Warped Tour: Pulling the plug, and other acts of Desperation

[Technical problems delayed these final two posts; today's festivities are probably already rocking in Ventura, where it's sure to be cooler -- though not necessarily quieter -- than Pomona was on Friday:]

Saw snippets of a lot of bands in the late afternoon: Victorville's Loraine Drive rocked with the sun bearing straight down on the band and the crowd; the U.K.'s Gallows spewed out a caustic brand of punk; Bleed the Dream blasted off from a tiny stage; and Long Beach's I Am Ghost rattled ears with a goth/hard-core hybrid. If I interpreted the proceedings correctly, singer-violinist Kerith Telestai read an emotional statement from the stage late in the set resigning from the band.

But nothing prepared me for the hometown outing by the Desperation Squad -- who were kicked out of their own tour bus on Warped '01 and were voted Most Annoying Band on the reality show "America's Got Talent. People like to throw things at this bunch of '80s leftovers, led by the wildly entertaining but very profane Mr. P (who apparently once ran for mayor of Pomona).

It started before the set even began, with empty plastic water bottles and other small detritus being thrown at the stage. When Desperation Squad started playing, Mr. P might as well have been wearing a bull's-eye instead of a shirt bearing an obscene phrase (I had to edit the following photographs carefully). After a water bottle dinged a security guy in the forehead, the yellow-clad guards moved to the side; it seemed to be all in good fun. Then a flying hot dog hit Mr. P square in the bridge of the nose, causing his sunglasses to cut him below the right eye. He carried on, even distributing tortillas to the crowd to give them ammunition for the band's song "Taco Truck."

When the first entire wastecan of trash hurtled toward the stage, though, things got interesting. Other trashcans -- 3-foot-square cardboard affairs -- followed, showering fans upfront (and a few brave photographers in the well) with litter.

Warped management pulled the plug on the set as the band began its fourth song.

Top, Desperation Squad takes the stage (yes, that's some sort of, er, doll, behind Mr. P). Above, Mr. P during the set.

Above, a plastic bottle sails toward the singer.

Above, Mr. P throws a hot dog back at the crowd.

Above, the aftermath.

Comments

[M.J. Stevens]

Long after the Warped Tour audience is suited up and stuffed into an office cubicle somewhere in suburbia D. Squad will still be rockin', as they have been for over 20 years. There is no finer rock band in America to throw trash at!