VCR studio 3 session

These studio 3 posts as of late have been pre-occupied with bad weather and tonight is no exception. A multi-waved snowstorm is to begin at midnight tonight, or so I keep hearing on the weather reports. At least it is not as cold as it has been. But I am still concerned about where I am meeting VCR. Fortunately two members played in Wrong Generation and have done a studio 3 session, so Matt and Scott know where the tower was on Tower Road (there are two). And I didn't recognize Scott with his hair so short. It was shoulder length the last time he was here. Still has the same baby face. As introductions are being done I learn that the keyboard player, Erica, just learned the songs over the last three days. The regular keyboard player goes to school in Montreal. That sounds like Julian from the Wastoids.

Having keyboards is unusual and we have only ever had a band with keyboards a few times with Tijuana Bibles and the Diodes and maybe Simply Saucer (although that might have just been a theremin). Anyway I wasn't sure what the sound was going to be like. I didn't need to worry because VCR rocked. And not just in some poor excuse for an adjective way. The band really pulled from garage rock inspirations citing some of Jay Reatard's projects as well as some bands from the current New York scene like Hand Wood and the Hammerheads or Coachwhips. I certainly heard a hi energy style of rock 'n roll that fuelled bands like the Mummies and New Bomb Turks. Scott was singing and playing guitar and really played up some of the drama. He is great at hyping a moment and helps you get right into their sound. There is neat interplay between him and Matt which is heard in the intro to "Scream". And he sounds like Doc Dart from the Crucifucks when he is singing.

The band also wore costumes. So the front line (Scott, MacKenzie, and Erica) sported bright red VCR shirts complete in the Blade Runner font. Scott had a bandana made out of police line tape. Mackenzie wore one of the brightest multi coloured dress I have ever seen. And Erica sported a mullet wig on top of her shoulder length hair. But Matt was the highlight nuzzled up into a yellow hazmat suit (can someone say Devo) and his hi hat was topped off with a rubber skull just waiting for a Shakespearean soliloquy.

The band played the following set of originals:

1. Pizza Party
2. Think Twice
3. One Trick Dog
4. BDSM
5. Fake Freaks Fuck Off
6. Dirty Girl / City Boy
7. Scream

VCR was also very good at doing IDs for the station and the show:

8. BDSM ID - The girls did a play on the Poly Styrene intro to "Oh Bondage".
9. Pizza Party ID - Matt does a British snooty accent with a dedication to D'Arcy.
10. Muzak ID - Matt played elavator music while Scott did his best New Yorker impersonation.

Wrong Generation had to play a show on Sunday so we did the interview after the session.

Aldo from Punks and Rockers caught the set on tape even though the lighting was a bit absent.



Speaking of tapes, VCR have a demo that you can download at their bandcamp page.