HOT LIVE GUYS
- External Culture for the Internal Barbarian
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Julian Bargen - vocals-guitars , Joe Warkentin - lead guitar, Kurtis Wittmier - bass, Sterling Stardom- drums
You wanna piece of the action? The Hot Live
Guys bring the action. They are a rock 'n'
roll guitar terrorist squad with nothing
on their minds but bringing the party to
the people and making the collective masses
shake their asses to the frenzied attack
which is a Hot Live Guys show.
The quartet of 20-something Winnipeggers
have been making a huge noise in their hometown
since solidifying their lineup in 2002. In
that time they have opened for such notable
acts as The Supersuckers, Von Zippers, C'mon,
Tricky Woo, Forbidden Dimension and The Illuminati.
Live they are a force to be reckoned with
mightier than any trailer park destroying
hurricane. Vocalist-guitarist Julian Bargen
is a frantic bundle of energy set to blow
at any second. Lead guitarist Joe Warkentin
is one of the city's most remarkable guitar
players - one part Angus Young, one part
daredevil - who pays no heed to the damage
he inflicts on his body. Warkentin has been
known to fall off stages, finish his solo
and get back to the microphone just in time
to sing backup. Many have wondered if this
young man's bones are made of rubber. The
yin to Warkentin's yang is skillful bassist
Kurtis Wittmier; a towering mass of pure
fury who beats his instrument like it owes
him money. Backing this crew is Mike "White
Dawg" Johnson on drums. The reason behind
the nickname is unclear, but he is truly
a rabid kit man who has been known to sacrifice
his body for the rock cause, most notably
during the band's sold out 2005 JunoFest
showcase when he required thirty stitches
following a back flip off his bass drum.
If you want blood, this band has got it.
But they are more than a spectacle - the
Hot Live Guys can pen a song. They have the
uncanny knack to write sexually charged anthems
filled with infectious riffage. Now they
are ready to send the party home with their
new eight-song EP, Robbin' a Bank, released
on high-octane label Transistor 66. This
ain't no washed over retread of the same
old grunge; this is the true spirit of what
made rock dangerous in the first place. If
spins of their past releases on local university
stations UMFM and CKUW are any indication,
Robbin' a Bank should dominate the airwaves
this summer and have soccer moms everywhere
singing along to tracks like Night Danger,
Sock It To Me and Soviet Red.
They have also made members of the local
media take notice.
The Hot Live Guys were named one of the Top
30 Winnipeg bands of all time by the Winnipeg
Sun in 2005, chosen as one of 10 local bands
to watch in 2006 by the Winnipeg Free Press
and were dubbed one of the best live Winnipeg
bands by both publications.
Hear it for yourself. Join the new rawk 'n'
roll revolution. Come party with the Hot
Live Guys