By Chelsea Schmid
Staff Writer who is Special to LIVE!
January 14, 2008The Flametrick Subs played The Deadhorse (210 S. Chadbourne St, San Angelo) Friday night. The band sports a name as unusual as its sound. With a set list including “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Where Can My Baby Be?” and a spoof on “Deep in The Heart of Texas,” which made fun of redneck stereotypes, the Subs had an unlikely audience dancing and jamming to their low-end buzz.
The band was excellent. Upon closer investigation, they were even better. Headed by frontman Buster Crash, the band includes bassist Lefty DeMarco, “kicking your ass single-handedly.” DeMarco plays with intense skill—without a left hand to hold down the fret board! Using just the “nub” of his left arm, DeMarco depressed the strings with such a speed and talent he could have had two sets of working fingers at the end of that one arm, instead of none.
The oddity didn’t stop there. Pink-haired pixie drummer “Miss Fortune” played on a kit that included a kick drum, snare, crash, ride and floor tom . . . standing up. She had an old microphone positioned at her left, and, just as the band’s MySpace declares, provided screams on certain songs. Not death-metal wails, but horror-movie cries of terror.
Fanged Ramona Crypt played lead guitar. In a twist that inspired a room full of cheers, Crypt pulled out an—ahem—motorized female companion on one of the songs, turned it on, and ran it up and down the strings while she fingered the fret board. The effect was something like a Theremin with a distortion pedal, and was met with overwhelming approval. At the song’s end, she demonstrated the varying tones one could reach by adjusting the gadget’s speed.
The band played two long sets to a mixed audience that sported mohawks, fauxhawks, polos, and faded black metal T-shirts. There was the token long-haired hippy guy, the college crowd, and the guy who kept his sunglasses on despite how dark it was inside. The punk rock kids turned out in smaller numbers.
Rockabilly and psychobilly genres—which the Subs arguably demonstrate—are ones that transcend all lines. Generally, if the surf-rock song doesn’t get the crowd, the Johnny Cash cover will, but Friday night, the Flametrick Subs needed neither.
Conspicuously absent from the night’s festivities were The Satan’s Cheerleaders, the shimmying dancers from, well, hell. They usually accompany the Subs at shows. Maybe next time.
Check out the Flametrick Subs at http://www.myspace.com/flametricksubs
I enjoyed them, that's for sure. It was cool because we just kept noticing things that made them more interesting: She's standing up, he's missing a hand, she has fangs. It was a good show, I would advise people to check it out. Too bad about Satans Cheereleaders though!\-Chelsea
Great story about a great band. They've been together since 1989 and should be back our way in March for anyone who missed them.
Oh,,,and unfortunatly the Satan's Cheerleaders have retired from touring with the Flametrick Subs. They had 10+ good years with them and the time just finally came. Halloween 2007 was the last show they did with 'em. We're sorry we missed them out here....but...who knows what the future holds!?!?!?!
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