"the group played better than the recently reunited Van Halen"
Rushgedlife
November 23, 2009
The Atomic Punks rocked the Chrome Showroom at the Santa Fe Station
with their impeccable tribute to the David Lee Roth-fronted era of Van
Halen last Saturday.
The popular Los-Angeles based act began in 1994 and have been making
frequent stops in Vegas ever since, building a large following of fans
eager to hear the classic tunes of Van Halen played with skill.
When the guys took the stage, it was hard not to be skeptical about
the coming show. Though it would seem shallow, these guys looked
nothing like the members of Van Halen despite some adornments with the
group’s trademark outfits.
This sense of doubt disappeared once the Punks started to play. If
anything, the group played better than the recently reunited Van Halen
did in all three of the shows they played here in 2007 and 2008.
On tracks like “Unchained” and “Jamie’s Cryin,” vocalist Ricky M’Coy
shrieked and sang better than David Lee Roth has probably ever sang in
his career. But M’Coy only had the technical aspect down pat and
lacked Roth’s incomparable sense of showmanship.
Guitarist Lance Turner proved to hold his own when it came to aping
Eddie Van Halen and blew the audience’s mind with utterly punishing
renditions of “Eruption” and “Panama.” Turner’s fingers moved so fast
across the fretboard that they sometimes appeared to be more of a blur
than anything else.
Bassist Joe Lester and drummer Scott Patterson held down a formidable
rhythm section that perfectly replicated the chemistry between Michael
Anthony and Alex Van Halen. It was a welcomed reception to find that
Lester actually sings his own back-up vocals, as Wolfgang Van Halen,
the current bassist for Van Halen, simply uses a back-up track
consisting of Anthony’s pre-recorded backing vocals.
It was a wonderful show and refreshing to finally hear Van Halen’s
music played decently.
Though there are many tribute acts to the group, Fan Halen, Hot For
Teacher, etc., the Atomic Punks are the end-all, be-all of groups
playing the once mighty Van Halen’s music.
It could even be argued that one might want to see the Punks over the
reunited Van Halen themselves, as a free show consisting of well-
played music is much better than a show where the nosebleed tickets
start at $60 and the audience is bombarded by lesser versions of
former classics for two hours.
Think about that the next time the Atomic Punks come to town.
The Chrome Showroom hosts a series of free tribute shows every
Saturday night at 11 p.m. Next weekend, the venue will host TNT, a
tribute to AC/DC and in subsequent weekends will feature performances
by Led Zepplica (Led Zeppelin Tribute) and Don’t Stop
Believin’ (Journey Tribute).
http://unlvrebelyell.com/2009/11/23/%E2%80%98dance-the-night-away%E2%80%99-with-this-cover-band/