Thursday, April 17, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Music: Bar none

The Loud Pipes smoke the all-ages scene

By Brock Radke

The Loud Pipes have a policy that goes like this: Only play all-ages shows. There are several reasons justifying the policy, not the least of which being that the band enjoys as much up-close-and-personal audience interaction as it can get.

But there's another reason the Pipes don't bounce around in the bar scene, and that's because they have a hard time behaving themselves. "We tried once, a little while back. We played the Rock," says Roxie (just Roxie), the bass player. "We got kicked out of there, fast, and we're never allowed back."

What happened?

"I don't know...a bunch of drinks, and some food and some pool balls flying around. Or being thrown around."

The bar band scene's loss is the all-ages scene's gain. It might not look like it to locals who catch a show here and there, but there is a strong underground rock 'n' roll current running through Las Vegas. It might be called roots, garage, punk, stripped down or down and dirty, but it's really just rock 'n' roll like it used to be and there are plenty of local bands--the Dirty Babies, the Latest Flames, the Pull Outs, the Black Jetts--practicing and preaching it.

But the Loud Pipes distinguish themselves from the others. Not only is the all-ages policy somewhat bizarre for a throwback rock act, but the band puts a fresh youth-friendly spin on its sound.

"Since the beginning we've kinda been going for rock 'n' roll with a more modern guitar tone," says guitarist Jesse (just Jesse). "I wanted to do an AC/DC, Motorhead thing, only with those crunchy guitars that you hear in today's hardcore music. It's pretty heavy. It throws people off because they hear we're just a rock 'n' roll band but then we come on and we're so loud and obnoxious."

Jesse and Roxie are the only remaining original members of the year-old Loud Pipes. The rest of the surname-less crew, which ranges in age from early 20s to early 30s, includes Pit on guitar, Gilbert on drums and Keil on vocals. The sounds have changed slightly with personnel alterations, but they swear there'll be no more new members. "If we make any more changes we won't be the Loud Pipes anymore," jokes Jesse.

The songs are still pretty much from the brain of Jesse, with assistance tossed in leisurely by all members. As a veteran of psychobilly bands, a fan of jazz and old country tunes and a completely untrained guitar player, Jesse admits his songs can get kind of crazy.

"What makes me write the way I do is that I've never taken any kind of lesson, so I hear things in my head and I can't quite get my guitar to sound like that," he says. "But surprisingly, the songs go over pretty well."

And they go over well with audiences you wouldn't expect. The all-ages restriction usually means being paired up with punk bands, emo-rockers or hardcore screamers, and all of the above have become good experiences for the Loud Pipes.

"We'll play with anybody," Roxie says. "We played a [Huntridge] lobby show a few weeks ago and it was the best show ever. It was just packed in and the kids were right in your face."

With the same kids coming out every time and a full-length recording in the works, you would think the Pipes would trash the policy in favor of more exposure. That might have to happen at some point, but the band is happy for now with its underground status and self-sufficiency.

"We turn stuff down all week long, all the time," Roxie says. "The bad part is maybe we could be turning more people on to our kind of music, but that's tough luck. We're totally self-contained and we do a lot of stuff for other bands in town that we like. We've got a lot of friends."