One life lesson I learned from my folks is that life is all about who ya know, not what ya know. Constantly being on the road with bands and bikes allows me to meet folks far and wide and forever have stories to share over a beer. That is my kind of livin' and I truly enjoy meeting new folks and talkin' on the randomness, that can be life. Over this past weekend at the infamous Heavy Rebel Weekender, conversations went from talkin' on Knuckle and Pan motors with some great folks from southern Maryland, what makes outlaw country the only punk rock in our current existence, an old '51 Chevy truck we are going to be purchasing for a shop truck build from Mopar Rob and many many more conversations over cold PBR.
After a recent trip we did down to St. Petersburg, Florida for the big Dime City Cycles party I got to chat with Doug Barber, aka Qball on all sorts of topics. Qball was passin' along stories of biker gypsies, outlaw clubs, road side fixes, photography and livin' a true biker lifestyle that this gray beard in the makin' can without a doubt appreciate. After he clued me in on his music preferences I had two cd's just waiting for him to check out and enjoy. Glad to see he is diggin' them and posted them up for review.
Also, if you haven't heard or seen his photography book Livin The Life, we know of a great purchase you are about to make. Take it from us, this book is hands down an amazing collection of photos that bring to the light the greasy souls that are American bikers that live on the fringe. Buy it today and help support one amazing photographer with years worth of stories and good times. Lookin' forward to seein' ya on the road sometime soon Qball.
"When your on the road there is always certain folks you look forward to seeing, and Rusty Knuckles is one of them. He is not only a talented graphic designer, he is also a genuinely stand up kind of guy. It’s no wonder he has such a talented crew of musicians under his label. The last time I saw him was in Florida, and was telling him how much I liked raw country and the new rock a Billy music. Mind you he has several bands he manages ranging from country through heavy metal, all of them with a twist, some mixing the best of country and heavy metal cranked up rock a Billy, blow the ink right of your skin music.
He gave me two disks and I said I’d do a review.
Hellbound Glory at first sounds like the honky-tonk music my daddy use to drink to. But the lyrics are of modern day’s trials and tribulations being numbed the same way daddy did. Actually not much seems to have changed. What makes the lyrics special is the rye sense of “Fuck It” humor that runs like a cold beer down your throat. I found myself laughing and crying at the same time while drinking heavily the whole time. Shit, I would have had this review done sooner, if it weren’t for the drinking. From the first note till the end, I felt right at home with this music. It’s a classic, and a new favorite. Better have plenty of cold beer and a dry bandanna.
Jay Berndt, “Sad Bastard Songs”. First off Jay Berndt has a commanding voice that would keep you listening regardless of the song. His music is all American Country and Western, and spans it all. The first cut “Sad Bastard Theme” radiates it’s Celtic heritage, while the rest of the CD high lights country blues, western, and country rock. The CD is a great mix of all that I like in Country & Western music, and Jay’s voice drove it all home."
- Doug Barber aka Qball
