Concert Review: Blitzspeer
SLUGmag
It’s refreshing to hear a band like Blitzspeer when every other new band out there is playing speed for speed’s sake, forgetting what they’re all about. “We’re a fun band—no boring guitar solos. We’re fans first,” fans of the Ramones, Dead Boys, and, of course, The New York Dolls, the late, great, Johnny Thunders (R.I.P.) and The Heartbreakers. (Phil Calvano is wearing a very well-worn L.A.M.F t-shirt). In fact, these guys are New York, low-down, dirty, tattoos, the real thing. Look at the bands from New York: from the Dolls, Ramones, to Leeway, Cro-Mags, Murphy’s Law, White Zombie, Circus of Power. I mean, Blitzpeer is definitely a product of their environment.
Scott Lano, the lead guitarist, is the metal head in the band, whose main influences include Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Combine that with the Stooges, Ramones, Heartbreakers and MC5 and you’ve got Blitzspeer.
“We’ve been playing together for about four years. The three of us, Scott Lano, guitar, Curt Fleck, (bass) and I have just recruited new drummer Brian Essing into the band. It just didn’t work out with Loui Gasparro, the drummer on the live EP. It’s going real good with Brian.”
And, judging from their performance tonight, these guys will be kicking out the jams for a long time to come. They played everything from their live EP on Epic Records plus a few new ones: “Good or Evil,” “Almost Tomorrow,” and “City of Angels.” These songs will be on their new album, out in the fall, says Calvano. “We finish this tour in New York on May 17 at CBGBs then go into the studio.”
Curt says, “We’ll be back with the new Blitz. Look, race and live to win.”
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