Kingtone

One of the best bands I have been in was Zebu. It wasn’t the most musically competent, but it was definitely the best band. Zebu was a guitar, bass and drums power trio with an ‘all for one and one for all’ ethos defined by Pat Mello and Joey Schaaf, two veteran punk rock musicians. We bitched, argued and performed the good and bad together and our shows were no-holds-barred, on-the-edge affairs that always moved rooms and people. Total rock ‘n’ roll release. The only other band that came close was the Ho, but that was The Who’s material.

Zebu used to have pot and Oly beer fueled jams/rehearsals that produced almost all our material. Some of our more epic numbers were worked out from ideas brought in by Pat or me, but things usually started with a guitar riff or a pop/punk chord change, slammed into overdrive by the insane bass playing of Pat and urgent and often disfunctional drumming of Joey (the Tom Jones of drumming). This mix quickly dictated the direction of the music, with Pat and Joey picking spots to take for their own. The lyrics and melodies came fast and furious and this kept the intensity intact. We used to rely on tapes of these sessions to figure out what the heck we had done. Then we put work into the songs. We rehearsed alot. We had to because Joey, at this point deep into his stoner phase, was either forgetting his parts or inventing new ones, thinking they were old ones. I remember hating it at times. Just one of the seeds of our eventual undoing.

Alternatively described as ‘a cross between the Minutemen and the Who’ and ‘the Pink Floyd of punk rock’, Zebu was criminally under-recorded. We did a great four song studio recording that captured our ‘pop/punk’ thing but omitted the epic punk/jam side of the equation. A handful of live board tapes captured some of that, but with unfortunate sound quality.

Zebu’s heydey was 1997-2001. We still get together every once in while for a reunion show when the three of us are in Oakland at the same time. The last one was in 2006, after four years off, and it kicked ass. I made ten special Zebu reunion CDrs for that show. Each one had one song that the other nine did not. Those sold out quick. This past October, we got together for a private jam over at Jack Canada’s house. It was like the old days, small sweaty space, loud as hell and cheap beer. I wasn’t expecting much to come of it, but the energy of the Zebu was not to be denied. We absolutely rocked – writing several great songs, long since forgotten. Too bad the tape wasn’t rolling…

Long ride the wild Zebu.

I love SPLITLIP and the people in it,
Jon Brumit,
Wayne Grim,
Suki O’Kane
and from time to time, the one and only
Jeff Hobbs.

We played in Sacramento last night at the Prescott Showcase of new, improv and jazz music hosted by our friend Ross Hammond. For some reason SPLITLIP has played more shows to fewer people in Sacto than anywhere else. But the shows are always interesting there, so the few who make it get the goods.

Things felt really great onstage and we could have played on all night or as Suki said, ‘until the electricity runs out.’

A great overheard comment (during a lull in one of our pieces):

‘Do these people have any talent?’

And the following Q&A w/ Ross transpired -

Q: ‘What do you think their influences are?’
A: ‘I wouldn’t know where to start.’

ALBUM next year, we should hope…(the wonderful Michael Zelner recorded this and most of our shows, so…)

The Overdub Club lays new sounds over old film footage - hence the usage of the term overdub. We screen films that tickle your brain and are pleasurably insane. And since it is live, no two shows are ever the same. The soundtracks are for the most part live, but sometimes we use pre-recorded material.

And yes, we are actually a club with a rotating cast of characters. Currently: Thad Povey, Alphonso Alvarez, Kitty Hutton, Chris Santeramo, Suki O’Kane and myself.

Thad’s film studio under Bob Ostertag’s house in SF is the closest thing we have to a meeting house. It has really low ceilings and is crammed with cool old equipment, films, musical instruments and a hot plate for making tea.

Projects:
The Overdub Cub is currently in the process of converting its 2003 piece, Nightsoil, to Hi-res digital, complete with a new prerecorded soundtrack, for future distribution to film festivals, etc.

The group has also been working on a rather complex multi-image and sound piece tentatively entitled, Year of the Caves.

Lumper/Splitter

Lumper/Splitter is the mind meld of two ‘obsessive soundhounds,’ Joe Rut and Lucio Menegon. Combining their extensive experimental and improvisational experience, the Oakland, CA based duo create sonic tapestries using effects manipulation, looping, amplified objects, homemade instruments, found sound, and even some honest guitar playing.

Lumper/Splitter’s has one recorded release, the eponymous, Lumper/Splitter

One man’s sputter of static could be another man’s ‘Rites of Spring - Indie-Music.com

All very listenable if not downright hypnotic and acid flashback inducing - KZSU 90.3

Reverend Screaming Fingers (Lucio Menegon)
& Phantom Drummer (Pat Spurgeon)

Composed and improvised instrumental music to juxtaposed found slide images and 16mm film prepared by San Francisco filmmaker Thad Povey.

The music - based around the electric guitar and drums and incorporating keyboards, loops and other devices - consisted of composed and structured improvisational pieces cued by film projections.

For our 15 date US tour in 2001, we setup facing each other with the projection screen between and slightly behind us. This enabled interaction with each other, the projections and the audience.

The overall effect was stunning - with no two shows the same. Musically, we were able to stretch out and explore our compositions and really try some cool stuff with the improv parts. The effect and importance of Thad’s visuals can’t be overemphasized - wild splashes of color from prepared film, flames, disasters, racecars, absurdities of the human psyche - they all came together to create some incredible synergistic moments from show to show.

It’s true. I played in a punk rock Who cover band called The HO! We were damn good and very fun. Here is some promo from our last tour in 2004:

Don’t Get Fooled Again!
The HO roasts the Who with some Maximum BBQ…

The HO, the world’s only Live at Leeds -era Who cover band, brings all the intensity, volume and pomp of a vintage Who concert to a small club setting. The HO combines serious musicianship with good-humoured parody to provide Who fans with what they’ve been missing out on for years - real, raw, unadulterated rock ‘n’ roll.

Fans just can’t explain the thrill of experiencing — live! — the windmill guitars, microphone twirls, ripping bass riffs and impossible drum assaults of classic 1970’s Who. With tongue-in-cheek, dressed in wigs and vintage outfits — the boiler suit, sexy suede fringes, eerie skeleton suit, and British target T — The Ho brings the legend back to life. Their sound is big, powerful and “sloppy” — a worthy substitute for the original. Best of all, The Ho still has all four original members.

Reclaiming the “punk-rock” spirit the geezers once possessed, The HO features Dave Mello (Operation Ivy, Schlong) as Keith Moon; Lucio Menegon (Reverend Screaming Fingers) as Pete Townshend; Joey Schaaf (Zebu) as Roger Daltrey; and Tim Romain (CheckPoint Charlie) as John “Shaft” Entwistle.

So why pay $100 to see The Who do their oldies schtick at some enormous, acoustically nightmarish outdoor venue this summer? Come and get a big ol’ serving of Maximum BBQ instead - while there’s plenty to go around.

the HO! Young Man Blues (2004)