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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol. 38, No. 18. July 23rd 1975

Bouldah and the Red Hot Peppers in Concert

Bouldah and the Red Hot Peppers in Concert

Eight o'clock in the Union halll — there's [unclear: goana] be a rock concert — but I mean, where is the audience? Hey! Here comes somebody! Quick — give him a chocolate fish or a joint or something so hell stay. . .

And that's the way it Went until 200 people filled the hall. I just can't understand why the hall was packed when Rip-off Rockinghorse and Alistair the Allstar played their inane garbage ( sorry they call it progressive but when two bands with talent like Bouldah and Red Hot Peppers (admittedly relatively unknown by the public) play a great concert and only 200 turn up, it really is a shame. But, perhaps you'll learn something about them......

Bouldah is definitely a Rock and Roll band - dark glasses, slicked-back hair, and essentially simple music supporting a dynamic vocalist — basic music and rhythm that you've just gotta move to. With a 50's appearance (and just a slight touch of freaky) the band's feel of rock n' roll came through with Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry riffs (unbelievable) interspersed with other R & B influences.

What did they play? Well, I dunno but I remember 'Roll over Beethoven' with an amazing piano introduction, and other Rock n.' Roll classics. While their music may have disappointed the odd pure progressive freak, they revived rock n' roll in a way that compelled the audience to move, You'll see them again - so Watch out for them.

Incidentally, did you read the advertising posters? You know, the ones in glorious khaki green and sickly yellow - well, the supposed crowd drawer was that line 'Red Hot Peppers - ex 1953 Memorial Rock and Roll Band,' Bearded oldies should remember the 1953 MRRB! That's right, the cool band with that cat and his Triumph, on stage, chew'n gum and grooving to the music - real 50's atmosphere. Well, if you hoped to see that image revived, you're too late because it died with the formation of the Red Hot Peppers - sure, they're still cool but they're a bit more sophisticated.

Surrounded by eighteen (?) instruments on a stage exuding class (yeah, - sax on stand with a bunch of flowers in it, banana hanging from Mike stand, etc.), the lead singer wandered on and started playing an electric mandolin. He announced something, until he forgot what he was talking about (probably hadn't seen those nasty films about that weed) and he soon had the lilting sound of the mandolin filling the hall, while the other members of the group (lead guitar, bass, female vocalist and drummer) unobtrusively wandered on and arranged their instruments. As I became immersed in their songs, the music became nameless but I kept recalling the fusion of jazz-rock and dreamy sensuous music of a group called 'It's a Beautiful Day' (Maybe because I've been playing their record continuously for the past three weeks)

Then the music changed and the Blerta (nee Zappa) influence came across with the musical story of an elephant on a bed....

The multitudes of instruments were used to a really good effect - not just used at odd moments to create a new interest, but coordinated to preserve the unity in the music. Wooden percussive whatsits leading an African feel to the rhythm, and a percussive string instrument (dunno what it's called, but sounding like a harpsichord) sending the audience into a stupour with its alternate dreamy and aggressive sound.

Red Hot Peppers is, I think, a band to watch for. They have dropped Rock n' Roll influences, and broadly cover the jazz-rock, folk and blues. They also play classical Indian and meaty rock.

Perhaps the only definite classification I can really make is that they are really good - they are talented musicians who appear to want to create music rather than an image.