29 Aug 2006 : URGE OVERKILL - THE BIONIC RE-EVOLUTION
Urge Overkill, 1994 Big Day Out tourists, Pulp Fiction soundtrack icons, matching suit and medallion wearers, and owners of some of the finest pop-rock songs to emerge from the early nineties breakthrough of alternative as mainstream crossover artists (ie: Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys et al), return this Spring at the invite of the annual Canberra Stonefest and for a series of East Coast club shows.
Original members (and songwriters) Nash Kato and Eddie "The King"Roeser are to be joined by a new rhythm section of drummer Bonn E and bassist Michael Hodgkiss as they blast their way through the hits from chart albums Saturation and Exit the Dragon - as well as a selection of both older and all new material - prior to the recording of a new album this summer.
In the age of flannel and fuzz, Urge Overkill championed shiny pop licks, slick white soul and hipster hedonism - like a Gen-X Cheap Trick. Indie label Touch and Go put out the early Urge Overkill releases including the eclectic Supersonic Storybook (1991) and their Stull EP featuring Neil Diamond's Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon.
Soon after the band were picked up by major label Geffen, where they recorded the chart album Saturation featuring the hits Positive Bleeding and Sister Havana. Writer/director Quentin Tarantino then chose UO's version of Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon as the musical muse in a key scene of his 1994 now-classic flick Pulp Fiction. Tarantino paired Urge Overkill's passionate Neil Diamond cover with Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace singing, dancing and ODing to the tune. If there was anyone who didn't know them by now, this key scene sealed the deal, boosting Saturation's record sales and bringing more fans to UO's live shows.
Exit the Dragon followed in 1997 but with the spoils of fame and fortune come the infections of indulgence, ego and insecurity. And with drug abuse and infighting beginning to tear at the band, our beloved UO imploded, cancelling tours and disappearing into semi-obscurity. Frontmen Nash and the King severed their ties and original drummer Blackie O sadly slipped into self-destruction. Like many musicians of the nineties who started with an independent DIY ethic, they suffered from trying to stay true to their roots while being bought and sold by the music industry.
Flash forward to 2004: Nash and Ed begin to rebuild their personal and working relationships, realising that behind the flash and front of Urge Overkill's past image there are a bunch of really incredibly songs.
And now, in 2006, the main men from Urge Overkill - Nash Kato and Ed 'the King' - are writing, touring (together as an acoustic duo and with a full band) and will soon be recording. A Touch and Go retrospective from their early releases is in the works and the band hopes to produce a DVD of their amazing acoustic live set, which strips their songs down to showcase their fine voices, guitar playing and melodies. Warming up with a few US dates, UO then head back to Australia with their new backup band.
What is this generation coming to? We think they'll join the band's loyal following and experience the passion and prowess of this iconic American rock band.
Tickets for all shows are on sale Monday 11th September.
[Click on image to view Australian tour dates]
