Flabbergasted to play Vinny's with Ridikule - by N.L. Belardes

On Saint Patrick’s Day just after whirling across town in a mortuary van to find a runaway bass guitar, I arrived to a scene of green. Kenny Mount stood onstage and tooted his horn. I think he considered an impromptu clogfest with Gus to clickety-clack foot-stomp to punk’s Irish angst. Ah, but that isn't the story. In the audience there stood a festive soul unlike any other. Rob Shock from old 3-Cent Nickle was the most appropriately dressed in the crowd. Adorned in green he sported a big green hat and green green green, and I swear this is true, but he doesn’t dye his hair or beard, but naturally looks like a red-haired Irishman waiting for a scrap. Now I knew Rob’s old band had withered like a three-leaf clover in a Bakersfield summer, but little did I know he was near launching into a new age of punkness. Consider Rob’s options for a punk band: bring in some chump metal wastoids, derelicts from some leftover band from yesterday, or recruit your enemies. Oh wait, if you’re Rob Shock you might just do both. Ok I’m kidding, there may be some metal lurking, but wastoids? Likely not. I can’t wait to hear Rob Shock’s new band, Flabbergasted. Already I want to hear a hardcore punk tune where Rob shakes his head screaming his band name 30 times fast: flabbergastedflabbergastedflabbergastedflabbergastedflabbergasted… I think he can do it. And no pun intended, but a little bit o’ metal can go a long way. I’m thinking this band is hitting the scene at the perfect moment… Remember, Irishman trick tourists and piss all over the Blarney stone. But Rob is just crazy enough to still kiss it for good luck, and he might have just done so recently, because the scene is really happening these days. If you want to read more, just click here for the big pot of gold write-up about Flabbergasted playing at Vinny’s this Saturday...

This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on Monday, April 04, 2005. You can leave your response.