EAST COUNTY ROCKS

 "Tilman Thomas were a bunch of guys trying for some odd hard rock, Black Sabbath /AliceCooperr fusion and, from what I remember, did their own shows from a San Diego east country VFW hall. they had original tunes, none of them memorable, all-riff and glutted with pointless and repetitive chord changes that sounded like a garage band of average amateur skill levels trying to add the illusion of prog-rock density to their flat-line barrage. they were not horrible musicians--some showed chops, others did what they could--they were just persistently and insistently mediocre, the kind of aggravating experience when you see a performers who are convinced of their genius. The lead singer was a fellow named Rico X, who wore blouses that looked like they were bought while drunk in an consignment show. he had long curly hair, was flamboyant the way only off key sociopaths can manage, and a voice that was yet another karaoke imitation of Ian Gillian's degendered falsetto. the band's tagline was "mindless rock and roll".it was good to see at least one band live up to a promise they made. the hall was one of those large rooms you grew up in watching your parents and friends get drunk in, on the 4th of July especially. there was a low rise stage, less impressive than the ones that were standard issue in high school gymnasiums all over the country, amps, lighting and PA were abstract, post-cubist renditions of electricity being put to use to underscore a forthcoming storm of mung with sparks and static. the crowd dug it the most, though, everyone dressed up in some variation of groupie baby doll eleganza or long haired biker trash self loathing. it was a wonderful scene"