The Goddamn Gentlemen

Chariots of Fire Spitting Cobras (Last Chance)
by Jon Sarre

These guys be Portland roots punks in suits who I’ve always stuck around/shown up early to see, most of the time anyhow. The singer guy, Mark Gastar, has always been a little too intense for his own damn good, but then again, he usedta have this chord that’d always fall out his guitar (cuz the jack was broken or sumptin’), he’d get all pissed off over that, but he’s probably got that fixed by now. Other than that, he’s a real nice guy, the whole band is, actually. I usedta drink beer with James, the bass player, I think we uesdta bitch about work and talk about shows’n’stuff. A good band, these Goddamn Gentlemen, gents thru’n’thru, yet crude, with some rockabilly touches. This recording’s not as good as they be, cuz the vox are up too high and the drums sound weird, but other than that, ya can hear the things they sing ’bout drinkin,’ and sex uns, too. If ya were to turn it up loud ’nuff, the tech shortcomin’s’d be minimized, plus the title of the record, Chariots of Fire Spitting Cobras sounds like it could be a New Bomb Turks song.
(PO Box 42396 Portland, OR 97242)