Material: The Glam Skanks are very punkish in their delivery and are reminiscent of the Runaways when that band first came up–– but with a lot more edge. Screaming lyrics themed with sex, drugs ‘n rock & roll, the Glam Skanks dig deep to bring back the old punk scene of the ‘70s as each and every song is played with fury. Their latest effort Glitter City is marvelously produced and engineered by Bruce Witkin and Ryan Dorn, and even if you don’t like this genre it is worth a listen to if only for the production value.
Musicianship: The musicianship was a bit lackluster at this show. The Glam Skanks were really hamming it up for the crowd and cameras, looking majestic as they posed for every photo opp, but it took away from the music. Cassie saved the night by being a machine on the ticker and not missing a beat, while her bandmates were having the times of their lives playing to and with the crowd. Another saving grace was the guitar rhythm parts, which were damn near flawless, and although the lead parts needed some work you can feel the potential.
Performance: Scantily clad, loaded with energy and with treats in hand, the Glam Skanks were spectacular. They had the audience dancing and grooving to the pounding thud of every beat and eating out of their hands. The crowd demanded more after each song. During the songs the band would playfully taunt the audience and egg them on to scream and have a great time. Superb performance!
Summary: JunkShop Glam is a nuanced music genre coined in the early 2000’s by Tony Barber, bass player for the Buzzcocks. It describes the forgotten vinyl records of the ‘70s glam rock bands whose unsuccessful records had very limited release, no airplay and have thus been relegated to the cheap record bins. The Glam Skanks have rightfully earned their place in the junkshop hall of fame with their interpretation of this hard rockin’ genre. They’re a group of very young, talented girls with lots of room to grow and develop in this ever-changing music industry. Although some of the songs sound like an 8th grader wrote them (like “F*** Off” and “High Wasted”), this band can also play a professional well-put-together song like “I Want It Now.” The Glam Skanks have been busy this past year playing all over the U.S. and Europe, opening up for Adam Ant, Alice Cooper, the Skids, and it wouldn’t be a party if they weren’t the official backing band to Cherie Curry of the Runaways.
The Players: Veronica Volume, guitar; Millie, bass; Cassie, drums; Ali Cat, vocals.
Photo by Pierce Brochetti
Venue: The Redwood Bar n Grill
City: Los Angeles
Contact: [email protected]
Web: GlamSkanks.com
