The real sounds of the Jersey shore unite at The Brighton Bar Oct. 16 – Benefit for the F Bombers
On Sept. 2, 2010 at approximately 1 a.m. EST, New Jersey band The F Bombers set out on a 45-day cross-country tour that would take them from New Jersey to Los Angeles and all points in between. Not long after they embarked on this journey their bus caught fire and quickly burned to the pavement. Luckily no one was injured, but their bus was destroyed along with most of the band’s worldly possessions. Clothes, shoes, merchandise, laptops, phone, amps and other gear lost in the blaze.
Out of a calamity of such magnitude, the one positive save was vocalist Kim Pulsives’ cherished guitar. She was quoted on Myspace as saying, “They started pulling things out of the burned out hull… it’s all so terrible, drums burned, and my Marshall was destroyed. But somehow my guitar made it. The case was melted and the cops gave me a knife to cut it open. Low and behold the one thing I own that survived the flames.”
A fire of any type is always a disastrous event and I’m happy to say that as usual, the musicians and entertainment folks that truly make up this music scene are quick to react and help The F Bombers resume their life on the road. To help the band get back out where they belong, there will be a benefit at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch on Oct. 16. It will be an all day affair, starting at 3 p.m. and going until closing. There will be 20 bands, a few of which (Well Of Souls, The X-Men) will be reuniting specifically to lend a hand at this benefit for our musical friends.
The show will feature bands that are known for their pandemonium inducing antics as well as some of the area’s biggest, most legendary and vital bands from the scenes golden past. This show promises to not only help The F Bombers get back on their feet, but should also afford you with a look into some of the best music around and, at the very least, an astounding day of food and entertainment from New Jersey’s true purveyors and pioneers of Garden State rock and roll.
Admission for this karma laden event is a mere $10, and an additional $5 will get you all you can eat from the Brighton’s newly opened eatery, Rock And Roll Cafe. Every time a New Jersey band is taken off the road it’s like another nail in the coffin as far as our true identity. This is not just Bon Jovi and Bruce country. Bands like the F Bombers represent Jersey punk rock all over and they are relentless hustlers. Don’t be a cheap skate, come out and help Shoreworld put one of our own back out on the road to success.
The bands that are gathering to lend their talent are as follows: Power of Babel, Cockwalkers, Scruff, Jay Montagna, Decrepit Youth, Coke And Pussy, Black Birds, Bird Songs, Lousy Break, Hudson falcons, Duct Tape And Vaseline, Well Of Souls, X-Men, Halley’s Vomit, F Bombers, Creetons, and The Sex Zombies.
The Brighton Bar is in beautiful downtown Long Branch at 121 Brighton Avenue. For information on this show, directions or anything else, please call the Brighton Bar at (732) 229-9676 or email Tony Tedesco at asburypoet@yahoo.com.
Only Living Boy
@ The Saint
September 18, 2010
Only Living Boy is yet another choice act in the growing stable of producer Paul Ritchie (Parlor Mob). Only Living Boy mixes precise and toned monster riffs with interesting harmonies and a melodic approach that reminds one of Soundgarden, Wishbone Ash and Zeppelin. Their ‘70s heavy tradition keeps Only Living Boy on the very top of the hypnotic rock game and their appearance at The Saint was well attended by fans that were proof positive that this band is onto something good. The band went through a solid set of old and new material and there was nothing redundant in their presentation. I can see why Ritchie latched onto these guys much as I did when he picked up Scott Liss and The Sixty Six. Pure talent flows freely in his production camp.
The band also sent me a free taste of two top-secret cuts from their album due out this summer and it’s some heavy and immediately familiar rock and roll territory. The first song upon the player is titled, “Hide Nothing” and it’s a half-time thunder shuffle filled with dirty, filthy Strats, Gibson EB-1 bass, John Bonham-Ginger Baker drumming and a rough and tumble Willie Dixon blues vibe. Vocally diverse for a three-piece group, OLB smash their heavy brand of stoner riff rock straight into the oncoming tradition of ‘70s leviathans Led Zeppelin without pilfering too much influential gold along the way, and that is what gives them their hybrid sound.
The second tune confirms that stylistic pathway with the interesting composition titled, “Open You Up.” Joe Cirotti’s smart placement of guitar parts and his melodic vocal choices make this original enough to clear the Zep bandwagon, although the subject matter stays close to that iconic band’s gritty home base. At about 2:40 into the song, things come way down into a Tea For One/No Quarter styled shuffle steered left field with Cirotti’s reverb drenched voice and dark bending blues guitar licks. This is power at its best from a trio that’s creating strong, old school rock and roll in a scene full of scarf wearing hipsters.
Only Living Boy is one of a handful of groups that have managed to stay true to their heavy ‘70s rock roots while sparking the imaginations and musical enthusiasms of a whole new generation of music fans into the classics. And while you can really hear their British rock and roll heroes all over their music, it doesn’t overtake the band or become a blatant focal point. Pure, simple and soulful, Only Living Boy play a pivotal role in the current trending of musical direction back to the good ole days when rock reigned.
The packed house at the Saint, along with their producer and long string of tour dates tells me once again that this band is one to keep your eye on. Only Living Boy is: Joe Cirotti (vocals/guitar), Eric Curley (bass/vocals), and Trevor Newcomb on drums. For further information, check out their tour, music and merchandise at myspace.com/onlylivingboymusic.
