Holy shit! What an incredible show! The Monsters from Switzerland invaded Los Angeles’s Zebulon on a Tuesday night, delivering all the wild, crazy fun we anticipated.
How does one describe the Monsters? Garage rock? Certainly; psychobilly? They have elements of it; trash? Definitely, but that doesn’t capture their full essence; punk? Absolutely. Grindcore, rockabilly, blues, metal… Yes, exactly. They’re all that, and more.
These guys are an institution. Formed in the mid-eighties, they’ve finally hit the western United States, and we were stoked to catch the first stop of their US tour. The show was killer—30 songs in an hour, delivered with kind, grateful, hilarious, energetic, no-holds-barred rock ‘n’ roll.
They played a bunch of songs spanning their career, including hits like ‘Hi Heels and Mini Skirt’ and ‘Happy People Make Me Sick.’ They joked about their lack of melodies and introduced a song with one, distributing coasters with the lyrics for a communal sing-along. ‘Yellow Snow Drink’ which became an instant hit with the crowd.
Will they return? If the crowd’s passionate screaming along, energetic dancing (circle pit and all), and the non-stop merch line are any indicators, they’ll be back. Don’t miss out on this potentially once in a lifetime opportunity —The Monsters are stateside, and it’s a riot!
Ps: shoutout to the opener El Colmo. This power trio may be new, but from their skills and songwriting – these guys have been around the block and then some. Sounded like a less erratic, more mature Minutemen. Looking forward to seeing them again!
All words & pics by Alex Napiwocki
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