Transcript From The Band Rehearsal The Week Before The Velvet Trellises Broke Up.
Harley Von Davidson: So, lets run through the set list, or whatever.
Victoria Lasik: We don’t have the set list. We were supposed to finalize it last night. Remember?
HVD: Sorry, I forgot. So the first song we’re doing is-
Lasik interrupts her.
VL: You didn’t forget, you blew it off to get drunk again. Look at you, you’re still drunk, you can barely stand.
HVD: I’m not drunk. I was hanging out with Billy.
VL: The fuck you were! You’re a fucking alcoholic. You reek. Gin, big surprise there. Billy won’t even speak to you. Do you even realize how much you pissed him of last week?
HVD: What? I didn’t do anything!
There’s a long pause.
HVD: Oh, what. I pull a little Johnny Cash and everyone’s all sensitive?
VL: You collapsed onstage! Do you know how freaked out we all were?
HVD: Oh like you’re so perfect? You’ve ripped apart my last three songs.
VL: They didn’t make any sense!
HVD: Well they made sense to me. Fuck, no wonder I drink all the time. And when’s the last time you wrote anything?
VL: That’s not my job.
HVD: Well you hate everything I do so much, maybe it should be.
VL: Well maybe you should right something better!
HVD: You know all the best songs come from Marcus!
VL: You need to do your part too!
HVD: Fuck me Freddy, I’m done. Let’s hire that douchebagel again, the guy who rhymes things with things. I’ll play whatever that lyrical gangster wants.
VL: Sounds like a great idea. At least he can string together two coherent thoughts.
HVD: Out-fucking-standing. So meeting over right?
VL: We still don’t have our set list.
HVD: No! Not the set list! Let’s do the set list. This song is about Nothing, then Casablanca. We’ll do the chumbawumba mash-up. Light and the Moth. The Bell-bottom blues cover. Fables, Who Will Save Your Soul, I Wish It Would Rain and close with Slap Bet. You figure out the first half okay? Are we happy?
VL: So happy.
Von Davidson storms out. Marcus, who had been sleeping in the corner the whole time, woke up.
Marcus: Are we playing?
VL: Rehearsal’s over.
Lasik also storms out.
Article about the Velvet Trellises from Guerilla Guitar Magazine towards the beginning of their career.
The Velvet Trellises. Hot newcomers to the folk/alt scene. These three charismatic young ladies and their mysterious bassist have been touring California for the last six months. They’ve played every dive bar from Tulelake to Santa Barbara, and they finally caught the attention of our correspondent Wade Parker.
The Velvet Trellises play an eclectic mix of alt, folk, classic rock, and pop. They seem to strike just the right balance of covers and original work. Their set list is very strong. They really seemed to hit their stride three songs in. This third song was an original titled Casablanca. The lead guitarist, public relations head, and all around crazy person Harley Von Davidson joined lead singer Victoria Lasik at the mic and they harmonized wonderfully. Next they did a cover of Jewel’s Who Will Save Your Soul. Drummer Marcus took over vocals while Lasik played a stirring rhythm on the tambourine. Billy Reed the bassist doesn’t have much of a stage presence but you’ll forget about his lack of mobility when you hear him play. It’s very clear that the rhythm section makes up most of the musical talent in this group but Lasik makes up for it in charisma and Von Davidson makes up for it with enthusiasm,
While watching these musicians their personas became very clear to me. Marcus is the most interested in music. She’s the strongest player and she shows more refinement in her playing. She seems very laid back and things don’t seem to faze her. Victoria Lasik has a lot of attitude and isn’t afraid to show it. A lot of anger comes out in her voice and I thinks I likes it. She isn’t the strongest singer but she does draw you in. Harley Von Davidson seems the most concerned with theatricality, dominating the stage and really including the audience. She was in charge of introducing the songs and her short speeches showed signs of a sense of humor that is not understood by us mere mortals, or really anyone who isn’t Harley. She seems to be having the most fun. Billy Reed is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. He is the most professional but other than that he was impossible to get a read on.
This talented band is most definitely one to watch. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if this band grew up fast and burned out quick. They have the fire, but can they make it into a controlled burn? That remains to be seen.
