Band's Debut Performance At The Whisky A Go Go In Hollywood On 6-30

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All Photos By Junkman

These days, finding a time to get together with friends for a common goal where everyone seems to be on the same page is becoming increasingly difficult to do. Be it prior commitments, or just not wanting to cross the line politically, spiritually, or simply just not up to the task of exhausting ones energy to make a social outing, is increasingly the case these days, especially the older we get. My personal tolerance for huge increases in drink and food prices, as well as the ass-reaming parking charges at venues everywhere has made me less anxious to attend events lately.

This past week, a band made me and all in attendance put aside these issues, if only for a little while. In an age when attention to differences seem to outweigh similarities in so many instances, it was great to attend the debut performance by the band CATEGORY 7 at the world famous Whisky a Go-Go on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. The room was filled with lots of friends of the band, as well as multiple music-business "insiders" who all had a common goal. That goal was to see a performance by a collective group of friends, who just so happen to be veterans of various big-time rock bands over the years, and are masters of their crafts, show off their new collective project. As one person has said, "They came up aces!"

CATEGORY 7, comprised of singer John Bush who has fronted ARMORED SAINT as well as ANTHRAX, among others, shredding guitarists Mike Orlando (ADRENALINE MOB) and Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD) and the incredible rhythm section of long-time EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson and drummer Jason Bittner who has pounded the tubs for the likes of SHADOWS FALL and OVERKILL, are not only bandmates on this project, but all seem to actually ENJOY each-others company. Over the course of their brief performance, besides the obvious talent, was the vibe they projected onstage. They really seemed to be having fun. No pressure, no egos, just rock the fuck out of the crowd and get you affiliated with our new music, seemed to be their common goal. Believe me, they succeeded in doing that and much more.

With an intro of a siren-filled weather disaster warning, CATEGORY 7 stormed the stage to a huge applause from our collective crowd, opening with "Land I Used To Love" from their self-titled debut release. The energy in the room, both onstage and off, just like a hurricane, literally blew the roof off the famed Whisky, which over the years has seen its share of legendary performances. Tonight was a new chapter to add to its list of must-see shows.

Singer Bush can and always will be able to crank up a crowd. His energy and vocal prowess are as good as any that I have seen in a live setting. Seeing and experiencing his sonic wails are like the feeling you get after a proper gym workout. The blood is flowing and your body is on alert. The song "Exhausted" took on new meaning tonight. Not only was the band, led by Bush, leading an exhausting pace with its frantic tempo, but the solid lock-in that bassist Jack Gibson, who just flew back to the US from touring Europe with EXODUS, had with drummer Bittner was what kept the room thumping. The low-end was pounding throughout the set.

Yet another treat was the way the guitarists Orlando and Demmel played off each other throughout the set. First, Mike Orlando would plant himself on stage left and let off a shredding blast of guitar riffs, such as on the bands lead single "In Stiches" as well as in various songs in the set, and, then let Demmel have a crack at showing off his prowess from stage right. Just when you think you have seen it all, they get together and do it while positioned literally on top of each other, cranking out incredible licks and sometimes harmonizing on their guitars. All the while, they were clearly enjoying the fruits of their effort. It was a joy to see, and hear.

CATEGORY 7 performed their self-titled release in its entirety. Every cut is outstanding, especially live. As a drummer myself, watching Jason Bittner pound his kit like a locomotive is what I live for. I saw quite a few big time drummers in the audience that were grinning and transfixed as he performed a brief but effective solo that led into "Mousetrap" that gave everyone in the band a chance to shine. Later in the set, Orlando and Demmel, yet again, got a chance to spotlight their talents with a solo portion of the show, which had the audience's collective jaws dropping at what they were witnessing.

John Bush as the singer is the glue that holds this project together, although as I have stressed, it really is functioning as a complete unit. But Bush's joy and leadership are evident in the way he projects, and his connection to the audience is solid and true. He speaks highly of not only in his praise of his bandmates, but his thanks of the audience as well, and, to paraphrase a title from his band ARMORED SAINT, he "delivers" on all counts.

Bush explained that the band had only had a brief rehearsal before the performance, due to all the band member's collective touring schedules. "Here's something from another LA band" Bush quipped as CATEGORY 7 finished their set with a version of VAN HALEN's classic "Light Up The Sky" that took it to another level completely, if you can only imagine. His soaring vocals complimented the song and gave it even more balls than the original recording in my opinion, as the crowd screamed and roared their approval. Smiles were everywhere, onstage and off. Everyone in the room was pleased with a fabulous performance.

It was a great Monday night out on the Strip. I saw many people that I had not seen in a while, and all of them were completely blown away by the magnitude of this band and the performance. Hopefully, there will be many more chances to see CATEGORY 7. It all depends on their collective schedules. They are all very busy musicians in multiple bands. Seeing a show like this makes me happy, knowing that there are new avenues to travel in the world of heavy rock music. All it takes is a quest to make it happen. Bravo to a future with projects like CATEGORY 7.

Check out a few more photos from the show!
All Photos By Junkman