Hellacopters Come Strafing In With Rock Attack From Sweden

FOR THE RECORD: May 22, 1999: Price incorrect: Tickets to the Hellacopters concert Wednesday night at Ichabod’s North cost $5. The price was incorrect in the Nightwatch column in Friday’s Weekend section.

While those of us in the United States bicker about the sad state of rock ‘n’ roll, Nicke Royale has this to say: “Rock is not dead.”

At least not in Scandinavia.

Yes, Scandinavia has become a hotbed for rock, due in no small part to Royale’s Sweden-based band The Hellacopters.

A veritable bumper crop of Nordic bands with American rock-hard hearts have sprouted in that far away region. The Nomads, Backyard Babies, Glucifer, The Hellacopters - they seem to remember what some in the U.S. have forgotten - how to rock in that pedal-to-the-metal-don’t-give-a-damn kind of way. Kiss, Motorhead, the Stooges, MC5. Unrelentant and unrepentant.

But Scandinavia?

“I know, it’s weird,” says guitarist/vocalist Royale, during a cross-Atlantic phone conversation. “There are a lot of good bands in America, but there’s better bands in Scandinavia at the moment. It just sort of happened a couple of years ago. We got our own little Seattle thing going here, I guess.”

The Hellacopters are on their second U.S. tour, landing in Spokane Wednesday for what should be one supreme rock show at Ichabod’s North.

This group of four came together in 1994 when Royale, former drummer for the band Entombed, picked up the guitar and started his own group.

Theirs is revved-up, punked-up rock, the kind that puts on no airs and takes no prisoners. Says Royale: “We just play to entertain ourselves and hopefully some other people come along for the ride.”

And plenty of people have jumped on board. They released numerous singles and two LPs - which went over big in Europe and soon percolated into receptive American ears on the import market.

The Hellacopters won a Swedish Grammy for their debut album and arrived in the States for their first tour atop a swelling underground buzz.

“We met a lot of record companies in America which were all very keen to sign us. But Sub Pop was the one that we thought sounded most honest,” he says of the Seattle-based indie label. Plus, says Royale, Sub Pop had released work by one of his favorite bands - the Supersuckers.

Sub Pop will release the Hellacopters’ third and latest album “Grande Rock” in June.

It’s a record that continues the Hellacopters’ penchant for fat rock fury with a righteously catchy jab. It rumbles, it roars, it’s adrenalized guitar potence. For the first time, they layer in some brash acoustic guitar (listen to the end-of-the-world anthem “5 vs. 7”)

“It’s the third album and it’s much better I think. But, I don’t think you should speculate about music or try to analyze it,” says Royale. “I think you should just listen to it and either you like it or you don’t. And if you like it, play it again.”

My recommendation: Play it again.

Let Sweden rock your world Wednesday at Ichabod’s North. This full-tilt rock extravaganza includes The Nomads, The Fireballs of Freedom and The Quadrajets as well at the Hellacopters. It’ll cost you $5 to get in and the show starts at 9:30 p.m.

Hodge’s jazz

Oh my, what a sultry voice Cheryl Hodge has. And a versatile one, as well.

Check it out. Hodge celebrates the release of her new CD “Strings, Necks & Chords” at Hobart’s Jazz Lounge Saturday. The album - a follow-up to “Tonight I’m Wearing Basic Black” - is a mix of originals and standards. It opens up with “The Path” on which Hodge winds and twists her crystal voice through spare jazz instrumentals. For the Duke Ellington piece “Prelude to a Kiss” she adds a touch of the smoky to her fantastic vocals.

Hodge was a voice instructor at Berklee College of Music in Boston before moving to Nelson, B.C.

The Cheryl Hodge Quartet plays Saturday starting at 9 p.m. She is joined by New York guitarist Kevin Lutke. Admission is $5.

Funk time

Get into the groove at Outback Jack’s tonight. Portland’s premier funkmeisters The Five Fingers of Funk, are bringing their booty-shakin’ vibe to town. They’re joined by fellow Portlanders The Radio Flyers. This five-piece plays an exuberant mix of rock, funk and dance music. They’re working on their second LP, due to be released later this year.

Spokane’s own funk group Tongue in Groove perform tonight as well. The show starts at 9 p.m. Admission is $4.

Music notes

* The Rodeo Restaurant has said “so long” to country music and has opened a new room that offers, instead, live dance music Wednesdays through Saturdays. The lounge/dance area is now called The Velvet Room. Stop by there on Wednesdays for the weekly Jam Night. All levels of musicians are invited to test their chops with the host band. Beginners are always welcome. Hard Left performs this weekend and next. There is no cover charge.

* Longtime Spokane rock band Innersanctum has reunited for a few shows. Catch this five-piece tonight and Saturday at The Shed. The music starts at 9 p.m.

* Roll on over to the Birkebeiner tonight and Saturday to see The Trailer Park Girls. Doug Clark and this gang of rockers will play their infamous “Spokane Song.” In an attempt to make this little ditty the official city anthem, they will be collecting petitions to present to City Hall.

“Spokane, our cops are always smiling/they wave at the kids shooting hoops in the park/if you’re black and you drive you’re gonna get pulled over?Ain’t life great livin’ in Spokane/No complaints livin’ in Spokane/Where the weather’s fine and the sun is shining and the grass is green and the river’s clean and another Neo-Nazi just bombed Planned Parenthood.”

The music starts at 9 p.m. The Trailer Park Girls boast $3 worth of entertainment for a mere $2.75.