RC5

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Saturday October 20 2007
"Please join us for a very special evening in memory of Slim"
Neumos Presents:
A Benefit for Slim's Family featuring
THE KENT 3
RC 5
THE EXCESSIVES
NEUMOS
925 East Pike St
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.neumos.com
$10
8pm door
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++GEEZERFEST 2007 presents: 2 nights of Northwest rock from over the last 30 years. Playing the Sunday Aug 26 showcase is THE RC 5 !
10:45 Green Pajamas
9:45- 10:30 - From The North (Malfunkshun guitarist Kevin Wood w/ Shawn Smith (Pigonhead/ Brad)
9:00- 9:30 - RC 5
8:15- 8:45 - Bug Nasties (w/Catbutt's brother James!)
7:15- 8:00 - Down With People (Ron from Love Battery's previous band Room Nine)
6:15- 7:00 - Robert Roth (Truly)
5:30- 6:00 - Sister Psychic
4:45- 5:15 - Capping Day
4:00- 4:30- Spike (Rod from Swallow)
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!!!
$13 advance, $15 at the door
Go to www.ticketweb.com, and type in Crocodile in the search venue field. Scroll down until you see Geezerfest 2007. You will need to create a ticketweb account to purchase tickets
DOORS at 3pm!
The Crocodile Cafe
2200 2nd Ave
Seattle WA
206.441.5611
www.thecrocodile.com
Located on the corner of 2nd & Blanchard (Belltown)
REVIEWS
Simple, garagey punk, when it's done well, never gets old. Enter RC5, who play music similar to New Bomb Turks, Supersuckers and others, with short songs that are catchy as hell. Opener “Gotta Weekend” kicks ass and sets the tone for the subsequent 11 minutes. Definitely recommended. -Punk Planet: Run Baby Run, CDEP - (KP) www.buttermilkrecords.com
RC5 up next and anyone remembering 'Zipgun' will recognize the front man Robb Clarke. This gig from start to finish was sheer bliss as far as I'm concerned; they were fuckin' ace. Standout songs included Coming My Way, 44 Treatment and the majority of the stuff off their American Rock 'n' Roll album. Rock City, Nottingham - Mekanydoll
Next up were a real Rock 'n Roll band called RC5, I must say that I was really looking forward to watching these guys, before they started playing you could tell they were seriously gonna rock. They had the look, white T-Shirts, Denims and I'm sure one of them was wearing a baseball cap round the right way! Also, the bassist had one of the burliest bass guitars I have ever seen, it was a beast. TJ'S, Newport - Joe Tanner
Seattleski bend RC5 oziroma Robb Clarke Five (kljub imenu ima bend samo ..tiri èlane!!!), ki sodi med trenutno najbolj..e gara..arje s punk pedigrejem. Glasni so, butajo tudi kot se spodobi in v njihovih komadih, èeprav redko dalj..ih od dveh minut, je vedno dovolj prostora in èasa za melodièno gruljenje in distorzirane akorde njihovega frontamana, nekdanjega èlana Zipgunov, Roberta Clarka. ORTO KLUB, LJUBLJANA
This is stripped down, essentials only, cut the bullshit and excess Rock 'N' Roll for a generation who may have forgotten what the real thing is.....as a result RC5 may be the most cool and vital band on the planet. SPIN - Eric Geldbech
The RC stands for Robb Clarke, ex Zipgun. The 5 refers to the band's 4 members, doh. The sound they make is louder than Operation Enduring Freedom on a bouncing bunker busting bombing run. Imagine Lemmy doing Rob Tyner, imagine the massed gtr power of The Ramones, The Saints & The Pistols, imagine Keith Moon in a bad mood - imagine there's a heaven - no half pipes, no skates, no opium - just 100 mph 100% pure garage punk & roll, the Seattle chapter. Search & destroy. TrakMARK
Kick ass crusty rock 'n' roll in the same styles of bands like Zeke, The Hookers and The Supersuckers. 20 songs, including a decent MC5 cover ( go figure ). This is what rock should be like; fast, dirty and out of control. American Rock N Roll- Devil Doll CD- Steve Servos
Dyed-in-the-wool punk rockers are finding a whole lot of Seattle bands to like lately. Among them is RC5, which takes it's acronym from singer (and now guitarist) Robb Clarke, formerly of Zipgun. The name also tells you which Detroit ensemble inspires Clarke and his cohorts. If you can never get enough low-down and gritty Rock-N-Roll, RC5 is your garage band. The Seattle Weekly - J.M
This label outta Scotland seems to know a thing or two about American Rock n' Roll, cause The RC5 flat out know how to rock! Twenty songs here of pure, unadulterated, Humpers and Mudhoney-influenced Garage Rock baby. The singer sounds so much like Mark Arm it's kind of eerie. Sleezy, barroom Rock that will get the girls wet, the guys drunk, and parents cursing that goddamn Rock n' Roll! Under The Volcano: American Rock N Roll (CD)-McClernon TSB Records: POB 14911 Grangemouth. FK3 8WA Scotland
If the buzz you'd get from quaffing a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon that's been boiling in the back seat of a '66 Mustang had a sound, it'd be a lot like the blazing rock 'n' roll attack of the RC5....... The Rocket - Richy Boyer
Totally the best Rock' N' Roll record I've heard in years- An orgasm of joyous quick hit, punch hard nuggets that proclaim Seattle has gotten over its post Cobain gloom and is back giving us a band that means business........Ladies and Gentleman, RC5 define American Rock N Roll ......Now! THE NEW YORKER
I heard somebody say part of the solution! Uh-huh, they said "Ramma-lamma-lamma Robb Clarke Five" Damn, that say it all! They straightforward, fist-first '76 punk 'n' roll. Like New Yawky Thundars, or Search and Detroit. Dig, damnit? The Stranger - Mike Nipper
They are loud, proud, and very, very, now. Part of, in fact originators, of a new Seattle scene that is re-evaluating the history of Rock 'N' Roll and giving it a good kicking and getting right back in your face- it's PUNK, it's garage, it rocks like a bitch and rolls like the finest havanna- oh, yes its smokin'..... WASHINGTON POST
The RC5, with ZEKE and REO Speedealer, Friday July 14th, at the Bluebird Theater, is yet another one of those beer-swillin', AC/DC-lovin' gearhead rock bands that have been plaguing the punk-club circuit of late- but don't hold that against them. After all, originality isn't exactly a priority when it comes to this type of music. It's what sits under the hood that counts, and these four Seattlites have the torque to dust at least 90% of the other strip pests out there. The Westword, Denver CO - Brad Jones
Together you're getting fist-in-the-fast, non-stop punk screeching as they run through fast guitar riffs, juicy bass beats, and the relentless hammering of the drums. The band doesn't waste time with pop at all, opting to rock out and keep you chasing them instead. In Music We Trust - Alex Steininger
Punk rock and roll for the masses who can't seem to get enough of this genre. Fans of Zeke, New Bomb Turks, and the like will find this in heavy rotation. The RC5 pay homage to the MC5 with their take of “American Ruse.” There's even a song called “Candy Snatcher,” and rightfully so, because The Candy Snatchers are still the creepy kings of punk-influenced rock'n'roll. "American Rock'n'Roll" CD (Twenty Stone Blatt Records) - Designated Dale
Splattered out machine guns style in tight, no frills explosions of Rock 'N' Roll that seldom clock in at more than 2 minutes, it may be short term shock but the effect is long lasting. FLIPSIDE
Ramma Lamma Lamma, Robb Clarke Five!!!
The young Robb Clarke got his initial introduction to the great scriptures of thrashrock when an older friend (Mike Sharman) turned him on to an 8-track tape of the first New York Doll album. "After that, it was just all down hill", says Robb. "I started exchanging 8-tracks and the next one I got was RAW POWER".
He remembers sitting at home listening to the Iggy and The Stooges classic through headphones and thinking. "I've arrived. My stomache got warm and I said 'Holy shit, this is the kind of music that I want to do'".
Not that there was a straight line from Robb's quasi-religious experience and the formation of the mighty RC5. He'd sung for punk outfits such as ZIPGUN and AMA ,(not to mention The TRIDS in 82', a punk/glam band among metal bands of Lake Hills) before he and like minded guitarist Todd Ohashi got together in 1997. While their love for the likes of Johnny Thunders and James Williamson got the band going, the RC5 sound incorporates lots of musical genres, they both agree. "Those are mobvious influences of ours, but everybody in the band pulls from way different things", says Todd, who admits his first 8-track was Permanent Waves by Rush. "They're a well-rounded thrashrock entity", quips Robb.
Bassist Jason Freeman says he prefers to check out the influences of the bands that influenced him. Instead of learning Thunders licks, "I'll go all the way back to Chuck Berry or Howlin Wolf-steal from the originals".
And drummer Erick Erickson has a fine local trashrock resume of his own-including stints with Crisis Party (who released a 1989 album on Metal Blade) and gender bending glamsters Poison Bone.
But you don't have to call it trashrock-the RC5 plays AMERICAN ROCK n ROLL. At least thats the title of their new 20 track compilation on Scotlands twenty Stone Blatt label. These songs were recorded with local producer JACK ENDINO and have appeared ona trio of vinyl EP's, most notably 1998's You're Gonna Pay on Small Town records. Most are the result os an early 1998 recording session (featuring original bassist BOB RIES), in which the band "went in the studio with Jack and ripped out 15 to 18 tracks live". recalls Robb.
Since then, the RC5 have survived a six-month hiatus and a brief stint as a five piece with a different bassist and guitarist(Steve E Nix). All these changes gave the band a bit of a bad reputation with record labels. before agreeing to put out a split 7-inch release with the RC5 and the Gloryholes, the Dirtnap records representative gave Robb the third degree: "Are you really a band now?" But the new line-up is working great live and the band members say they are eager to record again. "We're definately back on course," says Robb.
The band has a couple of tours to it's credit: a solo West coast swing and a Midwest and European tour each with ZEKE, which was eventful, if not memorable. "Gosh, do you remember anything?" Robb asks Todd. "I just remember coming back and feeling 10 years older". Upon further prompting, the band contributes the amusing tale of ZEKE's Donnie and Mark storming off the stage during a Chicago show and kicking the crap out of eachother in the clubs basement. "They forced us to play," says Robb. "They said ' You guys are on now, we're through for the night.'"
Of course, several non-RC5 stories also rate: Jason tells of being 86'd from the Ditto tavern while playing as a member of a joke band because he kept lifting up his dress and flashing the audience (don't ask). He remembers hearing the club owner shout, "Get that goddamn exhibitionist out of here" just before his sudden departure. "I flipped him off as I tore the dart board out of the wall on the way out", recalls Jason.
Erick relates the story of practising with Poison Bone for several weeks without ever being told about the band's cross- dressing stage show. At the first live gig, "Jimmy and DJ run to the van and come out as women," he recalls.
After a couple of shows, he was inspired to join in after watching an obscenity-spouting jerk being thrown out of the club for threatning his bandmates. "If you can piss someone off that much," it's worth the effort, he says. Unfortunately, Poison Bone never quite figured out the right direction for the band, he says. "We experimented with alot of psychedelic music." ".....and a lot of women's lingerie," adds Robb.
Erick even adds a tale from Crisis Party's very famous trip to LA in 1989 to liven up the Metal Blade Christmas Party. The band got thrown out for, among other things harrasing bassist Billy Sheehan of the David Lee Roth Band. Erick claims the incident was clearly justified: Billy Rock Star arrived wearing spandex pants with paint spatters,rags tied around his legs, and a red leather jacket. "It was impossible not to laugh at him," he recalls.
Back on the trashrock front, the fellas have kind words for the late Green River and the Humpers, sing the praises of the Dead Boys' Young Loud and Snotty ("It's one of the chapters of the bible, says Robb), and admit to owning more than a few collectors-only live recordings by their various faves.
But all remain horrified by the goofiest re-issue yet-a recent box set which includes every take from the recording sessions for the STOOGES' FUNHOUSE, mistakes and all. "I wouldn't have the patients for it," grumbles Jason.
Robb swears it's the first time he's even heard of the concept. "Oh my god, he says. " The only word that comes to mind right now is "relapse".
ZINES
Check out RC5 reviews in these issues:
Flipside 114, 118, 120, 121
Punk Planet 27
Thrasher 220, 226
Under The Volcano 68
Caustic Truths 85
Maximum Rock N Roll 190, 195, 230
Backfire 1 vol 2, 1 vol 5
Do The Pop 1
Long Gone Loser 4
Music Media and Dispatch 4 vol 2, 11 vol 1
Thrashcan 1, 2
Chunk 2
Punk Rock Sound 11
Ten Things 19
RC5 has played with many great bands during their inception including: ZEKE, REO Speedealer, New Bomb Turks, Electric Frankenstein, Gaza Strippers, TAD, Gas Huffer, The Dirtbombs, Demolition Doll Rods, The Black Halos, The Fastbacks, The Briefs, The Ruby Doe, The Fallouts, The Real McKenzies, Hai Karate, Alien Crime Syndicate, Hells Belles, The Jimmies, Fireballs of Freedom, The Kent 3, The Dragons, The Spits, The Epoxies, The Weaklings, The Lashes, The Girls, The Gloryholes, The Earaches, The Rotton Apples, The Boss Martians, The Stuck Ups, The Spitfires, The Heartattacks, Camarosmith and many more. . .
RC5 covered many cities during the 6 week 2002 European Tour with ZEKE: Germany (7 shows), Denmark (1 show), Slovenija (1 show), Croatia (1 show), Italy (1 show), Switzerland (1 show), France (4 shows), Spain (3 shows), Holland (4 shows), Belgium (1 show), Scotland (1 show), and the UK (5 shows)
PEDIGREED:
Todd Ohashi: PLASTER , AMA, Jenepool
Jason Freeman: Just about every band in seattle for a minute + Vaccines, kent 3, Los Hornets, and Darklord...
Bob Ries: Pagans, Idiot humans
Mark Wooten: Zipgun, Noble Furs, Zany Guys
Johhny-O: Cicus of the stars, AMA, DSML
Jason Revis: Too Many bands to list+ Boss martians, Slaughterhouse 5
Steve E Nix: Green apple Quick step, Briefs, Hulla-Bees....
Robb Clarke:Trids, Zipgun , Stomach pump, Joe's Teeth, AMA,Bang Bang your Dead
Zipgun site here
RC5 France

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