So... after a long week of rehearsals (complete with a promotion to a larger part), I tagged along for yet another weekend in LA with Orrick and Dave. This time, Orrick would be playing the International Pop Overthrow, a moveable pop music festival featuring bands from around the globe -- and Orrick's third gig in as many weekends with as many bands.
This time, he would be playing with The Shambles, alongside Manual Scan partner Bart Mendoza. To make a long, convoluted story short: Scan guitarist Kevin Ring began The Shambles after Manual Scan broke up, but when former Scan vocalist Bart eventually joined the new band it began to look a lot like the old one. Now, with different drummers and back-up, Kevin and Bart gig with both bands and Orrick, a former Scan member, makes guest appearances as the need arises.
Now, this band is an interesting creature -- and particularly interesting in reference to this gig. Although The Shambles is technically Kevin's band, Bart booked the San Diego band into the Los Angeles IPO -- on a night that Kevin couldn't play. And Bart doesn't drive. Kevin joked, "The Shambles: it's not just a name, it's a mission statement."
Kevin's absence bumped the incredible and otherwise underused Kenny Howes into the lead guitar slot and left the bass position open for Orrick. But no one bothered tell this to Orrick, who had yet to sub with this band. Two days before the event Kevin called, realizing that Bart hadn't, and Orrick began a crash-course in Shambles music.
There were no rehearsals.
Arriving early at Fitzgerald's Pub Saturday night, we waited for Bart and the rest of the band to arrive. Now, we'd only met Kenny once in passing, so it was fortunate that he is an imposing figure or we might have missed him. Once we'd confirmed that he was, indeed, the right guy ("Is that Kenny? I think that's Kenny. Kenny?") and introductions were completed, we were two-quarters of the way to having a band. Bart and the drummer would arrive together. We hoped.
The Shambles were the third act of six to play that evening. As the first band, Bikeride, played, we casually looked for Bart. As the second band, The Wellingtons, played, we nervously looked for Bart. As the host announced The Shambles, we frantically looked for Bart. Kenny was preparing his own band to take emergency stage measures when Bart arrived, drummer in tow. How they'd gotten there and why they were late would remain unknown as they were swept through the door and onto the stage without so much as a how-do-you-do.
And they frickin' kicked ass. They'd never played together, had barely met, and they wiped the floor with the acts that preceeded them. Amazing.
It was a dark venue, however, and I gave up trying to get a decent shot of the band pretty early in the set.
After The Shambles left the stage and said their Good-Evenings, we took off. Although we had some interest in the bands that would follow, the long drive home to San Diego curbed our desire to stay so late.
If you live in a city that's soon to host the IPO (sorry, it's already been through Nashville), I'd recommend a visit.
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Now, back to me. ;)I mentioned here a few weeks ago that I had been cast in a certain show about wives, living and dead, and an oddball medium. At that time, though I had read for the part of the living wife in auditions, I had been cast in the role of visiting wife who attends the seance that brings a dead wife's ghost back from the grave. It was a small part and I learned it quickly.
Things have since changed.
Early in the process, our ghostly wife dropped out of the show. It took nearly a week to replace that actress, and as soon as we did, the one playing the living wife dropped out. I was soon bumped into that role and the search began to recast the visiting wife. Talk about wife swapping! Anywho, I graduated to the larger role on Thursday, and am supposed to be "off book" (sans script) by tonight's rehearsal. Keep your fingers crossed. I'll let you know how it goes.
