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The Dictators, The
Rubber
City Rebels, and Amps II Eleven
The Beachland Ballroom
05-23-03
What an incredible show. Cleveland’s Amps II Elven got
things off to a good start with a thunderous set of jam heavy rock. Their
mix of seventies hard rock riffs and punk attitude was a perfect match for
the bands they were supporting. Thanks to an especially good sound mix,
this was the best I’ve ever heard the band. Even with the addition of a
third (!) guitarist everything sounded clear and distinct.
Although all three bands on the bill were great, I
probably enjoyed The Rubber City Rebels the most. They started off their
set with a pair of new songs;“Pierce My Brain” and “I Don’t Wanna Be A Punk
No More”, quickly dispelling any doubts as to whether these punk pioneers
could still rock. Vocalist Rod Firestone didn't waste much time with stage
banter, instead leading his band through a fairly even mix of new and old
material. Highlights included fine versions of “Dead Boy (Eulogy for
Stiv), “Young and Dumb”, and “Head Kicked in Tonight”. They ended their set
with their signature tune, but quickly came back for an encore of the sick
humor classic “Child Eaters”.
In an era in which headlining acts routinely turn in
performances an hour long or less the old bastards in The Dictators played
for at least an hour and a half. These guys are certainly deserving of
their place in history as one of the original punk bands, even if guitarist
Ross the Boss' killer lead playing and the showmanship of front man Handsome
Dick Manitoba often finds the band leaning towards arena rock. Hey,
the rulebook hadn't been written yet when they released their debut album in
1975. Although they drew heavily from their most recent album ‘D.F.F.D.’
for songs like “Who Will Save Rock ‘n’ Roll”, “Pussy and Money”, and “I Am
Right” the veteran band played at least a few songs from each of their
albums. Highlights included “Master Race Rock”, “The Party Starts Now”,
“Baby Let’s Twist”, and back to back renditions of “Teengenerate” and “(I
Live For) Cars and Girls” (the latter sung by bass player/main songwriter
Andy Shernoff). They ended the main portion of their set with a cover of
“Sonic Reducer” but the crowd got them back for a lengthy encore that
included the early favorite “Two Tub Man”.
For pictures click
here.
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