Throwback MP3 of the Week: The Fashion Statements, “The Crimefighters”
It seems like all the craziest punk bands always had a really short shelf-life. With the exception of the occasional return of Cocknoose, most wild and nutso local punk acts last a year or two and then disappear forever.
The Fashion Statements are the only other exception to the rule that I can recall. They formed in 1998 and were together for over five years, although I can’t recall them playing a show past 2003, when they changed their name to Exit Out. They’d play short sets, because all their songs were under three minutes. With Derek Noll fronting the band and screaming at the microphone like he was trying to teach it a lesson, they were the sort of band that couldn’t have maintained that level of fury past 20 minutes.
Fun story: I saw Noll front Proudentall at a Guns ‘n’ Roses tribute, and it was the one and only time that band ever rocked the fuck out. It was like someone had flipped a switch on Matt Dunehoo and turned him into a crazy rock ‘n’ roll machine. They did “Welcome to the Jungle” after opening with Nirvana’s “Breed” (I have no idea why, but it fit into the set like a hand in glove) and it was electric.
They put out one album, The Emperor, in 1999. It was self-released and while rough, the recording at Underground Sound managed to capture he spirit of the band’s live performance on tape. Sadly, “The Crimefighters” didn’t use the Scooby Doo, Where Are You? riff that started it off when played live.
