Flickerstick News

06.12.01
CD Now news

On hand to help introduce the bands were Slash, who welcomed L.A.-based goth girl band Harlow to the stage; Matthew Sweet, who introduced San Diego-based pop/rock band Soulcracker; and ER star Erik Palladino, who paved the way for Dallas indie rockers Flickerstick's performance.

The show was taped for the reunion special, which will air on VH1 on July 15. The final episode of the show airs July 8.

To give you a taste of what the bands are about and how they went over with the usually jaded L.A. industry crowd, we've compiled a list of the top 20 comments overheard by those in attendance before the show, during the show, after the show, and in the Foundation Room VIP area.

The Top 20 Comments Overheard at the VH1 Bands on the Run showcase:

1. "There's no reason for us to hate them, except that they don't drink enough." (regarding Soulcracker)

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2. "Oh my God, I have never heard an unsigned band this good. They're kind of like Catherine Wheel." (regarding Flickerstick)

3. "If he could play naked, he would." (regarding Soulcracker singer-guitarist Sutton, who always performs without a shirt on)

4. "I have to get a white belt." (Flickerstick's singer Brandin Lea always wears a retro-looking white belt.)

5. "Ya know what? They are so gonna cry after this show." (said after Flickerstick's intense performance)

6. "We want dolls! We want dolls!" (chanted by drunk girls standing over at the Harlow merchandise booth trying to buy their goth-transformed Barbie dolls. Once the booth sold out of the dolls and just two were left, a bidding war ensued. The once $20 set of four dolls was going for $80 for just two left. An actor from the now defunct TV series Working was also overheard saying he wanted a doll.)

7. "Wow, so Pat Smear is like, their bitch." (Pat's a friend of the ladies of Harlow and he roadied for the girls this night, handing singer-guitarist Amanda Rootes' guitar when she switched them all night long. Amanda is formerly of the British female punk group Fluffy.)

8. "Pat! Pat! Pat!" (The crowd went nuts when Smear took the stage to hand Amanda a new guitar.)

9. "Flick-Er-Stick! Flick-Er-Stick! Flick-Er-Stick!" (fans started chanting during Soulcracker's show)

10. "Is that all that guys does? He reminds me of Bez from the Happy Mondays." (regarding Soulcracker's second singer, Beastie, who just kind of dances around onstage and doesn't have many singing parts)

11. "This reminds me of when I used to care." (Jaded rock star's comments upon leaving the House of Blues.)

12. "Iggy Pop called; he'd like his moves back." (Diss to Flickerstick singer Brandin by a self-professed struggling musician)

13. "They look better in person than they do on TV." (regarding Harlow)

14. "Technically, they're good." (regarding Soulcracker)

15. "Clinically, they're very good." (regarding Soulcracker)

16. "Hey, think these are all of the girls Cory met on the road? Hmmm, or Dominic's?" (said in the girl-filled Foundation Room before the show regarding Flickerstick's guitarist Cory Kreig, who met a girl in Pittsburgh on the show, who then flew out to see him in Atlanta; and about drummer Dominic Weir, who is constantly hooking up with groupies on the show.)

17. "I hear he's suicidal because of all the hate mail." (regarding Soulcracker's Beastie)

18. "I feel bad for him now. Well, he should just be their merch guy instead of the dancing monkey boy." (response to the above revelation about Beastie)

19. "Wow, that was like what a major label band would do." (regarding how Flickerstick's Cory handled a heckler in the audience who was throwing ice at him. Cory responded by playing the song relentlessly in the heckler's face for the entire duration of the song and then handed his guitar to him, which was promptly picked up by a tech.)

20. "If they don't get signed, that is a fucked thing." (said upon the end of the evening, not sure which band the person meant, but judging by each of the band's performances, it holds true for all of them.)