Blood Sweat and Beers

Review by Kevin Templeton

Doing my finest Mr. T., I must say "I pity the fool who has to review this CD!" Not because it's all that bad. It isn't -- bland, sure -- but it ain't bad. What Doris Leech, Blade Carmichael, and Ripp Stride (!) have created here is truly an anomaly within the local music scene: a supposed cover band playing generic originals that ride the fine line between piss-taking satire and serious rockin' fun (especially if your night out is Tuesday, the Campers' regular night at the Boo Pub in Coquitlam).

Musically, the Happy Campers' arrangements are, of course, strictly of a colour-by-number nature, bringing to mind bands like Spinal Tap and Stryper, with a dash of Seattle's classic Malfunkshun for good measure. Lyrically, their ideas are campy, rebellious and ridiculous, with tracks like "Rock It Up," "Crossfire," and "Depths of Love" leading the way.

Like cheap draft at the Boo, the Happy Campers exemplify watered-down satisfaction in all its smoke-screened glory: cheap love, cheap rock, and cheap cigarettes (Doris even asks "for a light" at least twice during the course of this record). What else can be said? Happy camping!

Artist Contact Info: 17383 -- 0 Avenue, White Rock, B.C., Canada, V4P 2Y6