So during this edition of Times Of Yore I wanted to talk about a band that is still around and is still putting out CDs. The band is without a doubt a mainstream act and many know them quite well. The band I speak of is Pennsylvania’s Bloodhound Gang (BHG). The comedic rap and rock mixing band has been a favorite of mine since the mid-nineties.
Sure everyone who knows the BHG is familiar with their hit tracks “Fire Water Burn” and “The Bad Touch”. Both tracks were hits all over the radio and basically helped the band achieve attention (well before Bam Margera included them in his fun). Where I am a fan of the albums that both songs appear on I actually would have to say that their debut full length album Use Your Fingers is my favorite.
Here is the part where I talk about that CD…
I found Use Your Fingers by pure accident. I was at a Half Price Books with my pal Mike one day just looking for stuff to buy. I remember I picked up a copy of the CD and just looked at it. There was a hot looking lady on the cover in small clothing eating a chicken leg that grabbed most of my attention. I looked at the rest of the CD and could not help but wonder to myself what in the hell I had in my hands. It looked like a punk rock CD of sorts and I decided it would be best to buy it before someone else did.
Without hesitation I purchased the CD but had to wait until I got home to listen to it seeing my car at the time lacked a CD player. I remember though the moment I hit the play button on my trusty Sony Walkman (that I still have to this day) that I became an instant fan. I had honestly not heard anything quite like it before. It was hip hop but punk rock with lyrics out of this world not to mention comedian Rip Taylor provided the introduction. Jimmy Pop, Evil Jared, Lupus, and Daddy Long Legs became heroes to my young ears.
I listened to the CD over and over and proclaimed them one of my favorite bands. I would sing along daily to songs like “Legend In My Spare Time” and the “Pretty When I’m Drunk” as well as their cover of “Kids In America” which I still prefer over any version to this day. I just loved the raunchiness of everything the band did from the clever lyrics and samples to the beats surrounding them. Within weeks I had a copy of their debut release Dingleberry Haze EP in my hands. I was a BHG fanatic.
Months later I saw a tiny add in Scene Magazine stating that the BHG was playing in town. I was convinced it was going to sell out so I went out and bought two tickets, one for me and the other for Mike. Boy was I in for a surprise…
I will never forget the night the Bloodhound Gang played the Grog Shop their first time. We got there early so the place was not that full but after time passed we started to notice that not a lot of people showed up to the show. Seriously there was like 8 people there including Mike and I…
The BHG took the stage and played like there was a full house. Mind you that show was years ago so I could not tell you the set at all but I do remember Jimmy Pop singing on the bar at one time. My other memory was when the band asked for volunteers to come up on stage for a contest. For whatever reason I kept my hand down but Mike raised his and they asked the kid with the mohawk (Mike) to come on stage. The game they played that night was a game of darts…on Evil Jared’s back. There were like 3 or 4 other people playing along and one by one they would throw a dart into the human dart board. Mike hit a bulls-eye.
I do not think the band was ready for that as the bulls-eye was drawn rather small on Evil Jared’s back but they still gave Mike a prize, a studded bracelet. I was jealous and honestly I still am. After the show the few of us who hung out got to talk to the band and joke around with them. They were super cool and even gave us some stickers and temporary tattoos.
That night was one I will never fully forget. Even if the outcome was horrible the BHG could care less and not even two years later they returned to the Grog Shop to a sold out crowd with Nerf Herder opening for them. I remember that night too especially when the band pulled me on stage to sing a couple verses from “Fire Water Burn”.
Almost 15 years later I still listen to Use Your Fingers and sing along as I did when I was just discovered them. I can not wait to see what they come up with next and even if they sell out the next venue they play in Cleveland I will always think back to the day when BHG played what seemed like more of a private show for me and my pal.
