Scream Until You Like It

TRACK #277:

Scream Until You Like It by W.A.S.P.

I’m not sure really which way the Ghoulies winds are blowing these days. I’m not out there on the streets catching the general consensus regarding a 30 year old rubber monster franchise no one with real concerns has actual time to give a shit about.

A quick, but not completely unrelated sidenote: this is my cat named Ghoulie. Seen here when she was just a kitten, hangin’ out with some pumpkins back before this website existed. She didn’t come out of a toilet or anything, but we did find her in a bush. And I’m sure someone pissed in that bush at some point, so there’s that.

Anyway, back to the real, but still fake, Ghoulies.

So yeah, I dunno how people feel about this shit, but if you ask me, I’m a Ghoulies 2 guy all day long.

Now, I would never suggest Ghoulies is high drama. It’s plenty silly. But it’s not quite silly enough, given the context. It takes itself just a tad too seriously for a movie with little monsters raising hell.

On the other hand, Ghoulies III is almost too silly. It’s fun and all, and I like seeing the Ghoulies in a cliched College romp, complete with threats of expulsion, panty raids and full scenes of Kevin McCarthy arguing with rubber monsters. But the concept is taken to its goofy extreme.

Ghoulies IV? That one’s just of a mess of a thing, really. It barely even feels like a Ghoulies movie for the most part.

Ah, but Ghoulies 2? Now, that’s silly in the best and most appropriate way.

Additionally, Buechler’s Ghoulie puppets are a definite improvement the 2nd time around. They look good in part 3 also, but I think I like their look best in part 2.

Plus, you get Royal Dano, genre vet Phil Fondacaro, and that guy from Dazed and Confused that never seems to be in enough shit.

Then they throw all of that into a carnival featuring an animatronic monster filled house of horrors called Satan’s Den? C’mon, what better locale for a movie about demonic little puppet monsters? They tie a guy to a pit and pendulum in front of a roomful of excited children that think its a gag. It’s great. What more do you want?

Well, how bout some rockin 80’s hair metal?

No problem.

Compliments of Blackie Lawless and the W.A.S.P. gang again, here’s Scream Until You Like It.

Where are my tunes!?

Interesting side note, Halloween fans: I just noticed while rewatching Shindig favorite Trick Or Treat, that this is the song Nuke fires up on that fine fine Rocktober morning. Now, I don’t know if everyone already knew this, but I’ve seen that movie I don’t even know how many times and that’s the first goddamn time I ever noticed. Granted, I happened to be editing something for the show using a clip from the movie, and had my headphones on. Perhaps that made the difference. But yeah, Scream Until You Like It can boast being featured in both Ghoulies 2 and Trick Or Fuckin’ Treat?

I might just need to update that Super Soundtrack…

After Midnight

TRACK #239:

After Midnight by Fastway

No movie gets championed around here quite like 1986’s Trick or Treat. And why not? It’s everything we’re on about over here. It’s a Rock ‘N Roll Horror movie that takes place around and then on Halloween. An undead rock star electrocutes an entire gymnasium of teenagers with a real electric guitar. It’s got Gene Simmons. I mean, what more do you need?

The Super Soundtrack, which I thoroughly recommend listening to the day before Halloween, features loads of songs by Fastway, including tonight’s penultimate selection of the season.

When a movie like Trick or Treat is throwing a Sweet Song at you like After Midnight, how can we ignore that?

Wake up, sleepy heads. It’s party time!

Trick or Treat

TRACK #166:

Trick or Treat by Acid Witch

Acid Witch rules.

Just look at that album cover!

That shit is awesome. That’s one of the coolest album covers I’ve seen in a long time. I know they say you shouldn’t judge stuff by it’s cover and what have you, but c’mon! Look at that fucking thing. There’s no way the band hiding behind that cover doesn’t rule.

And they do.

Sludgy, doomy and packed front to back with Halloween imagery, Acid Witch delivers the goods. Hailing from Detroit, it seems they’ve taken up the mantle from Motorcity’s own Halloween and dubbed their music “Halloween Metal.” Goddamn right.As such, they’ve got plenty of Halloween fodder for the Shindig, and like their local brethren, are first ballot Shindig All-Stars.

They even cut an EP last year called “Midnight Movie” featuring covers of songs already included on the playlist, with samples and everything. It’s like they covered the Shindig! It’s insane. I love these dudes.

First up from Acid Witch: Trick or Treat. Chuggier than shit and more unsettling than that, it’s written from the perspective of a true predator on Halloween, lurking in the guise of a mild mannered neighbor.

With his thicked-rimmed glasses, trimmed mustache and white cargo van, he relishes in the opportunity Halloween provides to snatch up children to feed his cannibalistic desires. His is the house you stay away from on Halloween, and every neighborhood has someone like him.

Creepy.

Sampled up with clips from the Tales From the Darkside pilot Trick or Treats, featuring a different kind of Halloween predator, Mr. Hackle.

Banker and land baron to a small farming community, he has the whole of the town indebted to him through IOUs. Every Halloween he allows the children a chance to enter his haunted abode and search for the IOUs to clear their parent’s debt.

There, they find he has a few tricks up his sleeve for them. But this year, the spirits of Halloween have a few tricks in store for him.

Featured within is one of the scariest witches to ever grace the screen, who’s cackle and entreaties for treats are the stuff of nightmares. What better combo for Acid Witch and their All Hallo’s horror?

Trick or treeeeaaaat.

Trick or Treatin’

There’s probably no phrase more tied to Halloween than “Trick or Treat.”

There’s simply no other association. It conjures up nothing but festive imagery, even when not used in that context.

Kids in costume, going door to door in droves, threatening the neighbors to produce treats under penalty of trick. It’s one of the grand old customs that’s still observed to this day. It’s the backbone of what it’s all about. It’s what makes Halloween Halloween.

Time was they called it “souling” and the “treats” were mostly just fruits and small cakes. Initially they were left out on the stoop for the dead as offerings, or rather “sacrifices.” Guess people starting figuring “Hell, if they’re not gonna eat em…” Risky business, you ask me.

Further back still, it is said that the Druids, searching for human sacrifices on Samhain, would rap upon your door and say the phrase. The Treat for producing a sacrifice (most probably one of your children) would be a Jack-O-Lantern filled with the fat from a previous sacrifice, which when lit, would protect you from whatever demons and spirits the Druids were planning on conjuring that evening. The Trick? Oh, just a hexagram in blood on your front door, inviting said conjurings specifically to your home. Trick indeed.

Kind of a trick either way, honestly. Seems you’re just in for it. At least you got a Jack-O-Lantern from the Treat, and that might protect your family. Well, the rest of your family. The kid you offered up is pretty well fucked. Unless of course they can successfully bob an apple out of boiling water on the first try. If not, off with their head, which was probably horribly burned from the oil anyhow. And should they opt against trying to bob the apple? Welp, into the Wicker Man for a good old fashion sacrificial burning.

Seems this day has some pretty sinister origins. Whether or not we’re engaging in a sort of ritualistic conjuring simply through the sheer mimicry of such practices (innocent as they may be or at least appear) is the question.

Are we complicit to evil? Are we abominations in our masks? Is it now so secular it has no power? Or does it have more power in our ignorant observance.

As Colonel Cochran tells us in Halloween 3:

“You thought no further than the strange custom of having your kids wear masks and go out begging for candy.”

Have we?

Where ever the absolute truth may lie, these days you’ve got peanut allergies, childhood obesity and early onset diabetes to concern yourself with, never mind possible psychological warfare and veiled Satanism.

And that’s to say nothing of Trick or Treating before it even gets dark or the dreadfully unfestive “Trunk or Treat.” Gag me with a Carmel Apple. Remember when Halloween was exciting, mischievous and just a little bit dangerous?

Or perhaps a time none of us remember when it was possibly the most dangerous night of all? Now, that’s some real spooky shit.

As you can imagine, there’s no shortage of songs on The Shindig called Trick or Treat. At present, the playlist features 4 songs by that title. 5 if you count the Lou Rawls’ Garfield tune. There’s plenty more.

We thought it was time to indulge in a block of Trick or Treat goodness, cause hey, we like blocks. Not all of these songs are specifically related to Halloween proper, but we’re not gonna be sticklers.

Whatever it meant, or means or conjures – within us or out in the ether, it is a part of Halloween; good or evil, or perhaps somewhere in between.

So, come on! Grab a Ben Cooper mask, a plastic pumpkin and crack a glow stick. Let’s go Trick Or Treatin’!

Trick or Treat

TRACK #132:

Trick or Treat by Elvira

If you’re an Elvira fan like me, than you’re no doubt at least tangentially aware of her Halloween albums.

There are a number of them, the bulk of which feature the mistress herself singing on her own original tracks. They’re pretty great.

What you may notice however, is that while these Halloween albums feature lots of allusions to the holiday, Elvira herself only participates in songs tangentially related to Halloween itself. What gives?

If you’re like me and you administer a Halloween themed music blog, you may have even dug deep enough to find the many references to an actual Halloween song she sings called Trick or Treat. There’s even a couple of clips on YouTube of her performing the track. So where’s the damn song?

Who knows exactly, as it seems it was never officially released on any of her albums. However, The Shindig dug deeper still and purchased an episode of The Dr. Demento Show from October of 1983 that featured Cassandra Peterson as co-host.

As you’ll hear in the clip, The Doc mentions Elvira’s forthcoming album will be including original tunes, one of which they preview on the show, our white buffalo Trick or Treat. Why this never came to fruition is a Halloween legend of limited and myopic interest.

So, here it is Weeners! Enjoy.

Trick Or Treat

TRACK #114:

Trick Or Treat by Nekromantix

Referential hits, spooky themes and inclusive Rock ‘N Roll are all well and good, but nothing really captures the spirit of The Shindig quite like a straight up Halloween jam.

And psychobilly spooksters Nekromantix (a name which itself is referential) have just the jam the mad doctor ordered.

Trick Or Treat is the kind of no frills Halloween gem that’s just kinda toss onto an innocuous album because well, that’s just how they roll. “Halloween? Sure, we gotta Halloween song. Here ya go.”

Full of nostalgia and rubber remembrances for the Halloweens of our youth, this tune is essentially all about the costumes; picking out the right one and having a great time doing it, all in the spirit of trick or treating.

And just like any good Halloweeners, they’ll even catalog passed costumes and the myriad of ideas they have for upcoming costumes as well.

So come on Weeners, whadda you gonna be this year?

Oct. 12th: Trick Or Treat (1986)

One of my favorite holiday treats is this metal-horror installment from 1986.

I’ve watched it as part of a Halloween night triple feature, but typically I prefer to reserve this one for earlier in the month, as it lacks the overtly Halloween sensation the night really deserves.

But your October deserves Trick Or Treat. Your life deserves Trick Or Treat. So this year, treat yourself to this little 80’s Halloween trick.

Metal-head dork Eddie Weinbauer loves butt rocker Sammi Curr. See, Sammi’s a home-town hero, and the ritualistically tormented Eddie identifies with Sammi and aspires to rise above the bullying to rock greatness. In fact, Eddies loves Sammi so much he writes him a detailed letter expressing such sentiments.

Unfortunately, Sammi burns himself to death in a satanic hotel ritual before Eddie can mail it. Damn, better rip down all your metal posters and loose your mind.

Thankfully for Eddie (and us) his DJ pal Nuke (KISS’s Gene Simmons) over at the local radio station has an unreleased and unheard studio pressing of Sammi’s last album. Nuke hooks it up.

The album has unforeseen powers though, and when played backwards, Sammi reaches out from beyond the grave to aid Eddie in a game of revenge against his tormentors.

All is well and Eddie is riding high on the thrill of rock and roll vengeance. Until, that is, Sammi’s game become too real for Eddie’s pussy sensibilities. So Sammi travels back, through the record and out of the speakers, to take matters into his own hands.

Great music, great 80’s-ness, great flaming pumpkins and a great Halloween dance, where Sammi starts bursting costumed-teens with his electricity spewing guitar. How can you miss with this Halloween treat?

Wake up, sleepy heads. It’s party time.