by Black Bubblegum

Secret Chiefs 3 (more by Zach Dilgard)

Secret Chiefs 3 recently played the Oddity Faire at Terminal 5 with Les Claypool, Saul Williams, and O'Death, and will be back in NYC again on May 30th, this time tackling Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets are now on sale.

Judging by the above photo and the fact that sunn 0))) collaborator Eyvind Kang is currently a member, the SC3-unfamiliar might think that the band dips their toes in the same pond as Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson. Not so. Although the experimental spirit of sunn 0))) is present, SC3 has more in common with mastermind Trey Spruance's other projects, Mr Bungle and Faith No More:

Secret Chiefs 3, also known as SC3, is a group of musicians led by composer and producer Trey Spruance, former guitarist of Mr. Bungle and Faith No More. Their studio recordings and tours have featured different line-ups, as the group performs a wide range of musical styles including surf rock, Persian, Arabic, Indian, death metal, film music, electronic music, and various others...

Spruance formed the band in the mid-nineties with fellow Mr. Bungle members Trevor Dunn on bass and Danny Heifetz on drums [ed: Trevor has since moved on]. Some of the many musicians who have since recorded or toured with SC3 are violinist Eyvind Kang, percussionist William Winant, former Mr. Bungle member Clinton "Bär" McKinnon, and Estradasphere members Timb Harris, Jason Schimmel, and Tim Smolens.

Secret Chiefs 3 dropped Xaphan: Book of Angels Volume 9 on Tzadik (John Zorn's label) in May of 2008.

sunn 0))) drop Monoliths & Dimensions in May and will be featured on The Limits of Control soundtrack.

No more SC3 tour dates yet. Some videos below...

Continue reading "Secret Chiefs 3 (Trey Spruance) played T5, playing MHOW "

photos by Zach Dilgard

Aquarian: What have you planned for the New York show?

Les Claypool: We're going to fill it full of freaks. I guarantee it's going to be a memorable event. Whether you love or hate the music or the performers or whatever, it's going to be a very memorable event. [At] the bigger shows on the weekend, we've brought in all these extra characters, and I believe for the New York show, we're bringing in the Coney Island sideshow performers, so beyond what's already going to be on stage there's going to be plenty of things for the short attention span generation that is out there.

That's what Les Claypool said about his plans for the Terminal 5 show on Saturday, March 28th. As you can see above, he wasn't lying. The show, with openers Saul Williams, O'Death, and Secret Chiefs 3 (who are headed by ex-Mr Bungle/Faith No More guitarist and composer Trey Spruance), was the last of the "Oddity Faire" tour.

The tour coincided with the release of the Primus bassist's latest solo record, Of Fungi And Foe CD, out now on his own Prawn Song Records label.

More pictures from the show, including one of the conclusion of the sword swallowing act, below...

Continue reading "Les Claypool's Oddity Faire tour (Secret Chiefs 3, Saul Williams & freaks) @ Terminal 5 - pics"