HOT DAMN #42 — GANG VOCALS With Your Family

LIFE’S WONDERS PRAISED IN SUGGESTIVE, ODDBALL, AND NONSENSE WAYS

As a counterpoint to my usual cynical antics, I’ve committed myself to a weekly, year-long discussion of my life’s joys.  But, never one for the more traditional approaches, I intend to keep things a little off side, a tad outlandish, and always one foot outside of polite company.

//GANG VOCALS WITH YOUR FAMILY//

Of all my hobbies or side projects that I most enjoy, the one I speak the least about is my punk band, Cooch Booger. Already, you probably know why I say so little. The name says it all, doesn’t it?

In case you’re wondering, yes, the band started as a joke . . . and it still kind of is. I mean, technically, it’s not even a legit band; it’s just me, a drum sequencer, a guitar, a bass guitar, and a $14 microphone. Of the two songs I’ve recorded, none have been uploaded to the internet, and I’ve certainly never performed them live (and never will).

There it is, folks — the $14 microphone. A thing of beauty.

But, damn it all, I’m kind of in love with this unsightly pastime, and this weekend’s recording session really took the cake.

The reason, you see, is that I successfully convinced four family members to record gang vocals for the latest song. Think about that for a second – four upstanding, highly educated, working professionals all agreed to hunker down in my basement, gather around a crappy microphone, and group-shout lyrics that are, frankly, batshit absurd.

These are people with respectable reputations, and the way they spent this past weekend is definitely not something they’d ever want to appear on a resume.

And yet, we all had a blast.

Gang vocals, in case you didn’t know, is the best kind of singing. If you’re anything like me, then you’re no Adele, and singing isn’t exactly your forte. In a nutshell, gang vocals is just a group of people shouting lyrics into a microphone. Most often, it’s used in hardcore music, but I personally prefer it when it’s used in punk rock. Whatever genre, though, it’s pretty dang fantastic. No, even more: it’s cathartic.

Sure, it’s not a sophisticated craft, but it is a rewarding one. Maybe that’s all that matters.

And, really, when your band is called Cooch Booger, does it make a difference how well you sing?

Actually, I’m pretty sure singing well kind of defeats the purpose.

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Did you miss last week’s entry on CORGI LOVE?  Catch up here.

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