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A new band amps up songs of The King
By LAURIE HEUSTON
Mail Tribune
A group of musicians who helped begin the "nardcore" music movement in Southern California have formed a new band and are out to rock audiences with their punk interpretations of Elvis Presley songs.
G.G. Elvis and the T.C.P. Band will perform at 9:30 p.m. Friday, March 9, at Johnny B's, 35 S. Bartlett St., Medford.
"They're great," says Doug Hill, co-owner of Mental Records in Medford. "They've been around forever, they're tight and sound great, and they really know the genre."
Nardcore grew out of the hardcore punk music scene of the 1980s in Oxnard, Calif. Thus "nardcore." The area north of Los Angeles was a hotbed of punk and skate bands.
"It all happened with bands like Aggression, Stäläg 13 and Ill Repute," Hill says. "The new band's name is a hybrid of punk rocker G.G. Allin and Elvis."
G.G. Elvis performed in January at the Punk Rock Bowling Tournament at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
"The band's drummer called me and said that they had brought down the house," Hill says. "I checked out the band's video on its MySpace site and thought it was the funniest thing I've ever seen. It's very schtick and fun. They've got the whole Elvis thing down."
Hill and John Foote, the other owner of Mental Records, will be filming the show at Johnny B's. Hill and Foote are producing a music DVD for G.G. Elvis, and the group will stay in Medford for a few days taping a full-length CD with Mental Records and Land Mine Productions.
Members of G.G. Elvis imitate elements of Presley's life and expression.
Lead vocalist Eric Lara, a former singer with the Bad Samaritans, claims to be two kings of rock 'n' roll in one convenient package; drummer Larry White, formerly of Aggression, Stäläg 13 and Ill Repute, is Honest Elvis; bassist Horhay, also formerly of the Bad Samaritans, is Elvis '56; lead guitarist Dave Casillas, formerly of NOFX and Stäläg 13, is Elvis Vicious complete with trademark snarls; and guitarist Tony Cortez, formerly of Ill Repute, is Elvis of Nazareth and shares Presley's wonder at religion, according to myspace.com/ggelvis.
Chesterfield, another Mental Records band, also will perform at the show at Johnny B's. Call 773-1900.
- Medford Mail Tribune
Discography
G.G. Elvis and the T.C.P. Band - "Back From The Dead" to be release in early 2008.
Photos
Bio
In the summer 2006 Nard-core punk rock guitarist and Elvis Presley aficionado Tony Cortez (Ill Repute) formed the musical combo Punk Rawk Elvis with several other Oxnard, California musicians as a tribute to the King of rock n roll. In December of 2006, after months of rehearsals Tony thought they just might finally be ready to play their first real gig. Unfortunately for Tony....they weren't. Tony was completely unsatisfied with the level of playing of his other band mates except, of course, for the dynamic lead guitar playing of punk luminary Dave Cassillas (NOFX, Stalag 13 & Agression). Their bass player and drummer at that time just weren't cutting it. The back-up singer couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, and the lead singer drove everyone crazy with his neurotic attitude as well as his sub-par vocals. So, Tony did what any self-respecting musician would do in such a circumstance.....he quit and took Dave Cassillas with him!
Thinking fast on his feet, on New Years Day of 2007, Tony contacted his long time friend and (Bad Samaritans) lead vocalist Eric Lara and told him about the project and the formation of the TCP (Taking Care of Punk) Band as a punk rock tribute to Elvis and asked Lara if hed be interested in fronting the project. Tony had also recently recruited legendary punk beat-master Larry White (Agression, Stalag 13 & Dr. Know) to handle drumming duties. Eric was impressed with the level of amazing musicians Tony had assembled for the project and recommended George Horhay Snow (Bad Samaritans and Jugheads Revenge) bassist to complete the rhythm section. With Snow and Lara agreeing to come on board.....G.G. Elvis was born!
With the addition of back up singer Sara, the line-up was now complete, and after only three hasty rehearsals, the band debuted with it's first live performance just three short weeks later to an overwhelmingly responsive crowd in Las Vegas at the infamous BYO sponsored Punk Rock Bowling Tournament. The show was a rousing success and the band has now played a host of shows over the course of 2007 to packed houses. Their unique brand of outrageous comedy fused with tight, high-intensity music, masterfully combines well-known punk rock cover songs with Elvis classics that delights and incites their growing and enthusiastic audiences wherever they play. Viva la G.G. Elvis !
Check out more at: http://www.ggelvis.com/
and
http://www.myspace.com/ggelvis
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