Brent Colyer (aka Ravin' Shakes), vox;
Jose Moreno (aka Jose Cuervo), guitar;
Chris Lynn (aka Gawk Strafing, Chris Tremens), bass;
Scott Dennis (aka Thee Great Scott Dense/Dents)
Influences
Charles Bukowski, The Gories, The Devil Dogs, Billy Childish, Pussy Galore, The Damned, Flipper, Back from the Grave, Killed By Death, The Cramps, DMZ, Henry Miller, The Makers, the Wailers, The Oblivians, The Stooges, MC5, Mudhoney, Hasil Adkins, Rolling Stones, The Saints, The Cynics, Jack Kerouac, The Mummies, The Ramones, Supercharger, New York Dolls, Real Kids, Modern Lovers, The Dictators, Stax R&B, Las Vegas Grind, Little Willie John, The Sonics, Teengenerate, Radio Birdman, The Runaways, Lester Bangs, Lime Spiders, Dead Boys, Pagans, Turbonegro, Zero Boys, Miracle Workers, Desperate Rock'n'Roll, Bobby Seale, Sonic's Rendezvous Band, The Zeros...
Jose, Brent, & Chris started playing together in September 1992 or so. Our first drummer was Skinny Dave because he could play jazz drums & had access to the music practice room at Manhattanville College where Jose, Brent, & Dave attended school. That line-up played one show on campus. Dave was replaced the following summer by Scott, who provided the backbone to make the 'Shakes actually almost sound like music. Jose was the only one who could sort of play to that point. Lots of shows & 7"s later, the band recorded "Lotta Trash! Lotta Action!!" in 1995, I think, to be released on 40 Watt the following year & then quickly released by Cacophone. A one-week tour of the midwest followed. The next year "Switchblades & Sideburns" was recorded for Stiff Pole Records & released in 1998 or so. The band broke up in Atlanta after its last show there at the Star Bar in the parking lot of the infamous Clermont Lounge while on another one-week tour for "Switchblades." We were overlooked because we were so friggin' sloppy for most of our 6 years together, but by the end we were smokin' hot live. I think the albums & many of the 7"s attest to that. All the recordings were done in conjunction with Steve Baise of the Devil Dogs, who helped us get what we were looking for & knew what was underneath the slop we adored & perpetrated, apparently to our detriment. Though who the hell knows? We had our fans, so it wasn't just us, right? Anyway, enjoy these tunes. They're probably hard to find. I think Stiff destroyed his back stock of "Switchblades," which is my personal fave. We'll change them occasionally. Oh, & Rockin' Bones put out a posthumous album of B-sides & cool unreleased stuff, which is probably readily available on vinyl. We'll post some of that down the road too. Highlights I remember offhand were being called a prig by Billy Childish when we toured with Thee Headcoats & The Makers for a few nights & of him being a bit of a bad sport when Brent beat him at pool. We played with Teengenerate a few times, who got us the Wallabies 7". We played with The Oblivians, The Detroit Cobras, The Brides...Probably some other bands I'd be proud to recall too, but it's all a little fuzzy. But the best shows were always when it was with our local friends The Heartdrops, Malibu Lou & the Attackers, & Electraluxx & an out-of-town friend band like The Gotohells, The Spills, or The Pink Lincolns. And of course, I met Loretta Jenkins (now Loretta Lynn) on the roof of Cacophone Records HQ when the 'Shakes played the Cacophone Showcase in Albany. That was a blast. I'll put up those old photos up soon.
-Chris
Dad joined myspace. dad joined myspace. i think he was trying to look at your page and wanted to respond to something and when he couldn't respond he joined. im gonna try to find him
no it's a i really got chased by a duck in my apartment complex type of thing. me fighting off this duck amused me to no end so i thought i would share so you could imagine me fighting off a cute little duck.
Morning Shakes, A pleasure to know you, thanks for the invite. Always remember the late, great Fred "Sonic" Smith, a true pioneer of Detroit rawk. Gary Rasmussen, bassist of Sonic's Rendezvous Band
Our 6 CD box set now out, get it direct at.... www.easyaction.co.uk Authentic SRB T's available here only inquire if interested. We'll have long sleeved for fall.
