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Nashville Pussy

For a good time, and good music WHO: Nashville Pussy WHERE: Garfinkel’s WHEN: Friday, Sept. 21 TICKETS: Available in advance from Best Sellers It’s southern fried rock with a generous helping of punk.

For a good time, and good music

WHO: Nashville Pussy

WHERE: Garfinkel’s

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 21

TICKETS: Available in advance from Best Sellers

It’s southern fried rock with a generous helping of punk. A greasy little number that rivals the busiest truck stop diners. And despite the politically incorrect heartburn, audiences are – ahem – eating Nashville Pussy.

It comes as little surprise that two women are at the front of this sexually-fuelled fury… a sound that is a return to the raw power of AC/DC and Ted Nugent. (Nugent fans will recognize the Nashville pussy reference.) Their live shows are writhing and sweaty, R-rated, if not pornographic. But, undeniably, it’s these bomb shells’ stage appeal and musicianship that has kept Nashville Pussy from being tossed out like leftovers, classified as little more than a tasteless, sleazy sideshow. Or has it?

"I’ve heard we were called that, but I don’t mind. I don’t think that’s a bad thing to be called at all," laughs lead guitarist, Ruyter Suys (pronounced Rider Sighs) in her huskiest I-just-rolled-out-of-bed voice. "There’s a circus element to what we’re doing ’cause it’s pretty crazy. It let’s people look inside rock. I don’t know, maybe we’re being perverse like a side show."

Like cowboy hats and ripped jeans, tits and ass are frequent stage accessories. Profanity and obscenity are so common at a Nashville Pussy show you’ll forget your mother’s lectures about four-letter words and you certainly won’t want to heed her warnings about sex, drugs and rock and roll. Head-banging, moshing and fire breathing aggressively take over passive dance floors, while sexuality and sweat drip from the rafters. Although these elements sound like something out of a XXX-flick for men, Nashville Pussy holds equal appeal for women with an almost empowering female image.

"I think sexuality is almost accidental. It’s just because of nature that we happen to be women," says Suys, a Vancouver-come-Atlanta transplant. "I like to poke fun of it. It’s funny to see the looks on people’s faces, like ‘Oh, my god!’ Like they’ve never seen boobs before. And a guitar! Boys are having a coronary out there. Big boys, too. I find that greatly amusing."

Also amusing is the fact that this bad girl is the good wife of Pussy vocalist/guitarist Blaine Cartwright, whose scratchy vocals and sinister looks are a stark contrast to his blonde, shapely bride. Sitting at the back of the stage is drummer Jeremy Thompson. Although the gentlemen – and we use that term loosely – are no less important to the band, they certainly take a backseat to Suys and bassist, Tracy Almazan. The men hang back to leave the women as the dominant force, free to roam the stage and interact with the audience in an up-close-and-personal manner.

"Blaine’s kinda tied down to the mic stand. Jeremy doesn’t get too involved in the antics cause he’s the drummer. He just bitches about it later, like ‘What the hell were you doing to that guy?’ I guess they just put up with it," she laughs.

Sadly, the "circus element" of fire breathing isn’t as common to their performances with the absence of original bassist, Corey Parks. The Amazon musician was a sight to behold at 6-2 (without heels), blonde and quick with her lips, whether they be flaming or laying a tonguey kiss on Suys. But the departure of the party-hardy Parks is also a strong commentary on what is really important to Nashville Pussy: the music.

"Image was definitely a concern, especially when Corey was in the band, but since she quit the music has really taken a turn for the better," Suys says in a more serious tone.

"When we first started out, the amount of free alcohol on a nightly basis was crazy. You start thinking every night is a Friday night. But it’s not. It’s like a Tuesday and you just can’t drink like that every single night. We started one tour and I was really nervous and I didn’t drink before I went on stage and I played really good. That was it. It was like, ‘Fuck that! I’m never drinking again!’"

Nashville Pussy’s credibility as artists hasn’t gone unnoticed by the rest of the industry. One of the most politically incorrect bands was nominated for one of music’s most prestigious awards, The Grammy. The Georgia-based quartet was flabbergasted and even "a little impressed with themselves for a time." They made the trip to the "damn Grammys," dressed to the nines in typical Pussy protocol, foregoing the Dolce and Gabana for a lot of "gold shit." And to say the least, the evening proved to be a let down all around. The award went to Metallica and all the hype about Grammy after-parties seemed nothing more than a myth.

"We went running around looking for the good parties but I think they must have higher standards than Atlanta. Jeremy wound up making his own party. He jumped into the pool at this big swanky party, splashing all the people in their fancy dresses. You see a lot of those movies where one person jumps in the pool and then everyone jumps in the pool and then it becomes this fabulous swinging party. But it didn’t happen. He just got hauled out by a big guy in a tuxedo."

Aside from the eroticism and blatant talent, there’s one more thing Nashville Pussy has over so many other bands tossed into the "rock category": a sense of humour. While their music is hard and rowdy, they shy away from the popular trend of angst-ridden lyrics and woeful tales riddled with troubled child hoods. While there is a trace of southern blues in their style, you won’t catch Nashville Pussy trying to seduce you into misery.

"No way, fuck that shit, man!" Suys interjects. "We’re in it for ourselves. It’s all about fun. And the first people that have to be having fun are us. The audience is almost secondary. I’m having a good time; if you want to have a good time, come on along for the ride. If you’re already here you may as well have a good time. If you don’t, you’re just stupid. Why would anyone want to come out and have a bad time? Our show is just an invitation to be a fool. Come on out and get laid!"