King's X At The Key Club
by CCRider77 on 7/14/09Key Club - Los AngelesRating: 5 out of 5I was treated to an early Father's Day gift. I went with my wife Stacey to see what is arguably my favorite intact band; King's X. For the musical novice who is content with listening to whatever the FM radio DJ selects for them, the name King's X may not ring a bell. They are a three-piece band from Texas who have been immersed in music since the early eighties and have been together for over 20 years, producing 15 albums and several solo albums as well. You will not hear them on mainstream radio, and in fact may have a difficult time finding their CD's in a music store.
Their original foray into professional music came under the direction of Sam Taylor, the producer for ZZ Top and they did make the charts with 3 notable songs: Power of Love, Dogman and Black Flag. They also produced several videos which made the rounds on MTV in the early nineties. Their sound is difficult to pin down, but I liken it to a cross between the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath. Ty Tabor and Dug Pinnick write some incredible heavy and off the wall riffs which rival Tony Iommi for sheer power and hair-raising hooks. Jerry Gaskill is a master of the off-beat and always puts it in the pocket. The drop D tuning, endless sustain and slow grinding groove is their signature. Their lyrics are usually deep, thoughtful and intriguing - never made up of cliche's or power-pop routines. While many of their songs, especially their early stuff is very positive and upbeat, they also have a very dark side, demonstrating that they are honest and versatile.
The show took place at the Key Club in West Hollywood, an average Sunset Blvd. joint with two bars, a very dark industrial motif and a dinner loft where you can order from a variety of unremarkable menu items including corn dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches or hamburgers. The drinks are $6 and there is a 2-drink minimum. The service was top drawer, with every waiter, bartender and even the manager all providing personal, friendly service and meeting our needs. Although the food service was a little on the slow side, it wasn't bad.
There were two very annoying things about the club, and I offer this to them as constructive criticism. First of all, the rear stage lights are two huge flash spots, designed to throw very bright white light back at the audience from behind the drum riser. The problem is that these lights were not only positioned wrong, so that people in the loft/balcony area got a straight "blinded by the light" effect, which left us seeing spots and blinded for much of the show, but they were also over-used. These kinds of lights are best used at the end of a show during the finale, or in short bursts during a drum solo. The light tech otherwise did great.
The second issue was the matter of this certain rock video footage, which was played during all the intermissions. The club apparently didn't have any other videos, so they kept re-playing the same one over and over again all night long. Stacey and I told the manager we would be happy to donate some to the club if they needed more. I actually have a King's X compilation of rock videos, which would've been a nice touch for the show.
The first thing to cover were the five opening bands. Yes, that was not a typo - there were FIVE opening bands, all getting about 45 minutes to play. This pushed the stage time for King's X all the way to 11:30 pm. We didn't realize this at the time and it wasn't listed on the ticket, but we were here and it's Friday, so what the hell.
Of the five bands, there were only three that really stood out for me. One was Orange Sky, a mostly metal soul band from Trinidad with a unique sound and look. Lots of tonnage and dreadlocks going on there and these band members were extremely friendly and cool. They were difficult to not like. This is one group I need to put on the MySpace friends list.
Another, which unfortunately I can't remember the name of right now was very solid and very good with a vocalist who could sing just like Billy Squier. They did a very cool cover of LZ's Custard Pie and had solid bluesy guitar hooks.
Last was a band called Conspiracy of Thought. I dug them, but they were a little too on the edge for Stacey. The lead singer was very theatrical & animated and the bass player rocked the stage with power and movement which every aspiring rock and roll band should study. Very nice guys too. My only advice goes to the lead singer - dude, shave those things off your head...
The worst band by far was a group called Year of the Dragon. Their songs had a lot of inserted background noise, audio samples and distortion which ruined their sound. Instead of hearing well-defined chords, I only heard a wall of grey noise. They also used some stage gimmicks like wearing fez hats and playing barefoot. They attempted to meld rap, hip-hop and metal but the end result simply was not working.
King's X was supposed to start at 11:00-11:30, however a technical snafu with Ty's guitar rig pushed the opening time to after midnight. I'm not sure what the problem was, but the guitar tech should've had this worked out before the first warm body came through the door. I've played in rock and metal bands for years and something I learned early on is to keep your rig simple, keep two or three of everything and if at all possible, sound check with all the equipment on, including house lights and stage lighting, to catch any 60 cycle noise. When something happens, go straight into the amp and go for it. Better to play on time without every bell and whistle functioning than to play late (or not at all) because your multi-effects unit is on the fritz. A lot of clubs are notorious for not having proper isolated grounds for sound equipment.
Once King's X started with Groove Machine, the place finally came alive and it was clear why this was all worth it. This was the third time I've seen them and they never fail to impress me with their skill, power and performance. This performance included an assortment of songs from various albums going all the way back to Out Of The Silent Planet, which I believe was some their best work. They played Lost in Germany, Visions, Pleiades, It's Love, We Were Born To Be Loved, Pray, Move, Black Flag, Dogman, Go Tell Somebody, Summerland, Over My Head and more.
The call and response was excellent and at one point the entire place was singing along to over my head. Ty's guitar work was absolutely flawless, as usual, and for those who haven't seen him play, it clearly drives home the fact that he is one of the world's best guitarists.
The only sad part of the whole performance is the same complaint that many of Dug's fans have had since Dogman, that he frequently resorts to the F-bomb on stage. That's not uncommon with rock and roll bands, but with a band this great, I guess we, the fans sometimes put them on a pedestal and expect a little more. A little more class, a little more grace, a little more maturity. I think for me personally, it represents a conflict of interest and an odd hypocrisy. Dug writes songs, sings and preaches "love" and "peace" from the stage, yet between those words of hope, joy and optimism, you can hear anger and rage which erupts in an obscenity.
I've only briefly met the band once years ago, and it certainly wasn't a setting conducive to a discussion of this type, but I think I'd just like to ask: "Why?" "Why is that necessary?"
To sum up, after the show ended, the place was abuzz in conversation and praise. I tried waiting in line, but it just wasn't happening. Too many people and too much activity. Stacey and I went home and slept - one more great memory and experience. I had a great evening and I hope Stacey did too...
