…
Hank’s Saloon has its own charm.
Otto’s Shrunken Head was once again a very nice gig, just about enough people to still have space to dance ( thanks to Mike and Sandy of 9th Wave for showing up quite unexpectately) and Unsteady Freddie (Thanks again! and sorry we didn’t properly say “See ya”), who as always did a great job as MC. Even though turning on the AC was a horror to me. It was like the winds from Siberia itself blew out of that hellish machine).
We had a lot of fun seeing the other bands that night, especially curious we were of those Canadian Demons and the Supertones, they rocked.
Sunday night at Otto’s was different altogether. Hardly any crowd, even though you could have listened to a virtually untuned guitar of Bo Diddley’s.
All in all, as we grew more confident about our playing, we had a great time. It was especially funny to do announcements in between Freddie and Frank Wood. Ah, the times we had….
I must come back to the financial aspect of this little tour. Even though I don’t really care about the money, you American bands who play in Europe sure have a less bleak outlook…
In between gigs we drank beer, ate great food, saw some sights or followed the remnants of 19th century gangsterism, to finally get over that obsession. But tourist life until the evening, followed by surf rock life through the night takes its toll.
Our trip to Connecticut presented us with ghosts from the deep past, our first ride on a Harley-Davidson, a nuclear sub, and interesting samples of local micro-breweries, until we hit the road again and played Elm Bar in New Haven. First onstage were the Vulcan Surf School Drop-Outs, a young apiring surf band, which you will hear from a lot in the future. Then our good friends, the mighty 9th Wave, before the WSSL closed the evening. What a night! I am responsible for Matt getting into trouble with his girlfriend, although it could also have been the beers he downed. If you read this, Matt, I am sorry!
Last gig was the show at the Record Collector in Bordentown. Like last year, I found the atmosphere strange at first, with chairs and no beer and amps very low, but once the light was out, it is a cool place. The audience liked us, we liked the audience, and together with Blue Wave Theory, we arranged for a pleasant evening with lots of approving nods and interesting conversations.
Yes, once again we were sad to leave all you behind and go back to our dreary lives…
But we will be back, I need the Fez from RC…
Let us take the opportunity now to thank all the people who helped us make this unique experience possible, not in any particular order, and if we forgot about you, you should reveal yourself and demand the respect you so definitely deserve.
Big Thanks to:
Unsteadie Freddie
Deb Noble and Ted of StingRay Productions
Frank Wood
Julie and Bill of Alien Surfer Babes
Mike, Sandy, Ed and “Rick” of 9th Wave
The Blue Demons
Blue Wave Theory
everybody at Hank's Saloon, Otto's, Elm Bar and the Rceord Collector
Mrs and Mr Roy of Brooklyn
our traveling companions Sabine, Waltraud, Alex and Michael
and yes, Ralph, thanks for driving around with our gear or over a week!
February Birthdays 
