22 March 2016

ALABAMA THUNDER PUSSY


In 1996, on what I remember to be the day after the (in)famous Baywatch show in North Carolina, FUCKFACE and HICKEY played a basement in Richmond, VA. Karoline was HICKEY's roadie and my (then extremely new) lady friend, but she was also very well known and well loved in RVA as both a frequent visitor and merchandise boss for AVAIL, so she sorted out the show. We were booked in a tiny basement with ALABAMA THUNDER PUSSY, the new project featuring AVAIL drummer Erik on guitar (and, for one show only, Adrienne from SPITBOY on vocals), but more than excited for the show, I was nervous about meeting my new lady's extended touring family. A steady but discreet stream of people checking me out, wondering if I was suitable...the way that scene looked over her and out for her is something that will always stick with me. One gentleman walked up to the entrance where I was standing next to Karoline and asked if I was Robert. "Yeah," I replied. "You'd better be good to her," he said, then he lifted his shirt to show the pistol in his waistband, dropped $20 in the donation jar, and left. You know, just regular punk stuff. 


ALABAMA THUNDER PUSSY (they lost the space between "thunder" and "pussy" at some point) would release several records on Man's Ruin and Relapse and tour relentlessly through the mid '00s. The KYUSS tinged swamp sludge from this demo gradually and organically gave way to hard rock influences (see 2007's "Words Of The Dying Man" video here, and check the LIFES HALT shirt and GWAR cameo)



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