The Humpers -- Long Beach, CA -- August 22nd-23rd, 2008

[ijwthstd]

Not metal but I know they have some fans here and there. Quite a local following and I am aware of a few devotees the world over.

These are 2 "reunion" shows in their hometown of Long Beach and 2 of only 4 possible shows this year (2 booked in TX for Oct so far). Not really a functioning band anymore, lead singer Scott "Deluxe" Drake now lives in Portland and flew in for the gigs.

This is the Epitaph Records era lineup.

Both shows were sold out

Aug 22 Alex's Bar Long Beach

opening Confederacy Of Horsepower - paint by numbers punk rock, used a fog machine (!!). Watched 2 cliche ridden songs and when the singer announced the next one as "Devil Drive" I went outside and waited it out.

Sun Trash - an 8 piece band fronted by Sean Wheeler of Throw Rag. Totally different style but he sure is one hell of a talented frontman and songwriter. Throw Rag is one of my all time favorite live bands but I liked this more than the recent shows I have seen just because of the different approach and fresh material. Franco Fontana of Throw Rag is also playing bass for Sun Trash.

Zeke - great set that opened with West Seattle Acid Party. Don' t have anything resembling a complete setlist but they were great.

The Humpers

01. Wake Up And Lose
02. Mutate With Me
03. Soul Surgeon
04. Up Yer Heart
05. Sarcasmatron
06. Drunk Tank
07. My Machine
08. Space Station Love
09. Cops And Robbers
10. Loser's Club
11. Apocalypse Girl
12. Murder City Revolution
13. 13 Forever
14. World Of Hurt
15. Anarchy Juice
16. Rocket And The Retards
17. Hey Shadow




This show was a little bit of a dissapointment. I was even considering saving myself the $15 and the gruelling trip to Long Beach and catch something closer to home. I thought maybe it was just me due to the different circumstances from the mid 90's but I decided there is just no way I could miss it regardless of how good they played, telling myself that having Zeke on the bill would still make it worth the effort.

I saw what looked like reactions of shame and horror on a few band members' faces as I gave them CDs from the night before so I knew it wasn't just me.

Anyway it was a much better show than the night before, I had a blast and enjoyed the music.


***order might be off in the middle. The setlist capturing device had a major malfunction but I got the stage setlist which bore some similarities to what was actually played. At least they shook it up a bit, last year the 2 shows were almost identical.



"Anyone here last night? That was the rehearsal."

01. Up Yer Heart
02. Rocket And The Retards
03. Mutate With Me
04. Wake Up And Lose

"This one is dedicated to Ken All Nite Rocker"

05. Drunk Tank
06. Murder City Revolution
07. Space Station Love
08. Sarcasmatron
09. Apocalypse Girl
10. Loser's Club

"This one is dedicated to Shane Williams and Jeff Drake"

11. Cops And Robbers
12. My Machihe
13. Soul Surgeon

FFF wasn't on the setlist but Scott dropped the mic into the crowd and someone said "Ladies And Gentlemen This Song IS Called "Fast, Fucked And Furious" then handed the mic back. They all looked at each other, than bassist Mitch Cartwright took center stage and started the song.

14. Fast Fucked And Furious
15. Plastique Valentine

"We didn't come up from nowhere. We had teachers"

16. Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa) **MC5 cover
17. Anarchy Juice
----

(apparently some band members walked right off stage and out the door, leaving Scott on stage alone momentarily)

"Okay, now it's time for my acoustic set"
"Glad you enjoyed the first set, we got 20 more songs"
"Now that we've cleared out the riff raff"
"I gotta get outta This Measly Dimension...eventually"


18. This Measly Dimension
19. Hey Shadow


***order might be off in the middle. The setlist capturing device had a major malfunction but I got the stage setlist.

*** Anemia, Steel Toed Sneakers, World Of HUrt and Anemia were on the stage setlist but not played.

They played a lot more like a real band while the last night had that awkward sheet music vibe.

Maybe someone here remembers this band!

Openers night 2 were Zeke (West Seattle Acid Party/Wang Dang Sweet Poontang) and Lords Of Altamont.