When a friend of mine emailed me to told me that The Head Cat, a rockabilly "side project" supergroup were going to be playing here in San Francisco, it took me about .0000001 seconds to decide that I was going. I've been a Motorhead fan since I was 15 (24 years), and in my eyes Lemmy can do no wrong. After reading his biography I knew that with The Head Cat he was playing the music that he really loves and I needed to witness it, especially considering it was in a venue a fraction of the size Motorhead would normally play.
Walking into The Independent, both my friend and I were surprised at how empty it was. We were running late, and on the cab ride over I had envisioned a venue packed full of fist-pumping metalheads chanting Lemmy's name. Instead, it was pretty mellow, with just a handful of people, mostly in cowboy hats, drinking beer and just kind of standing around. I was a bit confused, but then opening band Red Meat hit the stage. A five-piece Honky-Tonk band hailing from Oakland, Red Meat were quite simply amazing. Now I normally despise country music, but their brand of "country" was so genuine that I felt like I could have been in a little dive bar somewhere in Texas, wearing a cowboy hat and drinking a Shiner Bock, while trying to mend a broken heart. Guitarists Michael Montalto and Scott Young (who also played fiddle) laid down some pretty flawless twang guitar, while the rhythm section of bassist Jill Olson and drummer Les James kept the bluegrass beat going strong. Olson also sang a couple of numbers, and her beautiful Patsy Cline-esque voice was a perfect match for their music, especially during "Queen of King City." What really made Red Meat for me however, was vocalist Smelley Kelley. This guy was arguably one of the most engaging frontmen I have seen in quite awhile. Not only were his vocals spot on, but his dancing, between song banter and dirty jokes put a smile on everyone’s face. Highlights of their not long enough set included "Honky Tonk Habit," "Thriftstore Cowgirl" and "City Slicker." I really wanted to take pictures of Red Meat, but there was about ten feet between the stage and the crowd, and I didn't want to be a distraction to the crowd or the band. Besides, I was too busy drinking beer and enjoying the music.
While watching (and listening to) the "Road Crew" tune Lemmy's Rickenbacker, I couldn't help but get a little excited. I’ve seen Motorhead countless times over the years, but to be standing at the center of the stage, knowing that one of the GODS of metal was going to be directly in front of me was pretty damn cool. After passing the time with a few more beers and counting Motorhead shirts in the crowd, I whipped out my camera just as Lemmy, Slim Jim Phantom and Danny B. Harvey hit the stage. It took about 5 seconds before I was in total awe. Before I get all "schoolgirl crush" over Lemmy, let me just say that guitarist Danny B. Harvey blew me away. The guy is so damn talented, and made every note look absolutely effortless. As is often the case when I watch guitar players, I was so enthralled with his playing that I was forgetting to take pictures. What amazed me more than anything else about him was that the whole time he was playing he had a huge grin on his face. After watching him for about 10 minutes and "trying" to take pictures, I realized that there were two other legends on stage with him! Drummer Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats stood behind a stripped down 4-piece kit, and had an incredible amount of energy. He really kept the trio together, while standing, drumming and singing the whole time. As far as Lemmy, what can one possibly say? The guy is a living legend, and to see him do something so far removed from his other band was pretty awesome. It was clear he was having fun up there, and I think I even saw him smile a couple of times. Together the three of them tore threw covers of Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Cash, Larry Williams, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Slim Jim even sang vox on The Stray Cat standard "Rock This Town." A blistering version of "Crossroads" brought the show to an end. After taking it all in, I realized that I had just witnessed something pretty special, and cannot wait to see The Head Cat again!
More on The Head Cat here: www.myspace.com/headcat
