Blood, sweat and booze: the Bourbon Saints smack Hermosa Beach’s Saint Rocke
Bourbon Saints frontman Arturo Trujillo rocks Redondo Beach’s Brixton in 2010. Photo by Lan Nguyen.
The Bourbon Saints are a full throttle, balls out, screwed, blued and tattooed, rock ‘n’ roll machine hailing from Los Angeles, California.
At least that’s how they describe themselves. And listening to their self-released 2009 album Black Heart Blues, I tend to agree.
The Saints are singer “Rev” Arturo Trujillo, lead guitarist Chuck “the Wizard” Poquette, drummer “Rock ‘n’ roll” Nole Eldridge, bassist Ron “Elvis” Kennedy and “Lightnin” Bill Woodcock on six-string. Hailing from hard core bands like Death Valley Driver, Jolt 45, and the Shocker, the group assembled in 2005 and have found themselves in high demand in the Los Angeles punk circuit. But they consider themselves more than a punk band.
“When we got together, we wanted to do something that was more based in AC/DC and Motorhead than the Ramones and Misfits,” Trujillo said. “Basically we wanted to get back to playing some raw, good old fashioned rock and roll.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” said Trujillo. “We still have punk in our veins. We are just letting more of our rock side come out.”
“Fire Breathin’ Preacher Man” might be the band’s catchiest song. It’s a raucous little hard core ditty that seems to epitomize the appeal of the Bourbon Saints.
I’m trippin’ out of my tattooed skin/
I’m scratchin’ and oozin’, just can’t hear me
Wanting you to run for cover/
‘Cause you know my love’s a real m*therf*cker.
The song ended up on a Cleopatra Records compilation of “L.A. Underground Punk” in 2007 and led to a host of punk award nominations for the Saints. Not bad for a two-year old band without a record label.
“I think we write great songs,” Trujillo said. “The music is hyped up and aggressive with catchy hooks. It kinda makes you want to sing along while you’re strangling the person next to you. And our live show, well, it’s energetic, it’s fun, it’s loud, it’s hot, it’s sweaty and it’s real.”
Check out the Bourbon Saints Thursday, January 30 at 8 p.m. at Saint Rocke, 142 Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach. Doors open at 5 p.m. and tickets are $5. Also playing are Everywhere Wolves, Lightnin’ Woodcocks and the Bad MF’s.