TONE WORLD "NEWZ"
06/08/05
Live Notes, Updates and Random Ramblings.
Live Notes
Odd how Karma works. As a joke, and mostly to make myself laugh, I called our upcoming show on June 13th at The Pussycat Lounge "One Night Later", an obvious parody of the name of the WWE produced ECW PPV on Sunday June 12th called "ECW One Night Stand". I only called our performance "One Night Later" here on the website, (It's now called "Calling Spots On Stage" as I'll explain later.), but a couple of the wrestling news sites picked up on it and we've gotten a bunch of emails asking if we'd be playing our ECW tunes that night. (Thanks Mike...)
Oy... We weren't really planning on doing any of our old wrestling tunes, but read on.
Random Ramblings...
The thing is, we've played very few ECW themes live, or very well. We did a horrible acoustic version of Taz(z)'s theme live during a mostly comedic "Unplugged" set during the only show we did in 1998 under the name "(Not) The Slashtones" on January 11th at a club called 'The Gaslight'. That show and the nightmare that surrounded it was horrific enough for me to break up the live version of the band and not want to play live again for another three years.
In December of 2000, John Holmsrtum of "High Times" and "Punk Magazine" asked us to play at Punk Magazines' 25 year Anniversary party at CBGBs on January 10th, 2001. John was a big ECW supporter and got RVD, Sabu and Bill Alfonzo in High Times Magazine as well as promoting ECW any chance he could. John wasn't familiar with our comical material, only our ECW tunes. He invited us to play that night and on January 10th, 2001 the live version of a band called "Harry Slash & The Slashtones" made it's live debut. We performed "This Is Extreme!", "Huka Blues" and a few others from our then ECW catalogue. but it was our old comical "My Hillbillies" that stole the show. That was the last time we played ECW tunes live. ECW closed down a few days later. Not sure if our performance had anything to do with it... Oh well, life goes on...
In late 2002, I got the idea to revive the comedy act and keep the wrestling tunes and put together a core band of five to rehearse our new set. The idea was to bring in as many former Slashtones as possible to play a few numbers each and do a few shows during the band's 10 year anniversary of 2003. That never happened. But what did happen is I put together the single best lineup this band has ever seen. So good that I decided to re christen the band's name. I sold the "Harry Slash &" part of the bands name to pay Attorney's fees, but I can't talk about that. I chose to call this new band, The ("New Original") Slashtones". (Please Note: The words "New Original" in the bands name are silent.)
Unfortunately, due to many reasons I can't and wont go into, The ("New Original") Slashtones" didn't get a chance to play out together until May of 2004. That was at last year's "Joey Ramone Birthday Bash". We did nothing but comedy that night and according to many, (including John Holmsrtum who was in attendance,) we stole the show. The Joey Ramone foundation asked us to return again this year and we did. (I know, I still haven't given a recap of the show, but, uhm, my memories are still a little foggy. I do remember people thought we were very good, that there was a lot of beer backstage, and I somehow ended the night partying with The Lucky Devil Circus Sideshow" folks over at a club called 'Snitch'. Other than that...)
Back To The Present...
The Slashtones' live photographer, band assistant and "Sleazy Dirtbag Manager-in-training", Gabe Cynowicz also works with my favorite NY band "Happy Anarchy". We've been wanting to do a gig with them for a while and all schedules corresponded for Monday, June 13th. We haven't done a full length electric set live in some years and not with the current incarnation of the band. We've only done the bigger shows and short sets at major events, but not an old fashioned down and dirty club gig in quite some time. A smaller club in southern Manhattan would be a good start to get this band road ready.
Two factors I didn't consider at all when we took the gig were:
1. The fact it was the day after the ECW PPV, and
2. Rehearsals. and
3. (Yes, Three Factors) That wrestling news sites would pick up on the fact we were playing the day after the PPV and
4. (Yes, Four Factors) That fans would want to hear our wrestling tunes and
5. (There is no number Five.)
As I stated above, we got emails asking if we'd play any ECW tunes. So a few weeks back, right after the Irving Plaza gig, we got together for a mini rehearsal and bounced around a few ideas on the ECW thing and which of our comedic mash-up tunes we'd be playing. Well, it seems that was the last time we were all available to rehearse on the same day. The Slashtones wont all be in the same room at the same time again until next Monday. The closest we've come to a rehearsal is a couple of conference calls between ourselves going over some arrangements. But I'm not worried, not with the caliber of musicians in this band now.
Our set on the 13th will include the tunes we did the last two years at Irving Plaza, our newest tunes "Gilligan’s Wood" and "Stone Bunch", and our new arrangements of "Welcome To The Family" "Rockin' Gorilla" and "My Hillbillies". And YES. we will be doing a few ECW tunes, but not in any way you've ever heard them before. (Hey, we're The ("New Original") Slashtones, we don't do anything normal.)
Other possible songs we may play that we have rehearsed at one point or another over the last few years include new songs "All In The Sabbath". "Jammin' To The NY Groove", "Cog In The Wheel" and "Puplexion". (Ok, I know most of you haven't heard some of these, but trust me, they're pretty cool.) Possibly some new versions of old Slashtones' tunes "La George", "Immigrant Horse" and maybe "The Odd Couple". Truth is, I have no clue how we're filling up a half hour plus set, but it should be fun to watch, even from our side of the stage. Hence the new name of the performance, "Calling Spots On Stage". Let's see 'Fozzy' try and do that.. (The wrestling folk out there will get the joke, the rest of you can ask a wrestler to explain it.)
Regards to all,
Harry /
The Pussycat Lounge is at 96 Greenwich Street, by Rector Street.
The Pussycat Lounge is strictly 21+.
By Train: Take the 1 or 9 Downtown to Rector Street. You can also take the 4 or the 5 Downtown to Wall Street. Or the N or the R to Downtown Rector. For driving directions please go to www.mapquest.com
The current Slashtones are:
Harry Slash, Roderick Kohn, Arno Hecht, Tony Moore, Steve Budgie Werner
