| When the Gaza Strippers took the local
music stage at this summer’s Warped Tour I’m positive the kids in the audience
were not sure what to expect. If they did their punk rock homework they might have
known that the Gaza Strippers were founded by Rick Sims, former frontman for the legendary
punk band the Didjits, former member of the Supersuckers and the guitarist for B-52s
vocalist Fred Schneider‘s solo project. Even those kids hip or old enough to have
this history under their hats and mohawks looked awed, if not somewhat confused, by the
monstrous wall of guitar glory brought forth by the Strippers on that sunny afternoon. For
starters, Sims’ vocal style has undergone a dramatic change since his days with the
Didjits. The sound he uses with the Gaza Strippers is clearer and he now picks some of the
most difficult and technical vocal lines I have heard since the glory days of glam. With
the Warped Tour featuring an onslaught of mostly poppy punk bands the presence of guitar
virtuosity certainly sounded like a breath of fresh air among the power chord droning
heard on the bigger stages.
Rick may be the center of the media’s attention in
this band, but onstage it is just as easy to become entranced by Mike Hodgkiss, whose
guitar work and vibrating stage antics invoked a crowd of youngsters fighting for a closer
look at his side of the stage. While the rhythm section may be the last place you would
expect to watch for shining examples of stage presence, drummer Corey Stateler is the man
to watch during fills and breaks and Darren Hooper’s solid bass lines are a powerful
presence in this band. I just can’t wait until a year from now when I can brag to all
my hip friends that I remember seeing these guys when they played on the small stage.
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