NASHVILLE PUSSY
High As Hell
TVT Records
Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA

The Cutting Edge

Could the pussy get any hotter! When Motorhead canceled their gig at Philly’s Trocadero, all hell broke lose outside. Some 700 die-hard fans were queued up around the block and management went into a frenzy trying to sort out the night’s entertainment. The on-again, off-again headline spot was shifted to the Supersuckers, the third band on the bill. Then it was announced that Nashville Pussy, originally slated to play second was to close the show. The angry crowd was appeased. NP are somewhat of a cult figure around town. Many have followed this steamed-up Georgia punk band since their late-night stints at the Pontiac Grill and Nicks Upstairs. After six or so singles the band landed a deal with Mercury and cut their first full-length CD, Let Them Eat Pussy - an album quite unpopular with the K-Mart, Walmart crowd.

Six weeks into the Marilyn Manson ‘Mechanical Animals’ tour (1999), Nashville Pussy were stars. Banned from doing they’re nightly stage heroics (primarily the fire-breathing antics of Corey Parks and the heated sex exchange between guitarist Ruyter Syes and Parks), the band was left to prove they could make it on their music alone. Come to find out they could and, providing there were enough beer-guzzling, riff lovin’ fans to pack their show, Nashville Pussy started outselling their headliner.

Here we are over a year later and the Pussy are back with a new opus, High As Hell, salvaging the triple bill, Motorhead circus. “We’ve got too many damn friends in this town not to play,” said vocalist/guitarist Blaine Cartwrght to the crowd, then plugged in his Les Paul and tore into Go Motherfucker Go. NP were in fine form. Suys had her blond, curly mane whipping up and down a-la-Angus Young while she ripped across the stage. Parks, the amazon bombshell bassist, straddled her monitor punishing her bass with a fevered pitch. All the while, drummer Jeremy Thompson kicked out a thunderous beat.

Shoot First And Run Like Hell, Wrong Side of the Gun, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw spiced up the set as well as crowd favorites Eat My Dust, Snake Eyes, You’re Goin’ Down, and Fried Chicken & Coffee. The band has moved to a much more focused rock’n’roll delivery and have either gotten better at what they do or moved past their puck assault. They’ve certainly fine-tuned the way they kick ass.

Newsbreak: Parks has recently left the band in the wake of her husbands passing. It was rumored she would possibly be joining Hole but now looks like she will start her own outfit. Tracy Almazon, formerly of the Wives and Helldorado, will replace her.

A nod must go to the Supersuckers who did their bit delivering a killer set of beefed-up country punk-metal. The band is well into their sixth record and succeeds where others fear to tread.