THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 20, 1995 TAG: 9512200056
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE VANHECKE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
Just in time for holiday gift-giving, Norfolk's rockin,' rollin' Night Caps have released a fun bit o' wax, a four-song EP with a cracklingly vintage, charmingly lo-fi sound. The white vinyl seven-inch ``Solitary Drinker'' includes two original tunes and a pair of obscure covers rendered in brash '60s punk. Those who still own turntables can pick the platter up at area music stores, like the local-band-friendly Skinnies and Camp Zama in Norfolk, or at Night Caps shows, including New Year's Eve at Norfolk's Taphouse and Jan. 27 at Cogan's, also in Norfolk.
The foursome includes guitarists/vocalists Gordon Bradley and Jim Hazel, drummer Serge Ponce and lead vocalist/bassist Rob Katherman (whose other band, Left Wing Fascists' new CD, ``All Fired Up,'' features more frat-boy rock with har-de-har-har titles like ``Beer Gut'' and ``No One's Ugly After 2 AM''). The Caps are newly returned from New York City, where they helped former Waxing Poetics guitarist Paul Tiers with an ambitious recording project, a tribute album to the Fleshtones.
Members of the Nightcaps, along with M-80s drummer Rusty Floyd (now a New Yorker like Tiers), backed Tiers on a Stones-ish version of the Fleshtones' ``Way Down South.'' The tribute album is scheduled for release next year; R.E.M. is rumored to be contributing a track, as well.
Caps guitarist/vocalist Hazel's other band, the Blind Venetians, is presenting ``A Winter Solstice Concert'' Thursday night, a good-cause gig to benefit the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. The Venetians, who'll be spending less time performing and more recording in the upcoming months, will be joined by the Michael Mulder group, featuring members of On Beyond Zee, at the Naro Expanded Cinema in Norfolk.
Doors open at 8 p.m. and adult beverages will be available. Admission is $5 advance, $7 at the door, plus one can of food to help folks in need. Purchase tix at the Naro, Naro Expanded Video or Birdland Music. Call 625-6275.
The second LP from acerbic area combo Combine, ``The History of American Rock and Roll,'' hits stores nationwide next month. Like this year's debut on the Caroline label, the critically well-received ``Norfolk, VA,'' ``History'' moves quickly, with 17 tracks clocking in at just under 37 minutes. And while the trio has retained its taut Jesus Lizard/Helmet-ish powerslam, some acoustic guitar and string interludes suggest a move toward melodicism.
The disc, produced by Wharton Tiers (ex-Poetic Paul Tiers' cousin), winds down with a hidden track of vocalist/guitarist Brian Pafumi's spoken-word lyrics atop a percussion bed, reminiscent of his intriguing ``Buck Down'' recordings, the homemade spoken-word, found-sound cassettes that floated 'round town late last year.
With the new LP ``Narrow Mouth Jar'' and its loose, likable, blues-tinged arrangements and fine musicianship, it's not hard to imagine the Gibb Droll Band as another Dave Matthews Band super-success. Almost. What happened to the vocals here? Poor Gibb sounds as though he's trapped in the men's room at the end of the hall.
Beach native Droll's guitar prowess remains intact, however, a showy hybrid of Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King-like stylings. With liner notes thanking Hootie and the Blowfish and the Dave Matthews gang and noting that Droll's publicity is now being handled by one of Matthews' PR people, don't be surprised if ``Jar'' is soon snatched up by a mega-label, tweaked a bit and re-released in a big blaze of glitzy rock-star promo. Gibb Droll at Hampton Coliseum, anyone?
For now, the band will open for Everything at the Boathouse on Dec. 29. The show's at 9 p.m.; tickets are $6 at the door. Call 671-8100.
Bigwig guitarist Jeff Beck gave a nod to Hampton Roads music recently when he invited Portsmouth resident Tommy Facenda down to the Atlanta stop on his U.S. tour with Carlos Santana.
Facenda, former backing vocalist and ``clapper boy'' with Gene Vincent's Blue Caps and solo artist (remember ``High School USA''?), and fellow Blue Caps clapper Paul Peek hung out backstage and explored Atlanta's blues scene with Beck, who is a mighty fan of late, local '50s rocker Vincent. Beck released a terrific album of all-Vincent cover tunes, ``Crazy Legs,'' two years ago. The guitarist also sat in with the Blue Caps at an impromptu pub gig on their '93 reunion tour of the UK.
``Jeff's going to try and help us get Gene into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where he belongs,'' Facenda said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Portsmouth's Tommy Facenda, center, checked out Atlanta's blues
scenes with Jeff Beck, left, and Paul Peek.
by CNB