Right seeing as were struggling midway through 2021 what with no live shows still and with opening up being on hold how about we introduce you to some fantastic bands we love and think you would love?  OK, First up in this series we’ve got Donnie from The Satanic Overlords Of Rock ‘n’ Roll to fill in a few blanks about who they are and why you should investigate them further.  make yourself comfortable and lend us your ear…
Firstly introduce yourself who are you and what is your role in the band?
I’m Donnie Stokes and I’m the vocalist for the band.

 

Where did you get the band name from?  Were any others in contention?
One of our guitarists and main songwriter Bill Fool was getting divorced at the time we started playing together. While in court his ex-wife stood and pointed at him and said he was some sort of devil worshiper thinking it would somehow help her case. Needless to say, it came across as ridiculous as it sounds. So that night the band was out drinking and having a good laugh about it and came up with the name as a jab at her and her ridiculous accusation. The name stuck and here we are. I can’t speak for all of us but most don’t even believe in the devil haha. I know we threw around some other names at the time but I don’t remember much with all the debauchery going on at the time. I did throw in a name that I will still use eventually. I’ve always wanted to use Righteous Motherfuckers.

 

How long has the band been together?
We’ve been a band now for about six years.

 

 Did it take long to get the sound you wanted?
Everything kinda fell right into place right from the get-go. Every song is all over the place with us. We have so many influences in common and not in this band.

 

What about songwriting? how do you get to complete a song?  What’s the process that works for you guys?
Bill will usually come in with a song that’s pretty well complete musically, he plays it for the band and we start jamming, some things change and we have a tune. I usually come up with a melody first and write lyrics later. We have songs that Bill has written music, lyrics, and all for as well. I typically will not finish all lyrics until we’re about to record. There are videos from our first gigs and the lyrics aren’t even close to what ended up on the record.

 

I loved the debut album but it’s so expensive to import from the States will the next one have European distribution? Will the debut ever get a repress?  maybe for a European tour?
We definitely want to make our records more available to the masses especially with the next record. At the moment we’re writing and concentrating on the new record and a Euro tour is always in the works. Covid took its toll on everyone and set everything back a bit but we have a good following in Europe and many friends spread throughout. You will definitely see us in the future.

 

You recently contributed to the Heavy Medication tribute album for New Bomb Turks.  How did that come about?  Any other covers you’ve recorded?
I’m not quite sure how it all started or who contacted who. Bill typically handles all that business but we’re huge fans of the band and the label rules. We hadn’t all been in the same room together in quite a while when we recorded that tune and I had some troubles having not sung in so long but we pushed through and got to be a part of a great record with many other awesome bands. As far as other covers, we recorded an Adam Ant tune for a split that didn’t happen but we’re now working on using it for a split with The Chuck Norris Experiment.

 

I love a good 7″ split and you guys recorded one always seems like a great idea to me for like-minded bands to do an EP together.  Johny Manic is a great band but who else would you love to record a split with and what song of theirs would you do?
Personally, I would love to do a split with The Hookers out of my home state of Kentucky or The Dwarves. I’d love to do “Back Alley trash” I’m sure there are many artists between all of us that we’d love to do a split with.

 

How have you occupied your time as a band during lockdown?
We really didn’t as a band but Bill and Cheech kept busy with Night Cobra and Gil kept busy with Killer Hearts.

Any plans nailed down for post lockdown?
Looking forward to getting the next record written and getting our asses back out there.

 

Looking at your own role in the band what made you want to be in a band?
I’ve wanted to do this for as long as I can remember. When I first started, I was deathly shy and scared shitless but once the music started it was the best feeling I’ve ever had. I still have tons of anxiety before I play all the way up to the moment before that first guitar hits. The moment the music starts, it all goes away and I’m where I belong.

What instruments do you play and is there any musical role you’d like to master?
I honestly have owned guitars for thirty-plus years and have never mastered the instrument. I’ll stick to vocals haha.

 

What about in the studio, is it something you enjoy recording?
I’m the only one in the band that hates the studio. I’ve never been able to find that sweet spot, that natural feeling that you get while on stage. If I can find a way to channel all that attitude that I have on stage on this next record, look the fuck out. I plan on making it happen somehow some way this time. We have some great tunes for this next record that we’ve been playing live and they’ll stand up next to anything out there.

 

As for live – you’ve shared the stage with some great bands.  What has impressed you individually about a particular band and what have you learned from others?  Are there any bands you’d like to hit the road with?
We’ve played with so many of our favorites and have had nothing but great experiences with all of them. I learned to keep my shirt on from Eddie Spaghetti haha. I remember the first time we played with them he told someone in the band that “It was great until your singer took his shirt off” Hahaha.
I’d like to tour with The Dwarves or Electric Frankenstein. There are too many to name.

 

Finally, anything I’ve forgotten or should have asked you?
We don’t write love songs, we write songs about fucking, getting fucked, getting fucked up, and fucked up people. Very deep stuff. Haha.
Perfect!

A Fistful More of Rock & Roll, Volume 3 contains Twenty Six of the best Rock n Roll bands from all over the world! Originally slated for release in January of this year manufacturing problems and a pandemic pushed it back to July 31, 2020. Although all the bands/songs are sweaty, beer-soaked denim dripping Rock n Roll, Available on CD and gatefold double LP.

Liner notes from Producer Sal Conzonieri of Electric Frankenstein.

A Fistful MORE of Rock & Roll – Volume 3 continues in the same tradition that the original 13 volumes of A Fistful of Rock ‘n’ Roll did from 2000 to 2007. 

It’s the Return of the Return of Rock ‘n’ Roll,Call it what you like Action Rock Punk n Roll does it really matter? It’s Straight down and dirty, Loud n lustful, Action Rock revolution, High Energy Punk Rock ‘n’ Roll yadda yadda yadda.

Action Rock, Punk N Roll, Hard Rock now we’ve established that you can actually call it what you like if its good I’ll give it a spin and if it’s not then no thanks I’ll pass.  This new age of “Action Rock” is churning out records at a rate of Knotts and for the convenience of keeping all these alternative bands under one umbrella, I happen to think its in rude health.  Having covered a lot of these bands over the years I find it warming that they’ve been brought together  thanks to the super hard work of Sal.

Starting in the late 80s and early 90s, a worldwide Rock revival / New Rock Revolution sprang up, from Scandinavia to the USA to Australia to Wales. Spontaneously, around the world, a group of bands developed this new sound, such as Poison Idea, Action Swingers, Bullet Lavolta, Big Chief, The Fluid, Blue Hippos / Otto’s Chemical Lounge, Celebrity Skin, The Kings of Oblivion, Flower Leperds, Fearless Leader, The Lazy Cowgirls, The Donnas, The New Bomb Turks, The Didjits / The Lee Harvey Oswald Band / The Gaza Strippers, Dwarves, Zeke, Supersuckers, The Hookers, Nashville Pussy, Easy Action, Trash Brats, Candy Snatchers, Adam West, The Cherry Valence, Jakkpot, The Upper Crust, Speedealer, B-Movie Rats, The Stitches, The Humpers, Rocket from the Crypt, The Superbees, The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, Zen Guerilla, The Murder City Devils, The Mud City Manglers / The Cheats, D Generation, Electric Frankenstein, The Black Halos, The Spitfires, Danko Jones, American Ruse, TV Killers, Dumbell, Temporal Sluts, Thee STP,  Aerobitch, The Pleasure Fuckers, Safety Pins, The Nomads, Puffball, The Rockets, The Hives, Gluecifer, The Flaming Sideburns, The Hellacopters, Backyard Babies, Turbonegro, The Onyas, The D4, The Datsuns, The Powder Monkeys, The Panadolls, Mustang, Hoss, Teengenerate, Supersnazz, Jet Boys, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, and so on, that were all featured on the first series of the “A Fistful of Rock ‘n’ Roll” compilations.

Today there is a whole new generation of young bands and (cough, cough) not so young bands delivering the goods and knowing exactly where the action is.  they have built upon what the previous bands started, keeping Punk Rock ‘n’ Roll alive and full of high energy. Thus, a second series is necessary to document this: “A Fistful MORE of Rock & Roll”; No mistakes at all when I say this is one of the loudest compilations and no quarter is given not even an inch.  Side one pairs up Deathtraps with Egyptian Gay Lovers both playing loudly but both offer something quite different from each other. As far as Deathtraps go they’ve just released an excellent album full to the brim of loud rock and roll and a leap in quality from the first which was pretty impressive as it goes.

Flexx Bronco opens up side two with a cool rocker ‘Heart on the Floor’ and again it’s sounding quite different from the Elvis meets Danzig rock of Nevadah and ‘Iggy Dog’ but I have to admit I have a soft spot for the most excellent Drippers record ‘Solitary Speaking’  rumbles along like a freakin’ steam train heading for oblivion.  A quite ferocious cut for sure. Then to follow that with Randy Savages Rockin’ and a rollin’ on their single Guilty of Nuthin’ is an exceptional burst of energy and how can anyone not get behind that guitar solo!

Of the bands I’ve never heard before Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre is one with a bit of a mouthful but fear not Rockers the guitars are slung low and the energy levels are in bloom. Moving away from the Punk n roll attitude of a band like Randy Savages you have The Dirty Denims who pray at the altar of DC and all things ROCK!

There are some bands I’ve not heard anything from in quite a while and to be fair bands like The Cheats are kicking serious backside as is Dog Toffee someone I’ve not hear anything from in a while and they sound excellent as do East Coast Low another new one on me and their solid thump.

It might be an idea to listen to this in healthy chunks so as to not overwork your brain and to give your speakers a chance to recover.  Projeckt Daghouse  are kicking up a hellish racket but they are overshadowed by a band I’ve championed since hearing their debut. Poison Boys have got the lot from the pretty faces going to hell. But trying to pick a favourite side is like being forced to choose between the kids.  But don’t tell anyone but the last record is freakin awesome such is the quality of songs on offer.

It’s fair to say I’m impressed and this is right up there with the best for sheer quality and like I said earlier the amount of hard work that went into making this project a reality and all these cool bands delivering the goods on mass is a real Boon to the scene. An honour and a feather in the caps of those who get featured and being associated with such a quality compilation.  I hope Sals turned his attention to volume 14 and I look forward to hearing who and what is on offer because this is only the beginning of the second wave. Now if only this virus would be kind enough to fuck off and let us get back to live shows maybe we can see some of these bands in the flesh tearing it up around the stages of the world.

Pre-orders and limited edition purple vinyl available exclusively Here

Author: Dom Daley