Rocket from the Tombs On Tour

I'm going to see them at the Southgate House in Newport, KY. The Bluebird in Bloomington would be a good place to see them, as it is a small club.

ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS
ANNOUNCE MORE U.S TOUR DATES AND NEW STUDIO ALBUM
First Tour Stop November 17th, San Diego, CA
David Thomas Press Day Scheduled For Monday, 10/27

Reno, NV - Seminal punk rock legends Rocket From The Tombs return for another round of U.S. tour dates to promote their new studio album. Repertoire for the tour and the new album is drawn from their classic retrospective release, The Day The Earth Met Rocket From The Tombs out on Smog Veil Records. The tour will kick off on November 17, 2003 in San Diego, CA. The new album is slated for an early 2004 release date. Marketing and radio promotions are being handled by Smog Veil Records. Smog Veil is distributed by Revolver, Get Hip, Southern, Scratch (Canada), Choke, Carrot Top, Disgruntled, Subterranean, Forced Exposure and Surefire.

The band will tour through the U.S. hitting many of the markets they did not visit on their summer tour. Rocket From The Tombs' line-up for the tour continues as David Thomas (RFTT, Pere Ubu), on vocals, Cheetah Chrome (RFTT, The Dead Boys) on guitar and vocals, Richard Lloyd (Television) on guitar, Craig Bell (RFTT, Saucers) on bass and vocals, Steve Mehlman (Pere Ubu) on drums. An album of studio recordings of the live set will be released on Smog Veil Records. It is titled Rocket Redux and features twelve tracks. Copies will be on sale at the upcoming concert dates but the commercial release is slated for early 2004.

On the Pere Ubu website, David Thomas, Rocket From The Tombs' front man explains how these additional tour dates and studio recording evolved out of their June tour: "The genesis is as follows. Following the hugely successful June tour we decided to undertake a tour out west to complete a circuit of the country. In order to satisfy a stream of requests after every show, we decided to record the current set of material with the new band and sell it as a concert merchandise only item. Richard Lloyd engineered, produced and mixed the new recordings at his studio over a couple lost weekends. Along the way we got excited about the outcome and decided to release it commercially through our friends at Smog Veil.

Clearly, credibility is stretched now on the official line that this is not a reunion. Nevertheless, it continues to be the case. Here are the unadulterated facts: (1) We really like playing these songs with each other-- it is satisfying; (2) The mix of personalities is about as stable as nitroglycerine; (3) We actually like each other as people and enjoy each other's company so the 8 flaming rows that erupt each day we are together in the same place at the same time are quickly forgiven; (4) It will not be a "real" band until we start writing new material; (5) This group of people may not be able to write new material together; (6) If we can't write new material of proper quality and nature, we don't want to feel like we're stuck together-- we simply part our ways and say to each other, "It's been fun."

Rocket From The Tombs debuted on 16th June 1974 at the Viking Saloon, a rock club in downtown Cleveland. David Thomas had previously acquired a measure of local celebrity writing for Cleveland's Scene magazine under various aliases. The most prominent of these, the wonderfully named Crocus Behemoth, evolved into a full-fledged alter ego to front the new band. With a mound of wild hair, Behemoth earned himself a reputation as a crazed, completely unpredictable stage performer. Their first set consisted of nearly all of the Kick Out The Jams album, plus an early version of "What Love Is."

Founding members Laughner and Behemoth eventually morphed into Pere Ubu whilst Cheetah Chrome and Johnny Blitz went on to form The Dead Boys.

Songs like "Life Stinks" and "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" (both later recorded by Pere Ubu) are indicative of the anomie, and restlessness felt by Cleveland's pre-punk punks. But its tracks like "Final Solution" and "Sonic Reducer" that shine as two of the most important anthems to come out of punk's first wave.

Describing the recent shows, David Fricke, editor at Rolling Stone magazine, wrote, "No on else in American rock, underground or over, in 1974 and '75, was writing and playing songs this hard and graphic about being f**ked over and fighting mad. No one else is doing it now." While Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune wrote, "Rocket From the Tombs is not just the great lost proto-punk band of the '70s. It's one of the best bands of the 21st Century too." And the Cleveland Scene wrote "After years of anonymity, Rocket From The Tombs has come to represent the match strike for the entire worldwide punk explosion."

The upcoming studio album titled Rocket Redux will feature the following songs: "Frustration," "So Cold," "What Love Is," "Ain't It Fun," "Muckraker," "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," "Sonic Reducer RFTT," "Never Gonna Kill Myself Again," "Amphetamine," "Down In Flames," "Final Solution RFTT," and "Life Stinks."

Smog Veil is an independent record label based in Reno, NV (founded in Ohio). Other releases out now include Rubber City Rebels, California Speedbag, Clepunk.comp, Pere Ubu and more. Visit Rocket From The Tombs online at http://www.projex.demon.co.uk/rftt.html and http://www.projex.net/rftt.html, and the label at www.smogveil.com for more information and tour updates.

Rocket From The Tombs Tour Itinerary (all dates may be subject to change):
Mon., 11/17 Casbah San Diego, CA
Tues., 11/18 Knitting Factory Hollywood, CA
Wed., 11/19 Bottom of the Hill San Francisco, CA
Thurs., 11/20 travel day
Fri., 11/21 Lola's (Crystal Ballroom) Portland, OR
Sat., 11/22 Richard's on Richards Vancouver, BC
Sun., 11/23 Graceland Seattle, WA
Mon., 11/24 Ritz Missoula, MT
Tues., 11/25 travel day
Wed., 11/26 travel day
Thurs., 11/27 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
Fri., 11/28 Annex Madison, WI
Sat., 11/29 Abbey Pub Chicago, IL
Sun., 11/30 Beachland Ballroom (Jim Jones Benefit) Cleveland, OH
Mon., 12/1 Bluebird Bloomington, IN
Tues., 12/2 Southgate House Newport, KY
Wed., 12/3 Magic Stick Detroit, MI
Thurs., 12/4 Lee's Palace Toronto, ON
Fri., 12/5 La Sala Rosa Montreal, QC
Sat., 12/6 TT The Bears Cambridge, MA
Sun., 12/7 Black Cat Washington, DC
Mon., 12/8 Kings Raleigh, NC
Tues., 12/9 Echo Lounge Atlanta, GA
Wed., 12/10 Parish @ House of Blues New Orleans, LA
Thurs., 12/11 day off
Fri., 12/12 Rudyard's Houston, TX
Sat., 12/13 Emo's Austin, TX
Sun., 12/14 Gypsy Tea Room Dallas, TX
Mon., 12/15 travel day
Tues., 12/16 Hi-Tone Memphis, TN
Wed., 12/17 Exit/In Nashville, TN