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Getting "Furious" with
the AQUABATS
Coney Island High, NYC
24 September 1998
Coney Island High is a great "garage band" venue. It’s small, it’s good reasonably good acoustics for its size, and tonight it hosted 3 decent bands and 1 amazing band… of course, THE AQUABATS.
THE LOOSE NUTS are the first band on. They’re a 6-piece ensemble with a heavy emphasis on ska and very young… I would hazard a guess to say none of them are out of high school yet and I doubt their combined age equals 100. The first two songs sound identical to one another, but their saving grace is their good energy and non-stop movement from the singer, bassist, and guitarist. Their "horn" section is a little mute and nowhere near as flamboyant as the other members. They have a good affinity with the audience who aren’t there to see them in particular. There is a rather juvenile "altercation" on the stage.
The highlight of their 30-minute set is a song called "Hate, Kill, Destroy." It would interesting to see them in a year or two once they’ve had the opportunity to mature as musicians a little more.
THE KILLER KOWALSKIS are a departure from the ska-filled evening. The 4-piece band is fronted by a woman with a voice reminiscent of a cross between Lita Ford and Joan Jett. They are far more rock bordering punk with no horns, two guitars, a bass, and drums. They produce a heavier sound that’s not monotonous and there’s no "cookie cutter" quality to the pieces… they are all distinct and different. They’re also more old school, like the RAMONES, and their songs all tend toward that 2 minute threshold.
"Sunny Sunday" has a very BLONDIE from "Eat To The Beat"-ish texture to it. They are definitely showing age and experience over the first band. Granted, they produce a different sound and style, but as a band they form a cohesive unit and have a tight sound.
MY SUPERHERO, a 5 piece band out of Anaheim, prove to be a good transition into THE AQUABATS. They are a good, clean sounding band with a heavy emphasis on the ska sound, and what the first band should aspire to achieve. The band uses two vocalists, each with a very different, unique voice and they have a great layered sound. They must have their setlist memorized because there aren’t any taped down to the stage. They’re not so polished that they come across as sterile. They obviously have a fan base here as audience members continually call out that they want to hear "Under The Line."
There are nice transitions within the songs to softer melodies. The line of demarcation is smooth and not disjointed leaving you to wonder if they’ve suddenly started a new song. They also incorporate an accordion during several pieces. A very versatile and very promising band!
A curtain is dropped over the stage as the "crew" prep the stage for THE AQUABATS. They’re all dressed in matching white jumpsuits and beards, so you don’t know whether it’s the band or their crew. Mutant Wizard of Oz music plays to cover up the tuning of instruments.
The stage had all the appearance of a kid’s cartoon. The props look like they were lifted from the backlot of the Banana Splits. Matching uniforms, matching masks, THE AQUABATS are a great band with an accent on fun and having a good time! All are consummate showman and know how to "work" the crowd. Their costumes and bravado do not mask the fact that they’re good musicians, which I think some people can forget watching them live.
"Turn Off the Idiot Box" incites mass jumping (hell bent on killing the one lone photographer, no doubt), and it’s obvious the Bat Commander has a good rapport with their audience. He brings out a "mascot" of sorts for "The Chicken Song." This tall individual in a chicken suit tosses a loaf of bread and band stickers into the frenzied crowd.
THE AQUABATS are MADNESS-level ska gone a bit further. If REVEREND HORTON HEAT is considered "psychobilly," then THE AQUABATS are "psychoska!" One deranged fan calls out "Play Skynyrd" much to the bemusement of the band. In fact, the song "Skateboard" is very MADNESS in feel, and the keyboard player comes downstage with a "Gary Wright" style Roland strapped to his back.
The accent of the evening is on fun…from the audience spitting at the stage to Chainsaw doing a head stand on his guitar to Prince Adam playing "Iron Man" on his hands. The final song of the evening, "Martian Girl" brings on a stage invasion, threatening to collapse the platform.
The show as a whole was like watch a 70s kids comedy hour. They are truly very funny musicians who honestly and obviously enjoy what they’re doing. Even though their music tends toward the MADNESS ska sound, it is by no means a shabby imitation. Yes, their music is light-hearted, but the messages behind songs like "Idiot Box" hark back to the essence of punk cleverly disguised as something of an amusement.
They are all excellent musicians and contrary to the Bat Commander’s self assessment (see the Interview!) of his own voice—it carries itself as well in the intimate setting as it would in far larger venues. Their audience is, as the Bat Commander states, Number One… and they make that abundantly clear in their set.
Indie Press would like to thank Jim from Golden Voice and THE AQUABATS…
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