SAVAGE WEEKEND - Demo - 2002

   SAVAGE WEEKEND flew a little bit under my radar for reasons I will explain later. They formed in 2001 (or so) after the break up of FORCED VENGEANCE and played around the region for a couple of years, I think. They featured a rather unfuckwithable lineup of Eric Nelson (of too many bands to name, but many of them are on this blog), Amy Nelson (of FV and now in DARK RIDES), Harry (FV and now ADD/C), Ed (from ASTRID OTO and now in ASSHOLEPARADE) and Cole (from ADD/C, SHADOWBUILDER and more). They played an assload of shows around the southeastern US and recorded this six-song demo, which (I'm almost certain) never actually got "released" in any form. I think you had to go to one of their houses and make them copy it for you if you wanted to hear it. These songs ("no song titles" says the band) pick up where FORCED VENGEANCE left off and continue the bouncy, fun ,tuneful, and urgent Region Rock that these people know how to execute flawlessly. It's a shame that this is the only thing that they ever did because they were on their way to something much, much greater.

Download SAVAGE WEEKEND
Re-uploaded July 2013

Thanks to Mike Wilson for providing the digital files of this.

   Initially, I wasn't gonna write this part, but this is my thing and even though this is a music blog, this blog is not about only music...but it is...but it isn't. I don't have many memories about this band because it started from the ashes of my old band with 3/5's of its members. FORCED VENGEANCE broke up (even though I still wanted the band to exist) because the relationship between Chrissie (the bass player) and I dissolved and the other members thought that the band could not go on with our relationship as it was. I thought the decision was complete bullshit, but in hindsight, I can see that they made the right decision. Between losing my partner, my house and my band at the same time, I was more depressed and unstable than I had ever been in my entire life. I left town and hitchhiked around the south alone with only a sleeping bag, a couple of dollars and a notebook. I started getting wasted constantly and made lots of impulsive, sketchy decisions.  I ended up sleeping in ditches in the rain after being molested by creepy old men. I woke up in the street, covered in blood and bruises and wrapped around a mangled bike in New Orleans with no recollection of how I got there. I routinely discussed the most negative, horrendous, depressing bullshit in the world. Would you want to be in a fun, bouncy, pop-punk band with me? Probably not.

    I ended up living back in Chattanooga on a houseboat in the river with two of the most thoughtful, welcoming people I could have hoped to meet at that point in my life and they made living in that town bearable for me. I kept my feelings to myself about how I felt concerning the break up of my old band. When my boat-mates said they were going to see SAVAGE WEEKEND and invited me along, I would usually opt out to read a book in my bunk while the river flowed by soothingly. Sometimes, I would ride in the canoe out to the uninhabited island in the middle of the river and walk around, maybe drink a beer or 8, think about the future and wonder if I even had a future to think about. Living on that boat helped me to learn how to stabilize, remind me of what's important in this world and get back to living my life.

   Like I said, I got over it. My bandmates were right to start another band without me and now I can see why they made that decision. I was highly unstable and usually out of town anyway, so why not start a band with people that are fun as hell and you can count on to actually practice every once in a while? I feel much better about my life now...better than I ever have, honestly, and now I can even listen to SAVAGE WEEKEND and truly enjoy it for the bad-ass music that it is. Sorry friends for missing out while it was happening. I was having a rough year.