Thursday, March 22, 2012

AIRFIX KITS - Demo - CDR - 2008

   Years ago, I went on a totally failed trip to New Orleans that was supposed to be this fun, get-out-of-town-for-my-birthday-and-forget-everything kind of deal. Instead, I blacked out in a bar, hanging out with a lot of crusty kids that I barely knew while a couple of bands played. I passed out before anything truly fun happened. Things could have been worse. I could have gotten shot again. The highlights of that trip were seeing the MELVINS and getting to go to my all-time favorite record store, Domino Sound. While at the store, I bought a 7" by NO HOPE FOR THE KIDS and the "Blunt Instrument" LP by a band I had heard of called GIANT HAYSTACKS. I knew that I would like the NHFTK record, but the GIANT HAYSTACKS LP totally took me by surprise. I just kept flipping it over and over on my turntable for days, letting the bleak, sparse, MISSION OF BURMA and GANG OF FOUR-inspired songs seep into my subconscious. Their song "Catatonic State" is so good that I found myself wanting to listen to it again before it had even finished playing through the first time. That LP just has a perfect flow to it and sounds so wonderful to my jaded ears.
   A couple of years later, I was planning to move back to the Bay Area and I had a lot of things on my mind. One of those things that lurked around the forefront of my mind (and I'm not shitting you here) was that I would finally get to see GIANT HAYSTACKS play a show and I could sing along to the genius song "Young Shavers" live! Well, imagine my disappointment when I showed up in SF and was informed that GIANT HAYSTACKS had been broken up for almost a year already. Lucky for me, the guitarist and bass player (both named Allan, but one of them has one less "L" in his name) had wasted no time in starting a new band called AIRFIX KITS that, from all accounts, seemed to pick up where GIANT HAYSTACKS left off. I was wondering how I could find out about this band and then I found out that they were playing at the record store just down the street from my house. Boom! I was surprised that none of my friends showed up to see them. In fact, hardly anyone was there at all, but AIRFIX KITS tore through a flawless set that still had elements of their former, bleak, stark sound that I loved and mixed that with a little touch of the mod sound. I was sold. After their set, I told Allan about how much I liked GIANT HAYSTACKS and how stoked I was on their new band. From the look on his face, I could tell that he appreciated the compliments but I was slowly and steadily treading into fanboy territory, so I backed off, unlocked my bike and coasted towards home. Halfway there, I realized that I forgot to get their demo.  Oops! Just in case you also forgot to pick it up at the show, here it is for you.

   Once again, I am in the same boat. AIRFIX KITS has broken up and for some insanely stupid reason, I missed their last show. Let's hope that an Allan or two is working on something new. The Bay Area needs it.

This CD-R is from the collection of Erick Lyle.

8 comments:

Dk said...

I read on their website that they're on indefinite hiatus due to their drummer wanting to pursue other projects/interests. I think they're just looking for a replacement. In any case, I'm sure anything the 2 Allans do next is going to be something killer. I'm glad I got to see them play late last year, something I never got to do with Giant Haystacks.

Harvester said...

Yes, I got word from Allan (and I guess I could have looked at their site too) that they are on hiatus and looking for a drummer. I'm a drummer but my schedule is too insane to start thinking about that.

veganboyjosh said...

Alan, he of the one "l" variety, was also previously in Your Mother, the San Jose band...dunno if you knew that, Greg, but there it is.
seems like everyone in all of those bands--and the bands THOSE people were in--is talented beyond belief.

Harvester said...

I didn't know that. Thanks. I like Your Mother and miss their weird-bandedness.

leanne from pittsburgh said...

thanks for posting this, i saw giant haystacks play and totally loved them. always wondered what happened to them post-breakup, now i know!

also, what's yr email/mailing address greg? we have a new tape and i'd like to send you one. you can write me: dearleanne @ gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Do you have the cassette Airfix Kits put out last year on Saturday Service? I'd really like to hear those 8 songs

Harvester said...

Nope. I wish I did

Dk said...

In case anyone is still interested in hearing the 2011 tape:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/f8zz7ob7b5bneg2/Airfix_Kits_-_2011_Tape.zip

Feel free to share / post it anytime, Greg.