Hey all, not really a show review, well kinda, but more a WOW!! Moment

So my frineds and I went to a suprise b-day party the other night.
And there were 3 bands. Vindicators( newer band of older guys, playing mostly 60's covers with a very upbeat prog surf attack. included
a few Varatones songs also.
Outterwave, Local Trad to a T, half Obscure covers, half well known covers. Great sound that night. and..
A New band with only 6 practices under thier belt called Pacific Blue.
They had Jerry From Outterwave( who was in a 60's band from Fullerton Area, and never recorded anything in the 60's)(but I can't remember the name), and a couple of the surf history guys,(I'll go into later) playing with them. But the Leader of the band was Norm Cowell( amp guyand surf fan) Who's B-day it was. They did for the most part Dick Dale and Eddie and the Showman songs and a few other classics. But thier goal is to nail the BIG 6 + member sound of the bands of the 60's ala 3 guitars and sax.
They also have a Piano/congo player and trumpet player on tap, but weren't there. I know alot of the older bands aren't very good at getting a good surf sound. But these guys are a Amazing example of thee surf sound. My Buddy Jim Copeland( surf fan fromthe 60's) says they totally capture the vibe and sound of how "it used to sound"
So also in Pacific Blue was Steve Ashoft( drummer for Dick Dale from 66 to 93.) A sax player that was in a few south bay bands including the Avengers( not Avengers VI) and a few other bands.And has also played with the Surf Kings a few times recently. And a few other guys I didn't get their names, but am told were in 60's surf bands.
They had 3 guitars 2 Jags and one JM a P Bass and a sax all plugged into Old tanks plugged into Showmans/Duals and Bandmasters, except the Bass and Sax of course. So there was 5 Blonde Piggyback amps, and 1 Bass Showman had been recovered in Tweed( Not original, but did look very cool). Keep an eye/ear out for these guys playing in So. Cal. They have been asked to do the last open date at the HB Surf Museum on Sept. 3rd ( we'll see).
So now to really make some of you flip out( Bill of RA's especailly)
Eddie Bertrand was there,( but sadly didn't play) he had hurt his arm.
But is currently working on a new cd. So my buddy Baja Marty introduced me to Eddie, and I talked tech( a bit) with him, and told him about SG101. He wants me to e-mail him the addy so he can check it out. But he said a friend of his e-mailed him a conversation some of us
must have had on the yahoo group or something. And he was laughing about how we all thought that he and his rhythm guitarist had many guitars in the 60's. He said he had one jag and they would get bored and go sand it and repaint it every so often.
So here I am standing there listening to Great Surf Music played like it's suppposed to sound( trad style, anyways) and talking to Eddie Bertrand. I'm not a very star struck type of Person. But I thought Boy I bet alot of the guys on SG101 would love to be here talking too and
hearing these lengends rip it up. Great night of tunes from 9 pm till 12:30 am.
Oh also in the crowd was Tom of Tom Starr and the Galaxys, and I forgot his name( maybe Pete?) Rhythm guitarist of Dick Dale from 59 to
61, and he played with Dick at the Rinky Dink Ice Cream parlor, before the Rendevous Days.
Hopefully Kristena will post some of the pics that she and I took of the band, and all the gear.
If you have any questions I might be able to answer some.
ButI'm gonna try to persude some of them to join the forum.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Wow thanks Wanes,
I just wish I could better convey the vibe that I felt being there.
I always feel my reviews/stories in type are so stale to what I actually experienced in person.
I never took any writing classes, maybe I should have.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Jeff(bigtikidude)

So that's what you wanted to tell me...very cool!
Now we can all wish that Eddie's feeling better and we have a chance to see him play.
It'd be great if all those guys could join here and give us some insight.
We should get Jeff a tape recorder and hat with a "Press" card on it.
Thanks for posting,
Ran

The Scimitars

I agree with your review of what happed at the show in 2000. I was very disappointed. But he said Sat. night that he knows he's gone a bit out there in the past. And hopes his surf music that will appeal to Trad. fans
and fans of Modern Rock guitar
we'll see....
Jeff(bigtikidude)

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Here ya go, Jeff.

"Turn the knob to 10 and break it off!" -Baja Marty

WOW!!! Awesone story, Jeff!!! Now I'm kickin' myself for not
getting down there after I got the e-mail. &(^$&*(^&!!!

Bob S.

Bob

Tikimania
Here ya go, Jeff.

this proves it, gentleman prefer blondes

very cool pics kristina, thanks for posting those!

WR

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IvanP
That's a great story, Jeff! Thanks for sharing. (It's not easy writing these pieces, I know. You do a good job, and with practice comes skill!)

Just one thought: having seen Eddie play in 2000 at the Rendezvous Ballroom Reunion, no trad-types should be holding their breath for his upcoming CD. He seems to have left those days far behind.... I'm not saying the new CD won't be good, but I really doubt it'll be trad or even surf. Six years ago he seemed to be as influenced by Eddie Van Halen as Dick Dale. Well, actually a lot more by EVH - I didn't hear any DD in his playing. A humbucker in his Strat, distorted silverface Fenders with minimal if any reverb, right-hand tapping and dive bombs, etc... The worst was the fan he had at the front of the stage which blew back his long curly hair and open shirt revealing his hairy chest - very seventies 'rawk god' stuff! Oh, and he kept playing with his back (or his butt!) to the audience, facing the drummer (Dick Dodd, I believe, at that show) about half the time, and doing a lot of power chord windmilling type things... I believe I went backstage half way through.

Ivan

Wow, that said...
I'm interested to hear what Eddie is doing now though. From Ivan's repost I may not like it. But one thing I liked so much about the Showmen is not just Eddie, but the fullness of that band.

"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"

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Hi Jeff
I was at the birthday party and listened to all 3 bands. The first two were very good, But when Pacific Blue came on, I was totally blown away, they sounded just like Dick Dale and the Del-Tones as I remember from the
Harmony Park days of 1963. I would like to hear these guys again. If any body knows where they will be playing in the future please post on the forum. In regards to the equipment that I saw there, they had blond single and duel Fender Showman amps.
I really enjoyed your article.
Carlo.