Phoenix, AZ 27.8.08 @ Martini Ranch

[Smellis]

WOW killer reviews. OK, my brother took this photo with his phone last night. What's going on here, is Buzzo's Les Paul feeling ill too? Is he playing Tim Moss' guitar in this pic?? Wow that is kind of cool. Moss has just a great growly low end evil sounding tone. I wonder what Buzz was able to get out of that thing. At least I think it's Tim's guitar.

[M i C H e L L e]

Oh I forgot to mention - Glen you should enjoy this.  Jared was wearing a lovely red scarf tied around his neck.  It was reminiscent of the late great Charles Nelson Riley.

[cara]

WOW killer reviews. OK, my brother took this photo with his phone last night. What's going on here, is Buzzo's Les Paul feeling ill too? Is he playing Tim Moss' guitar in this pic?? Wow that is kind of cool. Moss has just a great growly low end evil sounding tone. I wonder what Buzz was able to get out of that thing. At least I think it's Tim's guitar.

Tim was playing a Les Paul last night, wasn't he?

[Branch Breaker]

Moss was playing the same guitar during the opening set. I'd like to know what brand it is or if it's a custom build. It had a mirrored finish everywhere (even the fretboard).

[black stallion]

Moss was playing the same guitar during the opening set. I'd like to know what brand it is or if it's a custom build. It had a mirrored finish everywhere (even the fretboard).

from the pics i have seen Tim Moss guitar is a Travis Bean (with aluminum neck)

[Живојиновић]

Here ya go, swabbies:

http://www.electricalguitarcompany.com/standard_guitar.html

Buzz took delivery of it in Atlanta. It's set up like a Les Paul. The luthier is named Kevin. I dinked around on it; I shall be ordering one next week.

WOW killer reviews. OK, my brother took this photo with his phone last night. What's going on here, is Buzzo's Les Paul feeling ill too? Is he playing Tim Moss' guitar in this pic?? Wow that is kind of cool. Moss has just a great growly low end evil sounding tone. I wonder what Buzz was able to get out of that thing. At least I think it's Tim's guitar.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[anaconda]

electrical guitars?
electrical audio?

so buzz is playing one of the guitars from albini's company??

[bUTTHOLEmAN]

Woah, very cool.  A guitar made out of polished aluminum?!?  Is there a noticeable tone difference from a regular les paul?

You could blind someone playing it outside.

[FartLips]

Woah, very cool.  A guitar made out of polished aluminum?!?  Is there a noticeable tone difference from a regular les paul?

You could blind someone playing it outside.

you should check out tar the band as well.

[anaconda]

at least buzz doesn't have to worry about the airlines
breaking this one 6 times! like his older les paul.

[bUTTHOLEmAN]

Fucking airlines!  He could always buy a seat for his guitar.

[bUTTHOLEmAN]

Courtesy of Mean Gene:
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/music/articles/2008/08/28/20080828melvinsreview.html



Melvins play ear-bleedingly strong set
by Joe Golfen - Aug. 28, 2008 03:30 PM
Special for The Arizona Republic

Martini Ranch took a break from its usual Scottsdale nightclub routine to bring the ear-bleeding din of The Melvins to the Valley Wednesday night. The longstanding sludge band, complete with a new bassist and a second drummer, delivered a powerfully heavy set, proving they still have what it take to put on a good show and send you home with your ears ringing.

Blending the slow burning metal of Black Sabbath and the frantic guitar work of Black Flag, The Melvins have been playing grunge since before that was even a genre. A huge influence on groups like Soundgarden and Nirvana ( Kurt Cobain was a fan of the band and friends with the members), The Melvins have taken their sound in more experimental directions on their later albums, including this year's Nude With Boots. But for all their digressions into swirling distortion and frantic drumming, the pure punk energy behind the songs still shines through.

Wednesday 's show got off to a slow start, with no one stepping onto the stage until 9:30. The first act was a guy who obviously really liked his effect pedal, and simply hit one chord on his guitar and then looped it through so many processors that in the end it sounded like that suction thing they stick in your mouth at the dentist. Even when the drummers from The Melvins climbed on stage and banged out some impressive rhythms, the tiresome guitar work had the audience shaking their heads and checking the clock.

Things improved once Big Business hit the stage. Although two-thirds of this Washington-based metal group are now official members of The Melvins, when joined by their guitarist they craft their own sound. Equal parts hardcore punk, grunge and Led Zeppelin-era metal, the trio powered out a muscular set., characterized by quick, finger-stretching riffs and bassist Jared Warren's echoing growl. The crowd was slow to pick up on the group's heavy tunes, but Big Business eventually had heads bobbing and fists flying through the air.

Having a little troubling hoisting himself onto the stage, guitarist and lead singer Buzz Osborne eventually stumbled into the spotlight and waved to the crowd. Wearing a black robe and sporting his characteristic shock of white hair, Osborne (aka King Buzzo) grinned menacingly as he picked up his chrome guitar. Drummer Dale Crover was joined by Coady Willis of Big Business, and Warren arrived on stage as the bassist, now wearing a white shirt, purple scarf and a bald wig.

Wasting no time, The Melvins immediately launched into their face-melting set, with Osborne and Warren buzzing through distortion-soaked tunes. Crover and Willis pounded their drums in unison, making for a cool mirrored effect and an incredibly powerful sound. Willis managed to keep up with Crover's erratic, high-energy beats, allowing the drummers to musically steal the show from their worthy bandmates.

The high-energy set included both the group's trippy new material and plenty of straightforward tunes from their classic album Houdini. The crowd went nuts the minute Osborne hit the stage, screaming and cheering as King Buzzo hammered away at his guitar, and no one seemed to mind that he looked like Uncle Fester in a fright wig. Although the tight security squelched any attempts at a mosh pit, the audience buzzed with energetic tension, occasionally erupting in a slew of people slamming into each other.

Playing like the seasoned pros they are, Osborne and Crover managed impressive changes in song dynamics and other musical feats, such as dropping a frantic riff into a quiet military beat in a quick second. Their songwriting hasn't become much more sophisticated over time, but their ability to play their instruments has been refined to an art.

The tunes may be lowbrow, but bands like The Melvin helped shape the sounds of the past two decades worth of punk rock, grunge and heavy metal. Their hard hitting show proved that time can't slow this band down, as they jumped from one bruising genre to the next with ease. And, of course, they still play everything at full volume.

See concert photos







http://swordfishblog.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/reviewer-spotlight-the-melvins-gluey-porch-treatments/

[M i C H e L L e]

I don't like that guy.  He wrote that review like he was writing a freshman term paper on the Melvins.  He is certianly not an avid listener, and this was most obviously his first show.  He's probably used to going to Martini Ranch for their "Metal" night, and he happened to stubble in when there was actually real metal playing.  The only portion of this article that was amusing was how he thought Jared was wearing a bald wig.

[cara]

you're right about that.
"The first act was a guy who obviously really liked his effect pedal, and simply hit one chord on his guitar and then looped it through so many processors that in the end it sounded like that suction thing they stick in your mouth at the dentist. "
FUCKIN' EH, WHERES THE SHREDDING AND VAN HALEN COVERS?

it also annoyed me how he referred to grunge as if its a legitimate genre. There were some cool pictures, though.

[anaconda]

and who is this in the back lower right wearing a snivlem??