Simon Hanes is originally from San Francisco and, despite knowing him for several years now during his time in Boston, I just recently learned that his dad was part of the rhythm section of the latter day classic lineup of one of my favorite bands of all-time, CHROME. But that is far from the coolest thing about this film nerd/ NEC alum. Many probably know him from his naked-style antics in New England winners GUERILLA TOSS, who have just been dousing us all with their strangely composed, noisy, and increasingly groove oriented recordings. Going way outside and far removed from that band, he also released some of my favorite recordings of the year via his Italian pop/soundtrack big band TREDICI BACCI, and solo, in a similar but separate vein as, LUXARDO. And let’s not forget TSONS OF TSUNAMI, his surf rock project with fellow GTOSS-er, Arian Shafiee. Walking a separate path, but allowing us all to join him. Let us hope for more Boston created Italian pop experiments from this art lifer dude in 2014. And the secret is out, yes he is COMB MAN.
The best show-performance that happened in 2013 was UNDOUBTEDLY when Doomsday Student played at Hassle Fest. Rarely, if ever, is an audience given the opportunity to rock out to such a freaky, funky, hot-sex, mean-muggin’, mondo-depravity retard sesh – and it is both a testament to those providence mother-fuckers that they were able to conjure such a response, and to the audience for so readily giving in, allowing themselves to be seduced (in the best possible way) by the unforgivingly shrill jamz by which they were being inundated. Sure, that one drunk guy tried to start a fight with the lead singer, but said lead singer was jumping around like a catholic school boy on PCP! How could anyone ever hope to come up against such an immense force? An exercise in futility, I’m sure.
Meanwhile, one guitar player is goin’ honey-ham apeshit, continually almost tripping on a ballsy photographer who wanted to get a nice artful mirror shot (ppffff) while the other stands in the far corner, a feeling of angst-y hate-alienation visibly dripping off of his chin and instantly being transformed into sickly fuck-riffs in front of our very eyes. The drummer perpetually looks like he’s riding a motorcycle, for christ’s sake! You literally cannot do better.
That was the kind of performance that makes you want to rip off all your clothes and run face-first into a brick wall. The kind that makes you want to eat glass, makes you want to fling your head around so hard that your neck tendons snap and you can finally lean down low give yourself an oral pleasure extravaganza, just like you always wanted. Doomsday Student is the kind of band that jolts an audience out of flaccid passivity and invites them to join in on the insanity – they remind the viewer of what it truly means to be part of a self-sustaining community – of the power that comes from involvement and support of the things one truly cares about. I hope to see more of them in 2014, and speaking more generally, more performances that illicit such a delightfully bizarre response. Amen!
