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DEMENTED ARE GO! | Concombre Zombi | Graverobbin' Bastards
Thursday January 30th, 2003 @ Elysium (Austin)

One of the greatest Demented Are Go (DAG) songs of all times is, coincidently, called "RED RIVER Bloody Staircase" so what better street in the world to see them perform their Zombie Holocaust Tour 2003 than Red River?
DAG, themselves, aren't exactly sure when the band was formed, but an agreement of the year 1982 seems to stick. Although their first recordings weren't heard until 1984 on the Nervous Records compilation "Hells Bent on Rockin" and then their first album, "In sickness and In Health", didn't make it to stores until 1986 by ID Records. A couple of years pass and the band was found living in a squat with no electricitly in London. They wrote several songs accoustically by candle light and these are the songs that appear on the album "Kicked Out Of Hell". This album created the opportunity to tour Europe at various punk gigs and Psycho(billy) events. At this time Sparky (DAG frontman) moved in and out of several more organized squats and dove head first into a diet of drugs and alcohol.
Not much changed thoughout the 90's. More member changes, this has occured since the early days of DAG and several recordings were released but no stable lineup has ever occurred. But this is the hated beauty of DAG, Sparky is and has always been completely unstable mentally and structurally. He is truely Demented in nature. Sparky has been arrested all over the world for indecent or improper (crude) behavior. During the first NYC Psycho weekender that I went to, Sparky set a forest fire while waiting to do sound check behind the venue. He stood denying involvement (later confessing) as he watched several firetrucks arrive to control the fire. And back at the hotel, we all found out that Sparky had urinated in all the ice dispensers the night before. If that's not enough already, he was arrested later on at a local mall for molestation of a minor, the girl was 16. SO.........what is the chance of seeing DAG in Austin, TX after years of break-ups, extreme drug u! se, gig and tour cancellations, repeated incarcerations, depraved and all out PSYCHO sick mental disturbance? Not very good. But, even after a sudden cancellation in San Antonio the night before, I got the call the afternoon of the show with news of their arrival. With both bands dropping off the tour, it was left in my hands to arrange backline (instuments for them to use) for some shows on the tour. To the surprise of several folks, including myself, absolutely nothing went wrong during the course of the night. Thankfully John Wickham, owner of Elysium, let us use his venue for the evening to host the most influential psycho band of all time, Demented Are Go!
I invited Graverobbin' Bastards from San Antonio to open the show. They have opened for Concombre Zombi a couple of times in the past. Graverobbin' Bastards pull influences from street punk and Oi! into their form of Psycho tunes creating a refreshing sound for the Texas area. A bit rough around the edges, this band, like all true psycho bands, will merge the gap between punk and psycho. Psycho in the USA is a new and quickly growing disease, mirrored to the first psycho explosions of the past in the UK and Germany. Psycho, in those countries and the same here in the States, was quite misunderstood. Most considered psycho as a form of rockabilly but actually it takes more influences from punk, metal and pure rock n' roll, one of the most influential bands for the psycho sound is Motorhead. Bands like DAG and the Klingonz in the UK along with Mad Sin and Nekromantix in Europe have merged the gap between the punk and psycho communities.
Next on the bill for the night was the local psycho band Concombre Zombi, which I play drums for. We had a great time, much appreciation to the crowd support and to all you TX PSY madheads that showed. Concombre Zombi plays true psycho with a relentless slap bass in your face. A full Wreck-tum punch, blasting psycho from the bowels of HELL! Unfortunately, we do not play in Austin very often, so catch us when you can.
The most startling news I have heard in awhile was earlier the afternoon of the show. Sparky said he had jumped "ON the wagon" and has been sober for several weeks, which set up the tightest set I've ever witnessed them play. They came on stage in full costume, shiny rubber and vinyl clothing along with their standard practice of latex monster make-up consisting of deformed facial extensions, torn mutated pointed ears, bloody head wounds, ripped and pussing flesh. They jumped right into "Holy Hack Jack" and never let up. DAG pounded through a "Best of" set with old staple psycho classics along with their successful heavier new anthems showing that DAG will always be here to disturb and constipate all music and family values. Cheers to Demented Are Go for playing "Called of the Wired", "Reptile Queen", "I wanna be your Slave", "Daddys Makin Monsters", "Who Put Grandma under the Stairs", "Satan's Rejects", "Queen of Disease" and ofcourse "RED RIVER Bloody Staircase"!
www.dementedarego.com
www.concombrezombi.com
www.graverockersunion.com (label host of the event)

Continue ALL disturbing behavior in life, Stay Sick, Stay PSYCHO!!!!!
Destin.