Dalty / Back in SF
Hey readers. I’m still like a fish out of water out here in LA. I can’t seem to afford to go to a lot of the shows I want to see, and I have been out of work, and looking for 7 months! I have been missing the music scene in SF, and then I got some bad news about a friend from the Bay Area.
Dalty, who is well known in the Bay Area Punk Scene as the bass player (and amputee) in the Angry Amputees, is in the hospital. The Angry Amputees are a great band with a female singer and drummer who are absolutely loved by all who have seen them. Dalty, (their bassist) is an amazing guy who survived Airborne Meningitis (flesh eating bacteria), which caused him to lose his fingers and his legs from the knees down so he uses a wheelchair. He still manages to rock out on the bass, drive all over San Francisco; and do just about all the things that people might think he can’t do. Now he has an infection that spread to his heart, and he also found out he has a heart murmur, which makes it even harder to fight off the infection. He does not have health insurance, and now he needs open-heart surgery to replace his aortic valve. He has to stay in the hospital for one month on IV antibiodics to try to fight the infection, after which he needs the surgery.
Bookers and bands in the SF local scene are putting together benefits for him, and the band has also set up a Pay Pal account through their website which is accepting donations to help with his hospital bills. Check their website for updates or to make a donation. www.theamputees.com If you or anyone you know would like to help, please do whatever you can. (You can also join their friends list on myspace.com, under their user name, Angry Amputees, and check there for updates.)
When I got the news about Dalty, I decided to drive up to San Francisco to see him in the hospital and to attend the first benefit at "Camputee," where some of the band lives and they also practice. I heard they raised around 500 bucks, and obviously there is a long way to go from there.
While back in San Francisco, I had such a wonderful time seeing old friends and great bands. I saw The Radio Reelers (who have great Ramones-like energy) play a free show at Molotov’s, and I saw The Silencers and The Lustkillers at Lost and Found Saloon. All the bands put on great shows, and the weekend made me realize how much I miss SF and how at home I feel there. I wish I still lived there, but I moved to LA because there are a lot of jobs in Music and Entertainment Publicity, and San Francisco doesn’t have that. It is tough to leave the city you love and adore to move somewhere else that you don’t like as much just to work; but in today’s awful US job market, you had better do whatever you can to find work. I will always love San Francisco, and if I can find a way to live there again, I will do it. In the meantime, I will visit often.
As far as good shows in LA, I went to 3 since my last update. I saw The Partisans at the El Rey Theatre on Thurs. July 22, and they put on a great show. They sounded just like their records, and had the energy of young guys, even though they aren’t anymore. They were selling shirts that said, "The Partisans… 17 years of Hell," which I thought was pretty funny. I didn’t dig the crowd there though. It was 90% underage punk rock kids, and maybe only 10% people over 21. The door staff wouldn’t let me come in with my bullet belt, or let my friend wear his wallet chain… all the typical bullshit that is annoying at punk shows.
The next night, Fri. July 23, I went to see Bow Wow Wow at the Key Club. I actually really enjoyed the show. Adrian from No Doubt played the drums. Anabella sounded and looked very good. Her voice was perfect, just as it was when she began at 14; and she jumped around a lot and put on a very high energy set. I never owned a full album of theirs. I only have a few songs on compilations, but I discovered I like them more than I thought I did. They have sort of a Hindi- influenced New Wave sound, which is quite unique.
(Aug.) Friday the 13th, I went to see a band I really like called The Deep Eynde at The Derby. I have been seeing this band for about 4 years. They are based in LA, and just got signed to Duane Peters’ record label, Disaster Records. They are heavily Goth influenced, with a punk rock edge. The singer, Fate’s, voice sounds a lot like Dave Vanian’s (of the Damned). The turnout at the show was excellent, completely filling up the Derby; and the crowd was at full attention for their set. I have always been a fan of theirs, and they seem to get better and better. I think this band will gain further popularity after they release the new record. www.deepeynde.com
I wanted to see Stiff Little Fingers recently, and the following week, The Damned, both at the House of Blues. Unfortunately, there is no way for a penny-pinching punk rocker to be able to afford a show there, so I have re-named it the "House of Expensive." A show is $15.50+ a $2.00 Building Fee + a $6.25 Convenience Charge, + it costs anywhere from $7.00 – $15.00 to park on the Sunset Strip where the club is located. (This BS is my least favorite thing to get accustomed to in LA.)
I will probably be going to the Las Vegas Rockaround Sept 24-26, so be looking out for that. www.rockaround.net
Until next time…
XOXO- Alisha Amnesia
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