Across the river on the N. Shore of Chattanooga, TN there is a bar/venue -hole in the wall called Ziggy's Underground. It has a reputation of being a bit on the rougher side, I heard a couple of guys joking, "You wouldn't wanna bring your girlfriend here" but the beer is cheap (1.25 for PBR's), it has a great stage for bands, and plenty of spray painted wall space free to tag at your will. John of Unsane Asylum Productions booked the punk show that happened Thur March 31st, an eclectic mix of punk, metal & pop punk.
The first band up on the gig was a local band called Worst Kept Secret. Out of the ashes of punk/emo band Red Army Romance, Marshal (vox) and Jersey (r.guitar) decided to go in a more hard core metal direction, making us think "red army who?". This is a much more powerful band, with a great lead guitarist, blasting out and taking command, and Marshal's vocals hitting range of desperation, and feeling, live pulsing energy and make you shake loud as fuck amps. Though they do have tones of screamo, much like what you would find from bands on Victory Records, I could say Worst Kept Secret is 5 years behind, but I won't, I think they are something fresh in the Chattanooga Music Scene, to get the kids moving. Only thing I must say, is that they left after their set, the whole band, no one stayed for the other bands, so you make the call- are they worth sticking around for? http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/worstkeptsecret
40oz. Folklore (the band that I play bass for) was up second, and though we are infamous for drunken sets, somehow we always manage to hit the notes with fury and speed. If you want to come to a show to slam and get out your frustrations on the world, your best bet would be with us.
Random Conflict (Huntsville AL) was up after us, these guys are bad ass in every way. Random Conflict has been together since the late 80's punk days of the south. Though lineups have changed, Bill Reeves has always been on lead guitar and vocals. This guy is infectious when you see them live, he took charge of the crowd to get us involved whether it's a circle pit or a sing along, his stage presence is always powerful, he could be performing on a stage in front of 10 people, and make it feel as though it is 1,000. The bass player and drummer are always on top of their game, very professional, Brain (bass) fires out bass leads out of nowhere, and you can't help but be mesmerized by his skill. Their sound is old school 80s punk, catchy as hell songs, with lyrics of political and socially aware content. They really have their own sound though, fast and bouncy, I don't think I could compare them to anyone. Random Conflict is a treasure to be seen, one of the best and underrated punk bands in the south.
40 Hells (Atlanta, GA) is more from the indie/punk sound and influence. I was really excited to see them, their music reminds me of Leatherface's Mush album, one of the best punk albums of all time to me. The vocals are different from Stubb's, but perfect also for this music- this guy can sing, with soul. They didn't want to wait to play, they set their equipment on the floor and played right there with the crowd in their face, making it feel more personal and intimate, perfect for their type of music, being that it is more story teller style, something everyone can relate to. You didn't want to slam to their music, you want to stop and listen, really listen and feel it with your heart, the lyrics and guitar having it's own voice, speaking to you. They were totally on it, 3 piece band, a group of nerdy looking dudes, but don't let that fool you. I'll be sure to see them again next time they come through.
The last band of the night was Nosecone Prophets ( Menlo, GA). I must say I was totally surprised by them, this being a band I have known about for a couple of years, but disliked their earlier recorded stuff. I was proven wrong when I saw them Thurs night. They are a punk rock band, of southern roots, and you can hear the southern influence in some of their songs. They are another 3 piece band, and I was sort of drunk seeing them live, (end of the night) but they stood on stage with instruments in hand pumping out their songs to those left to listen. Although I'd call them a punk band, I hear a lot of alternative rock and grunge in their music, and their lyrics are also sung with grunge like quality. Not bad at all.
