Groovie Ghoulies – (Beyond Warped)

Groovie Ghoulies – (Beyond Warped) Live Music Series featuring Groovie Ghoulies (Release date: 2007).

I’ve got access to loads of albums by this band… but, alas, I think I’ll stop here. Well… you never know, as I’m always trying to be open-minded. But this is really the kind of punk that gets me drunk, tired and demotivated.

There’s nothing that the Ramones, the Clash, Stiff Little Fingers or Green Day haven’t done better here. Granted, the band existed from 1983 to 2007, but for someone discovering them now, it’s really nothing special. The singer’s voice is irritating, although he’s relatively nice on stage with his audience.

The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California, whose music was inspired by horror films. They were therefore also considered to be Horror Punk. They released numerous albums, EPs and singles, and toured internationally. The band’s name comes from the beloved 1970s animated TV series Groovie Goolies, a spin-off of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.

Although the band’s line-up has fluctuated significantly throughout their career, bassist/vocalist Jeff Alexander, better known by his punk name Kepi Ghoulie, has remained a constant. There have been around twenty members in this band. Jason Patrone must have been the shortest-serving bassist, as he quit after 2 weeks! Guitarist Rochelle ‘Roach’ Sparman was also a long-standing member. Alexander and Sparman married, but eventually divorced, which led to difficulties in keeping the band together and its eventual break-up.

Not everyone can pull it off like No Doubt, but maybe it’s especially nice to work with Gwen Stefani.

The Groovie Ghoulies’ music is obviously heavily influenced by early punk bands such as The Ramones, The Misfits and The Dickies, as well as 1960s garage rock and bubblegum artists such as The Troggs and The Monkees, and 1950s rock and roll artists such as Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Throughout their career, the Groovie Ghoulies have recorded covers of songs by many of these artists as well as other influences, including KISS, Daniel Johnston and Neil Diamond.

The Groovie Ghoulies announced their split on 9 May 2007, just days before the release of their ninth studio album, 99 Lives.I respect this band’s career, but it doesn’t touch me. However, I’m listening to their album ‘Travels With My Amp’ as I write this review and it’s not all doom and gloom.

Well, it goes without saying that their instrumental tracks appeal to me more, given that I don’t like the singer’s voice. I like some of their humour, as well as their horrific and musical influences. It’s possible that if they’d been one of the first bands I’d discovered in this genre, they might have been one of my favourites. But we’ll never know!

Album : Travels With My Amp album (2000)

My Rating for both albums: