PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
.@louelladeville_ @PlanetMosh review of .@eric13000 acoustic set at a private venue. Eric 13 – Road Warrior, Whisky Bender, Guitarist .@combichristarmy vocalist/guitarist singer of Sex Slaves and dark acoustic solo artist.
I’ve been to many gigs in pubs where the décor lends itself to that of feeling that you are at a gig in your Grandparents’ parlour but, never before have I been to a gig in someone’s living room so, this was to be a new experience for me. Eric Michael performs as Road Warrior Eric 13, dark acoustic solo artist, guitarist of Combichrist and singer/guitarist of Sex Slaves. An acoustic gig was arranged at Darren (Daz) and Tracy Quinns’ family abode on the outskirts of Manchester. This special show came about as, from going initially to Sex Slaves gigs, Daz has become a personal friend and he knew Eric and Combichrist were coming over for Alt Fest (subsequently cancelled) and he tried to arrange a gig in Manchester, without success. Not to be thwarted he invited Eric to play a gig at his house, and like all good things it actually fell on the day of Daz and Tracy’s 19th Wedding Anniversary. Eric said he classed The Quinns as some of his best friends in England. He also felt The Quinns to be well known in England. I don’t know about the whole of England but certainly in the North West (oh … and Finland). I met them through going to many of the same gigs in and around Manchester over the past few years. It turned out to be a select audience of thirteen which, I thought, was most appropriate.
For a small audience Eric was welcomed by some loud cheers and whoops for which he thanked us and gave us a short introduction. Eric was born in Camden, New Jersey he’s currently based in Philadelphia. He performs as Eric 13 solo artist, guitarist with Combichrist and singer with New York based Sex Slaves. This is the second time Eric has been over to the UK to perform as a solo act. He flew over to Europe with Combichrist for the Brutal Assault Festival in the Czech Republic, where they played on the 8th August. Tonight he was going to play mainly Eric 13 songs and wanted to try out some new songs. The show got off the road with Man Without a Home a great song with a country vibe and plenty of whoas and howls reminding me of Johnny Cash. Friday Night was a song he played last night, which was actually a Friday night, in a little pub in Northamptonshire, a gentle song with a good tune. Eric said the song makes him think of sushi and home but last night was not really a sushi town. I don’t think tonight’s venue on the outskirts of Manchester was much of a sushi place either. Fish and chips more like!
Next Eric wanted to play something he’s not played live before Know Your Man which was inspired by Johnny Cash. He said he hadn’t played this song live before because it was a quiet one. The songs starts with whistling. Eric said when he wrote that song he had a female room mate at the time, he was really excited and sang it to her. She said it was sexist but Eric hadn’t finished the song at that stage so he wrote the last verse, which was about ‘know your woman also’ and when he played the entire song she then she said ‘Yes, that was great.’ Darla Rose got people clapping and whilst it was only a small crowd there was plenty of enthusiastic foot tapping and whistling. Eric put on a show with plenty of facial expressions to match the mood of each song. He then got a bottle of Jack Daniels (JD) and said he would be happy to answer questions along the way. The Quinns’ eldest son Whitfield asked if Eric had a twitter account and we had a quick twitter break whilst Eric looked him up!
A cover of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy was followed by a cover of a Bob Dylan song. Jon Paul in the audience asked Eric if he knew Desolation Row but Eric had to say ‘No, I’d not really listened to him’ until one day, he went on to say, when he looked on his iPod he found he had a lot of Bob Dylan and he also realised he had a book of his music on his book shelf. He went on a big Bob Dylan kick last summer and learnt to play harmonica. Whilst he didn’t know Desolation Row he did know Simple Twist of Fate so he sang that one instead. Afterwards he said it was a good song and although he remembered a few verses he didn’t know them all so he had skipped a few. He posed for some pictures for Shay, the Quinn’s youngest son and the youngest person in the audience. He seemed to be enjoying it though.
Eric told us that back at home, in Philadelphia, he usually performs with a saxophonist and bass player. When he was between the last two Combichrist tours he had two months off and played five nights a week. He wrote the next song for a Fire Fighter who lost his life Is It You and he said he would whistle the harmonica parts. (I recorded this one but with a light behind him, I’ve made it into a black and white movie, see YouTube link below) At the end he says this will be on his next album which he’s going to name ‘Titty Ho’ after a road he saw last night. Eric said he likes to write simple songs his biggest influences being John Lennon and Hank Williams Senior, but he wanted to play some rockers and Sssssay What! had Daz and Tracy singing along to the chorus ‘What Do You Say’ A request then came for Johnny Cash and we got Ring of Fire which was a popular one which everyone seemed to know and could sing along to. It ended with Eric singing the word ‘fire’ in a low vocal tone and him saying ‘Good call! Excellent song!’
He doesn’t like to play bluesy stuff without a side guy as he wanted the next song to be like Moonlight Drive by The Doors In Your Arms and it reminded me a bit of Singing The Blues recorded by Guy Mitchell back in 1956. Eric then said ‘This is fun you guys are awesome’ and asked if there were ‘Any more hens in the fridge?’ and he didn’t mean a chicken leg! He had, in fact, taken a liking to cans of Old Speckled Hen, an English ale! He was asked ‘What’s the fastest song you can do’ and he played a quick burst of the introduction to Pulp Fiction (Miserlou by Dick Dale and His Deltones) followed by a bit of Ace of Spades by Motorhead. Katie asked him ‘Do you know One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer by George Thorogood and the Destoyers and he said he would work it in to a song somewhere (although it’s not actually George’s song, it was originally recorded by Amos Milburn in 1953). Daz asked for Licquor Store Romance and Eric played us the quiet version before we paused for an interview break. I asked a few questions but, as it was a small gathering, I also invited others in the audience to ask a question or two. Link here: –http://planetmosh.com/eric-13-interview-with-planetmosh-23rd-august-2013/
After the interview Eric did a duet with Dave, the neighbour from across the road, who had nipped out for his guitar and they played Bad Things (the theme from True Blood) by Jace Everett and you would never have realised that Dave and Eric had only met for the first time that evening and had never played a note, let alone a chord, together before because it sounded great. Then came the perfect song for a singalong I’m a Rebel, which was Eric’s line, and we replied with ‘He’s a Rebel’ and we were all singing as loud as we could ‘Yeah yeah yeah, he’s a rebel!’ a good fast song which ended with Eric holding his guitar upright. Whiskey Bender with audience ‘oo oos’ and ‘ee ees’ came next then a little bit of Mexico which Eric said he always gets requested but has never played live. Tonight we got a short burst of it followed by a short burst of Long Live the Dead both tracks from the Sex Slaves’ Wasted Angel album. The last song was Miss You Like The Beatles and Eric managed to work in a bit of One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer as promised. A good song about when we were young. A hearty round of applause ensued and we all had a few more drinks whilst Eric told us more stories of his life but I had taken my reviewer’s hat off for a while too, thinking the gig was over, but after a few drinks and nibbles Eric picked up his guitar again and so I got my pen and pad back out!
Can’t Get Enough of the Rock n Roll Business a great one with lot’s of clapping. Perfect Day a Lou Reed cover, a soft gentle song with people singing along quietly. Next a Ramones cover in I wanna be your boyfriend Eric then said ‘I’m going to play one of my favourite songs’ which was Ramblin’ Man by Hank Williams Senior and he told us that it’s a lonely life touring sometimes. Daz then asked for a song to sum him up Sex Sex Sex and Eric started to play the song then realised their eldest son was in the room and launched into an Anniversary/Celebration song which was a bit Beatles although Daz pointed out that the song he asked for was how his son was born, which is a fair point! We then really did reach the last song of the night Thank God for Jack Daniels and a bottle of JD was passed a round for all to have a swig. Thus the show ended with a slow country style song to wind down a great evening and Eric managed to incorporate a few lines of Hank Williams Senior’s Cheating Heart into the song. Gig over Daz gave Eric a bro hug.
It was a really enjoyable evening, a gig with a difference. No queuing for a drink, a few nibbles if you got a bit peckish and the chance to chat to the singer between songs in a relaxed atmosphere. I hope this gigging in people’s front rooms takes off! You can see Eric on tour with Combichrist later this year, see link below for dates.
A big thank you to Eric for agreeing to do such a small intimate show and a big thank you to Darren and Tracy Quinn for hosting it and inviting me along!
Set List:
Man Without a Home
Friday Night
Know Your Man
Darla Rose
Jealous Guy (John Lennon)
Simple Twist of Fate (Bob Dylan)
Is It You
Sssssay What (Sex Slaves)
Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
In Your Arms
Pulp Fiction Intro (Miserlou by Dick Dale and His Deltones) – Short Burst
Ace of Spades (Motorhead) – Short Burst
Licquor Store Romance
Bad Things (Theme from True Blood) – Duet
I’m a Rebel
Whisky Bender
Mexico – (Sex Slaves) (Short Burst)
Long Live the Dead (Short Burst)
Miss You Like The Beatles
Can’t Get Enough of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Business
Perfect Day (Lou Reed)
I Wanna be Your Boyfriend
Ramblin’ Man (Hank Williams Senior)
Sex Sex Sex (Short Burst)
Thank God For Jack Daniels
Links:
Eric 13 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eric13music
Sex Slaves on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nyrocknroll
Combichrist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/combichrist
Combichrist Tour Dates: https://www.facebook.com/combichrist/app_123966167614127
