Demolition Doll Rods - Dominion Tavern, Ottawa, 9/6/2004

  by Andrew Carver

published: 13 / 6 / 2004

intro

Raunchy Detroit trio Demolition Doll Rods play with no bassist and two guitarists instead, and are notorious for their lack of stagewear. Andrew Carver watches them whip up the crowd at the Ottawa Dominion Tavern with their "wild'n' sexy guitar heroics'

It isn't easy to get a crowd jumping around on a Wednesday night, but the raunchy Detroit trio Demolition Doll Rods had the audience frugging to their wild'n' sexy guitar heroics. The first band on the bill was local quartet Disgraceland. As rock'n'rollers, they failed, but they may have a career as a comedy act if they can convince their hecklers to show up for future shows. The Dom crowd was obviously amused by the string-breaking, hi-hat dislocating and generally inept performance. As their set wound to a close they did manage to approach something resembling synchronization, but it's definitely time for the band to head back to the woodshed. "Rockabilly trash addict" Bloodshot Bill was a late addition to the show lineup, but a welcome one. Performing as a one-man band (on previous shows he's been accompanied by minimalist drummer Don), the manic Bill churned out 50's-rock-on meth with his usual gibbering bravado, banging out Scotty Moore-influenced riffs on his hollowbody while he kept time with a kick drum and hi-hat. BB is one of those live-eat-and-breathe performers so into the music you can't help but be carried away by the energy of the show. He was an ideal warmup act for the Demolition Doll Rods. The DDR are usually referred to as "stripped down" rock'n'roll. There are two reasons for this; first, they dispense with a bassist, instead they have two guitarists and a drummer who beats time on a huge floor tom and snare (not unlike that other Detroit outfit, Outrageous Cherry); second, their stagewear is, shall, we say, abbreviated. Guitarist Dan Doll Rod sported knee high black leather boots, black leather hot pants and a ruff of black streamers that heightened his already somewhat bird-like appearance; Drummer Christine (The Thump) Doll Rod had leopard-spot patterned briefs and a black fur halter, while guitarist Margaret Doll Rod had on an even tighter pair of striped hotpants and a leather top which made a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to cover her remarkable ... attributes. Whether their own oversexed originals or crazed covers of 'Spoonful' and the traditional 'Big Rock Candy Mountain'(revisited at the conclusion of their set a capella), the DDR keep the flame of scuzzoid rock lit by Dan Doll Rod's former band the Gories alive and burning — and Margaret's whisky rasp voice is ideal for the group's high-speed collision of rock blues and soul. And if the music doesn't interest you, there's always the stage show, with lots of high kicks and guitar-hero posing, as well as some remarkable demonstrations of flexibility from Margaret Doll Rod. And if you've forgotten that rock'n'roll was once a euphemism for sex, the Doll Rods will remind you — particularly when Dan traded in his guitar for a homemade single-string slide guitar, Christine stepped out from behind the kit to sing and hit the tambourine and Margaret performed some interpretive dancing that would have been entirely suitable for the strip club two doors over. Their spirited show moved one inebriated audience member to bellow "You are rock'n'roll!" They encored with a Velvet Underground cover, their rocked-out version of 'Amazing Grace', and a request from their first album, quitting the stage at 2 in the morning — a long night, but a good one.

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