FREDEROCK, part 1- The Fuckin' VOO DOO LOVE GODS
were never one of my favorite local bands, but cannot be denied in the genre we call FREDEROCK or Frederick Rock - from my locale, the one in Maryland, home of FRANCIS SCOTT KEY, birthplace of Hot Young Movie Star Shawn Hatosy (more about him in an upcoming blog) and setting of that Barbara Fritchie poem (There's a BULLWINKLE of that one!) . The Love Gods were formed in the mid 1980s when The LEFT from nearby Hagerstown split-up, their IGGY-esque vocalist hooking up with former SUBTERENEANS Pat Faville & Mike Trail, as well as Hagarstown/Frederick Punk legend "Knuckles" Rempe from local favorites MONSTER ROCK. Trail was fired soon after forming only to be replaced by the "psychedelic" madman Andrew Roff (aka Dr. Serendipity) . It was this line-up that recorded the groups only long-player (and only other actual release following a Bona Fide Records flexi.) from which this track is taken. Never a favorite of mine ( I was a SKEPTICS fan), the group did have some interesting moments, mostly after the departure of FAVILLE & his subsequent replacement by Eric "Little E>" Reichard & future Porter Hall TN. guitarist/vocalist Gary Roadarmel (one of my bestestest friends ever) when they convened to record the ELECTRIC REPTILES cassette EP, which unfortunately seems lost to time, I don't seem to have a copy anymore , nor does Gary, which is too bad, as it contained some amazingly simple dumb-head rock classics penned by Little E (something of a genius of simplistic, non-sense zombie rocker), featuring as it did classics like WEED FIENDS, ELCTRIC REPTILES and the all-time favorite ROOM OF DEAD. The Lovegods eventually morphed into the more resiliant , but rather indistinguishable BEEF PISTOL & continued on until their last show when they were attacked & beaten up by an outdoor Pennsylvania audience, 20 or more years younger than the average band member. Some of the Love-Gods stories are some of the funniest stories in low-level punk glory, someone should write a book. Dig!
