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November 26, 2006
The Detours 11-24-06
At The Mort
Words and Pictures by Kevin Hillskemper
The Detours have been doing some reunion shows lately. Check their website for a history lesson. You probably know some of their songs. The Adolescents recorded a few and DI recorded a few more when former Detours passed through their ranks. The last time I saw the Detours was about 25 years ago at a backyard party in Anaheim. No, I don't expect you to care.
This was likely to be the last show that will be at The Mort, a rehearsal and performance space in a run-down industrial park in Orange. It's rumored to be haunted. That's probably why my pictures came out all spotted.
The set got off to a shaky start when the PA system quit during the first song. Singer Gordon Cox conducted the crowd in a sing-along until the sound came back. He is equal parts Huey Long. Robert Goulet, Cal Worthington, and Joe Piscopo. He could have also sold them a car, had them speaking in tongues, and sold them acreage of California Pines. He's pretty darn good.
The set was short and action-packed. I'll throw out a few songs titles in case you want to catch any - "OC Life", "The Saint", "No Way", "Creatures", and so on. I'm not sure if they played "Falling Out" or not. It seems to be stuck in my head for some reason.
Rikk Agnew certainly let his presence be known. The small size of the room emphasized his guitar-hero theatrics and usual antics like thwacking himself on the forehead with a microphone.
Halfway through the bands performance of "Hang Ten in East Berlin", he suddenly abandoned his guitar and stormed offstage. After retrieving his grocery bag full of liquid refreshments, he ran up to me and grabbed me by the shirt collar. He pulled me toward him and started us both in a swirling death-spin. Not being much of a hoofer myself, I did not reciprocate on his offer of a personal slam dance. He then tossed me aside and disappeared into the night.
I admit that it caught me off-guard, but I wasn't really surprised. If you put yourself anywhere in the proximity of Rikk Agnew, stuff like that is going to happen.
Rikk Agnew drops his pants for the camera.
Posted by Big Kev at November 26, 2006 10:48 AM
