Straight outta Tel Aviv, The Monotonix are the most unruly, impetuous group of miscreants to emerge from the last bastion of rock n’ roll excess; the Middle East. If GG Allin came in peace, he would act like The Monotonix.

Armed with only a three piece drum set and a mean fuzz guitar, The Monotonix sounded like a raw force of nature. It was an acoustic manifestation of the id; no right and no wrong, like when the lion eats the gazelle. Their show ravaged Mojo Thirteen like a tropical storm. The action was fierce and left much debris, but it benefited the world and the collective human consciousness. I’m fresh out of analogies, so here’s what I remember…

The Monotonix didn’t play on the stage; instead they set up in the middle of the room. The show started with a simple drum beat and bizarre native dancing. Were they on drugs or was I on drugs? I couldn’t tell, but I think Jim Morrison choreographed their show. After a few minutes of this war-drumming, the fuzz guitar and the vocals joined in. The lead singer began to use random objects as props and his stunts became increasingly daring with each song. Everything was fair game, from full take-out boxes to trash cans and floaters. First he poured beer on his drummer’s head and some helpless bystander, but not violently; it just worked with their show and their theatrics. Then a trashcan was placed on the head of their guitar player and part of the drum kit was given to the audience so they could play along. Tables and stools were constantly repositioned and used and props. Amidst this madness, the drummer and guitar player rarely permitted a moment of silence in their music. The beat and fuzz guitar were perpetual.

Next, the entire drum kit was moved to the other side of the room without the drummer missing a beat. At this time, the show moved the bar room where the singer sang from the top of the bar and used that helpless ceiling fan as a prop, much to the chagrin of the befuddled bartenders. Their unpredictable behavior only drew the crowd closer to the spectacle. The drums were then moved outside for the finale, also without missing a beat. The crowd poured out of the bar to watch these locos tear up the parking lot. Finally their guitar player emerged from a side entrance and played atop a van.

This was not just a show; it was art…strange, unexpected art. I highly recommend catching their show. They are on tour until October, so stop looking at porn and check them out.

http://www.myspace.com/monotonix