A & E

HorrorPops bringing rockabilly to Nakai Hall

By Rick Abasta
Special to the Times

WINDOW ROCK, April 30, 2009

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The HorrorPops are finally coming to Window Rock.

The L.A.-based Danish band will perform at Nakai Hall on May 14 starting at 6:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $13 and $15 at the door.

Promoter Randall Hoskie of Rancid Savage Productions said he's been trying to book the band over the past few years.

"This was a long time coming to get these guys," Hoskie said.

The popularity of rockabilly for Navajo fans is undeniable, he said, citing previous shows he's promoted with Three Bad Jacks, Koffin Kats and 12 Step Rebels.

However, the HorrorPops is the granddaddy of them all, Hoskie said.

Patricia Day, upright bass and vocals, is the front woman for the HorrorPops, which formed on the streets of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1996.

She is joined on stage by Kim Nekroman on guitar and Henrik Niedermeier on drums.

Day said the band has been exposed to Native American fans through the years.

"It's kind of hard not to, when you're playing in HorrorPops," Day said. "I think our most dedicated fans are Indians, especially from Navajo Nation."

The Window Rock date is posted on the band's Web site and label, Hellcat Records. The band's Myspace page also has the date booked for "Navajo Nation, Arizoona."

The spring tour for the HorrorPops came up unexpectedly.

"HorrorPops actually was not supposed to do so much, meaning it was supposed to be a Nekromantix year," she said, referring to guitarist Kim Nekroman's other band.

Nekromantix is a label mate on Hellcat Records. The psychobilly band is fronted by Nekroman and his ever-iconic coffin upright bass.

Day and Nekroman met when Day's previous band, Peanut Pump Gun opened for Nekromantix at a show in Germany in 1996.

The year of Nekromantix projects was abruptly changed forever on Jan. 11, 2009.

"But then a very sad thing happened. Just two days before they were supposed to start recording, their drummer Andy (DeMize) died in a car accident," Day said.

The HorrorPops decided on preparing a small tour to get Nekroman back on the road to feeling good again, she said.

The HorrorPops are on Hellcat Records, an arm of Epitaph Records, one of the biggest punk labels in the country.

For the uninitiated planning on attending the show, expect a mind-blowing performance.

"Fans never know what to expect at a HorrorPops show," Day said. "We're never predictable. We never do the same thing."

"We're actually really excited about this show on the Navajo Nation. The only show we're looking forward to on the tour is that one," Day said.

"It's actually been a really long road to actually get us there, so we're really stoked," she said.

Information: [email protected] or www.hell-cat.com.

A new CD is in the works, said Rosales, who delivered an emotional performance of "Something," a ballad about not getting the chance to say something important.

The Plateros then took the stage and immediately the vibe changed from a mellow mood to a powerful guitar performance by Levi Platero, the 17-year-old guitarist.

The band tore into a jam session before ripping into "Where, Where Would I Be," one of 12 tracks from the band's debut CD.

The highlight was "I Found You," a ballad that ended with an improvised guitar solo.

The audience stood, applauding the performance.

The band then performed "Hang On," the album's title track before premiering the music video for "Forever I'm With You," filmed by De La Rosa.

"Did you like that?" Levi asked the audience.

"Yeah!" the audience shouted.

"We did the shoot for the music video back at our homeland," Murphy explained. "That's Levi's grandpa's truck in the video. We thought we would include it because it's a nice looking vehicle."

The band then performed "When the Night Falls on You" and "You're All I'm Dreaming of."

Levi and co. then decided to end the night with some fun by plucking the opening notes to "Voodoo Child," by the late Jimi Hendrix, and "Give Me Back My Ring" by the late Stevie Ray Vaughn."

Both songs were mesmerizing as Levi ripped into the solos like a soul possessed.

The Plateros is band that people should consider seeing live because you never know what you're going to get. The talent is there. The passion for music is obvious.

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