Guitar Gangsters, Peter and The Test Tube Babies, Cocksparrer and Rancid

That is me in the middle with two Guitar Gangsters

Well luck would have it that a Guitar Gangsters/Peter and The Test Tube Babies show would fall on a Thursday and then on Friday would be local openers (that is San Jose bub!) NOise! and Factory Minds opening shows for Cocksparrer and Rancid.

Well we got tickets to the Cocksparrer-Rancid show and Del of the Test Tubes was kind enough to put my wife and I on the guest list. Well we made it in time to try to order pints but the bar shut down because bands were starting to sound check. And the best soundcheck to my ears was going on. It was The Guitar Gangsters who were criminally forced to be the first band on the bill. Wow! Really.....Well the club was nice enough to let us stay and listen for a little bit and then it was off to get in line. Talked to many cool people in line as we waited and then in we came and off for some pints with Del and the rest of the Test Tubes. The Guitar Gangsters came on and they were just plain awesome! I have to commend Phil Ley for not swatting this stupid drunk kid from Chicago that was pogoing and bumping around. He hit Phils mic and it smacked him in the face. That hurts....I know. Anyways they played a blinder and I was stoked. More beers were consumed upstairs in the dressing room where I ran into old bandmate Lars (Rancid) and TKO booker and fellow employee Dodgy Dave. Novak, and Jim from TKO were there too. It was like a reunion of sorts. Hung out with Del for a bit as the ever so awesome Sydney Ducks were playing. Next up were The Generators who I have seen once. GREAT band!! Reminds me of Black Market Baby meets Sham. Then of course comes The Test Tubes...all the hits were played and again, another great set. New drummer was from Walnut and The Wankers. But hey he is not new but has been in the band for about 10 years. Walnut and The Wankers are Dels brothers band. Great night but we had to get home because the next night was Cocksparrer and Rancid. Well we made it into San Francisco, parked the car. Had a nice Indian dinner. Had some drinks...ran into LOTS of peeps that I knew. Watched Cocksparrer...sang every word and had a blast. Went back down to the lobby, drank some more. Talked to the Stern Brothers, Sab Grey (Iron Cross), talked to many more old friends and left during Rancids set. We were exhausted!! Great night!!!