BAND OF SKULLS - APTEKA - FRENCH MIAMI - RUMBLE LA ERUPTS

HOLY SHIT! Last night's RUMBLE: LA ripped! After a slow start thanks to the Lakers, the night ended with a fury as BAND OF SKULLS delivered on the promise they made all of us when they wrote "Baby Darling Doll Face Honey" and kicked our teeth in during their set in the tiny backroom of 3 Clubs in Hollywood. I think it'll be one of those nights that you said you were at, when gigantic band played back in the day in a tiny club to those lucky enough to be there. When the band harmonized during "Fires" the hair on my arms stood up. It had nothing to do with the Patron shots or that guy from MAD MEN dancing around like a garden nymph, it had all to do with the Skulls. After being up to my eyeballs in electro-indie band after electro-indie band, I love it when I finally get a serious dose of the RAWK! This is a special band.

Driving in from Chicago to play both west coast Rumble parties, APTEKA decided they were going to make the most of the travels. Their set was blistering and the free earplugs they provided were appreciated by anyone that wanted to actually hear their CD they just purchased at the merch booth on the drive home. I heard SABBATH, I heard FUGAZI, I heard a buzzsaw eating a belt buckle in the set that Apteka delivered. They must have rehearsed the entire drive west because they were as tight a band as I've seen live in some time. Thanks for making the trek.

I wish I had a photo of the opening act, FRENCH MIAMI from San Francisco. They got caught in the Laker game trap and even though when they started their set it was thin, it didn't phase them a bit and they also came strong and played like it was midnight. My highlight was the hopping around in the middle of "Lil' Rabbits". We'll be bringing these guys back down to LA soon.

Thanks to the lovely ladies on the turntables, S.I.S. for allowing us to shake it late night.

BIG thanks to Ryan Suffern for the photos above.