Monday, February 28, 2011

free download: MONKEY KNIFE FIGHT live at Armory High Syracuse NY in 2001


MONKEY KNIFE FIGHT "Live at Armory High Syracuse 1-17-01" (KR022) is the only known recording of a band that played maybe a dozen shows in Central New York around the turn of the millennium. The shows generally were overloud alcohol-fueled ragers of noisey punk rock. Generally sound-guys for the bars hated the band, often plugging their ears to the feedback - and these were guys who controlled noise for a living.

Billy Barry (later of Indicies) was the singer & guitarist, Jay Hart played guitar, Gregg Yeti (Flashing Astonishers) played bass, while Greg Pier and Bob Kane (both Flashing Astonishers/Mandate Of Heaven) alternately played drums, depending on availability and who knew the song. For this show Andrew Everding (later of Thursday) plays drums on one song also. Any of the three slingers of stringed instruments shared the seeds for songs, and as was often true for Syracuse bands at that time, tried to just find anyone who was available to play the drums.

Among the original songs on this recording is a scorching cover of "Ex-Lion Tamer" by Wire. Just shortly after this show, Monkey Knife Fight unfortunately went to sleep after the tragic house fire that destroyed the 549 Columbus Ave band house where the little scene had it's headquarters. Extra special thanks to Doug White for mastering, Dave Kane for recording, and Elise Flanders for the cover art. A cd version of this album will eventually be available, in very short limited runs, when we feel like it, in a stack buried beneath the local weekly paper, at a coffee house, bar, or pizza shop near you. Maybe.

FREE DOWNLOAD RIGHT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!