Slow Intentional Damage

by Leah Williams Wright~Nightlife~





Hard rock doesn't necessarily mean the lead singer has to swallow the microphone to be considered entertaining.
"There are no Cookie Monster vocals," guitarist Jim Means of Slow Intentional Damage said. "We play love songs with a lot of hatred. We like to call it metal with a melody."
The Danville band will be part of a quadruple-threat metal-madness showcase Saturday, March 8 at Mugsy's Entertainment Center. Also performing are Annihilate the Hero, Deadwater, and Hunter Seeker.
Means explained that by fusing blues and rock elements into hard-driving music, the band has been able to keep true sentiments at their core.
"We want to be able to turn people on to original music again," Means said.
And Slow Intentional Damage may be the most giving rock/metal band listeners ever meet.
Started just two years ago, the group has been touring coast-to-coast thanks to Weekend Swap Tours. In this innovative system, Slow Intentional Damage hosts an out-of-town band in Danville, then requires their guests to return the favor in their hometown within thirty days.
The band has performed more than sixty shows in the year, playing three weeks out of the month. The Mugsy's show was swapped with Hunter Seeker through Gothic Kitty Networking, Means said.
"We originally set [Weekend Swap Tours] up thinking that we would be the sole winners," he said. "But then we realized that it's a win-win situation. We're no different than anyone."
Means said the system has allowed his band to play with a multitude of artists. From bluegrass and rockabilly to fellow rock 'n' rollers, Weekend Swap Tours is open to musicians across the board.
According to a MySpace blog, in July, Weekend Swap Tours welcomed new partner T-Rose, which expanded the business to include hip-hop and rhythm-and-blues artists.
The swapping works, Means said, because it's centered on the basic notion that weekend gigs are more profitable for everyone involved.
"We've been screwed over so many times," he said. "But we realize that a Tuesday night in Omaha doesn't do us much good compared to a weekend somewhere else."
In addition to promotional packaging, Slow Intentional Damage has ventured into sending free music to soldiers overseas. The soon-to-be nonprofit organization will distribute donated CDs to the troops.
The only cost for musicians will be for the CDs themselves, but "the benefits of gaining new fans is well worth it," Slow Intentional Damage said on a MySpace page. "This is for all genres who are willing to donate their music to the defenders of this great country.
The group will also make compilation CDs for the troops.
For more information or to listen to Slow Intentional Damage, log on to <http://www.myspace.com/SlowIntentionalDamage>. For more about booking a gig through Weekend Swap Tours, log on to <http://www.myspace.com/WeekendSwapTours>.

- Southern Illinois Nightlife