Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Call it fate, call it serendipity, (or call it the lead singer telling you to book your trip during a time when you can see them play live)... but my travel plans in February just happened to bring me to Phoenix, AZ when my favorite "undiscovered" band, Booby Trap, had a live show scheduled.
I use the term "undiscovered" loosely. Sure - they are still on their own... bucking tradition and not waiting for some major label to come along before releasing their music to the music (and beer-)-thirsty masses. But this band of beyond-talented misfits have 14 songs completed for their 3rd CD release, Back to Basics. The only thing keeping this disc from my greedy little hands is moolah! So the guys are playing their ass*s off to raise the necessary funds to make this CD a reality.
Hence the show in February. An entire schedule of shows as a matter of fact. But we'll get to that a little later....
"I don't know why I can't get it out! @^#%! It went in just fine.."
"...porn..... porn..... porn"
Ahhh - get your mind out of the gutter. These are merely the sounds of a band loading up their equipment for a show. The studio was a bundle of activity with just hours to go before show time. It was great to be amongst these guys - Scott Hauk (singer, bass player, keyboardist), Jesse Bishop (guitarist), Dave Schad (drummer) and Ricardo Aguilar (saxophone and conga player) plus resident gal Chez (sometime singer, all the time cleaner-up-after-er) and Roy Walker (sound engineer) again. It had been 2 years since I'd been to a Booby Trap show, and I couldn't wait to hear some of my favorites from their second release, Hands On Experience.
Not only was I not disappointed (no - I don't want my $5 back!) - I had a blast!!!!! These guys have so much energy on stage that you can't help but get caught up in the infectious vibe. Blowing through some Booby Trap favorites ("69", "Leaving Phoenix", "Shut Up", "I Love Your Mom", etc.) the band also mixed it up a little by throwing in some new tunes and a couple cover songs. Yeah - we'll get to that one a little later.
But the band has also added a distinctive element to their live shows since I last saw them: A belly dancer! (No sleeping with the belly dancer - band rule.) Just another fun aspect to a Booby Trap show.
As typical with any of their live shows, the alcohol was flowing, Scott was embarrassing his mother (who was beside me in the crowd) between songs, and the music?? Well it was in your face, balls to the wall, flat out kick ass!
And it brings to mind the one question I always have when it comes to these guys: What the HELL are they still doing in Phoenix?!?!?!
The interview.....
I talked to Scott a few weeks after the show, just to get his thoughts on a few things.....and it began with his usual humor....
Trixie: So can I ask ya a couple questions "on the record"? LOL
Scott: Hold on let me check with my attorney
(*pause)
He says I can't talk about George Bush, the size of my penis or drugs and alcohol... HA.
I hate lawyers......
About those Record Labels.....
Trixie: You ain't sitting around waiting for a major label before releasing CDs........
Scott: Did I say that? We dont want a label. We dont want a $750,000 loan that we cant pay back. Because we are realists.
We want a hotel....the Booby Trap hotel....with a basement
where bands can play
and we can play
and we want to live up stairs in the suits
you wanna come with us?
Trixie: Absolutely!
Scott: Because the way labels work, they more or less will loan you a lot of money and send you on a fancy tour. But you come back owing money and if you don't write another hit you come out in debt when as indpenedant musicians you could pocket any income you produce.
The Belly Dancer:
Trixie: The belly dancer. How... why...?
Scott: Hormones. I went to see this other band play. It was at this artsy fartsy stupid sucky place that I hate called THE PAPER HEART.
You can quote me on that.
Anywayz they had bellydancers before the band played. This whole bunch of them. And this one girl walked by afterwards and smiled at me - and thats where the hormones came in. So I stalked her inderectly. I saw a advertisment board with her picture and next to the urinal in the mens room I found a pamphlet. It had all the dancers emails and stuff. So I emailed her and said so uhhh you come here often?
and she giggled
and the rest was history.
Playing live....
Trixie: So you've been in the studio - have these 14 songs and you're raising the dough for the next CD. playing live shows again....
Scott: Trying. Yes we are playing as many shows as we can get until we make $1,200
Trixie: So what's it like leaving the studio and bringing your drunken party to a live audience again?
Scott: About the same. I dont know about the others but when I get on stage I forget everything. Its like a zone. All the things I tell myself to say or not to say or play or not to play, it all goes right out the window as soon as I get up there. So we play for one like we would play for 1,000. It's the same. You just feel worse if you get too drunk.
Those song choices. Mainly... "Hungry Like the Wolf"?!?!?!
Trixie: So what's your favorite song to play.... and why "Hungry like the Wolf"?
Scott: Hmmmmmmm. I hate all the songs. HAHAHAHA. That's not true. If we havn't played them for at least a year I love em. But it gets old playing the same old shit.
People have been bagging on me for playing to many covers. But I'm sick of playing the same old shit and people are sick of hearing the same old shit.
Hungry Like the Wolf. hmmmm Good question. 10 years ago I would have kicked my own ass for playing a Duran Duran song but someone else re-did it. Who was that? We thought it was Richard Chese. Cherry Poppin Daddys? No, no that's not it. I hear a cool version of it with this cool sexually provocative intro and I fell in love with it. Anything that is sexual I like.
So uhh what are you wearing?
LOL - just like seeing the guy on stage - you just never know what's going to come out of his mouth. Our interview quicly turned into a plug for band merchandise. Specifically: Booby Trap thong panties. Sadly I had already returned home before we conducted that interview. (But I'm sure they looked... um.... snazzy. LOL).
I'm still smiling from the great time I had at the show and with the guys (and gal!) of Booby Trap. If you're in Phoenix: Go see their shows dammit!!!! I'm waiting for them to finally release this next CD!
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