Fashion Week - Speed King

Hmm. I think I was eighteen, doing stage at CBGB, Jamie -the head sound guy- would play rad music in between bands, sometimes he would blast cherubs louder than the bands who had just finished playing! This is how I first heard so many bands I still love today. Jamie had just gotten home from a tour doing sound for Unsane. He said “you gotta check this out, these guys were just opening for Unsane and they’re sick!” -I’m paraphrasing here- “the drummer is the singer!” He had the apparatus CD and I loved it immediately. It spread through the club and I think every sound guy there was using it for In between band play. For years you would hear the song “this apparatus must be earthed” in between bands… on repeat!
I think it kind of freaked some musicians out… like what is this? We’re playing now?
Jamie had a few copies and he gave me one. I used to listen to that CD while skateboarding with my discman in my back pocket, eventually it was too scratched to play and I searched “America online” for another. I eventually got in touch with Sonic Unyon, which I think was defunct at the time, but somehow I got one sent to me, along with Auto Body Crusher.
Years later a band called “Cursed” was playing the club. The bass player was friendly. Hearing they were from Canada I asked if he knew Shallow North Dakota? He laughed and was surprised I’d heard of the band. We gabbed that he played a tele deluxe in SND, and that I had the same guitar, same color! Turns out it was even the same year! (Of course I used mine on our cover) I’ll bet we played TAMBE on the house system after their set. While they were loading out, Dan handed me a vinyl copy of Mob Wheel. I insisted on giving him some cash for it, though he didn’t want to take it.
When I heard SND was doing a couple reunion shows I knew I had to catch at least one. They may never come to New York! Sadly I was right about that,….. but their set was one I’ll never forget and I’m grateful I got to see the band and tell Tony what an influence his music has been on me. It’s a shame he can’t hear this tribute to him. I’ve stalled on getting that roach tattooed on my wrist for years, because I can’t decide black like the cover, or green like the CD…. Maybe it’s finally time.
Being that “this apparatus must be earthed” is something I’ve read on many an amp chassis, I assume the band are a bunch of gear heads and named “Speed King” after a Ludwig kick drum pedal….., but I don’t have one of those, so I’m calling our cover “Chain Drive 5000”.
Thanks for all the noise!

fashionweek.bandcamp.com