Daredevil Jane

Daredevil Jane

The Viper Room

Hollywood, CA

January 13, 2007

By Victoria Joyce
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)

Some months ago we went to Safari Sam's to review some band and caught the last two songs of San Diego's Daredevil Jane. Like so many times before, serendipity brought us to an amazing band. Damn! (Serendipity? Look it up.) We were hooked. We couldn't wait to see them again. We didn't have to wait long. Tonight, Daredevil Jane isopening for the much-loved Warner Drive at the Viper Room on the first Saturday night of Double-O-Seven. The line on Larrabee went past the Bel Age.



DDJ has brothers battling on guitars. Micah Anderson plays lead guitar and Matt Anderson plays rhythm guitar. Micah wins. He's got soaring solos that can match the best. Vicious wah-wah pedal too. Watch this space. Chris O'Brien plays a low-slung bass ala Dee Dee Ramone and Trevor Armstrong plays drums fast and hard. Long and lanky lead singer, Adrian Gunner can touch the ceiling when he stands on the monitors. And he did that a lot. A leaning tower of sweat and silver jewelry bonding with the fans. He quickly shed the white Sgt Pepper jacket and shirt and went topless. Nice range with his voice, Gunner goes from a sexy screaming growl to a stadium rocker voice that reminded us of Alice Cooper. Nice eye make up too. DDJ has a lot of swagger and style. Looking real good on stage with, like we said, lots of shine and silver sparkle, black jeans and glammed up tees. Pretty boy stuff aside, they are all business. Daredevil Jane combines punk frenzy with a classic bluesy rock and delivers a polished and flashy performance. Got it? The Ramones meets Zeppelin and ties it up with one of Steven Tyler's scarves.



Real nice writing. Songs are distinctive and fully developed. Like you can tell the difference from one to the next and they leave an impression. No set list, the Devils like to fly free and their set went fast. We can't remember the last time an opening band got to do an encore. Maybe tonight was history. The audience demanded 'one more song!" DDJ came back for one more and did "Skinny Girl," our favorite from their CD. Much buzz for these boys. Last year they were nominated for best rock album, "Method to Madness," by the San Diego Music awards. How's this for street cred – it's produced by Tommy Andrews, and Niko Bolis, best known for his work with Neil Young and Mick Jagger.


Daredevil Jane returns to the Sunset Strip at the end of January to play the Roxy with Warner Drive and Poets & Pornstars on the 27th. Is it too early to make the call "Show of the Year?"

- Sugarbuzz Hollywood

DOUG FOX - Daily Herald
One never knows when or where their big break will come from, but the members of Southern California rock band Daredevil Jane certainly never envisioned they would be preparing for it in the downstairs bathroom of a Park City home.

The five members of Daredevil Jane had shown up uninvited to the expansive house at 642 Sunnyside Drive on the opening Friday of the Sundance Film Festival in the hopes of wrangling access to that night's featured entertainment -- an intimate acoustic performance by Velvet Revolver bandmates Scott Weiland and Dave Kushner in what was dubbed The Aprés Ski Lounge.

They soon learned, however, that a last-minute family emergency had called Weiland home and that night's show was on the verge of going bust.

That's when an enterprising event organizer asked them if they, you know, might possibly be up to the challenge. There was one catch, however. The hard rock-oriented band, in town to perform a couple of other gigs during the festival, would have to perform acoustically.

"We honestly hadn't played acoustic in six to eight months," said lead singer Adrian Gunner. "We actually ran through some songs in the bathroom downstairs. It was kind of an impromptu rehearsal."

When they finally strolled onto the living room floor, they took full advantage of their opportunity and performed an invigorating set in front of a fairly packed house of invited celebrities and media types.

"It's cool to think that when we blow up and get bigger that somebody can say they saw us in a living room when nobody knew who we were," Gunner said.

- Utah's The Daily Harold

After hearing about and listening to Daredevil Jane, we decided to head up to 14 Below in Santa Monica to check em out. Turned out to be a really good idea!! This heavy hitting fivesome from San Diego delivers a stampede of sound that will trample even the hardest rockers! Gunners kick ass frontman persona combined with a unique rock guitar sound coming from two brothers, Micah and Matt, blended in with the rockin rhythm of the two Chris on bass and drums makes for a intense, pure rock sound that fills the air with raw, rockin energy! 14 Below was the perfect venue for our cherry poppin experience with Daredevil Jane! There was a great atmosphere, stiff drinks, and most importantly, hot chicks and ROCK N ROLL!!! Cheers to 14 Below for putting on last nights show. Also, cheers to the guys from Nightchild who recommended we check out Daredevil Jane! It had been a while since the street team had heard some dynamic, high energy, live rock and roll! So finally, thanks to Daredevil Jane for a kick ass performance last night! If you havent heard these guys yet, or better yet seen them perform live, get out there and DO IT! They are opening for Angels and Airwaves during their debut tour. This means there are plenty of opportunities for you to get out there and see them! Keep rockin until next time! - www.Rockerface.com

While many local acts often seem content to wallow and whine in the shallow waters of emo and its ever-increasing span of subgenres, San Diegans Daredevil Jane couldnt seem more out of place with a trashy, glammy feel of the revered deviants who inspired them.

DJs self-titled debut showcases solid, in-your-face rock nroll, and a penchant for the old school without going overboard with retro kitsch. Songs like Queen Harlem Socialite and Skinny Girl recall Aladdin Sane-era David Bowie or even the riffs of Hollywood Rose/GNR years after. The band seems as though theyd be more at home stalking the Rainbow Room with their vintage Les Pauls and amps that go to 11, bent not on taking no prisoners so much as taking advantage of your loved ones and blowing through yet another town.

While it may take repeated listens to get used to (and a recommended concert viewing, should opportunity provide), Daredevil Jane is a sure first step for a group with some serious potential.
- San Deigo City Beat

"What do you get when you put together five hot rockers, some eyeliner and a sound that gives guns and roses a run for its money? DareDevil Jane- San Diego's newest and hippest band. Comprised of local boys Adrian Gunner, Cris Light, brothers Micah and Matt Anderson and Cris Obrian, the band has already headlined at the House of Blues, played with Unwritten Law and rocked at the Casbah and 4th and B. While most other San Diego rock bands are punk based, DareDevil Jane is pure rock n roll. And yes, we mean rock and roll; dark clothes and tattoed bodies included. The band just finished recording its self titled first album, so it wont be long until the rest of the country catches on to DareDevil Jane soulful, raw and innovative sound. After already playing in San Fransico, Vegas and LA, San Diegos best-cept secret might be out of the bag." - 944 Magazine

By Jeff Nau
November 2, 2005

A recent night at Wave House in Mission Beach was an important one for Daredevil Jane, as a group of suits from Capitol Records gathered to check out this San Diego band up close. But not to worry; what other venue could complement Daredevil Janes street urchin, pseudo-glam stylings more than Wave House, a simulated surf wave machine/tiki joint behind Canes Bar and Grill? Reliably, the show turned out to be a chaotic display of distortion-laced intemperance. Good old, no-frills rock n roll. Whether or not Daredevil Jane will be signed by Capitol or another label (theyve been in talks with a few) has yet to be announced. But if there is any justice, we could all use a little more honest-to-evil, punk-inspired madness in our lives.

Daredevil Jane is comprised of Adrian Gunner (lead vocals), Micah Anderson (lead guitar), brother Matt Anderson (rhythm guitar), Chris Light (drums) and Chris OBrien (bass). 944 caught up with a few of the guys in between the bathrooms and tour buses at Wave House, heavy-metal-parking-lot style.

944: Whats up with the groups name? It has a bit of an unusual origin from what weve heard
ADRIAN GUNNER: Yeah. I knew this girl, Jane, who was a trustfund baby, and she was like a lot of trustfund babies I knew from my neck of the woods; someone who would live life as a rolling stone. Shed have a check to live off of, and pretty much blew it all in a week on her fix drinking and whatever. The money went pretty quick, and shed spend most of her time doing, uh, certain things to earn more money for her fix.

Like turning tricks and stuff?
GUNNER: (laughs) Not turning tricks, but doing tricks, like doing little jumps into a trash can with her bike. Stupid stuff like that.
Playing all these gigs around town with various bands, is it safe to say that there is an overflow of rock with other genres nowadays?
GUNNER: Yeah, thats pretty much the case wherever we play. There have only been a couple times that weve played with actual rock bands. As far as band history, weve all been in different kinds of groups, but its mostly been a straight-up rock thing for all of us. Were all big fans of Guns N Roses and The Cult.

Now that you mention it, there is actually a sort of early Hollywood Rose/GNR vibe you guys give off, especially with Micahs Les Pauls (guitars).
MICAH ANDERSON: (motioning towards his guitars) Yeah, Im really into Slash. Ive got like four or five of these things. Weve got the old 70s hi-watts and Marshall set-ups too, which helps us get that sort of dirty, street, in-your-face rock sound that we love.

So now comes Capitol Records. You guys have been together for less than a year. How does it feel to just suddenly be thrust into the spotlight and going through this audition tonight?
ANDERSON: I dont know. I think were lucky in a lot of ways. Who knows? Adrian here was actually recommended to us by different people at a couple of local shows we went to, and that was it. As for if this show will be it... [Capitol] has actually been talking to us for a while now. Matt and I just had these songs lying around for so long, and all we needed was to get someone to sing them.
GUNNER: But I pretty much came from nowhere. I mean, it wasnt like Id been in 14 bands or whatever. Id sung in, like, one other group.

What about musical backgrounds?
GUNNER: I grew up on Motown, old R&B and old classic rock. I shared a room with my older brother, and he would always be playing these goth-rock records, and Id go to sleep with all these songs going through my head. I mean, I was sort of deprived instrument-wise, but the education was good.
ANDERSON: Matt and I were the opposite [growing up]. There was pretty much always something going on with instruments in our family. I started off as a drummer and then I moved to guitar. Matt was like that for a while too, but now we do a whole bunch of instruments ... bass, guitar. Pretty much whatever we need now.

Who does most of the songwriting?
ANDERSON: Matt and I do most of it. We get help from our producers, Tommy Andrews and Niko Bolis.

What about living the rock star lifestyle? Any interesting tales of debauchery?
GUNNER: Well, we dont do drugs or anything like that never really seemed to need em. Our lifestyle is a rock n roll lifestyle, but it focuses on other things.

Like the actual rock n roll?
GUNNER: You got it.


Rock out with Daredevil Jane. For a schedule of upcoming shows in San Diego, check out http://www.daredeviljane.com/
- 944 Magazine