THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO DR MODO:
Contrary to any lies that might be spread by others (not mentioning any names - but their initials are M TV and R VEGAS), Vermicious K was born out of the primordial musical void called our brains. You thought I was going to say Palm Desert, didnt you. Well, you're right about that, too. Now, where was I . . . oh yeah: DR MODO RULES!
No, wait, I know:
After four and half years of soul crushing college and one year of unemployment and mooching off my sister, I received a letter from Rick stating he and Mike had rented a studio and were starting up a band again and wanted me to come down. I promptly told them to go to hell. But after my sister had kicked me out of her house, I graciously accepted.
After a couple of months and about 20 songs written and recorded in the worst way, Vermicious K was born. I believe our first show was at Common Grounds coffee shop in Northridge. It was great. Rick had a bucket next to him because he had been puking before the show. Mike was in drag. I showed up. Good times.
Then we met Otto at a show at Moguls. We were amazed because they sounded like a real band. So we decided to drag them down into the gutter with us. After a slew of crappy shows at places like the Cobalt Café, the Otto fellas suggested we get a regular gig at the (we thought then) even crappier Mr. Ts Bowl.
Well, as you know, Mr. Ts is not the least bit crappy, but the most band friendly club in LA and although our crowds in the early days were small (usually just Heather, Caron and the bar drunks), they were loyal and they were all we needed. Ever.
Vermicious K was fun. Vermicious K was inspiring. Vermicious K was sexy. Vermicious K was spunk rock at its best. God I hate those guys.
DR MODO RULES!
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO RICK VEGAS
What can I add that Dr. Modo has not already crystallized in very fine verbiage?
It was 1996 and the 1970s were hot again: bell bottoms, staches, a Democratic president . Everything was bitchin!- and then things started to suck because Alternative rock became fodder for WB shows and never looked back Hootie and the Blowfish rocked peoples world!
And that was just plain wrong.
So Mike TV and I said f!*k that malarkey, lets start a band - we talked partially in asterisks to each other.
We had been in a band before, but this time it was different we were doing it for the music (no, "not for the chicks" thats such a machismo-drenched cliché it sucks balls) and for fun. And thats what the VK was always about good sloppy music and sloppy good fun.
Musically, we were inspired by the Jabberjaw scene and by too many Archers of Loaf concerts.
Mike taught himself how to play guitar, I faked my way through the drumming, and Modo's virtuosity made us come as close to that locked-in Tom Sawyer musical chemistry as we could get.
Oct 96 we rented a lockout in North Hollywood from the worlds only Culinary Anthropologist, and started rocking. Our landlord was gracious when we were very late with payments, mainly because he was in Brazil, convincing a tribe leader to let him marry his teenage daughter.
At the lockout, the air was always thick with inspiration, along with dudes in reggae-colored beanies, ex-Weezer members, and drummers practicing to Physical Graffiti. We were grateful to have a supportive neighbor, Mark Christian, who actually and genuinely seemed to like our music.
We wrote songs, a lot of songs that we thought were clever and catchy. We might still be the only ones who think that. That was a time of great inspiration, we'd switch instruments, and it didnt matter how well, or how poorly, we played them.
When we first started played live, we wanted people to get just as excited and as entranced about the music as we were. But mostly it was just other bands in the audience, their jadedness was as prominent as their lacquered hair and tribal tattoos, and so the initial stages were rocky.
Then we met Otto, met Arlo and Mr. Joe T, and then it crystallized into something closer to what we were trying to achieve.
At Mr Ts we developed a following thanks to Mikes tireless promotion, and thanks to some kick ass songs. But more importantly there was a sense of community among the bands that played Tuesdays at the T, and in a town where creative people exist in extreme levels of competition, it was simply very cool to have that.
Special SHOUT-OUTS to Caron & Heather, for not only showing up every Tuesday, but for helping us lug our equipment up the lockout stairs at 3 in the morning.
Declaration: Special Guest Stars triumphant return to the 06 rock scene is in fact the breaking of all 7 seals oh well, lifes been fun enjoy whats left!
Rick Vegas
Stop reading this! Just stop it. You're gonna spoil everything by digging too deep into the secret lives of the members of one of Rock and Roll's least considered, least known, most sexually active, and...yadda, yadda, yadda...
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