|
Howlin' Diablos: Ain't No Party Like a Detroit Party |
E-mail |
|
Rhythm Blues & Soul
|
|
Saturday, 31 December 2005 09:47 |
The Howlin Diablos:
There Ain t No Party Like a Detroit Party &.
By John Sinclair
When Kid Rock was trying to break into show business as a youngster from suburban Detroit, the hottest band in the Motor City, a wild bunch of musical degenerates who call themselves the Howling Diablos, frequently gave him a shot as opening act for their sizable audience. Any fool could see the kid was styling himself after his role model and mentor, HDs lead singer Little Tino, and in a real Tobacco Road scenario when Kid Rock got his big break first, he came back for the Diablos to produce their new album and join them for Drinkin Wine Spo-De-O-Dee on a star-studded tribute to Sun Records, Good Rockin' Tonight, that also features Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and a host of other established stars.
Little Tino, joined by Showtime Johnny Evans on saxophone, Jeff Baby Grand ( Psychedelic Daddy ) on lead guitar, Mighty Mo Hollis on bass and a fluctuating gang of fellow mental patients, opened up a new chapter in the glorious annals of Motor City rock & roll when he started rapping over the sound of a kick-ass rock & roll band. The Howling Diablos soon became the darlings of hometown Detroit, with hundreds of rabid fans following them from gig to gig and shouting back at Tino the refrains of his demented songs like Green Bottle, Baby Sitter, Funky Daddy and There ain t no party like a Detroit party / cuz a Detroit party don t stop!
Rolling like a good-time party-down rock & roll juggernaut, the Howling Diablos blasted their way across the Midwest, creating a sensation as openers for a host of headliners at stadiums and major venues and rocking their way to the top of the bill at places like the State Theatre and Royal Oak Theatre at home. A Sunday night hit at the Bear's Den, an obscure corner bar in suburban Berkley, stretched into a two-year residency marked by weekly lines of eager patrons winding down the otherwise deserted street and severe authoritarian reactions by the local gendarmes.
You have to see the Howling Diablos to understand the fanaticism and insane dedication of their hometown following Psychedelic Daddy's frenetic lead guitar and Showtime Johnny's fearsome saxophone blasting over the thrashing rhythm section and the scratching of the deejay as Tino swings from the rafters and raps out his incredible tales of urban delusion and mass confusion.
The Howling D's are the quintessential live band with the kind of unbelievably loyal fan base that hasn t been seen around the Motor City since the days of the MC-5. They ve built it up at home beyond the point of breaking out, and now the Howling Diablos are taking it nation-wide for everyone to enjoy. That's right Detroit's best-kept secret is now coming your way, and you can hear them first on the new Sun Records tribute album, Good Rocking Tonight.
Let's face it: Detroit hasn t seen anything as powerful in performance as the Howling Diablos since way back in the days of the Grande Ballroom, and there hasn t been anything as intelligent and hilarious as Tino's songs since the heyday of Was (Not Was). Fellow Detroiters Kid Rock and Eminen have ridden to mega-stardom following the rap-and-rock formula revealed by Little Tino and the Howling D s, and now it's definitely their turn to howl.
Amsterdam
November 28, 2001
(c) 2001, 2006 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.
3.1.6120 |
Share Link: 
