White Cowbell Oklahoma set to tear up Lethbridge with rock and roll

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To paraphrase one of the band’s songs, White Cowbell Oklahoma have been tearing the music scene a new one for 10 years.White Cowbell Oklahoma. Photo Submitted
So who or what are White Cowbell Oklahoma? Fact: They are playing the Slice, Sept. 14. Fact: they are a Toronto based sextet known for resurrecting the spirit of old school ’70s style, riff heavy, harmonized guitar soloing, sex, drugs and rock and roll themed music of the ilk of Kiss, Lynard Skynard and Aerosmith especially on their latest, third CD, Bombardero. Fact: They are known for incendiary live  and loud shows,  which on occasion have included strippers, chainsaws, cowbells and assorted household tools and have even drawn protesters in Lethbridge. They may also be residents of another galaxy, here to divide and conquer the Earth or, on the other hand, they may just be clinically insane. Either way, talking to lead singer Clem Clemsen makes for an interesting trip into a dark, twisted mind.
“Sarge (White Cowbell Oklahoma’s former lead singer who left after contributing a couple songs and vocals to the new CD) left to start a helicopter business in the mountains of Burma. Actually that’s a lie, we had him cryogenically frozen along with the 573 former members of the band after consulting  our numerologist and soothsayer before starting our infernal third CD and they told us six was our lucky number,” explained Clemsen over the phone from Victoria, pausing to dodge a cup of coffee dumped from third floor hotel balcony by the band’s drummer. They started a massive western Canadian tour in Victoria, Sept. 4.
“You can read about it in the papers, we’re going to leave smoking craters all over the west coast. We’re going to sink Vancouver Island like Atlantis, except it will be called Pacificis, because we’re on the west coast,” Clemsen enthused, adding the band is enjoying playing as a sextet, as they usually average 10 members in the band at a time including two drummers, two keyboardists and countless guitarists.
“Sextet is just as sexy as it sounds. Plus we are 33.3 per cent more efficient as a band. And it makes lobby calls 33.3 per cent more efficient,” he continued, adding they are looking forward to returning  to Lethbridge.
“I’m hoping the Mormon protesters are back. Except they don’t stay out too late, so they were gone before we even arrived,” Clemsen laughed about one of the band’s previous Lethbridge gigs.
“We’re also hoping one of our members doesn’t  fall asleep next to a dumpster this time,” he continued adding Corb Lund even showed up to jam with the band at one of their Lethbridge shows, though the members were too inebriated to remember much of that experience.
“It was beautiful though.”
He didn’t reveal what the band has in store for the shows this tour.
“We never really know until the night it happens. It will be high octane rock and roll. You may see naked people, naked professionals, naked band members,” he continued.
“It’s a really a volatile chemical mixture and we don’t know what chemicals will be added,” he said adding White Cowbell Oklahoma is making a name for themselves in Europe.
“Europe is fantastic. There are endless supplies of beer and they don’t get upset when you drink it all. They’re kind of ashamed they run out of it. They really know how to treat you like you are a person, not like some places in North America. And they worship us, which is all we ever wanted in the first place,” he said.
“They are impressed by the blistering guitar solos while North American audiences tend to be dazzled by the visual aspect of  the show,” he said adding they embraced their ’70s musical roots, especially on the new CD.
“We started as a ’70s boogie-rock band. We’ve moved  to a more progressive direction though.  Some people are even calling us a psychedelic band. But have no fear, we’ll never turn into Phish because we have nail guns on stage  to fire at band members to want to turn it into a jam band, just to make sure that doesn’t happen ”
It took two years to complete the new CD  because they wanted to ensure their tenth year was a great one.
“We had to consult the druids and examine the physics. We wanted to get the correct material for it. And we toured a lot on the last record. The third record is the most infernal of them all,” he said adding the past 10 years have been a lot of fun.
“We’ve survived the past 10 years through sheer tenacity, vulgarity  and determination as well as  some brown magic and sheer disregard for the rule’s we’re supposed to follow, disregard for our own safety and  local bylaws,” Clemsen laughed.
“We think our testosterone death ray has become even more powerful. Everyone will be our slaves,” he said.
The band on the new CD includes Clem C. Clemsen (lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Hollis P. Cartwright (lead guitar), Dingo von Devereaux (lead drums, percussion), Bubba Lee 'Rooster' Phett (lead bass, vocals), The Cousin Who Hath No Name (lead guitar). Charles Chainsaw (lead cowbell, chainsaw), The Sergeant (lead vocals, lead harmonica, keyboards), Jessie Lactateur (lead keyboards), Mudflap Williamson (drums - #5,6,9), Robbie 'Cadenza' Fenton (lap steel - #6, baritone saxophone - #5), Jennifer 'Rocks Glass' Ryan (backing vocals - #2,6) andAmber Le Scelle (tambourine - #6)
Tickets for the show cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door.
— Richard Amery, L.A Beat, Editor
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 08 September 2009 11:43 )