Murder City Devils & The Catheters

Murder City is one of my favorite bands so I was really anxious to see them again. All of my friends got trashed, but I had to stay sober to remember what happened — bummer.

The last time the Catheters played I was either drunk or late, but I don't remember it at all, so I didn't know what to expect. The most noticeable thing about these guys is their age. They're all really young, their equipment is too good for people their age, and their pants are too tight. All appearance problems aside, they sound great, similar to Iggy and the Stooges on "Raw Power," with a little of the Who thrown in for good measure. They've got the stage presence of a much older band and an attitude that is very C.C. Deville, with a glammed-out guitarist and a singer who made constant love to the mic stand. They played a good set, but the crowd was scattered and they kept asking everyone to come up front, to no avail. Towards the end of the set the audience was a little more receptive, having grown (and swilled), and by the time they finished everyone was rockin'.

It's obvious that Sub Pop is putting more money into the Devils; they have more merchandise and a huge banner that they didn't have before. With candles lit they finally took the stage, and the crowd erupted. The Whisky Mob was unruly, and anyone near the front of the stage was repeatedly knocked over. They played songs from all three albums, including "18 Wheels" and "From the Cradle to the Grave." During "18 Wheels" an audience member (Fred from U.O.D.) climbed up onstage to sing along and fell to the ground with Spencer the singer, and the two writhed on the ground singing until they were helped up. The band interacted constantly with the crowd, asking for drinks and telling the story of the bass player’s broken foot. The drums were lit on fire, the mic stands were constantly being knocked over, monitors were pushed around, the whole set went off. They took a few requests, but weren't able to play "Rum to Whisky," hopefully they can do it next time. After an encore nearly as long as the set, they finally retired to the bar. I can't wait to see them again.

- Jim Preston

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