The Supersuckers with The Last Vegas &
Cockpit
November 11, 2009
Slim’s, San Francisco, CA
By
Dan Wall
There
are rock bands; and then there are the Supersuckers.
The
self-proclaimed “greatest rock and roll band in the world” may not be
all that, but the quartet is certainly one of the hardest working groups
in the land. Together over 20 years now, leader Eddie Spaghetti (that’s
his name) and his little band of merry noisemakers constantly cross the
land, playing souped-up, two-minute rock ditties with an unabandoned
glee that transfers directly to the crazed members of the quartet’s fan
club.
Ever
see a mosh pit during a country song? There was one in San Francisco.
How about a set list that includes such songwriting classics as “Beat to
Shit,” “Bubblegum and Beer” and “I Want the Drugs”? Yep, all present
here and delivered in a Ramones-like manic rush that allowed the band to
play nearly 30 songs in 105 minutes onstage. That included a nine-song
country set (think hard country, like Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard) in
the the middle of this epic evening. And a cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Cowboy
Song” during the “encore” (the band doesn’t actually do encores-it’s a
big part of the show, the “fake” encore call) that ended with the
classic “Born With a Tail.”
As
you can probably tell, this show is lot more about fun that being cast
as an Olympic-sized musical workout or structured to be fit onto a DVD.
These guys do what they want, when they want, and if you want it too,
then you’ll have a good time. The band’s mix of the Ramones, Motorhead
and Lynyrd Skynyrd can make for some interesting moments, but for the
most part, the band just plugs in, turns it up to 10 and rocks.
Spaghetti is an interesting dude, a guy who is just as comfortable
hanging with a rock band or a country outfit (he dresses and looks like
he could have played for any of the bands mentioned above), and has kept
this band alive for two decades by being the ultimate road dog (he’s
probably been on every road and slept in every dive in this country).
With various members coming and going over the years (guitarist Marty
Chandler, guitarist/bassist Dan Bolton and drummer Scott Churilla are
the other current Suckers), Eddie has become the host of one of rock’s
most enduring traveling rock fests. He sings tunes in his low-register
growl, alternating bass and guitar, while the rest of the band hammers
away behind him, awaiting the next two-minute power punch to be thrown
their way.
It’s
an act that might wear thin after repeated listens, but it is clearly
fun the first time out. And this on a night when the band left “Rock and
Roll Records,” “Bad Bad Bad” and “Pretty Fucked Up” off the set list
(all big Sucker songs); it was still a fun night of bubblegum, beer and
rock and roll.
The
night didn’t start and end with the Supersuckers. The Last Vegas has
been reviewed on this site before, and I must say that this is a band
with a future. The Chicago-based quintet’s first major label record,
Whatever Gets You Off, is a tasty slab of sleazy rock, served up
nice and loud for fans off Motley Crue, GNR and Aerosmith. And that’s
exactly how the band serves up the tunes onstage-these guys have been
around since 2003, and is as seasoned onstage as the night’s headliners.
If given the chance, I could see these guys becoming the next Buckcherry.
The
opening act was Cockpit-what a great name for an all-girl band from the
Sunset Strip. With a new Runaways movie coming next year, I could see
this band benefiting from the publicity and renewed interest that will
be generated for this kind of band and music. The girls were without
their regular guitarist on this night, but still pulled off a nine-song
set that owes as much to the Runaways as it does to AC/DC. The band
played one sexed-up, amped-up rock and roll anthem after another,
closing the set with its new single, “Mission to Rock.” Just as
important as the music, these girls are cute, too (in a sleazy, hanging
out at the Rainbow kind of way), which is also important for this type
of band (whether you want to hear that or not).
With
bands like The Last Vegas and Cockpit following the Supersuckers around
the West Coast, one can only hope that this type of show will prove that
live rock and roll is not dead yet.
